Over 10 Million Americans Will Not Receive Pandemic Unemployment Assistance for this Reason!
This could be the end of the party for the Californians who have filed and gained Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) without proof of prior employment.
Following the signing of the latest stimulus bill, this new rule goes into effect.
California now collects proof of prior employment from those receiving PUAs according to new federal regulations.
By 2021, more than 10 million people who currently gain from this program may be affected by this new verification process.
In the case that a recipient cannot provide proof of previous employment, the state of California must be repaid the assistance funds — up to the total assistance amount.
Employment Development Department (EDD) also clarified the authenticity of the new rule via Twitter:
“PUA claimants who receive and respond to a Verify Your Employment Status for Your Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Claim (DE 6316SEES) notice are verifying the responses they provided on their application and bi-weekly certifications are true and correct.”
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PUA is a federal program that provided unemployment benefits to unemployed Californians who did not normally qualify for regular unemployment insurance benefits.
Between February 2, 2020, and September 4, 2021, PUA included up to 86 weeks of benefits. In order to collect these benefits, you would have to be directly affected by COVID-19 and have filed your PUA claim by the appropriate date.
Benefits could be collected depending on the date COVID-19 directly affects you and the date on which you file your PUA claim.
Employ America policy advisor Elizabeth Pancotti says it is still unclear what Department of Labor and state agencies require to verify unemployment status.
