The End of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) – Future Extensions, Retroactive and Claim Back Payment Issues

Note: The PUA program ended on September 6, 2021. While retroactive payments were made (see sections below) for several months following this date, no new or further pandemic related benefits were paid.

Currently, only traditional state unemployment benefits are available to unemployed claimants.

Get the latest money, tax and stimulus news directly in your inbox

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program overview

The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program was put in place primarily for those out-of-work Americans who are not eligible for regular state unemployment benefits and are unemployed, partially unemployed, or unable or unavailable to work because of certain health or economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jobless workers covered under the PUA program were generally self-employed (e.g. independent contractors, freelancers or gig economy workers) who did not contribute taxes towards regular state unemployment (1099 wages).

While the PUA program was federally funded, including the most recent extension until September 6th, via the various stimulus bills passed over the last 18 months, it was administered at the State level under Department of Labor (DOL) guidelines.

That is why the implementation of the program has varied on a state-by-state basis and claimants faced hurdles and delays in getting timely payments.

You can jump to the relevant extension section via the links below for further information on each extension, including FAQs around the evolution of the program and dealing with payment issues.

PUA Program Has Ended – Any Chance of an Extension?

The PUA program has now ended and all coverage ceased after Labor Day (September 6, 2021), which means the final benefits will be paid for the week ending September 4th or 5th, 2021 in most states. Some states had ended PUA benefits earlier per the update below.

While there were discussions going on to extend pandemic unemployment benefits, especially in the light of the Delta COVID-19 variant and its potential to hamper economic growth, the Biden administration confirmed that they will not be pushing for further federally funded extensions and instead want states to use already allocated stimulus funding to expand or extend state unemployment programs.

After the expiry of the PUA program only traditional state unemployment benefits will be available for eligible claimants as discussed in the sections below. Based on current state unemployment rules, many PUA claimants would be excluded unless eligibility rules are adjusted.

Further even claimants with active PUA balances or weeks left to claim after September 6th won’t be paid out as the funding approval for the entire PUA benefits ends after that date.

This includes the supplementary $300 weekly boost that was paid under the FPUC program.

Several States Ending Pandemic Unemployment Benefits Early

Following recent job reports that showed a shortage of workers to fill open positions, many states have ended one or more of the federally funded pandemic unemployment programs; up to 10 weeks earlier than planned in order to incentivize workers to return to work. This includes the PUA program and associated $300 FPUC extra weekly payment.

The argument is that these generous UI benefits deter lower income workers (who make less than $15 p/hour) from returning to work. Opponents argue that the reason people are not going back to work is due to fears around getting COVID and/or child care and schooling restrictions. You can see more on which states are ending the PUA and $300 FPUC here and this recent YouTube video on this topic.

States will still be obligated to pay active unemployment claims up to the early termination date in their state (mid June to mid-July in most states). This includes any missing or retroactive payments. New claims for these federal programs won’t be accepted after this date and instead claimants will have to rely on the pre-pandemic state unemployment programs in place.

While a few states are not specifically ending their participation in the PUA program early (Florida, Ohio etc), the majority are as you can see in the table below. This unfortunately will hit PUA claimants (e.g. freelancers, gig workers) the hardest since they don’t qualify for traditional state unemployment.

There are pushes at a federal level and state lawsuits to try and address this, but unfortunately states are well within their rights to terminate this programs with 30 days notice to the US Department of Labor.

States Ending Unemployment EarlyPrograms EndingTermination Date
Alabama$300 FPUC, PUA, PEUC, MEUCJune 19th, 2021
Alaska$300 FPUCJune 12th, 2021
Arizona$300 FPUCJuly 10th, 2021
Arkansas$300 FPUC, PUA, PEUC, MEUCJune 26th, 2021
Florida$300 FPUCJune 26th, 2021
Georgia$300 FPUC, PUA, PEUC, MEUCJune 26th, 2021
Idaho$300 FPUC, PUA, PEUC, MEUCJune 19th, 2021
Indiana$300 FPUC, PUA, PEUC, MEUCJune 19th, 2021* (Legal Challenge)
Iowa$300 FPUC, PUA, PEUC, MEUCJune 12th, 2021
Louisiana$300 FPUC, PUA, PEUC, MEUCJuly 31st, 2021
Maryland$300 FPUC, PUA, PEUC, MEUCJuly 3rd, 2021* (Legal Challenge; Still paying)
Mississippi$300 FPUC, PUA, PEUC, MEUCJune 12th, 2021
Missouri$300 FPUC, PUA, PEUC, MEUCJune 12th, 2021
Montana$300 FPUC, PUA, PEUC, MEUCJune 26th, 2021
Nebraska$300 FPUC, PUA, PEUC, MEUCJune 19th, 2021
New Hampshire$300 FPUC, PUA, PEUC, MEUCJune 19th, 2021
North Dakota$300 FPUC, PUA, PEUC, MEUCJune 19th, 2021
Ohio$300 FPUCJune 26th, 2021
Oklahoma$300 FPUC, PUA, PEUC, MEUCJune 26th, 2021
South Carolina$300 FPUC, PUA, PEUC, MEUCJune 30th, 2021
South Dakota$300 FPUC, PUA, PEUC, MEUCJune 26th, 2021
Tennessee$300 FPUC, PUA, PEUC, MEUCJuly 3rd, 2021
Texas$300 FPUC, PUA, PEUC, MEUCJune 26th, 2021
Utah$300 FPUC, PUA, PEUC, MEUCJune 26th, 2021
West Virginia$300 FPUC, PUA, PEUC, MEUCJune 19th, 2021
Wyoming$300 FPUC, PUA, PEUC, MEUCJune 19th, 2021

Biden Stimulus (American Rescue Plan) PUA Extensions to September 6th, 2021

The PUA program, designed for freelancers, gig workers and independent contractors or those that generally don’t qualify for regular state unemployment has been extended by another 29 weeks (though only covers 25 actual weeks) under the Biden Stimulus Plan (ARP) that has been passed into law.

Under the enhanced unemployment funding extensions the total number of covered weeks in the PUA program will increase to 79. This does not include extra weeks some states provided for residents under this program and would be reduced by any weeks of regular UC and EB that the individual receives during the coverage period. You can see an overview of the federal extensions to date, including PUA, in the diagram below.

The minimum PUA payment is still 50% of a states average weekly benefit amount and limited to the state’s maximum weekly benefit amount (WBA). Another change to the earlier PUA extension (discussed below) is that that the 4-week phaseout period for active claimants has been removed. So all benefits will end by September 6th, even if claimants have a claim balance remaining.

Those who had regular/W2 jobs could technically qualify for the PUA program, but would need to first use up their allocation of regular state unemployment, extended benefits and enhanced unemployment benefits under the PEUC program.

2020 to 2021 Enhanced Unemployment Program Extensions – PUA, PEUC and FPUC (click image to expand)

Do I need to reapply or submit a new claim to get the PUA extension?

This will depend on a state by state basis and if you had exhausted your balance prior to the start of the extension coverage period (on or before March 14th in this case). For most active claimants or those with remaining weeks there should be no need to file a new claim. For those with a lapse in benefits who were getting PUA in the past, a new claim or action to reopen your existing claim could be required. But state unemployment agencies are required to notify on actions required once they update their systems for the extended weeks.


PUA Extensions under $900 billion CAA COVID relief stimulus package

The $900 billion COVID relief stimulus package, under the Continued Assistance Act (CAA) included funding for extending pandemic unemployment programs (PUA, PEUC) and providing supplementary FPUC unemployment benefits at $300 per week for millions of unemployed or underemployed Americans. The Department of Labor (DOL) has issued final guidelines for state unemployment agencies on payments and eligibility (as done with the original program) and any delayed payments will be retroactively reimbursed.

For the PUA program specifically, which was due to expire on December 26th, 2020 (originally funded under the CARES act), there is now funding for an extra 11 weeks. This now means that the PUA program would provide a base total of 50 weeks of coverage. Some states have additional weeks on top of this as part of state extended benefit programs (per earlier updates below). For those with remaining weeks, they will continue to be have their balances carried forward until they hit the new 50 week maximum. They will have until the week ending April 10th, 2021 to claim unemployment benefits under the extended PUA program.

How long is the PUA extension for?

After March 14, 2021, new claimants will no longer be permitted to apply for PUA benefits, but eligible individuals who have a PUA claim balance (or remaining weeks) as of March 14th, 2021 will continue to receive benefits until the week beginning April 5, 2021 until their claim balance is exhausted. Weekly certification will be required. Note however that the $300 extra weekly FPUC won’t be payable during the PUA phase out period (March 14th to April 5th). See which states are paying the extra $300 unemployment to PUA recipients.

Do I need to reapply or submit a new claim to get the PUA extension?

This will depend on a state by state basis and if you had exhausted your balance prior to December 27th, 2020 (when the extension coverage period started). State UI agencies are rolling out the extended PUA coverage and need to incorporate new documentation and fraud prevention measures (see section below) to enable people to claim benefits under the the extended PUA program.

PUA recipients with active claims (remaining weeks/balance) as of or after December 27th. These group of claimants who had not used their 39 week balance at the start of the extended coverage period are already are already seeing the 11 week extension reflected in their UI accounts (including the extra $300 payment) and in several states can continue certifying and receive weekly payments.

There may be a one to two week lapse in payments as state UI agency update systems but your account should automatically reflect the 11 week extension to the PUA program. Even if payments have not started, you should continue your weekly of biweekly certification (where possible) if you continue to be fully or partially unemployed. Payments will be retroactively made

New applicants or those whose PUA claims have been exhausted prior to or including the week ending December 26th, 2020 may need to reapply or reactivate their claim if they are unemployed, partially unemployed, or unable or unavailable to work after December 27, 2020 because of COVID-19. State UI agencies are all implementing the new PUA program extensions based on DOL guidelines based on how their systems/programs can handle the extension and inclusion of new PUA program requirements.

This has meant ongoing delays and limited transparency in payments for many who fall into this bucket of claimants (and it is the large majority of jobless workers). However state UI agencies are mandated to notify claimants if they qualify for the new PUA extension and instructions on how to reopen or refile their claim to enable them to certify to get their UI payments, including the $300 FPUC weekly payment. Please monitory your email, text messages and online UI portal for next steps and instructions. I will continue to post updates as well.

Get the latest money, tax and stimulus news directly in your inbox

New PUA Fraud Prevention and Documentation Requirements

To address the significant fraud associated with the PUA program (due to it’s expansive eligibility and antiquated state UI systems that could not support new program rules) the new stimulus bill included some additional measures to tighten up eligibility and claimant verification. This includes the following provisions that are required to be in place by January 31st, 2020:

  • New applicants will have 21 days to submit documentation substantiating their employment, self-employment, or planned commencement of employment/self-employment. 
  • Individuals already receiving PUA benefits (continuing claimants) must provide documentation within 90 days
  • States must implement procedures to validate the identity of claimants and to ensure timely payments. 
  • Employers will be able to report instances to local state UI agencies in which a former employee refuses to return to work or refuses to accept an offer of suitable work without good cause (which renders the individual ineligible for unemployment benefits).

See this video for a summary on these requirements and why they are the underlying cause of significant delays for people to claim or continue getting PUA benefits under the extended coverage period.

$100 Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation

Another new provision to address gaps with some of the original PUA rules is for those who got a mix of self employment and age income. Individuals who received at least $5,000 a year in self-employment income during 2019 now will receive an additional $100 weekly benefit, in addition to the benefit amounts they otherwise would be entitled to receive from regular state unemployment. 

Previously, such individuals were not eligible for unemployment benefits if they received some regular state unemployment benefits for traditional employment, and regular state law benefits did not consider self-employment in calculating the benefit amounts. The new federally-funded “mixed earner” benefit is in addition to the $300 supplementary FPUC weekly benefit under FPUC.

Backdating of PUA claims – Limitations introduced

Under the COVID relief legislation a new limitation on backdating PUA claims was passed for new applications after December 27th, 2020. Initial or new applications for PUA after December 27, 2020 may not be backdated earlier than December 1, 2020 – which would cover benefits for the week ending December 6th, 2020 in most states. This does not affect existing applications which will be subject to the 2020 CARES act provisions.

The back dating of claims was extended under the Biden ARPA bill which limited had a date of March 14th for back dating of new claims filed after March 11th, 2021.

What if I worked in multiple states, where do I file for PUA?

The DOL has clarified that a self-employed individual must file with the state where he or she was working at the time of becoming unemployed, partially unemployed, or unable or unavailable to work because of an approved COVID-19 related reason. If an individual worked in more than one state at this time, the individual may file in any of those states. So go for the state where you can get the largest weekly benefit (note that the minimum PUA benefit payment is 50% of the states regular UI maximum).

New DOL guidance that expands PUA eligibility to three additional categories of workers:

  • Jobless workers receiving unemployment benefits who had their continued regular unemployment benefits’ claims denied after they refused to work or accept an offer of work at a worksite not in compliance with coronavirus health and safety standards.
  • Workers laid off, or who have had their work hours reduced as a direct result of COVID-19.
  • School employees working without a contract or reasonable assurance of continued employment who face reduced paychecks and no assurance of continued pay when schools are closed due to coronavirus.

Original 2020 PUA program funded under CARES Stimulus Bill

(some items superseded or update by 2021 extensions above)

The PUA program funded under the CARES act provided up to 39 weeks of unemployment benefits, which are available retroactively starting with weeks of unemployment beginning on or after January 27, 2020, and ending on or before December 31, 2020. To qualify for PUA benefits, you must not be eligible for regular unemployment benefits and be unemployed, partially unemployed, or unable or unavailable to work because of certain health or economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Note – PUA benefits have been extended in some states like New York, California and Georgia by 7 weeks, as part of extensions to state level extended benefit programs. Further those who were getting PUA payments in August and September will have automatically qualified for the now expired $300 Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) unemployment benefits program. Most states have now gotten approval and have paid out the 6 weeks of funding available for this program (see full LWA state tracker), including retroactive payments,

While PUA is open to all unemployed Americans, it was mainly intended as a way to provide unemployment benefits for those who were working and are now out of work and were generally self-employed (e.g. independent contractors or gig economy workers) and did not contribute taxes towards regular unemployment. Those who had regular/W2 jobs are eligible for enhanced unemployment benefits under the PEUC program. Further details on program differences below.

Will My PUA Benefits End in December Even if I Have a Balance or Weeks Left to Claim

Unfortunately yes. The program’s federal funding has a hard stop at the end of the year (December 26th in most states). So even if you have a balance or weeks of benefits left after year end, and millions of unemployed workers will be in this boat, you won’t be getting these payments in 2021 unless Congress extends unemployment benefits. Extended state benefits may however be available in states where unemployment rates are higher than pre-specified thresholds (see below for further details). See this video on some recent PUA updates and back payments.

Delays in PUA program payments: State unemployment agencies and labor departments have experienced many challenges in rolling out the PUA program but all are now processing applications and payments for individuals who are self-employed, seeking part-time employment, or who otherwise would not qualify for regular unemployment compensation prior to new provision in the CARES stimulus bill.

This group of workers however may have a hard time officially proving their wages during the applicable 2019-20 wage based period, in which case their weekly benefit amount will be reduced based on whichever is higher – the record of wages already on file or the minimum PUA weekly benefit amount for the state.

How to Apply for PUA

To apply for unemployment benefits using the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) extension provision approved under the CARES act you need to apply via your regular state’s unemployment agency. Many states have dedicated website links and call numbers when it comes to PUA benefits.

States have mandated that you must first apply for regular UI before becoming eligible for PUA. This is baesd on federal law which only allows PUA to be paid to claimants when benefits are exhausted or if you were deemed not eligible for them – which will be the case for gig and contract workers. While it is a cause of concern for many unemployed Americans making new claims, it is the way their systems are designed to handle the new PUA coverage and provisions.

So even though it may seem like the claim was denied in reality it just means that eligible claimants have been denied for standard unemployment benefits (in place prior to Coronavirus/COVID-19), but will likely qualify for the new PUA benefits. Unfortunately this makes the application process longer and could take a while for you to get your PUA claim approved.

The amount of PUA benefits are calculated based on your previously reported income and capped at the state’s maximum weekly benefit amount (WBA). PUA benefits may not be less than half of the state’s average weekly benefit amount as shown in the table below. Note – There are no minimum wage qualifying criteria for PUA.

Eligible recipients must certify for PUA benefits weekly like regular unemployment. Individuals receiving PUA will also still be eligible for other unemployment supplementary weekly payments (while available). Once they begin certifying for weekly benefits they will not have to take any additional steps, and will receive the weekly $600 payments along with their PUA benefits.

Below are some frequently asked questions and possible answers to common PUA questions I am seeing from readers on this site (see the comments below for more questions and answers).

Will my PUA claim be paid retroactively for back payments (including the $600 FPUC and $300 LWA)?

This varies across states, but generally if you were eligible for PUA in a given week that retroactive UI benefits are payable, you will get the relevant payment for other supplementary enhanced benefit programs. Backdated payments will be paid in one lump-sum one to two weeks after you are deemed eligible for benefits. Note that backdated payments will also include the $600 FPUC payment if you were eligible for PUA during the period the FPUC program was active.

How Long Does PUA Last in 2020?

For those who are eligible for regular benefits, they will get an additional 13 weeks on top of their state unemployment benefits. For those who don’t qualify for state unemployment they can get benefits for between 39 and 46 weeks until the end of 2020. At this stage unless Congress extends the PUA program via a new stimulus package, PUA benefit payments will end at the end of this year.

PUA Unemployment: Moved or worked in multiple states

Generally, you should file your claim in the state where you worked or received income. Or your state of primary residence if income has come from several states as may be common with people who qualify for PUA. If you moved states you will need to reapply in that state for PUA, based on the process they have (varies by state). When you file a claim, you will be asked for certain information, such as addresses/location and dates of your former employment. This will allow them to make a determination of your partial benefit.

Right now state systems are not connected and rely on the wage income you provide so you need to be careful of PUA overpayment, which could mean having to pay or taxes or face repayment and penalties from one or more of the states you are in. The program is for 39 weeks to 46 weeks (depending on state) in total. You are not supposed to double dip across state lines and eventually will be flagged.

Based on some of the comments to this article, if you are having to apply for PUA across multiple states there is a good chance you will be flagged for a fraudulent claim. So be patient and prepared to go through a verification process based on the state UI agency guidelines.

Are PUA benefits taxable?

Yes, like all unemployment benefits PUA is considered taxable income and you may elect to have withholding taxes deducted from your payment (generally around 10%). You will receive Form 1099-G with form your state UI agency to file with your 2020 income taxes in 2021.

Note that the Biden administration, via the ARPA stimulus bill, got approved a $10,2000 unemployment income tax exclusion that is being paid out by the IRS as an additional refund.

Child Support or Dependent Payments Deductions

Child support obligations will be deducted from PUA, as they would with normal state unemployment. You can file an injured spouse form to mitigate this.

Why was my PUA claim denied?

Most PUA claims that do finally get processed by the state unemployment department/agency are being denied or rejected because the claimant is eligible for standard, state-funded unemployment insurance rather than federally funded PUA. Because the PUA application process and/or link is different to the regular state unemployment application process, it is highly recommended you apply for regular state unemployment first. Only if you are denied for regular state UI (and you will be notified that you are) should you then apply for PUA.

Other reasons PUA claims are being denied are due to ongoing “glitches” in unemployment filing systems/websites that have required a lot more updates to support the new PUA provisions.

Fraud checks or additional document verification where many UI applications are being flagged has also been cited as a big reason for PUA delays/rejections. This is not surprising since may gig workers and contractors don’t have standard unemployment documentation and so require extra verification and fraud checks. If you are caught up in a fraud check, please ensure to provide the required information to your state agency (who will contact you) to keep your claim processing moving forward.

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefit payment delays

Other than being flagged for Fraud, many readers are reporting PUA application processing and payment delays if you have multiple people using your address for UC, PUA, EB, etc. Or if you moved, bills in other people’s names, etc is causing delays. 

I cannot get ahold of anyone when I call for help.

Despite dedicated phone lines for PUA claims many readers are reporting it is nearly impossible to get a hold of a live person to speak to at their state UI agency regarding their unemployment claim. You can see the comments below for some ideas to try, but generally will take a lot of patience and calling in “off” hours to get through. Because of the pandemic and record high call volumes, you may need to try alternative methods like social media or going via your state congressional leaders to try and expedite your claim.

PUA vs PEUC and State Extended Benefits (EB)

The Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) and State Extended Benefits (EB) programs are different to the PUA program and claimants cannot continue in the PEUC or EB programs if they are deemed eligible for PUA. The PEUC is essentially an extension of regular state unemployment (funded under the CARES act) and allows for up to an additional 13 weeks of benefits added to the end of regular unemployment benefits. EB are an extension of UI benefits that occurs when a state meets the unemployment rate threshold for a designated period. For most states this provides up to 20 weeks of additional benefits.

Please note, if you had received UC or EB benefits and then apply for PUA, any week of regular UC benefits or any week of state extended benefits (EB) collected since February 2, 2020 will be deducted from the weeks of PUA you are eligible for. 

State
(Click State For Details)
PUA State Contact NumberPaying Original 39 weeks (CARES)?Paying 11-Week 2021 Extension?
AlabamaY
AlaskaY
ArizonaYY
ArkansasY
California1-800-300-5616YY
ColoradoY
ConnecticutY
DelawareYY
District of ColumbiaYY
FloridaY
GeorgiaY
HawaiiY
IdahoY
Illinois1-800-244-5631Y
IndianaYY
IowaY
KansasY
KentuckyY
LouisianaY
MaineY
MarylandYY
MassachusettsYY
MichiganYY
MinnesotaY
MississippiY
MissouriY
MontanaY
NebraskaY
NevadaY
New HampshireY
New JerseyNorth Jersey: 201-601-4100
Central Jersey: 732-761-2020
Southern Jersey: 856-507-2340
Y
New MexicoYY
New York1-833-491-0632
1-833-324-0366 (to certify)
Y
North CarolinaYY
North DakotaY
Ohio1-877-644-6562Y
OklahomaY
OregonY
Pennsylvania1-855-284-8545Y
Puerto RicoY
Rhode IslandYY
South CarolinaY
South DakotaY
TennesseeY
Texas1-800-939-6631Y
UtahY
VermontYY
Virginia1-866-832-2363 YY
WashingtonY
West VirginiaY
WisconsinY
WyomingY
Subscribe via email or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube to get the latest news and updates

849 thoughts on “The End of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) – Future Extensions, Retroactive and Claim Back Payment Issues”

  1. I received a letter from the State of Arkansas Department of Commerce at the beginning of January 2023 stating I was eligible for benefits from PUA. I have called the hotline number atleast 8 times. Been on hold for up to 1 hour for an unemployment employee to tell me all they can do is get my name, social security number, and my i.d. number and send it via email to their supervisor. Then, an individual would call me back. As of today, February 9, 2023, I have not heard from anyone. Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated. P.S. I did submit all documentations they asked for
    Thanks for reading my inquiry. R.W.

    Reply
  2. Hi my name is yashmin cotto and I been waiting on my Pua for 2 years and I had my appeal on 4/28/2922 and I got an answer for the appeal refugee on may 5. Saying that my case was approved and that they had to pay me for march 29 onward. So When I when to my dashboard all my payment was there and the stimulus money was not there so I call Pua and I talk with a rep name Sonia and the 5/9. And she said to me that her supervise is the one that have to removed the pinning denial off my dashboard . And then corrected my payment and they they will be send to my way 2 go card I said ok and I when and check my claim and they had when and deny my Pua after Blake Dickerson have approved my appeal and now they are saying y that k can’t get pay . But my job was a babysitting job bd you know what that is no fair at all I feeel like three I some kind of dizcrimation going on because how can the refugee approve my case and the Pua deny it. A gain that why I when ti the appeal board t because they kept denied my camlaim saying that my claim a was a deny because that they couldn’t id me a2.that they know that I wasn’t not where in the united filing my claim and that something fails was happened to my case . But the real reason I believe that are take advantage of me because I’m disable and so understand what the are talking about especially after the appeal board approved my appeal on the 5 / 2 and I have the appeal paper save somewhere thehh h can’t get it I don’t know what to do anymore because I don’t understand why they don’t pay me for the work I don’t and the c keep denying fir car because they no I really don’t understand like eveybody else because Eid my disability c/m done please help me with this because it been two yet and I haven’t get one payment

    Reply
  3. Hello,

    I was sent a letter NJ Unemployment, stating that I have to pay back ALL of the partial unemployment I received from PUA. There is no clear explanation as to why.

    Oh, and on top of everything else I have to pay them tax money that was paid to the federal government:
    “Garnishment and/or income tax amounts were withheld were paid to other government agencies under youer name and social security number. We cannot recoup this money fomr the courts or th IRS once it has been withheld. YOu are liable to this agency for these amounts. Income tax amounts can be returned only to you as a part of your federal tax refund. ”

    I DEFINITELY fit the income status during COVID, in fact, my business went bankrupt.

    I have searched for information about why I was sent this letter but I do not see anything that explains exactly why I would be in this “overpaid” category. I called and of course the person kept repeating, robot-style, to mail in my appeals letter.

    I went about applying for benefits during COVID as I was told. I provided NJ all of my financial information and so I do not understand what is going on.

    AND, I literally was just granted back due COVID benefits after going through an appeals process with NJ. I had not applied for COVID benefits in March of 2020 because when the benefits first were announced, I called NJ and was told that because of my tax filing type, as a business owner for some reason, I was not eligible. And then a few months later the information was that I could file and I did and was approved and started receiving benefits in June 2020. So someone in an NJ appeals hearing JUST reviewed my information a few weeks ago again and approved me for benefits starting in March 2020- June 2020.

    This is a nightmare. I am being told I owe over 10,000 that I simply do not have.

    If there is any chance you can glean anything from this, I would be greatly appreciative of your time.

    PS: I do see an article from February stating that NJ requested from the Federal govt that they waive some overpayments. And some people would fall into that category as a result. But, I don’t even understand for what reason they are stating I was “overpaid.” It actually looks like I didn’t qualify at all because they want ALL of the money back. And is the lengthy upwards of 2 months of an appeals process my only recourse?

    Reply
  4. I made an error on my very first claim and didn’t know how to fix my benefits. Since is have an existing AZ PUA claim am I able to fix it and get my back pay even though the deadline is up?

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Michael P Sawka Cancel reply