Ohio Unemployment To Pay Extra $300 Weekly Benefit Under Trump Order

The state is moving forward with President Donald Trump's executive order to offer additional money for people getting unemployment benefits since the pandemic, but it's half of what unemployed people were getting under the expired federal relief package.

The federal government had been paying $600 in additional weekly benefits until late last month.  

Gov. Mike DeWine's (R-Ohio) office said the executive order signed by Trump over the weekend offered two options: pay out $400 a week in additional benefits with 25 percent of the payment, or $100, coming from out of state coffers, or pay $300 in weekly benefits to be fully-funded by the federal government. 

DeWine's office said Ohio is moving forward with the $300 all-federal option, saying the state can implement that program faster.  

But it will still be a while before unemployed Buckeyes start to see those additional dollars. DeWine's office said the state must update its system to pay out that benefit.

Ohio’s unemployment system has been notoriously problematic during the pandemic, from being outdated, slow and clunky to running out of money to demanding funds be returned.

But the option to provide the additional $100 could cost the state more than $60 million a week. A funding source would need to be identified and approved by lawmakers, according to the DeWine administration. 

The legality of the executive order has also been questioned. 

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