Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program Updates [Thursday April 23rd]

.:: CHECK THE STATUS OF YOUR STATES PUA FILING STATUS ::.

• Floridians denied state unemployment pay do not need to reapply for CARES Act benefits:   “Florida Department of Management Services Secretary John Satter, who is leading the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity through its coronavirus unemployment surge, said in an interview Wednesday that independent contractors, gig-workers and self-employed individuals can now apply through the existing application system for federal benefits…” [FULL ARTICLE]

• Self-employed, independent Indiana workers can apply for new unemployment insurance Friday:   “Independent contractors, gig workers and residents who would otherwise not typically qualify for state unemployment insurance can begin applying for new federal unemployment benefits by Friday, the Department of Workforce Development announced on Thursday. The new payment system took a few weeks to create following the federal government’s passage of the CARES Act, which offers unemployment benefits to workers who don’t qualify for state funding. The state’s online filing system will be closed on Thursday from 7 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. for appropriate updates…”[FULL ARTICLE]

• West Virginia will start accepting pandemic unemployment claims Friday night:   “On Friday evening, Workforce West Virginia will begin accepting and processing claims for up to 45,000 West Virginians who, under the federal coronavirus relief package, now qualify for unemployment benefits. Scott Adkins, acting commissioner of Workforce West Virginia, said the system will begin accepting applications for gig workers, contractors, the self-employed and others who qualify at 10 p.m. Friday…” [FULL ARTICLE]

• Montana starts unemployment payments to self-employed:   “The Montana Department of Labor and Industry announced this week that it will begin processing unemployment insurance payments to independent contractors, self-employed workers and others made eligible for unemployment payments by the federal CARES Act. Gig workers and self-employed Montanans are just a few workers on the laundry list of people newly eligible for unemployment insurance payments in the form of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. The department is planning to begin issuing those payments, which can be backdated to March 15, within the next 10 days…”[FULL ARTICLE]

• Utah’s unemployment claims continue to surge as self-employed and gig workers are added:   “Job losses continued in Utah at a high clip last week, with at least another 19,751 residents seeking typical unemployment aid and more than 7,026 self-employed and gig workers applying for new benefits for the first time in state history. A total of 133,448 Utah workers have now told the government they’ve been idled since mid-March, when the coronavirus first began roiling the economy…” [FULL ARTICLE]