You may be eligible for up to 39 weeks of unemployment benefits if you are self-employed and your business income has been affected by COVID-19.
Recent legislation now provides small business owners the opportunity to collect unemployment which is not something they are normally able to do. As the majority of our clients are in Maryland we are going to cover how this is working in Maryland. If you live in a different state, please check with your state’s unemployment office.
Maryland Unemployment for business owners.
Starting Friday, April 24, those who are self-employed, independent contractors, gig workers, or have insufficient work history will be able to apply online for unemployment benefits. You may be eligible for up to 39 weeks of unemployment benefits if you are self-employed and your business income has been affected by COVID-19. The Maryland Department of Labor has issued these new guidelines:
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)
- Individuals who are not usually eligible for regular Unemployment Insurance and who cannot work due to COVID-19 are eligible for a maximum of 39 weeks of benefits, which includes $600 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC).
- It is effective January 27, 2020 through Dec. 31, 2020.
- Starting Friday, April 24, those who are self-employed, independent contractors, gig workers, or have insufficient work history will be able to apply online.
To receive an email with additional information and instructions once the new application is ready, you must sign up at the Maryland Department of Labor’s website (go to the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance bullet point and enter your email address in the white box and hit “submit”): http://www.dllr.state.md.us/employment/unemployment.shtml
Due to the launch of new unemployment application systems, such as Maryland’s “Beacon One-Stop,” and a surge in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits in recent weeks, some states aren’t yet able to process new claims and payments may be delayed.
Signing up for Unemployment Benefits will be a long process. Plan on waiting in an online queue for a minimum of 1 hour just to enter the system (you can have the system send you an email when it’s your turn). Have all necessary documentation at your disposal as you will only have 10 minutes to enter the system.
The information above is for the state of Maryland. Contact your state’s unemployment insurance office to learn about who can collect benefits, how to file a claim and if any delays are expected.