Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program
Gig workers in California can now apply for Unemployment Benefits through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program.
Covered Individuals
Independent contractors
Self-employed
Individuals without sufficient work history
Individuals who have exhausted their regular and any extended UI benefits
Must self-certify to be able and available to work except are unemployed due to COVID-19 related reason
Amount of Benefits
Minimum weekly benefit amount of $167 (but weekly amount may be higher and equal the amount provided under regular UI, depending on proof of prior earnings)
PLUS $600 for weeks between March 29, 2020 to July 25, 2020.**
When Benefits Start
Benefits can be retroactive to weeks starting on or after February 2, 2020, depending on your last day of work due to COVID-19 and regardless of when you submitted your claim application. The effective date of your claim will begin the Sunday of the week when you last worked and became unemployed due to reasons directly related to COVID-19.
How Long?
Up to 39 weeks (minus any weeks of regular UI and certain extended UI benefits). Last week is week ending December 26, 2020.**
** Under the CARES Act of 2020, the $600 additional benefits are available through 07/31/20. However, the U.S. DOL has issued guidance to clarify that, for most Californians, the last full week of benefits will end on 07/25/20. Similarly, the PUA program has a legislative end date of 12/31/20, but for most Californians the last full week of benefits will end on 12/26/20.
How do I know if I am eligible for PUA?
You may qualify for PUA benefits if:
You are unemployed, partially unemployed, unable to work or unavailable to work as a direct result of a COVID-19 related reason AND:
You are a business owner, self-employed, independent contractor or gig worker (and are not participating in the UI Elective Coverage Program). You will be able to indicate if you have no employment wages (for example, you did not receive a W-2), solely for the purpose of applying for the PUA program (and not to be used for any other purpose). However, you may proceed with a regular UI claim if you believe you were misclassified and have wages from an employer.
OR
You don’t have sufficient work history. This generally means you don’t have enough wages reported as an employee during the last 18 months to establish a regular UI claim. This could be the case if you are self-employed or an independent contractor. But this could also be the case if you are an employee with insufficient earnings. To qualify for PUA based on insufficient work history, you must have been recently employed, which could be satisfied if you had a bona fide offer to start working on a specific date but were unable to start as a direct result of a COVID-19 related reason;
OR
You have collected all unemployment benefits for which you were eligible and remain unemployed or partially unemployed as a direct result of a COVID-19 reason. This means that you were qualified for regular UI but have exhausted those benefits, as well as any extended benefits.
More information is available here:
https://www.labor.ca.gov/pandemic-unemployment-assistance-pua-program/
https://edd.ca.gov/about_edd/coronavirus-2019/pandemic-unemployment-assistance/faqs.htm
To file a claim online visit:
https://edd.ca.gov/Unemployment/UI_Online.htm
Mobile friendly version of UI Online is available here:
https://edd.ca.gov/Unemployment/About_UI_Online_Mobile.htm