- Back to Work CT program rolls out first bonus payments for more than 1,500 Connecticut residents
- Program provides one-time $1,000 payment for long-term unemployed who find and maintain work
- Back to Work CT runs through Dec. 31 and has enough funding to support up to 10,000 bonuses
Summary by Dirk Langeveld
Connecticut will begin sending its initial round of bonus payments to more than 1,500 people who qualified for them under the Back to Work CT program.
The program, established in May, provides a one-time $1,000 payment to long-term unemployed residents. It is intended to support these residents in transitioning back into the workforce or starting new jobs by helping to cover costs such as child care.
About $10 million in CARES Act funding was approved for the program, allowing it to support up to 10,000 people. It is administered by the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services and the Connecticut Department of Labor and runs through Dec. 31.
Residents who qualify for the bonus payment must submit an electronic application to receive payment. Applicants qualify if they have filed an unemployment compensation weekly claim with the state for the week of May 23-29, 2021; filed a weekly claim for 11 additional weeks between Dec. 27, 2020 and May 22, 2021; obtained and maintained a full-time job for at least eight consecutive weeks between May 30 and Dec. 31, 2021; and not filed an additional unemployment claim with the state during any portion of this eight-week period.
