$300 unemployment supplement headed to bank accounts

EVERETT — An additional $300 per week is on the way for recipients of unemployment.

Payments from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation began Thursday evening. Benefits from the federal stimulus program are available for 11 weeks, from the week ending on Jan. 2 until the week of March 13.

“Every dollar counts for people who are unemployed, especially during this pandemic,” said Nick Demerice, spokesperson for the state Employment Security Department.

Demerice warned that processing payments may take a few days depending on a person’s bank or holiday delays. He encouraged individuals to be patient and use the eService portal or online resources for assistance as phone lines cannot meet the high volume of calls.

In a statement on Dec. 30, Suzi LeVine, commissioner of the employment agency, said most claimants won’t experience a gap in benefits if they continue to submit their weekly claims.

”We know how urgent this is for Washingtonians and our team will continue to work night and day to ensure these new benefits are available as quickly as possible,” she said.