New Oregon Unemployment Program Launching Soon To Help Self-Employed And Contractors Out Of Work
Portland, Ore. – New unemployment help is almost here for self-employed Oregonians, contractors, and gig workers who are off the job. The Oregon Employment Department says they’re close to launching the new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, that’s meant to help those workers. They are currently testing the system over the next few days. Once it’s ready and open, self-employed and contractor workers can apply for their benefits. You can sign up here for alerts to be notified when the PUA program launches.
1/5 The Employment Department is close to launching the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. We have been training staff, and are trying out the process, and monitoring the effects on our systems, with a testing group over the next few days.
— Oregon Employment Department (@ORemployment) April 26, 2020
2/5 All self-employed, contract, and gig workers will need to complete the PUA application and certification once the program is finalized and ready to open, so you’re not missing out on benefits if you are not in the testing group or have not yet filed.
— Oregon Employment Department (@ORemployment) April 26, 2020
3/5 Once we launch the program, we will continue to try to streamline and automate the process for everyone who has filed or needs to file for PUA.
We know self-employed, contract, and gig workers affected by COVID-19 closures need benefits as badly as anyone.
— Oregon Employment Department (@ORemployment) April 26, 2020
4/5 We are working hard to successfully start this application, which uses new and different earnings and other information than we’ve ever collected or processed before, so we can start paying PUA benefits as soon as possible.
— Oregon Employment Department (@ORemployment) April 26, 2020
5/5 Subscribe for automatic updates on our COVID-19 page, and you’ll receive a notification when we open the PUA process and post application materials. https://t.co/oJ6BITokty
— Oregon Employment Department (@ORemployment) April 26, 2020
On Sunday, Oregon Governor Kate Brown Apologized for unemployment delays. She tweeted “I hear your frustration,” and says she’s committing to making sure eligible Oregonians receive the maximum benefits available, as quickly as possible. A record one in six Oregonians have filed for unemployment since the stay-at-home orders were issued.
The Oregon Employment Department has a Youtube video about the Self Employment Assistance Program. The SEA program is an option for Unemployment Insurance claimants who have been identified as likely to run out of benefits before they return to work. Claimants are identified using a computerized mathematical formula called worker profiling. SEA program participants may attend SEA counseling/training and can engage in self-employment activities on a full-time basis. Participants must complete both a written business plan and a market feasibility study. The program operates as a collaborative effort between the Oregon Employment Department, and the Small Business Development Center Network (SBDC). Read more here
