Denied unemployment benefits in California during the pandemic? You may now qualify
About 100,000 Californians who had been previously denied unemployment benefits from the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program could be getting them after all.
Starting Friday, identified potential claimants will get notices by email, text and in a claimant’s UI Online account from the California Employment Development Department.
Most of the claimants had said that none of the available COVID-related reasons to collect the unemployment benefit applied on their PUA claim.
But now they could now be eligible for PUA, the federal benefit created last year as the COVID pandemic began to devastate the economy.
The program, which provided benefits to an estimated 2.9 million Californians, ended in early September. It provided help for those who could not qualify for regular unemployment insurance, such as independent contractors and self-employed people.
EDD said Thursday that new federal rules added three new reasons for unemployment in the pandemic that could permit benefits to people who would not work for someone who violated COVID safety standards, who were laid off or had fewer hours because of COVID, or school employees whose usual work schedule was impacted by COVID.
For employees laid off or with reduced hours as a direct result of COVID-19, eligibility could now include people whose workplace was partially closed, either permanently or temporarily, or they had their hours cut back.
If someone was denied benefits for refusing to return to work or accept an offer of work at a worksite that was not in compliance with local, state, or national health and safety standards directly related to COVID, they may seek these retroactive PUA benefits.
“This includes, but is not limited to, those related to facial mask wearing, physical distancing measures, or the provision of personal protective equipment consistent with public health guidelines,” EDD said.
Some school employees can also now qualify. EDD says “if a school employee was unemployed or partially unemployed because of volatility in the work schedule that was directly caused by the COVID-19 public health emergency,” they may qualify. “This includes, but is not limited to, changes in schedules and partial closures”
If someone was previously denied PUA benefits, they should check their UI Online account to see if they’re now potentially eligible.
This story was originally published November 19, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
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