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Independent Contractor Unemployment Insurance - Federal CARES Act

June 16, 2020 12:25AM
I wish FL had are you high risk for Covid 19, but they do not. I'm high risk and it would be great to have that option.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/2020 12:25AM by cybersst.
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June 16, 2020 12:35AM
@Birdy... I would check the last option. That probably "best" fits your reason for Covid-19 caused your unemployment.
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June 16, 2020 01:03AM
Yes, now I see what you mean. I was just sent the cert questions for myself today. I did not get any of the questions you got in Pennsylvania. I still have no idea how to answer the questions if i did some work. I am pretty sure my cert may be held up due to my answers being confusing because the questions are confusing and do not fit "gig type work" as others have mentioned.
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June 16, 2020 01:36AM
@sandyf wrote:

Yes, now I see what you mean. I was just sent the cert questions for myself today. I did not get any of the questions you got in Pennsylvania. I still have no idea how to answer the questions if i did some work. I am pretty sure my cert may be held up due to my answers being confusing because the questions are confusing and do not fit "gig type work" as others have mentioned.

I know exactly what you mean, Sandy. I had a wee bit of income last week, and claimed it. I have some $$ trickling in a bit at a time, but not every week. And I'm nowhere near doing what I was back in February before all this started. So I chose #7 because the bulk of my projected income for the 2nd and into the 3rd quarter of the year was a big freelance project, which has been put on hold indefinitely due to the pandemic. I was contracted for the job, but it hasn't started.

It's almost like you have to lie and say you didn't have any income so that your situation fits the questions! And you can't get anybody by phone here in PA. So I emailed the PUA office and explained. They probably won't respond, but I had to email them a couple of weeks ago about a payment that had been "pending" for weeks. They didn't answer, but the payment showed up not long after I emailed them. So I'm hopeful they'll understand the impossibility some SE folks have in answering those questions.

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
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June 17, 2020 12:09AM
@cybersst wrote:

I wish FL had are you high risk for Covid 19, but they do not. I'm high risk and it would be great to have that option.

I'm high risk also.
I'm glad that they added the question. It wasn't there when I did my weekly filing on June 7.
Then When I did my weekly filing on June 14, it had been added.
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June 17, 2020 09:20AM
Follow up..just got my money for the two weeks. I reported pension payments for the first time and also a very small income of $18 but I was sure I messed up on answering the questions. But i got the full check. Now I wish I remembered how I answered them so i could do it the same next time.

@sandyf wrote:

Yes, now I see what you mean. I was just sent the cert questions for myself today. I did not get any of the questions you got in Pennsylvania. I still have no idea how to answer the questions if i did some work. I am pretty sure my cert may be held up due to my answers being confusing because the questions are confusing and do not fit "gig type work" as others have mentioned.
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June 17, 2020 11:07AM
@sueac101 are you in FL? I think it's different in each state. We don't claim our benefits weekly here, we do Bi-weekly, but hopefully when I go back in for my next time it will have changed to reflect that question as well.
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June 17, 2020 08:41PM
Did anyone in NY get the PUA as an IC? I had not even thought about applying. Losing my MS income really hurt me....
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June 17, 2020 10:30PM
@Sandyf ... Take notes Sandy! I might need help. I have that small income to report too. I think I got it figured out now, but I'm gonna wait until next month to report it. I've been a little nervous that the $43 income would cause me to be kicked out. I knew the pension would not affect your payment, and I am glad to know that the small income did not either.
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June 17, 2020 11:51PM
Here in this state the first $25 of income from work is not counted for each week and then if you earn more money than that they take some of it out of your check. You would not be kicked out, at least in Calif, if you earned less than your weekly amt. You just need to make sure you tell them you are willing to work however they ask that question. The work earnings do not affect the $600. It is difficult to know how to report but I think I will be reporting the week I got the money rather than the week I worked. That way it will mostly be under the $25 since I am doing very few jobs until the all clear for the virus.

@1forum1 wrote:

@Sandyf ... Take notes Sandy! I might need help. I have that small income to report too. I think I got it figured out now, but I'm gonna wait until next month to report it. I've been a little nervous that the $43 income would cause me to be kicked out. I knew the pension would not affect your payment, and I am glad to know that the small income did not either.
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June 18, 2020 12:19AM
@cybersst wrote:

@sueac101 are you in FL? I think it's different in each state. We don't claim our benefits weekly here, we do Bi-weekly, but hopefully when I go back in for my next time it will have changed to reflect that question as well.

I am in Idaho.
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June 18, 2020 01:51AM
Yes; we can earn up to a certain amount before they start reducing the regular weekly benefit. I'm not sure what it is in Pa. I think it's based on your actual benefit amount. So I report what I earn. They want you in Pa. to report the income in the week in which you earn it, not the week you're paid. But the problem is that with MS, of course, you're never really sure you've earned the money until the shop is approved. So for that I'm going to report in the week in which it's approved, not when I do the shop (unless it's in the same week, of course).

@1forum1, $43 isn't going to get you kicked out! Don't fret!

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
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June 18, 2020 12:15PM
Did you ever fund out how to apply in NY?
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June 18, 2020 02:03PM
Hi, I am late to this! May I ask what you did? Did you get anything? I am trying now, and stuck on the part that asks for an FEIN. Thanks for any help!
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June 18, 2020 02:07PM
Hope this helps for FEIN:
[info.legalzoom.com]

[www.patriotsoftware.com]).
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June 18, 2020 03:03PM
In Texas, the minimum unemployment is $207. Add to that the $600 from CARES, and the total unemployment benefit is $807 before taxes. People can earn up to $52 weekly without penalty. Any amount over that is reduced from the unemployment amount. In my case, if I earned, say $45 one week, my benefit would still be the full $207 + $600 = $807. If I earned $109, my benefit would be $807 - $98 = $709. One week all the stars were in alignment and I earned $339. I received a big fat zero. No unemployment and no CARES money. I completely understand about Texas unemployment, but I do not understand why no CARES money that week.
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June 18, 2020 03:08PM
@Dandydew Did you put yourself as a mystery shopper for the TX PUA or you used another job? Also, I read that if you still have a full-time job, then you may not qualify for PUA even so do you know anything about that? Thanks.
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June 18, 2020 03:21PM
I only applied once at the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) web site and indicated my status was self-employed. I received notification that I needed to submit tax documentation (Schedule C, etc.) within 21 days which I did. Funny thing though, when I applied I was asked to submit an email address. I expected all correspondence to come through that email. It took a couple of weeks for me to realize I needed to log on to the TWC site. I was tardy and had to overnight the documentation TWC requested and it arrived on the very last possible day! It did not seem to matter though, because my claim was processed and I received my first check on the same day. Surely, no one had processed my paperwork that soon.
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June 18, 2020 03:26PM
So if I don't get a Schedule C as a mystery shopper, then I don't qualify? Yes, the email thing was odd and I eventually figured it out after several days. I agreed everything was processed quickly.
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June 18, 2020 04:06PM
I can only speak to my own situation. I was under the impression self-employed people only qualify for the CARES Act if they can prove self-employment and have filed a Schedule C to prove income. Otherwise, every hobbyist would try to claim the benefit.
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June 18, 2020 04:39PM
@Dandydew wrote:

I can only speak to my own situation. I was under the impression self-employed people only qualify for the CARES Act if they can prove self-employment and have filed a Schedule C to prove income. Otherwise, every hobbyist would try to claim the benefit.

You're dead on! I had to provide tax returns for the last year in which I filed (2018; haven't done 2019 yet), plus give them a quarterly breakdown of my 2019 SE, which I provided on a spreadsheet. They said they'd accept an accountant's statement, P & L ledger, worksheets, etc.

So if you haven't claimed self-employment income on a schedule C in the past, I think you're SOL, unless you just started self-employment last year, haven't filed for 2019 yet, but can prove your SE through your accountant or invoices and receipts, bank deposits, etc.

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
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June 18, 2020 04:47PM
I can't speak for other states. But for FL, all I had were paycheck stubs, paypal statements, payment history from one company and bank statements, plus one letter from one my companies stating exactly when employment stopped with their contractors. I did not send tax returns. They approved me with those documents.
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June 18, 2020 05:24PM
@cybersst wrote:

I can't speak for other states. But for FL, all I had were paycheck stubs, paypal statements, payment history from one company and bank statements, plus one letter from one my companies stating exactly when employment stopped with their contractors. I did not send tax returns. They approved me with those documents.

It must be a state-by-state thing. I had to have at least one year's tax returns with Schedule C, but could prove current or recent income through other means.

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
Reply
June 18, 2020 05:27PM
Below is TX's guidelines for proof of self employment besides Schedule C, which doesn't really apply for MS I think??

Proof of Self-Employment
To prove self-employment, send one of the following items:

Recent records connected to your business, such as bank records; a phone, utility or insurance bill; a sales tax return; current business license; or a State or Federal Employer Identification Number; or property titles, deeds, or a rental agreement for your place of business
Recent newspaper, phone book, or Internet ad for your business
Statement(s) from recent customers; or billing notices, invoices, or sales records
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June 18, 2020 06:07PM
I have an EIN, plus loads of records and bank statements. In Texas, you have until the end of December to submit proof. I suppose people who cannot provide proof will get absolutely hammered in 2021 when they must pay back any money sent to them.
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June 18, 2020 06:10PM
Right, so I'd rather apply only if I'm 100% sure I qualify with proof. Better safe than sorry.
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June 18, 2020 06:23PM
@BirdyC wrote:

@cybersst wrote:

I can't speak for other states. But for FL, all I had were paycheck stubs, paypal statements, payment history from one company and bank statements, plus one letter from one my companies stating exactly when employment stopped with their contractors. I did not send tax returns. They approved me with those documents.

It must be a state-by-state thing. I had to have at least one year's tax returns with Schedule C, but could prove current or recent income through other means.

They were only concerned with 2019. I have previous returns filed with income reported with the one company I have been with the past 7 years, but just joined the other companies in November of 2019, and have not filed that return yet. They did not ask for the other returns. Still waiting on the letter saying I'm approved, they are slow as molasses here. I know I'm approved because they have been paying me. But I still want to see what the letter says. It will not let me access it online, so I'm waiting for the carrier pigeon to arrive with the letter. That has been over two weeks now...
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June 19, 2020 02:03PM
I'm wondering how you all get paid. I initially had direct deposit, then due to fraud, they switched to paper checks. Then they discovered fraud there, too, so notified recipients that they would be issuing debit cards around June 16. I see that I'll be getting a paper check today and have heard nothing more about, or gotten, a debit card.

My sister in NY, who was temporarily furloughed from her job due to the pandemic, is getting PUA payments via debit card. If you get a debit card, is there a way to transfer the money to your bank account?

It's terrible that fraud would be so widespread, but there will always be dishonest people who try to take advantage of situations like this. But it's getting kind of frustrating to be looking at three different ways of payment in order for the state to prevent fraud.

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
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June 19, 2020 03:47PM
Well in FL we don't have the fraud issue that I'm aware of. So I get my payments direct deposit.
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June 19, 2020 05:27PM
@cybersst wrote:

Well in FL we don't have the fraud issue that I'm aware of. So I get my payments direct deposit.

That's so much more convenient. Sadly, there seems to be a handful of states experiencing rampant fraud in their PUA systems, and my state is one.

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
Reply
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