From Sen. Scott Dibble:
We continue to be contacted by many of you about when the benefits will be available to part time, self-employed and gig economy workers. A new program, called the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), was created by Congress, paying up to 39 weeks of benefits. Our state agency is awaiting guidance on how to implement PUA. In the meantime, those workers are strongly encouraged to set up their accounts on the unemployment insurance website. Even though one may well get a “denied” message initially, that is the first step in gaining access into the system and to the expanded eligibility program. If a worker applies now, DEED will be able to reach out in a timely fashion when the program is ready to go. Linked here is a detailed step by step guide in getting one’s account established to start the application process. Also see the Department of Labor website for more information on the PUA. With 355,000 having already applied and hundreds more applying every day, DEED, the Department of Employment and Economic Development, is boosting their website’s capacity and bringing on many more workers to help and asks for patience. Benefits will be retroactive to the time that work ceased.