State workers, pensioners can expect bonuses in November. What to know and who is eligible

Editor's note: The dates in this story have been corrected to show that state pensioners will get their bonus on Nov. 30 when monthly pension payments are made.

Delaware state workers and pensioners can expect a bonus in November thanks to this year's spending plan.

State workers get a $1,000 bonus on Nov. 19. State pensioners get a $500 bonus on Nov. 30.

The bonuses will appear in their regular paycheck or pension payment.

The state budget also gave a $500 pay raise for all state workers that took effect in July.

Who will get the bonus?

Only people who are employed by the state government are eligible. This does not include city or county employees.

Full-time employees, part-time employees, hourly employees and casual seasonal employees are eligible. Employees cannot get more than one bonus.

Employees must have been on the payroll as of April 30 and also be on the payroll as of Oct. 22, according to the bill that sanctions the bonuses.

Gov. John Carney, who signed the spending plan into law, will not receive a bonus, according to the bill.

The Office of Management and Budget cannot say how many employees will get the bonus until the November payroll is confirmed, according to an office spokeswoman.

Why am I getting a bonus?

The bonuses are thanks to Delaware officials this summer getting hundreds of millions of dollars more in revenue than was expected last fiscal year. 

Carney signed the state budget in June after lawmakers approved it. 

"We were fortunate this year that, even in the wake of a global pandemic, we had the resources and the will to make the kind of investments that will...support our workers and retirees,” said Rep. Bill Carson, a Democrat from Smyrna who co-chairs the budget-drafting Joint Finance Committee, in a statement at the time.

The bonus is "one-time," according to the bill.

Is this related to the other state or federal aid I've been getting?

Not at all.

While the state and federal aid has recently gone to Delaware residents through unemployment, stimulus checks and child tax credits, this one-time bonus was a decision of the governor and state lawmakers thanks to having extra, unexpected money to spend in the state budget.

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Sarah Gamard covers government and politics for Delaware Online/The News Journal. Reach her at (302) 324-2281 or sgamard@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahGamard.