Back to Work CT program to begin distributing payments to eligible Connecticut residents
(The Center Square) – More than 1,500 eligible participants of the Back to Work CT program will soon have a little extra money in their pocket.
Gov. Ned Lamont, who announced the program in May to incentivize long-term unemployed residents to rejoin the workforce, said Tuesday morning the initial round of one-time $1,000 payments from the state would soon be distributed to qualifying workers.
“Many workers who were displaced during the early months in the pandemic and faced long-term unemployment are now transitioning back into the workforce and starting to rebuild,” Lamont said in a news release. “This one-time bonus payment will help some of those workers pay for the critical things they need to get back to work, including childcare. This is the latest tool in our toolbox to maximize our state’s recovery from the pandemic.”
To qualify, a worker must have filed an unemployment compensation weekly claim with the state for the week of May 23-29, have filed unemployment weekly claims for 11 additional weeks between Dec. 27, 2020, and May 22, obtain and maintain a full-time job for eight consecutive weeks between May 30 and Dec. 31, and not file an unemployment claim for any portion of the required eight consecutive weeks of employment.
The program uses federal funding obtained through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES). Approximately $10 million has been allocated for the program in the state, which will provide bonus payments for up to 10,000 eligible participants, the governor’s office said in a news release.
To claim the incentive payment, a person must complete an online application, and the Department of Revenue Service may contact an applicant to verify employment history following the completion of the required eight weeks of employment.
“[T]he Back to Work CT program represents another timely investment in our people,” Connecticut Department of Revenue Services Commissioner Mark D. Boughton said in the release. “I want to recognize colleagues at DRS for quickly standing up the Back to Work CT program and thank the Connecticut Department of Labor for their ongoing partnership.”
Connecticut Department of Labor interim commissioner Dante Bartolomeo described current conditions as “a job seeker’s market” in the release.
“It’s a great time for people to get back into the workforce and take advantage of opportunities to improve salary and benefits, or even start a new career,” Bartolomeo said.
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