CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services (DWS) announced today that after extensive testing, the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program is now open to applicants.

The PEUC program adds 13 weeks of Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits to a regular claim for those that are eligible. Regular UI is normally available for 26 weeks, and with the 13-week extension, the total eligibility for benefits is 39 weeks. PEUC is not available to Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claimants, as that program is already extended to 39 weeks.

“We’re extremely glad to announce the extension of benefits through PEUC,” said Holly McKamey Simoni, Workforce Programs Administrator for DWS. “Implementing this program is critical for folks still trying to get back on their feet in the wake of COVID-19, and we’re here to help them do that as our economy begins to recover and people get back to work.”

PEUC extensions can be backdated to March 29, Simoni said, or to the date the claimant’s UI benefits were exhausted, whichever is later. PEUC claims are also eligible for the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), which is the $600 additional payment per week made possible through the CARES Act.

Claimants can file for PEUC through the same portal they use for all other Unemployment Insurance claims, wyui.wyo.gov, or by calling 307-473-3789.