Unemployment Insurance FAQs

The Worker Pandemic Benefit (WPB) is a one-time supplemental unemployment compensation benefit in the amount of $1,200 to those who have lost work due to the COVID-19 pandemic and who are or were eligible for unemployment benefits, including regular state unemployment insurance, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), Extended Benefits, or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA).

The WPB was authorized through state legislation passed during the 2020 Special Session.

Eligible individuals will receive a one-time $1,200 supplemental benefit as a separate payment from their weekly unemployment benefit.

Funding for the Worker Pandemic Benefit was provided by re-allocated federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding received by the State of New Mexico, and approved during the 2020 Special Session.

No, there is not an application for the Worker Pandemic Benefit. Eligible individuals are those who certify and are eligible to receive benefits for qualifying weeks of November 22 through 28 or November 29 through December 5. Also, claimants who were receiving benefits but exhausted their benefits between September 12, 2020 and the time of the bill signing are eligible for WPB. There is no need for claimants to call or apply separately for this benefit.

This benefit payment will be separate from regular weekly benefit payments. Benefits will be paid starting December 14 to those determined eligible.

No. The $300 per week for up to six weeks was for Lost Wages Assistance (LWA), a program funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). WPB comes from re-allocated federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding received by the State of New Mexico, and approved during the 2020 Special Session.

Individuals are eligible for WPB as long as they certify and are eligible to receive benefits for qualifying weeks of November 22 through 28 or November 29 through December 5. Also, claimants who were receiving benefits but exhausted their benefits between September 12 and November 25 are eligible for WPB. There is no need for claimants to call or apply separately for this benefit.

This one-time benefit is not available to individuals who have returned to full-time work or certify that they earned wages greater than their weekly benefit amount during the week legislation was signed.

Yes, WPB is a taxable benefit.

Eligible individuals will receive a one-time $1,200 supplemental benefit as a separate payment from their weekly unemployment benefit through their preferred payment method for receiving Unemployment Insurance benefits. Your payment method can be revised at any time by logging into your Unemployment Insurance account and going to “View and Maintain Account Information” and then selecting “Payment Method Options and Tax Information.”

The department is expanding our eligibility criteria to include as many claimants as possible in the one-time Worker Pandemic Benefit. Eligible individuals are those who certify and are eligible to receive benefits for qualifying weeks of November 22 through November 28 or November 29 through December 5. Please note, claimants who were eligible for benefits but exhausted their claims between September 12 and November 25, 2020 are eligible for WPB. There is no need for claimants to apply separately for this benefit.

No, to be eligible for the one one-time Worker Pandemic Benefit you only need to be able to certify and are eligible to receive benefits for one of the qualifying weeks. Qualifying weeks are November 22 through November 28 or November 29 through December 5.