COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits: Ohio Opts Out Of Extra $300

Cleveland OH

13 May, 2021

3:09 PM

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COLUMBUS, OH — Ohio is opting out of a program that provides an additional $300 per week to unemployed residents. "When this program was put in place, it was a lifeline for many Americans at a time when the only weapon we had in fighting the virus was to slow its spread through social distancing, masking, and sanitation," DeWine said Thursday. "That is no longer the case." The federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program was launched early in the pandemic. Ohio opted into the program, which provided additional money to unemployed Americans. Effective June 26, Ohioans receiving unemployment will no longer receive an additional $300 per week. "This assistance was always intended to be temporary," DeWine said. Read more: $1 Million Giveaways: Ohioans Can Win Big For Getting Vaccinated The governor's decision to leave the unemployment program comes a day after he launched an ambitious and controversial lottery to reward Ohioans for getting vaccinated. Over five weeks, five Ohioans will win $1 million for simply being vaccinated. Five Ohio teenagers will also win full-ride scholarships to any state college or university.