Extension of CARES Act unemployment grant application deadline

RESCISSIONS: None
EXPIRATION DATE: Continuing

CLASSIFICATION
   EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION                  Unemployment Insurance
               ADVISORY SYSTEM                             CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
          U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR                         OUI/DPM
             Washington, D.C. 20210                        DATE
                                                           October 17, 2022


ADVISORY:        UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAM LETTER NO. 28-20,
                 Change 5

TO:              STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES

FROM:            BRENT PARTON
                 Acting Assistant Secretary

SUBJECT:         Extension of Time to Submit Request for Funding under Grant Opportunity
                 Announced in Unemployment Insurance Program Letter (UIPL) No. 28-20,
                 Change 4

1. Purpose. To advise states that the deadline for submitting a grant application to assist states
   with reporting and the detection and recovery of overpayments of certain Coronavirus Aid,
   Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act unemployment compensation (UC) benefits is
   extended to October 30, 2022.

2. Action Requested. The U.S. Department of Labor’s (Department) Employment and
   Training Administration (ETA) requests that State Workforce Agency Administrators
   provide information contained in this UIPL to appropriate staff.

3. Summary and Background.

   a. Summary – On July 22, 2022, the Department issued UIPL No. 28-20, Change 4,
      advising states of the availability of funding of $225 million for activities to resolve
      outstanding items for the CARES Act UC programs, including the reporting and
      overpayment detection and recovery activities. In that UIPL, states were advised that
      grant applications should be submitted no later than September 23, 2022. The system for
      submitting applications was down for a temporary period of time and the Department has
      determined that states may need additional time to submit such applications. The
      Department is extending the deadline to October 30, 2022.

   b. Background – The CARES Act (Public Law (Pub. L.) 116-136) was enacted on March
      27, 2020, and created new temporary UC programs, including Pandemic Unemployment
      Assistance (PUA), Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), and
      Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC). See UIPL No. 14-20. On
      August 31, 2020, the Department issued UIPL No. 28-20, which provided states with
      $100 million in funding to assist with efforts to prevent and detect fraud and identity theft
      and recover fraud overpayments in the PUA and PEUC programs. On January 15, 2021,
      the Department issued UIPL No. 28-20, Change 1, to provide states with an additional
      $100 million in funding to support identity verification or validation of PUA claimants
      and to assist with efforts to prevent and detect fraud and identity theft, as well as to
      recover fraud overpayments in the PUA and PEUC programs. On August 11, 2021, the
      Department issued UIPL No. 28-20, Change 2, to provide states with a third round of
      $100 million in funding to strengthen fraud detection and prevention efforts and the
      recovery of overpayments in the PUA and PEUC programs.


4. Guidance.

   Section 4.a. of UIPL No. 28-20, Change 4, sets out the required actions that states must
   complete when applying for a grant under this solicitation. Section 2 of UIPL No. 28-20,
   Change 4, provides that the deadline for submission of applications is September 23, 2022.
   The system for submitting applications was down for a temporary period of time and the
   Department has determined that states may need additional time to review UIPL No. 28-20,
   Change 4, and to develop an application in response to the solicitation. Therefore, the
   Department is extending the deadline for submission of the grant applications to October 30,
   2022. All other guidance and information in UIPL No. 28-20, Change 4, remains the same.

5. Inquiries. States should direct inquiries to the appropriate ETA Regional Office.

6. References.

   •   American Rescue Plan Act, Pub L. 117-2, enacted March 11, 2021;
   •   CARES Act, Pub. L. 116-136, enacted March 27, 2020;
   •   CFR Parts 200 and 2900, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and
       Audit Requirements for Federal Awards; and
   •   UIPL No. 28-20, Change 4, Support for States to Resolve Outstanding Items from the
       Expired Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Unemployment
       Compensation (UC) Programs, Including Additional Funding to Assist States with
       Reporting and Detection and Recovery of Overpayments, issued July 22, 2022,
       https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/advisories/uipl-no-28-20-change-4.

7. Attachment(s). None.