Applications for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) will open in Arkansas on Tuesday, May 5.
This federal assistance will impact self-employed individuals, independent contractors, gig-economy workers and more who have been impacted by COVID-19. Typically, the individuals covered under PUA are not eligible for regular state unemployment benefits.
A full list of individuals eligible for PUA benefits includes
- Self-employed workers
- Independent contractors
- Non-profit employees
- Gig economy workers (flexible or freelance work, often conducted via online platform)
- Individuals who work for employers exempt from participating in the regular UI program
- Part-Time workers without enough work history to qualify for regular UI benefits
- Individuals impacted by COVID-19 but not eligible for regular UI benefits due to a prior disqualification
Generally, PUA is not available to individuals who are capable of teleworking with pay or who are receiving paid sick leave or paid leave benefits. If those paid sick leave or paid leave benefits are less than their usual work pay, individuals could be eligible for PUA benefits.
Under the program, individuals can receive up to 39 weeks of benefits, and weekly payments can range from $133-451 based on the individuals’ income from 2019. Unemployment benefits will be retroactive to the date that an individual became unemployed due to COVID-19 related reasons. The qualifying period for PUA benefits extends from Feb. 8, 2020 to Dec. 26, 2020.
In addition, individuals receiving PUA benefits will automatically qualify to an additional $600 per week for the first 13 weeks of eligibility through the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program.
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance was created as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, signed into law on March 27 by President Donald Trump.
Arkansas officials have been working to implement PUA in recent weeks. On April 9, Arkansas Department of Commerce Secretary Mike Preston said that implementing the PUA system was unprecedented and would require a completely new system to be built to handle the intake of information for the unemployment benefits. He later discussed the PUA program on April 23, encouraging individuals to sign up for email alerts about the program. According to a Department of Commerce spokesperson, approximately 22,000 individuals signed up for emails.
On May 1, the Arkansas Department of Commerce announced that it was testing the PUA system and website to ensure proper operation. According to Department of Commerce Chief Communications Director Alisha Curtis, this constituted a “soft launch” of the site.
According to Preston, the PUA program will help bolster the state’s self-employed workforce.
“COVID-19 slammed the brakes on our state’s thriving economy, which included a growing number of self-employed Arkansans and independent contractors,” Preston said in a statement. “This is a critical segment of Arkansas’ workforce and we want to ensure everyone who is eligible for these funds takes advantage of this support.”
Applications can be accessed seven-days-a week at arunemployment.com from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. There is also a hotline number at 1-844-908-2178, available from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
READ MORE: Arkansas Ready for Business Program Goes Online