Maine Finalizes Plans to Give Essential Workers $300 And Changes for New Hires Receiving $1500

Did You Work Through The Pandemic?

While Maine saw unprecedented job loss through 2020, many Mainers still had to work daily as their jobs were deemed essential.

On Wednesday part of the state budget was passed according to Fox 23. Part of this budget included a one-time payment of around $300 to Mainers that file individually and make less than $75,000 annually and around $600 to families filing jointly making less than $150,000 annually. These payments should be available by late November.

New Hires

In an effort to incentivize Mainers who lost their jobs during the pandemic to return to work, the Maine Department of Labor and the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development joined together for the Back to Work Program to pay $1,500 to those who start jobs between June 15th and July 25th. Those eligible meet the following criteria:

1. You had to have received unemployment compensation for the week ending May 29, 2021.
2. You must accept a job that pays less than $25 an hour and stay at the job for at least 8 consecutive weeks.
3. You cannot receive unemployment compensation during those 8 weeks of employment.

Initially, $1,000 was offered for those who started working in July but that changed to $1,500 regardless according to News Center Maine.

Unlike the $300 one-time payout for essential workers that was voted on as part of the state budget, the money for this program comes from federal funding according to News Center Maine.

Another new development to the program is that now part-time workers can take advantage of this incentive. Those working at least 20 hours for one employer and no longer receive unemployment benefits are eligible for $750.

So whether you're going back to work or you've been working through the last year and a half, expect to see some extra cash in the near future.