Governor John Bel Edwards recently broke the news to Louisiana residents that not all of the 450,000 people unemployed in our state will receive the extra $300 federal unemployment money.

The federal government announced earlier this month they would pledge an extra $300 to those who were unemployed. In response to that announcement, Governor Edwards said he was "cautiously optimistic" that Louisiana's unemployed residents could receive the extra benefit.

However, the governor is now saying the federal government has changed its qualifications for who will receive the benefit. Edwards says the new guidance on who qualifies for the extra federal unemployment did not come from state level decisions but rather from the US Department of Labor. It's speculated 67,000 residents in Louisiana will not qualify. Essentially, if you're getting under $100 of state unemployment, you will not receive the extra $300 federal unemployment benefit.

Those who do qualify for the federal benefit should start seeing payments as early as next week. The payments will also be retroactive from August 1, so the first unemployment check with federal money on it will be more than the rest. The extra $300 benefit is expected to last around six weeks.

FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor approved the states of Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, and New Mexico to receive the federal grants first before other states due to the dire straits of our unemployment trust funds.

So how long will the $300 last? According to the executive mandate that released the extra money to unemployment, it will last no longer than December 27. There are several reasons for how it could end early, but most experts are estimating the benefit will be paid for around six weeks and then be reevaluated.

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