@sandyf wrote:

They also told her what her weekly $ amt would be and asked if she wanted them to take taxes out. This question was weird since she did not work those weeks.

Sandy...that particular checkbox is for having taxes withheld from the weekly EDD payment, since one will owe Fed tax on it. If you select it, EDD sends 10% of the amount to the government, and that will be applied to income tax payments for 2020.

It's also my understanding that they will not reduce the $600 benefit, since it's not taxable, and that as of this week, the $600 payments will be included, but retroactive back payments of it from the first week of April will be sent out separately.

I have been helping friends through filing process since my regular job lays me off each year, and I have become adept at navigating the EDD system. Ironically, I'm one of the few left of my peers who is still collecting a paycheck....

@SteveSoCal wrote:

@sandyf wrote:

They also told her what her weekly $ amt would be and asked if she wanted them to take taxes out. This question was weird since she did not work those weeks.

Sandy...that particular checkbox is for having taxes withheld from the weekly EDD payment, since one will owe Fed tax on it. If you select it, EDD sends 10% of the amount to the government, and that will be applied to income tax payments for 2020.

Thanks for that info Steve. There did not seem to any explanation of what the questions they asked meant. If they take taxes out she will get a check next April or so giving them back so that is fine.
My big point was that at least in Ca they seem to be trying to include anyone they can squeeze into the system. She was not paying taxes on her last job, Her last paycheck before this 6 wk job was a year ago. She is not really looking for work now etc, etc. She was in school during the interim but they never asked about that so they don't know that. They still seem willing to give her money.

@sandyf Yes; it seems in CA like they are awarding money to anyone who's not working, since it's going to be too much work to decipher the origins of the previous income stream. So many Californians are part of the freelance gig economy....from Ebay, to Uber, to Etsy, and so many actors/musicians in the L.A. area who get residuals or day-work in productions.

I have to say I'm impressed with how CA is handling many of the pandemic issues. They were quick to issue the stay-at-home order, freeze evictions and put a 1-year moratorium on rent collection. They have issued a guarantee of utilities staying on and quickly issued to SNAP benefits to everyone I know who was laid off and applied, long before the CARES program was able to implemented. Gavin Newsom just needs to set up free TP delivery to the state now

I applied last night in mi easy app sailed right through it just waiting to hear back now.Best time to apply is online after midnight.

If I could figure out how to put a pic here sent to me by a friend I would. . My friend lives in Phoenix and yesterday went into Costco and they had an an entire aisle of their toilet paper 83 equivalent packs. Hundreds and hundreds it looked like. The best pic of the pandemic I have seen in a while.
And i am impressed how the east coast and west coast states are separately banding together to solve the "opening up again question." The virus does not recognize borders. It is great to see politicians working together on an issue. Perhaps some central states will do the same.

@SteveSoCal wrote:

@sandyf Yes; it seems in CA like they are awarding money to anyone who's not working, since it's going to be too much work to decipher the origins of the previous income stream. So many Californians are part of the freelance gig economy....from Ebay, to Uber, to Etsy, and so many actors/musicians in the L.A. area who get residuals or day-work in productions.

I have to say I'm impressed with how CA is handling many of the pandemic issues. They were quick to issue the stay-at-home order, freeze evictions and put a 1-year moratorium on rent collection. They have issued a guarantee of utilities staying on and quickly issued to SNAP benefits to everyone I know who was laid off and applied, long before the CARES program was able to implemented. Gavin Newsom just needs to set up free TP delivery to the state now

NY State: What might I be entitled to if my earnings were only $3600.00 last year in mystery shopping??
Am applying online tomorrow morning, NY system is down right now. Can any other NY shoppers share their experiences with their NY Unemployment claims?? This is the first time I am applying as an Independent Contractor. Thank you to Verites for reminding to do so.

@Arch Stanton wrote:

NY State: What might I be entitled to if my earnings were only $3600.00 last year in mystery shopping??
Am applying online tomorrow morning, NY system is down right now. Can any other NY shoppers share their experiences with their NY Unemployment claims?? This is the first time I am applying as an Independent Contractor. Thank you to Verites for reminding to do so.

Based on what I'm seeing in other states, it might be nothing. The labor department guidelines to the states say that anyone who qualifies for at least $1 in state unemployment will also receive $600. Based on what I'm seeing from other states, you'd have to earn the minimum that a w-2 worker would need to earn in order to be eligible for the bare minimum unemployment amount. They'd divide you $3,600 by 12 to come up with a monthly wage amount. A regular w-2 worker earning $300 per month would not be eligible for unemployment. I'd still go ahead an apply because NY could be doing things differently.

According to what the state of NJ posted recently, "The PUA minimum, for businesses operating at a loss or with insufficient income to qualify for benefits, is $231 per week."

Plus you get the extra $600 per week. I'm still waiting to hear what's up...pending..pending..pending

Governor Newsom just announced that California will require that the gig companies hand over payment information so that gig workers can receive unemployment. I wonder if they will be contacting individual MSCs if people put them down on their applications

@AnonymousGirl wrote:

Governor Newsom just announced that California will require that the gig companies hand over payment information so that gig workers can receive unemployment. I wonder if they will be contacting individual MSCs if people put them down on their applications

If so, I think the govt is about to be shocked at how little shopperes make, and perhaps the whole issue reclassifying shoppers as employees will just go away

The Governor of California just announced they will be funding unemployment for all gig workers/independent contractors and worry about figuring out who is really an independent contractor or not later on. They will also be tacking on the extra $600 per week out of state $$ for those who do not qualify federally. And in addition they will be sending out stimulus checks from the state to illegal workers who are not covered by fed rules. They said it will take 2 weeks to set up the website for that but will be retroactive to Feb.
A quote from the article
"Newsom’s comments came a day after state Labor Secretary Julie Su announced that a new online portal will be created in the next two weeks that will allow independent contractors, gig workers and the self-employed to file documents to obtain benefits."

*** You do not need to submit proof of earnings, such as a 1099 or tax filing at this time. ***

A provision within the CARES Act is the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. It will provide unemployment insurance benefits to those who are not covered by the regular/traditional Virginia state UI program.

We are preparing to administer benefits under the PUA program and there will be additional steps, in the application process, that you will need to take before payments can begin. You have taken the first step by filing for the traditional/regular UI program and being denied under that program.
We will provide further instructions on the PUA program in the near future. Any additional information will also be included here on our website as soon as it is available.

[www.vec.virginia.gov]

I filed under the regular UI form and received a denial letter, for IC work only. This is the state of VA. Since the denial letter came by USPO, I think they will be sending PUA directions by snail mail. Also we can keep looking on the website.$600 is amazing, on top of the$1200 I have received. Signed, Night Owl at 7:35 pm.

@sandyf wrote:

The Governor of California just announced they will be funding unemployment for all gig workers/independent contractors and worry about figuring out who is really an independent contractor or not later on. They will also be tacking on the extra $600 per week out of state $$ for those who do not qualify federally. And in addition they will be sending out stimulus checks from the state to illegal workers who are not covered by fed rules. They said it will take 2 weeks to set up the website for that but will be retroactive to Feb.
A quote from the article
"Newsom’s comments came a day after state Labor Secretary Julie Su announced that a new online portal will be created in the next two weeks that will allow independent contractors, gig workers and the self-employed to file documents to obtain benefits."

Are you saying they are giving state money to illegal workers in California?

@Msaddict wrote:

@sandyf wrote:

The Governor of California just announced they will be funding unemployment for all gig workers/independent contractors and worry about figuring out who is really an independent contractor or not later on. They will also be tacking on the extra $600 per week out of state $$ for those who do not qualify federally. And in addition they will be sending out stimulus checks from the state to illegal workers who are not covered by fed rules. They said it will take 2 weeks to set up the website for that but will be retroactive to Feb.
A quote from the article
"Newsom’s comments came a day after state Labor Secretary Julie Su announced that a new online portal will be created in the next two weeks that will allow independent contractors, gig workers and the self-employed to file documents to obtain benefits."

Are you saying they are giving state money to illegal workers in California?

Actually, it looks like there also may be L.A. city money going to the undocumented, but yes, we are taking care of the people who take care of us the rest of the year. Because it's the right thing to do....and it will keep our economy intact.

The undocumented workers grow and harvest the food we live on. A lot of it comprise the raw materials for our fast casual and fine dining shops.

I just wish the states would just put something on their website saying hey, this self employed stuff is new, so it might take awhile. Meanwhile get this list of paperwork together and watch this space when it's all setup. Or, go ahead and apply, your claim will be rejected but you'll be in our system and we'll go back and fix it. Or whatever the case may be for your state. It's been 3 weeks. Even the worst run states have a plan to implement it by now. It may not be ready to implement, but they have a plan. Just communicate it with us!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2020 05:07PM by bgriffin.

@bgriffin wrote:

Even the worst run states have a plan to implement it by now. It may not be ready to implement, but they have a plan. Just communicate it with us!

Agreed that it's been very confusing.

CA offered a mass Zoom seminar on Tuesday and then added detail to the site yesterday after the governor's press conference about it.

The site now finally reads: "We have a dedicated team working around the clock with state partners to build this new program as quickly as possible. The EDD will begin accepting online applications for this program on Tuesday, April 28. This page will be updated with instructions for filing a claim for PUA benefits when details become available."

MD has had most of what BG mentions for more than a week now. We can provide and email addy and they will send auto messages as soon as their system is ready.

I appears that the US Sec of Labor is still trying to keep his promise to those senators about making it easy on businesses and hard for worker.

@bgriffin No kidding. They should at least communicate something with us. FL is still awful. It's a mess, many people are getting in and approved, and those of us that are IC are still being left in the being processed state. The site makes it impossible to even get in and claim weeks, and come to find out there most likely is a minimum amount that has to be made or we will be denied. As a mystery shopper it is almost impossible to meet that number. Then some people in FL have been denied with no explanation and then just told to re apply. It's ridiculous here.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2020 05:52PM by cybersst.

@SteveSoCal wrote:

@Msaddict wrote:

Are you saying they are giving state money to illegal workers in California?

Actually, it looks like there also may be L.A. city money going to the undocumented, but yes, we are taking care of the people who take care of us the rest of the year. Because it's the right thing to do....and it will keep our economy intact.

Los Angeles city which has the bulk of population in the state has set up a fund called LA Cares and they have gotten large donations from big and small companies/individuals. A few weeks ago they gave out 3 mill in grocery script, This week they are giving out grants totaling also in the millions. These are directed at households who are under the state or city? poverty line. Anyone in the city can apply no matter their legal status. They also gave out thousands of lap tops when the schools closed to lower income students. From what I understand most of the funds were donated. LA Unified had it's own fundraiser. Also delivering up to 10 meals a week to low income/compromised seniors.
I am wondering if other large cities or counties are doing similar things. We usually do not get news like this from out of state.

I spent 3 hours on Nebraska website yesterday, attempting to apply for the unemployment. According to the tax returns I filed for 2019, my MS'ing income was adequate to qualify.

It seems a simple program to me to have "Are you filing under CARE?" on the website, because right now it's geared toward W-2 employees, with actually no place to put "I'm a self-employed Independent Contractor whose assignments have been put on hold due to COVID19".



It just kept asking, in endless loops, for my employment history, my wages, etc., etc., etc.

I did get an e-mail this morning that I am "registered" and my application received. They also sent me a list of 10 jobs available locally...with a suggestion that I apply for 5 of them within the next week.

I don't really think I'm qualified to be a Hospital Administrator. 9 of the 10 jobs are at the local hospital, which include cook (yeppers, I could do that), CNA (nope), Social Worker (nope), Financial Affairs Analyst (nope), Medical Insurance Biller (good luck with that one), and a few others that require specialized training (sorry, can't read X-rays, or take them, either!).

Weird job listing to send someone whose only W-2 work in the last 24 months was delivering pizza for Domino's!!!!

@ceasesmith wrote:

. They also sent me a list of 10 jobs available locally...with a suggestion that I apply for 5 of them within the next week.

I don't really think I'm qualified to be a Hospital Administrator. 9 of the 10 jobs are at the local hospital, which include cook (yeppers, I could do that), CNA (nope), Social Worker (nope), Financial Affairs Analyst (nope), Medical Insurance Biller (good luck with that one), and a few others that require specialized training (sorry, can't read X-rays, or take them, either!).

Weird job listing to send someone whose only W-2 work in the last 24 months was delivering pizza for Domino's!!!!

The hospitals are getting desperate and are asking for retirees to come back to work But even tho I recently retired as a Data Analyst at a large medical center they have not contacted me to come back in...thankfully as that is no place for a high risk individual to be. Probably if i sign up for unemployment they will ask me to work at Domino's.

Idaho still doesn't have their site set up, but I checked it on 4/16 and it said that if you were an IC, then currently you could fill out the application and check off self employment, so that you would be in the system, when they get it up and running. So I filled out the form and checked the self employment box and it accepted it. Then at the end after setting up for either a debit card or my bank account for direct deposit, it said that the first payment won't be issued for 4 - 6 weeks from now.

Texas
I am having a really, really hard time applying for unemployment benefits in Texas. The web site as of today (4/17) does not have an option for self-employed people. I applied for benefits on 4/2 and filled out the questions as best I could even though the majority did not pertain to my situation. I received a form in the mail asking for me (as the employer) to provide employment discharge information about me as the employee. It's totally lame. If someone else from Texas has applied successfully for self-employed unemployment benefits PLEASE private message me or respond to the open forum with some guidance on how to proceed. The Texas Workforce Commission has NO information about federal government programs for self-employed people.

MD NEWS This arrived in my mailbox overnight from MD Dept of Labor. Friday April 24 they expect to open applications for us ICs and gig workers. They have also contracted with an extra 200 workers to take applications.
Quote from the long announcement follows"
"Next Friday, April 24, Labor will be launching a new one-stop unemployment insurance application that will implement the two remaining CARES Act programs. Those who are self-employed, independent contractors, gig economy workers, have insufficient work history, or who have exhausted their benefits since July 1, 2019 and are eligible for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program will now be able to submit their applications online and receive their benefits retroactive to their earliest date of eligibility.

These individuals should visit Labor’s website at MDunemployment.com and enter their email address to receive important information and instructions about filing their new claim. The new application will also allow individuals who were previously required to file by phone, like those who are federal employees, members of the military, have worked in multiple states, and have worked for more than 3 employers in the last 18 months to now file online.

The new online application will also implement the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program. Starting next Friday, new claimants and those who are already receiving benefits will automatically receive an additional 13 weeks of benefits under the CARES Act. Current eligible claimants do not need to take any additional steps to receive these extended benefits. Labor will be directly contacting Marylanders who have recently exhausted their benefits, so they can also use this new online application to reapply and receive the additional 13 weeks they are entitled to.

Labor has partnered with a vendor to bring in 200 additional call and claim takers to provide additional support to our claim centers as they handle the unprecedented volume of claims and calls. Labor is also in the process of reassigning over 150 current state employees and hiring over 100 new unemployment insurance employees. These actions will more than double the staffing at claim centers located throughout the state. Individuals can apply for Labor’s 100 new unemployment insurance positions online. The recruitment process has been streamlined to ensure that new employees are hired and trained as fast as possible.

Claim center hours have been further extended to be from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Starting tomorrow on April 18, claim center hours will also be open on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Labor will continue to expand hours and increase accessibility as necessary, so all Marylanders receive the assistance they need.

For more information about unemployment insurance in Maryland during COVID-19, please visit MDunemployment.com."

The same is true in GA.

I just applied for unemployment in Massachusetts using my 1099, 2019 as the amount I made last year. As of today 4-20 you can apply in Mass. I'll let you know how I made out in a few days. Application was easy.

LOL If they aren't concerned about whether you are qualified, you may as well be the administrator as the kitchen worker. You'll get a chair and a desk with that one.

@ceasesmith wrote:

I spent 3 hours on Nebraska website yesterday, attempting to apply for the unemployment. According to the tax returns I filed for 2019, my MS'ing income was adequate to qualify.

It seems a simple program to me to have "Are you filing under CARE?" on the website, because right now it's geared toward W-2 employees, with actually no place to put "I'm a self-employed Independent Contractor whose assignments have been put on hold due to COVID19".



It just kept asking, in endless loops, for my employment history, my wages, etc., etc., etc.

I did get an e-mail this morning that I am "registered" and my application received. They also sent me a list of 10 jobs available locally...with a suggestion that I apply for 5 of them within the next week.

I don't really think I'm qualified to be a Hospital Administrator. 9 of the 10 jobs are at the local hospital, which include cook (yeppers, I could do that), CNA (nope), Social Worker (nope), Financial Affairs Analyst (nope), Medical Insurance Biller (good luck with that one), and a few others that require specialized training (sorry, can't read X-rays, or take them, either!).

Weird job listing to send someone whose only W-2 work in the last 24 months was delivering pizza for Domino's!!!!

But GA is opening back up soon. So as soon as you might be covered, they are going to yank it away.

@satin7 wrote:

The same is true in GA.

Yep, FL wants to re open too, and mine has been pending for weeks now. No details yet on when the re opening will happen though.