The purpose of these grant funds is to allow community-based organizations to help workers apply for, and if eligible, receive UI benefits and related services and benefits

This $9 million cooperative agreement from the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration will fund outreach, training, and service delivery to help workers apply for and receive unemployment insurance (UI) benefits through the Unemployment Insurance (CFDA 17.225) federal grant program. Community-based organizations serving as subrecipients will use the funding from June 2022 to June 2025 to increase access to UI benefits for underserved communities through activities like assisting with applications and providing related benefit services. Intended outcomes include greater access to UI benefits particularly for groups facing barriers, subsequent reattachment to the workforce, and broader familiarity with unemployment compensation programs. Results will guide future grant opportunities. The Washington Department of Employment Security and Washington Department of Public Instruction serve as awardee and parent awardee respectively to oversee subrecipients' delivery of products and services to workers and state workforce agencies under this cooperative agreement.

Activities performed outreach, training, and service delivery to help workers apply for and, if eligible, receive UI benefits and related services and benefits. Deliverables the expected outcomes are to increase access to benefits, particularly in underserved communities, subsequent work attachment, and overall community familiarity and comfort with unemployment compensation. The results of these pilot grants will determine future grant opportunities. Intended beneficiary state workforce agencies, which will benefit from the identification of trends and access issues to be addressed, and workers, who have historically encountered barriers to access, including, but not limited to, individuals who lack access due to their race or ethnicity, low wage workers, or individuals with limited english language proficiency. Subrecipient activities outreach, training, and service delivery to workers to help them apply for and, if eligible, receive UI benefits and related services and benefits.