COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance

1 COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Equal Opportunity Employer/Program PUA-5 REV 07-21 The information contained in this pamphlet is for your general information. Section 2102 of the CARES Act of 2020 created the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. It contains a brief description of the procedures and requirements under Section 2102 of the CARES Act, the subsequent guidance issued by the United States Department of Labor in operating instructions, and the Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Law. In addition, because many of the procedural rules for individuals filing for regular Unemployment compensation also apply to PUA applicants, you may find additional information in the Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Handbook. More information regarding the PUA program is available on 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS PURPOSE AND SUMMARY OF THE 7 WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR PUA?

2 9 WHEN AND WHERE TO PROOF OF EMPLOYMENT ..12 HOW TO SUBMIT CHANGING YOUR ADDRESS ..14 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS ..14 INDIVIDUALS NOT ONLINE REGISTRATION ..18 FILE FOR WEEKLY DEBIT CARDS OR DIRECT THE PUA WEEKLY BENEFIT HOW IS THE PUA WEEKLY BENEFIT AMOUNT COMPUTED?..20 PENSION SPECIAL RULES FOR COMPUTING THE PUA WEEKLY BENEFIT DISQUALIFICATION OR TERMINATION OF BENEFITS ..25 YOUR KEEPING RECORDS ..26 STATEMENT REQUIRED UNDER THE PRIVACY ACT OF 1974 ..26 APPEALS PUA CONTACT QUICK 5 PURPOSE AND SUMMARY OF THE PROGRAM On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the CARES Act, which includes the Relief for Workers Affected by Coronavirus Act set out in Title II, Subtitle A, and created the temporary federal program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). PUA originally provided up to 39 weeks of Unemployment benefits to individuals not eligible for regular Unemployment compensation (UC) or extended benefits under state or Federal law, including those who have exhausted all rights to such benefits.

3 December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which included the Continued Assistance for Unemployed Workers Act (CAA), became law and provided an additional 11 weeks of PUA benefits for a total of 50 weeks of PUA benefits. On March 11,2021, the President signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 into law and extended the end of the application period for PUA to weeks of Unemployment on or before September 6, 2021. With the enactment of ARPA, the maximum number of weeks of PUA benefits increased to 79 weeks. The PUA program provides Unemployment Assistance to covered individuals, , self -employed, those seeking part-time employment, individuals lacking sufficient work history, and those who otherwise do not qualify for regular UC or extended benefits under state or Federal law or the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program created by Section 2107 of the CARES Act of 2020.

4 These individuals include certain gig economy workers, clergy, and those working for religious organizations who are not covered by regular UC. In general, PUA provides up to 79 weeks of benefits to qualifying individuals who are otherwise able and available to work within the meaning of Pennsylvania UC Law, except that they are unemployed, partially unemployed, or unable or unavailable to work due to the one of the COVID-19 related reasons identified in Section 2102 (a)(3)(A)(ii)(I) of the CARES Act. Reemployment Assistance and services are also available to individuals who apply for PUA. 7 The Department of Labor (USDOL) oversees the PUA program. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry administers the program in Pennsylvania. When determining the appropriate course of action in administering the PUA program, states are to first consult Section 2102 of the CARES Act and the subsequent operating instructions provided by the USDOL.

5 Where the CARES Act and the operating instructions are silent, states should refer to the Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) regulations at 20 Part 625. Where DUA regulations are silent, states are to follow applicable state law for the administration of the regular UC program. 8 WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR PUA? Section 2102 of the CARES Act provides for payment of PUA to covered individuals. Covered individuals are those individuals not qualified for regular UC, extended benefits under state or Federal law, or Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), including those who have exhausted all rights to such benefits. Covered individuals also include self -employed, individuals seeking part-time employment, individuals lacking sufficient work history, or those otherwise not qualified for regular UC, extended benefits under state or federal law, or PEUC.

6 Individuals are not entitled to receive benefits on two UC programs for the same claim week with the exception of the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program, which is a program designed to be an additional payment for benefits paid under all other Unemployment compensation programs. An individual is not entitled to receive a PUA payment for the same claim week as a UC, PEUC, or EB payment. If this occurs, you must contact the department immediately and stop filing for PUA benefits if you are entitled to benefits from one of the other programs. For purposes of PUA coverage, an individual lacking sufficient work history means an individual (1) with a recent attachment to the labor force (2) who does not have sufficient wages in covered employment during the last 18 months to establish a claim under regular UC, and (3) who became unemployed or partially unemployed because of one of the COVID-19 related reasons identified under Section 2102.

7 self -employed individuals as defined in 20 (n) means individuals whose primary reliance for income is on the performance of services in the individual s own business, or on the individual s own farm. These individuals include independent contractors, gig economy workers, and workers for certain religious entities. PUA is not payable to individuals who have the ability to telework with pay, or who are receiving paid sick leave or other paid leave benefits. However, an individual receiving paid sick leave or other paid leave benefits for less than his or her customary work week may still be eligible for a reduced PUA weekly benefit amount (WBA). 9 Living out-of-state may potentially cause an eligibility issue as PUA is only for individuals unemployed for a direct COVID reason. To qualify, a person must have been working in PA at the time of the COVID-19 mitigation/infection/etc.

8 That separated him or her from work. Further, if a person was in PA and affected by one of the COVID-19 reasons as stated in the law, but has now moved out of PA, that person s eligibility will be examined. Remember: PUA is only for those individuals who are directly unemployed as a result of one of the COVID-19 reasons, and this must remain true week to week. A person who decides to move out of state and open a business elsewhere is possibly no longer unemployed because of a direct COVID reason, but because he or she is not yet established in the new market. Cases must be examined individually, and the person must show he or she has a business attachment to PA and is unemployed primarily for a COVID reason. NOTE: If, while filing for PUA during the Pandemic Assistance Period, you meet the eligibility requirements to qualify for regular UC, your entitlement to PUA benefits will be suspended until you exhaust all of your regular UC entitlement.

9 To be a covered individual under PUA, an individual must also self -certify that he or she is otherwise able to work and available for work, as provided under state law, except that the individual is unemployed, partially unemployed, unable to work or unavailable for work due to at least one of the following categories described below. The individual has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and is seeking a medical diagnosis; A member of the individual s household has been diagnosed with COVID-19 ; The individual is providing care for a family member or a member of the individual s household who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 ; A child or other person in the household for which the individual has primary caregiving responsibility is unable to attend school or another facility that is closed as a direct result of the COVID-19 public health emergency and such school or facility care is required for the individual to work.

10 10 The individual is unable to reach the place of employment because of a quarantine imposed as a direct result of the COVID-19 public health emergency; The individual is unable to reach the place of employment because the individual has been advised by a health care provider to self -quarantine due to concerns related to COVID-19 ; The individual was scheduled to commence employment and does not have a job or is unable to reach the job as a direct result of the COVID-19 public health emergency; The individual has become the breadwinner or major support for a household because the head of the household has died as a direct result of COVID-19 ; The individual has to quit his or her job as a direct result of COVID-19 ; The individual s place of employment is closed as a direct result of the COVID-19 public health emergency.