NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee will become the latest state to ask the federal government for an extra $300 a week in unemployment benefits under President Donald Trump’s supplemental plan.
Commissioner Jeff McCord announced during Governor Lee's Tuesday press briefing that the state will file its request this week, becoming one of at least 20 states that have opted to take the federal grants allowing them to increase unemployment checks under the president’s stripped-down benefit plan.
Tennessee’s maximum unemployment benefit is $275 per week, meaning Tennesseans could receive up to $575 a week.
The grant requires claimants to receive at least $100 in state or federal unemployment benefits each week to be eligible for the new LWA payment. The $300 option allows Tennessee to maintain its Coronavirus Relief Fund initiatives while still more than doubling the state’s maximum benefit amount.
