Iowa Workforce Development released guidance today for several federal unemployment assistance programs that were extended recently by Congress. As part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act signed into law on Dec. 27, Congress reauthorized and extended the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), and the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) programs through March 13. The appropriations bill also created the Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation program, which provides an additional $100 per week in supplemental benefits to qualifying individuals. IWD has received the implementing guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor and is now working on the extensive system programming needed to distribute payments to eligible claimants, the agency said in a press release. IWD will automatically enroll all Iowans who are eligible for the PUA and PEUC program extensions. The agency anticipates that weekly FPUC payments (including retroactive payments) will be received by claimants beginning the week of Jan. 18. Additional guidance will be issued on how to apply for the mixed earner program.