The new federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program provides benefits for many individuals who have been determined ineligible for state unemployment benefits, including self-employed workers and independent contractors.
Here’s the process
IDES is required to make sure you don’t qualify for regular unemployment before you can apply for expanded benefits under the federal CARES Act (pandemic unemployment assistance).
Who can file for PUA
- Individuals who had an Illinois regular unemployment insurance claim, but have run out of those benefits (i.e. exhausted 26 weeks of regular unemployment insurance and 13 weeks of PEUC)
- An employee of a nonprofit church or religious organization that does not pay unemployment. NOTE: If you work for religious organization that has voluntarily elected to pay unemployment, you must file a regular unemployment claim.
- Individuals who have been“self-employed” for only the last 18 months and you pay taxes on that income (i.e., you have not earned any wages as a W-2 employee). Self-employment includes:
- Sole proprietors who do not pay unemployment contributions
- Business owners
- Being issued (Form 1099) from a business to report income for tax purposes
- Filing a Schedule C (Form 1040) tax form to report profit or loss from business
Before you apply read this information.
The new federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program provides benefits for many individuals who have been determined ineligible for state unemployment benefits, including self-employed workers and independent contractors.
Here’s the process
IDES is required to make sure you don’t qualify for regular unemployment before you can apply for expanded benefits under the federal CARES Act (pandemic unemployment assistance).
Who can file for PUA
Individuals who had an Illinois regular unemployment insurance claim, but have run out of those benefits (i.e. exhausted 26 weeks of regular unemployment insurance and 13 weeks of PEUC)
An employee of a nonprofit church or religious organization that does not pay unemployment. NOTE: If you work for religious organization that has voluntarily elected to pay unemployment, you must file a regular unemployment claim.
Individuals who have been“self-employed” for only the last 18 months and you pay taxes on that income (i.e., you have not earned any wages as a W-2 employee). Self-employment includes:
Sole proprietors who do not pay unemployment contributions
Business owners
Being issued (Form 1099) from a business to report income for tax purposes
Filing a Schedule C (Form 1040) tax form to report profit or loss from business
Before you apply read this information.
https://www2.illinois.gov/ides/Pages/FAQ_COVID-19.aspx
