By Murray Wennerlund published 7-13-2020 updated 1-11-2022
Independent Contractors who filed or will be filing for PUA.
Resource: Dept. of Labor Guidance for CARES Act
Establishment of the Effective Date of PUA claims.
The Pandemic Assistance Period (PAP) begins February 2, 2020 (the first week following the beginning date provided by the CARES Act) and ends on December 26, 2020 (the last week provided by the CARES Act, in states where weeks of unemployment end on a Saturday) or December 27, 2020 (the last week provided by the CARES Act, in states where weeks of unemployment end on a Sunday). PUA claims are effective the week filed. However, they must be backdated to the first week during the PAP in which the individual meets the definition of a covered individual.
"Covered Individual" means an individual who is not eligible for regular compensation or extended benefits under State or Federal law or pandemic emergency unemployment compensation under section 2107 of the Act, including an individual who has exhausted all rights to regular unemployment or extended benefits under State or Federal law or pandemic emergency unemployment compensation under section 2107 and provides self-certification that the individual meets the requirements in Section C.1, below.
TASK NOTE: If you for any reason forgot to file for your PUA as an Independent Contractor or you haven't worked long enough to have any measurable work history you will need to file this week to give yourself time to appeal your states determination if found ineligible.
For those in the state of Louisiana it appears that Governor Edwards never offered back dating to Feb. 2, 2020 and started on April 11, 2020. If you have a State Representative that can look into this that would be great, otherwise I'll be submitting a letter this week about the interpretation of the CARES Act.
Resources:
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Implementation and Operating Instructions.