Table of Contents
- What Was Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)?
- Key Takeaways on PUA
- Understanding PUA
- PUA Eligibility
- Unemployment Programs Under the CARES Act
- Special Considerations
- Who Was Eligible to Receive PUA?
- Were PUA and Unemployment Insurance (UI) the Same Thing?
- Was I Able to Get PUA and UI at the Same Time?
- The Bottom Line
What Was Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)?
Let me explain what Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, or PUA, was. It was a program that temporarily expanded unemployment insurance eligibility to people who wouldn't normally qualify, like self-employed workers, freelancers, independent contractors, and part-time workers hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
PUA came about through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, that massive $2 trillion stimulus package signed by then-President Donald Trump on March 27, 2020. The program ended on September 6, 2021, along with other COVID-related employment relief efforts.
Key Takeaways on PUA
PUA was set up under the CARES Act as an employment program. It opened up unemployment insurance to self-employed folks, freelancers, independent contractors, and part-timers. You had to self-certify and show proof that you were unemployed, partially employed, unable to work, or unavailable due to COVID-19 effects. Benefits got calculated from your past earnings using a formula from the Disaster Unemployment Assistance program under the Stafford Act. In total, PUA ran for 79 weeks before expiring on September 6, 2021.
Understanding PUA
PUA extended benefits to workers who qualified, including freelancers and independent contractors, those looking for part-time jobs, people without enough work history for state UI benefits, and anyone who'd used up regular unemployment or didn't qualify for Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation.
It kicked off on January 27, 2020, and was originally slated to end on December 31, 2020, per the CARES Act. Then the Consolidated Appropriations Act extended it to March 14, 2021, after being signed on December 27, 2020. The program got another boost with 25 more weeks from the American Rescue Plan Act, a $1.9 trillion package passed by the Biden administration in March 2021. Ultimately, PUA wrapped up on September 6, 2021, after those 79 weeks.
One important point: PUA offered a minimum benefit of about $190 per week, which was 50% of the state's average weekly UI benefit.
PUA Eligibility
To get PUA, you needed to self-certify that you'd be able to work and available for it if not for COVID-19. Other criteria included being unemployed, partially employed, unable to work, or unavailable because of specific COVID-19 situations.
These situations covered things like being diagnosed with COVID-19 or having symptoms and seeking a diagnosis, a household member getting diagnosed, caring for someone with COVID-19, looking after a child or household member whose school or care facility closed due to COVID-19, being quarantined or advised to by a healthcare provider, being set to start a job you couldn't reach because of the pandemic, becoming the main breadwinner after the household head died from COVID-19, quitting your job directly due to COVID-19, or your workplace closing because of it.
Benefits were based on your previous earnings, using the formula from the Disaster Unemployment Assistance program under the Robert T. Stafford Act. And remember, PUA was retroactive—you could get paid from when your unemployment started, back to January 27, 2020, not just from when you filed.
Unemployment Programs Under the CARES Act
There were a few key programs under the CARES Act. Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) gave a flat weekly amount to anyone getting unemployment insurance, even partial benefits. If you were on PUA or regular state UI, you could also get FPUC. It started at $600, dropped to $300 after the December 2020 extension, and ended on September 6, 2021, like PUA.
Overview of CARES Act Unemployment Programs
- Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA): Extended benefits to the self-employed, freelancers, and independent contractors.
- Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC): Extended benefits up to 39 weeks after regular ones ran out, later up to 79 weeks.
- Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC): Provided an initial $600 federal benefit, reduced to $300.
Special Considerations
Federal law gave states flexibility to adjust their rules for UI benefits in COVID-19 scenarios. For example, states could pay benefits if an employer temporarily shut down due to the virus, if you were quarantined but expected to return to work afterward, or if you stopped working to avoid COVID-19 exposure or to care for a family member. You didn't even have to be laid off to qualify under these federal provisions.
Who Was Eligible to Receive PUA?
PUA targeted workers who didn't qualify for regular unemployment insurance, such as freelancers, part-time gig workers, and self-employed people. To qualify, you had to certify inability to work due to COVID-19 conditions and provide docs like bank statements or tax returns showing lost work. It expired on September 6, 2021.
Were PUA and Unemployment Insurance (UI) the Same Thing?
No, they weren't the same. You couldn't get PUA if you qualified for UI. Both aimed to support unemployed workers, but PUA was created for the pandemic to help those outside traditional full-time jobs where regular UI fell short.
Was I Able to Get PUA and UI at the Same Time?
No, you couldn't receive both simultaneously. If you were eligible for UI, you didn't qualify for PUA, and vice versa.
The Bottom Line
PUA served as a crucial safety net during the COVID-19 pandemic for workers who needed it. Now that it's expired, it highlighted weaknesses in the unemployment system and the importance of adaptable policies to support those who'd otherwise go without help.
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