With unemployment checks on the line, all eyes are on Washington, D.C., according to a report Monday by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.

State Secretary of Labor and Industry Jerry Oleksiak spoke at a news conference Monday to the media on the latest updates on the state's unemployment.

According to a report by Pennsylvania's Office of Unemployment Compensation, the department has paid more than $29.8 billion in unemployment benefits, which included $14.3 billion from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program, since March 15.

Much of Monday's update revolved around the FPUC, which ends this week. The FPUC gave qualified unemployment recipients an additional $600 of federal benefits per week.

“Like everyone else, we are watching and waiting, and we are hopeful that those benefits will be extended,” Oleksiak said.

The federal government has worked for weeks on a new economic aid package with both Republicans and Democrats having their own ideal version of what the benefits should look like.Senate Republicans have a plan that would reduce the additional $600 per week to a flat payment of $200, possibly as a bridge to a new system that would pay unemployment benefits of 70 percent of the claimant's wages.Also present for Monday's news conference, Susan Dickinson, director of the Office of Unemployment Compensation Benefits Policy, said the department would have to retrofit its system to adapt to the use of percentages. She said it would likely involve both technology and manual upgrades to its systems and policies.“We won't know any of that until the federal government tells us what we're required to do,” Dickinson said.The flat payment had been adopted in March because most states' unemployment systems use antiquated software that cannot adjust individual payments using a percentage formula.“In order to follow the letter of the law (in the Senate Republicans' plan), we may have to review all those claims individually,” Oleksiak said. “It may take months.”The Democratic-led House has already approved legislation that would extend the $600 payment through January.Oleksiak said the move would be much easier on Pennsylvania's unemployment system.“That wouldn't take too much time at all because our system is already set up for that,” he said.

While uncertainty remains about what could come from a new stimulus package, state officials explained a few details about the ending program that are important for the public to know.Dickinson said people who have not received their benefits yet can still expect the extra $600 per week from the FPUC, even after it has ended. She said backdated claims are also still being accepted, and are also eligible for the extra $600 per week, even if someone receives their claim months from now.“It is tied to the claim weeks,” she said. “So, whenever the claim week is paid, that's when the extra $600 is paid.”

Staffing has been another area of concern for the department since the pandemic began flooding unemployment offices throughout the state.Oleksiak said the department is continuing to evaluate its needs regularly, and has continued hiring staff.“We have more than doubled our staff, and we are looking to expand that even further,” he said.According to the department’s report, 92 percent of claims have been processed and delivered or denied since March.Lastly, with the FPUC ending, the department is encouraging people to search for help from every possible source.Oleksiak is directing people to the Department of Human Services, through which people can take advantage of multiple programs designed to assist families in need, many of which have been adapted for easier access due to the pandemic.For more information about services from the Department of Human Services, visit www.dhs.pa.gov.<em>The Associated Press contributed to this report.</em>