Coronavirus hit California’s self-employed hard. More money is on the way
More emergency benefits started coming Wednesday to gig workers, self-employed people and others who lost their jobs or had their hours cut because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The state’s Employment Development Department began Phase 2 of its Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, which will not only boost payments to those eligible for more money, but pay them retroactively for benefits they missed.
When the PUA program began in California April 28, the state provided only a minimum amount of $167 weekly, plus $600 from another federal emergency program, to those eligible.
But beneficiaries now could receive up to another $283 a week. The program is available to those who lost their job or had hours cut back because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Beneficiaries tend to be people who don’t qualify for the state’s regular unemployment insurance program, which has been paying out its benefits regularly.
There’s one potentially sour note. People continue to report difficulty getting through to EDD, which manages the state’s unemployment insurance program, to discuss their specific concerns.
The phone lines where EDD employees can help with those concerns remain jammed. The line to handle specific cases remains staffed five days a week, from 8 a.m. to noon. The EDD says information will be available on its website.
EDD phone lines jammed
The Bee continues to get emails and calls from readers citing extreme difficulty getting through. Brian Cory, 63, a union electrician from Concord, had a typical experience.
Though he was deemed eligible for an unemployment insurance claim, his status ended up as “pending,” meaning he had to call the EDD to have the claim processed.
“Each time the claims representative assured me they corrected the issue. It’s still not fixed, and I’m back in the routine of spending complete days trying to speak to a representative,” he said.
He logged his attempts to reach someone on the phone line.
He made 502 attempts on May 6. “I was able to make it into the phone tree several times, but eventually a recording prompted me to hang up and call back later,” he said at the time. “I’m getting very depressed, angry and my wife doesn’t understand what’s going on.”
The next day he tried 495 times. The day after that, 492 attempts. Still no live person answered. Finally he reached a representative and got the problem resolved Monday.
PUA Questions & Answers
Q. What do I do if I can’t get through easily on the phone lines?
A. EDD urges patience. The agency recommends using its website, which is updated constantly. Look closely at the frequently asked questions, or the video tutorials (in five different languages) and the Unemployment Benefits Guide that walks people through the application process. People can also submit through their UI Online account or AskEDD, and can make a phone appointment at their local America’s Job Center of California.
Q. During a Q and A with The Bee recently, you recommended trying to call an Assembly member or state senator for help. Has that proven to be useful?
A. Readers tell us it has. To find your representative, plug your street address and zip code into the form on this site. http://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/
Once you learn your representative’s identity, first try calling his or her local office, not the Sacramento office.
Q. I got $167 from the PUA program soon after I qualified. What will I get now?
A. EDD is calculating those amounts for each person. You could receive up to an extra $263 a week plus the $600 special weekly federal benefit now in effect.
.Generally, someone would have to earn more than $17,368 last year to qualify for an increase. To get the maximum of $450 per week, individuals would have to have a net self-employment income of $46,696.04 in 2019, which equates to at least $11,674.01 per quarter.
Q. I started getting the PUA minimum a few weeks ago. Will I lose that extra money I’m now due to get?
A. No. The difference will be paid dating back to the start of your claim.
Q. How will I know if I am getting that extra money?
A. The EDD will notify you through the mail, and automatically add the money to your debit card if that’s the method you have for receiving your benefit payments
Q. How long can I get PUA benefits?
A. Up to 39 weeks, through December 26. After July 25, the extra $600 a week payment is scheduled to end, and the maximum PUA weekly benefit will be $450.
Q. Who qualifies for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance?
A. Generally, anyone who is not qualified for the state’s regular unemployment benefits program. This can include self-employed people, gig workers, independent contractors and people who have exhausted all their regular unemployment benefits and are unemployed or working reduced hours as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Q. I’m still worried about going back to work and being exposed to the coronavirus. Can I still get PUA benefits?
A. An individual will be disqualified for PUA if they refuse to accept “suitable” employment when offered. The EDD will consider whether the particular work is “suitable” under federal law. EDD advises you to report on your bi-weekly certification form or application if you have refused work and the department will contact you if needed to make a determination on PUA eligibility.
Q. Suppose I would rather work at home, for health or personal reasons?
A. ”Working your full normal hours remotely would not qualify you for benefits,” EDD says.
Q. But what if my employer says I can work at home, but can work fewer hours?
A. You may be eligible for some benefits. The formula works like this: The first $25 or 25 percent of your salary, whichever is more, will not be counted as wages and won’t reduce your benefit.
If you earn $200, only $150 of your earnings would be deductible from your unemployment benefit payment. So if your weekly benefit is $450, you would collect $300 of that benefit payment for the week.
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