The federal stimulus bill known as the CARES Act created a temporary unemployment assistance program to help those not traditionally eligible for unemployment benefits. Attorney Marianne Tolomeo of the law firm Connell Foley, NJBIA’s Employment Law Resources provider, breaks down what employers need to know about it in this blog post.
As Tolomeo explains, the program is set up to help the self-employed, independent contractors and those with limited work history. The individual’s full or partial unemployment, or inability to work, must be as a direct result of the coronavirus public health emergency because:
- the individual or a household member has a COVID-19;
- the individual is providing care to a family or household member with COVID-19;
- a child that the individual has to care for at home is unable to attend school or another facility as a direct result of COVID-19;
- the individual cannot reach the place of employment due to a quarantine or the order by a healthcare provider to self-quarantine;
- the individual was scheduled to start employment and does not have a job or is unable to reach the job due to COVID-19;
- the individual has become the breadwinner or major support for a household because the head of household died due to COVID-19; or
- the individual’s place of business is closed.
Nonprofits, who generally cover unemployment claims for their employees, will be reimbursed 50% of the amounts they pay into their state unemployment funds between March 13 and Dec. 31, 2020.
The benefits are retroactive to Jan. 29 and extend through the end of the year.
For employers who have reduced employees’ hours to avoid laying them off, their employees could be eligible for pro-rated payments to make up the difference.
I am self employed, my business is registered in NJ and I’m the sole proprietor. I’m also an independent contractor with a company (1099). I’m a licensed massage therapist so I’m not able to work due to Covid 19. On April 1st I was denied unemployment benefits because “I’m self employed and an independent contractor.” According to the new bill (CaresAct) I believe it’s called, people in my situation should be eligible for unemployment benefits. When will we see this happen?
I’m in the same boat as you.
I am also an independent contractor, international flight nurse-so I’m in the same situation. For the life of me I can’t find any way to apply for benefits. Following to see if anyone can help
Thanks for reaching out to NJBIA. You should check out our resource page at https://njbia.org/coronavirus. We update almost hourly so you can get up to the minute information – including links and ways to apply for loans, grants and unemployment. Also, check out http://www.cv.business.nj.gov to get to the eligibility wizard. This can help you determine how to apply and what is best for your company.
Hi
If this helps. It was easier process to apply from my mobile device. Rather than my laptop.
I am forwarding this question to confirm that.
I am a substitute teacher and filed my claim on March 28 as soon as the bill was passed. Today, on April 3, when checking my status, the claim was processed. Claim benefit $0. When I googled what it meant, I found out that is was because of insufficient earnings over the past 18 months. I worked in the past 18 months but schools are closed on some weeks. Substitute teachers get very little money as it is but apparently I don’t even qualify for $20 a week.
I work a full time and a part time job to survive in the Denver area. I am still working my full time job as we are considering essential business. I have applied for unemployment but got turned down because I work 32 or more hours and the unemployment law as it is now wont cover my lost wages. The job I lost was 100% due to the Covid-19 as I worked for an event stagfing company and worked for pro sports and concert and event venues, which all got cancelled and I lost my pay. Will the new unemployment law cover us workers who work more than 32 hours at one job but work part time as well to get by and were laid off due to the coronavirus?
Joan
Thanks for reaching out to NJBIA. You should check out our resource page at http://www.njbia.org/coronavirus. We update almost hourly so you can get up to the minute information – including links and ways to apply for loans, grants and unemployment.
I work a part time job and did not make enough this year to be covered by unemployment. Will this extended benefits help me and will o receive the extra $600? I was also claimed as a dependent. But I am a college student
How do I apply for the Pandemic Unemployment assistance in New Jersey?
Erica
Check out http://www.cv.business.nj.gov. They have information on the grant applications that opened today and the loans for next week.
This is a bad link.
This site can’t be reachedwww.cv.business.nj.gov’s server IP address could not be found.
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Can you verify the http://www.cv.business.nj.gov eligibility wizard link? Verizon is showing a page that the site is “unavailable or may not exist.” Thank you
Hi, the unemployment send me a letter that i am invalid for unemployment program . Because i did less that 10 thousand dollar last year .
So what is the next step and how I apply for pandemic unemployment in nj .
Thanks
I am an independent contractor working in telephone sales.
The company is in PA but I work from home in NJ.
I wasn’t going to apply because the company only stopped operations until the end of May.
Decided to apply for benefits last week.
I answered all questions truthfully and explained of the temporary company closure in PA for two months which does not enable me to work from my NJ residence until they reopen.
What chances do I have of receiving benefits while unable to work?
This is a bad link.
This site can’t be reachedwww.cv.business.nj.gov’s server IP address could not be found.
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What people want to know is what about people that don’t have enough work history. They don’t have the base weeks and don’t meet the minimum to get unemployment.
How do we apply to PUA?
I have been denied. Been calling unemployment for 2 weeks. It always say to call back the next day.
I’m n the same boat
Has anyone received an answer to this yet? I work 45 hours a week and was denied due to insufficient work history for most of 2019. I moved from one state to the other and was not working until sept so I have been at my jobs 8 months and 7 months but denied. Did u find out what we need to do to get the pua? Thanks
Can a person claim this benefit if they worked under the table my cousin needs help so I’m just curious
i just got back to work after a month of being laid off – my kids school are about to close for the remaining year – can i go go back out of work since I need to care for them ? will i get paid ?
I am self-employed. I signed up for unemployment. My status is filed bur $0. Will my claim automatically go to PUA? Other than the initial filing for unemployment what do I need to do to try to get PUA?
I am a 76 year old Vietnam Vet who for the last several years have been employed as a substitute teacher in NJ school systems. I can only work when I am called by them. I was unemployed in the earlier part of 2019 School Year and began teaching again in January 2020 when the schools began to call me to work. Because of the Coronavirus the schools in New Jersey are closed therefore I receive no calls to Substitute teach! MY REGULAR NJ STATE UNEMPLOYMENT RAN OUT IN JANUARY 2020. I have not worked a sufficient number of days to replenish my unemployment benefits. So I cannot collect the regular Unemployment Compensation. Can I EXPECT Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) ??? Do I RECEIVE $600 Supplemental Unemployment Payment even though my regular Unemployment has exhausted in January 2020.
As many times as I try to log on to NJ Dep’t of Unemloyment the site will not allow me to input my personal data like DOB, SS#, etc.
wforiano@yahoo.com or 732-278-0360
william f soriano