Photo by Jp Valery on Unsplash
California real estate agents with independent contractor status who qualify for state unemployment insurance could receive the extra $600 per week Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefit as early as Sunday, April 12th.
“Many Californians are feeling the effects of this pandemic, and this added benefit is very important to our workers so they have needed resources during this difficult time,” said Governor Newsom in a statement published on Thursday.
The PUA program is part of the federal CARES Act, which was signed into law by President Trump on March 27th. Unemployment assistance was extended to millions of independent contractors, freelancers and gig economy workers who were previously ineligible for such payments.
In California, the maximum weekly unemployment insurance benefit payment is $450 for up to 26 weeks. Loree Levy, a spokesperson for the California Employment Development Department (EDD), told The Mercury News the average payment during the month of February was $340 per week. With the additional $600 per week in federal assistance, Californians could receive upwards of $1,050 each pay period.
Eligible real estate agents can collect PUA benefits for up to 39 weeks. “Benefit payments under PUA are retroactive, for weeks of unemployment, partial employment, or inability to work due to COVID-19 reasons starting on or after January 27, 2020,” reads a news release from the United States Department of Labor. “The CARES Act specifies that PUA benefits cannot be paid for weeks of unemployment ending after December 31, 2020.”
If you’re an affected California real estate agent who has not yet applied for state unemployment insurance, here’s a helpful guide on how to do it. Remember: You must first apply for unemployment assistance through the state in order to receive the additional $600 per week PUA benefit from the federal government.
