It is not intended to constitute legal advice nor does it create a client-lawyer relationship between Jackson Lewis and any recipient. Unemployment and Other Benefits To be eligible for unemployment benefits, employees do … The benefit will be available for first time for independent contractors through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program created through the CARES Act signed into law Mar. Todas las personas elegibles para recibir PUA también recibirán $600 semanales correspondientes a la Compensación Federal por Desempleo Pandémico (“Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation” o FPUC). Los $600 semanales serán añadidos automáticamente a su beneficio de PUA. What is Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)? “[They] also cover existing beneficiaries who were about to exhaust their benefits and who may receive an extension of these.”. One of those programs is Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which made self-employed and contract workers eligible for unemployment aid for the first time. In the wake of the Coronavirus/COVID-19, the Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Labor (Secretary) announced today the availability of additional unemployment benefits in Puerto Rico for eligible employees, as well as self-employed workers and independent contractors, due to the enactment of the federal statute known as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES). The COVID-19 pandemic unleashed record levels of unemployment and unemployment claims, with 9.5 million Americans filing applications by the end of March alone, and millions more in the months that followed. You must be logged in to post a comment To qualify, one must be an employee—independent contractors are not eligible. As of May 12, 37 states have started paying out Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), the program designed to aid workers who don’t qualify for traditional unemployment benefits, according to a Department of Labor spokesperson (*As of June 12, that number has grown to 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico). a pandemic unemployment assistance program which provides similar unemployment benefits to unemployed workers who would not normally be eligible, such as self-employed workers and independent contractors. On April 27, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued its latest guidance to state unemployment agencies regarding the application of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) to impacted individuals in Unemployment Insurance Program Letter No. Seeks to 'make Puerto Rico the main telecommunications hub of... Brenda Torres in charge of biomanufacturing processes, By Jay Maddock, Professor of Public Health, Texas A&M University. However, only employees are eligible—self-employed individuals are not. The PR DOL will be announcing how to request benefits under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program as soon as the federal aid is available. On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020, which includes the Relief for Workers Affected by Coronavirus Act set out in Title II, Subtitle A. 1. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) - How to Apply. a $600 supplement to state-paid unemployment compensation for those who already qualify for up to four months. Trade group president warns full lockdown would cause 25% of... U.S. and global stock markets closed with mixed results Wednesday... Gov. Many impoverished families depend on a combination of wages and food stamps to feed their children. On March 23, the Puerto Rico Government and the Oversight Board agreed to provide $787 million in unprecedented financial support (Emergency Measures Support Package) to those on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic and those most affected by … With respect to geographic scope, the U.S. totals published by ETA include claims reported by Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, both of which maintain regular state UI programs. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (a) Definitions. Huge Puerto Rico … These programs are Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC). Copyright © 2016 - 2020 Latin Media House, LLC. South Carolina offers 20 weeks of regular unemployment and 10 weeks of extended benefits. “But in the face of this emergency, and it has occurred in other situations such as hurricanes and earthquakes, the federal government has extended the benefits to independent contractors and the self-employed, to help them face the lack of income from their jobs during this period, and whose benefits will be similar to those established for the regular program while the situation lasts.”.