Today Massachusetts launched its Pandemic Unemployment Assistance portal, which allows independent contractors such as Realtors® to apply for unemployment benefits. Click here to begin your application and for additional information: www.mass.gov/pua Self-employed individuals, independent contractors, or gig workers who have had to suspend their work because of COVID-19, or had a significant reduction in work, may be eligible for PUA. In cases where an individual has partial earnings, these earnings must be reported, and their weekly benefit amount may be reduced.
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) provides payment to workers not traditionally eligible for unemployment benefits (self-employed, independent contractors, workers with limited work history, and others) who are unable to work as a direct result of the coronavirus public health emergency. In order to qualify for benefits you must certify that you are otherwise able and available to work, but are prevented from doing so because you have been directly effected by COVID-19 or you are an individual who works as an independent contractor and the COVID-19 public health emergency has severely limited your ability to continue performing your usual work activities, and you have thereby been forced to stop performing those activities.
The amount of benefits you will receive is based on your previous income. PUA benefits may not be more than the state's maximum weekly benefit rate for regular unemployment benefits, which is $823.00 in Massachusetts. All individuals collecting PUA will also receive $600 per week from Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), in addition to weekly benefits as calculated by the program.
Applicants will need to provide the following information:
Your social security number
If you are not a citizen of the United States, your A Number (USCIS Number)
Your residential address
Your mailing address (if different from residential address)
Your telephone number
Your email address
Your birth date
Your wage records for 2019, which includes:
1099 forms
Pay stubs
Bank statements
The social security number(s) and date(s) of birth for your dependent child(ren)
If you want to use direct deposit for payment, your bank account and routing numbers