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But many of them whose benefits ran out last year will have to wait for their payments to restart. And freelancers, independent contractors and some people who can’t work due to coronavirus restrictions will need to provide more proof of employment when filing new claims or pursuing their claims.
The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program has extended unemployment benefits to on-demand workers, freelancers, independent contractors, self-employed workers and some people affected by the coronavirus. The pandemic unemployment compensation program has provided an additional 13 weeks of payments to those who exhaust their regular state benefits.
Both programs will close new applicants on March 14, but will run until April 5 for existing claimants who have not yet reached the maximum number of weeks.
Implementation has started
About half of states are expected to pay the weekly supplement of $ 300 by the end of this week, said Michele Evermore, senior policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project. This matches the experts’ projection that it would take two to three weeks for many state agencies to reprogram the new measures into their systems.
Several states, including New York and California, have moved quickly to put parts of the new law in place. The California Department of Employment Development, for example, made a total of $ 434 million in enhanced federal payments to more than one million applicants, as of Tuesday.
In Georgia, nearly 167,000 unemployed residents received their newly extended pandemic benefits and nearly 300,000 unemployed job seekers received the additional $ 300 in early January, the state agency said.
However, more than 239,000 Georgians who exhausted pandemic benefits on or before December 26 will have to wait a few more weeks to begin the 11-week extension, although the payments are retroactive.
“We are pushing as fast as possible,” said Kersha Cartwright, a spokesperson for the agency.
In other states, unemployed residents have not yet obtained the benefits of the relief program.
Those laid off from Ohio, for example, cannot submit new requests for assistance in the event of an unemployment pandemic or pending weekly claims at this time. The State Department of Employment and Family Services expects those who have already been approved to file their cases by the third week of January. And he expects to start issuing a $ 300 benefit by then as well.
New requirements for certain reporters
The latest relief program requires those seeking unemployment pandemic assistance benefits to submit additional documents proving that they had a job or were self-employed.
Last year, state agencies could simply accept applicants’ attestations regarding their employment and income. But lawmakers have tightened the rules in part because the program, which opened up the unemployment system to many Americans who had never been eligible, struggled with widespread fraud.
Unemployed people who apply for pandemic assistance benefits before Jan.31 and receive payment on or after Dec.27 must provide documents to their state agency within 90 days, according to the US Department of Labor. Those who reapply on or after January 31 must submit the documents within 21 days.
Proof of employment could include pay stubs, W-2 tax forms, or income tax returns, while proof of self-employment could include federal employer identification numbers, business licenses, tax returns or corporate receipts, the agency said.
Oregon, for example, is still awaiting more information on new documentation required, among other program changes. The state agency is not yet sure when it will start sending payments to people with new jobless claims in the event of a pandemic or those whose benefits ran out last year.
States have some flexibility in documentation requirements and deadlines, Evermore said. However, this could widen the disparity between states, with some instituting strict guidelines and others less.
In Georgia, the state agency is still determining the best way for unemployed residents to complete documentation requirements, Cartwright said. The new rules place a heavy burden on state agencies to both collect and verify documents, she said.
“It will slow everything down for everyone,” Evermore said.
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