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  2. News Room
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Tony Evers, Governor
Caleb Frostman, Secretary

Department of Workforce Development
Secretary's Office
201 E. Washington Avenue
P.O. Box 7946
Madison, WI 53707-7946
Telephone: (608) 266-3131
Fax: (608) 266-1784
Email: sec@dwd.wisconsin.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
CONTACT: DWD Communications, 608-266-2722
On the Web: http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/news/
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WIWorkforce
On Twitter: @WIWorkforce

DWD Announces Payment of Waiting Week Benefits

MADISON – The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) will pay retroactive Unemployment Insurance benefits to 154,332 individuals this week.

Last week, Governor Tony Evers signed a COVID-19 relief bill to help the response efforts to the public health emergency. The legislation suspends the state's one-week waiting period to allow claimants to receive UI benefits beginning with their first week of eligibility through February 7, 2021. Prior to the bill's passing, a claimant had to wait one week after becoming eligible before he or she received payment.

"Claimants should not have to wait an additional week before receiving benefits when they are out of work through no fault of their own," DWD Secretary Caleb Frostman said. "Allowing individuals to receive their UI benefits as soon as possible will ensure financial stability for both claimants and our Wisconsin economy."

Waiting week payments will be disbursed over a three-day period, beginning today. All claimants who established an initial claim during or after the week of March 15 will now receive payment for the waiting week served.

For more information please see https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/uiben/.