(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services (DOES) announced a one-time stimulus payment to extend support to those District residents hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. The one-time direct payment of $1,200 will be sent to approximately 20,000 DC residents who filed and were deemed eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) on or before November 30, 2020. PUA covers individuals who are not eligible for traditional UI benefits. DOES will begin issuing the payments in the coming weeks.

“The District is committed to using every resource at our disposal to provide support to residents who have been hardest hit by the pandemic,” said Mayor Bowser. “With federal assistance getting ready to end later this month, and as the public health and economic crises continue, this stimulus payment is one way we can get immediate and much-needed relief to more than 20,000 Washingtonians. But we also know that short-term relief is not enough. We urge our federal partners to pass legislation that recognizes the needs of millions of Americans who have made tremendous sacrifices and who are struggling to get by through no fault of their own.”

The District is providing this stimulus to PUA recipients as their federally funded benefits will expire at the end of the year. Since the pandemic struck in March, nearly 200,000 unemployed workers have applied for unemployment insurance benefits to help pay for groceries, rent, utilities, and other essential needs.

“We know a stimulus like this will provide direct assistance to Washingtonians who are struggling to make ends meet,” said DOES Director Dr. Unique Morris-Hughes. “They need help now, and the Bowser Administration is answering the call.”

Claimants will be notified by DOES through their DC Networks portal and email if they are eligible for the payment. The stimulus payment will be automatically disbursed in the manner in which the recipient is currently or last received benefits. No additional application will be necessary.

For more information on unemployment compensation in the District, visit coronavirus.dc.gov/recovery-individuals.