EDD answers questions about new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program

PHASE THESE THINGS INTO PLACE. CALIFORNIA’S SELF-EMPLOYED AND INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS CAN NOW APPLY FOR UNEMPLOYMENT. TODAY, THE STATE STARTED ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS UNDER A NEW PROGRAM CALLED PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE. LISA: BUT THE PROGRAM LAUNCH CAME WITH SOME PROBLEMS. JOINING US NOW IS THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE EMPLOYMENT DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, LOREE LEVY. IT LAUNCHED. HOW IS IT GOING SO FAR IN YOUR ASSESSMENT? LOREE: WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO BRING THIS PROGRAM UP TODAY BECAUSE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE IN NEED. AND IT IS DESIGNED FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT NORMALLY QUALIFY FOR REGULAR UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS. SO IT IS UP, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN APPLYING ALL DAY LONG. SOMETIMES IT CAN GET SLOW BECAUSE OF THE DEMAND AT ANY ONE TIME. IT IS GOING THROUGH OUR NORMAL UI SYSTEM. WE HAVE PROGRAMMED IN ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY ENTER, THEY WILL BE PRESENTED IN DIFFERENT SERIES OF QUESTIONS TO HELP US IN PROCESSING CLAIMS FOR WHO WOULD BENEFIT. LISA: I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION THAT GOES TO EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE EXPLAINING. I HAVE GONE THROUGH 20 PAGES OF INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO FILE UA ON THE WEBSITE ONLY TO KEEP GETTING RECYCLED THROUGH ALL THE PAGES AGAIN. WHERE IS THE ACTUAL LINK TO FILE MY INFORMATION? LOREE: IT IS ACTUALLY IN SEVERAL PLACES. WE HAVE TRIED TO DO, BECAUSE FOR SO MANY PEOPLE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY HAVE EVER HAD ANY EXPERIENCE WITH AN UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAM. TO BOOT WE HAVE ALL THESE BRAND-NEW ELEMENTS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS CREATED THROUGH THE FEDERAL CARES ACT. IT IS VERY CONFUSING AND CONVOLUTED. WE TRIED TO LAUNCH A BRAND-NEW ENTRY PAGE. UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS GUIDE, TO HELP PEOPLE FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY DO NEED TO USE TO BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR BENEFITS. BUT IT GOES THROUGH THE SAME UI ONLINE SYSTEM. IT IS SEVERAL DIFFERENT LINKS EVERYWHERE ACROSS THE WEBSITE TO HELP PEOPLE GET TO THAT PAGE, AND BEFORE THEY DO, UNDERSTAND WHAT INFORMATION THEY WILL HAVE TO HAVE WITH THEM TO BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR THOSE BENEFITS. GULSTAN: I HAVE ONE HERE FROM GABRIELLE. SHE SAYS I APPLIED OVER ONE MONTH AGO, AND I HAVE FOUR WEEKS PENDING. I CANNOT GET A HOLD OF EDD I HAVE CALLED EVERY DAY FOR LAST WEEK AND CANNOT GET A HOLD OF ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR THE SAME RECORDING OVER AND OVER. I AM NOT SURE HOW MUCH I WAS APPROVED FOR SO I AM STUCK IN A JAM. FIRST OF ALL, SHOULD SHE EVEN BE CALLING? LOREE: WE HAVE TO SAY THAT WE KNOW THE FRUSTRATION THAT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING, AND THAT IS WHY WE ARE WORKING ON A DAILY BASIS TO ENHANCE ALL OF OUR CAPACITY ACROSS OUR SYSTEM. WE ARE ADDING NEW CHAT BOT FEATURES, WE ARE ADDING NEW READ PAGES, WE ARE REDIRECTING STAFF COMING TO OUR AID. WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE. IT IS REALLY HARD TO GET THROUGH ON THE PHONE WE HAVE PUT UP INFORMATION RELATED TO THE THREE DIFFERENT PHONE LINES AVAILABLE. IT IS ALL ON THE CONTACT US PAGE ON THE EDD: WEBSITE. WE HOPE THAT PROVIDES SOME ASSISTANCE AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET YOU SOME SELF-SERVE TOOLS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AS WELL SEEK AND AVOID THE FRUSTRATION OF WAITING ON THE PHONE LINES. LISA: THIS QUESTION COMES FROM SANDY, AND SHE WRITES I’M A SINGLE MOM OF TWO AND WAS JUST ABOUT TO START A NEW JOB AND EVERYTHING CLOSED. MEANWHILE I RAN OUT OF BENEFITS. THERE’S AN EXTENSION THAT HAS BEEN -- I’M IN A STATE OF PANIC SINCE THERE IS NO MONEY COMING IN AND I AM NOT SURE WHAT TO DO. AGAIN, SHE HAS TWO CHILDREN SHE NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF. LOREE: WHAT A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION, ABSOLUTELY. THAT IS WHY WE HAVE BEEN WORKING DAY AND NIGHT TO BUILD ALL THESE NEW SYSTEMS AND PUT THEM INTO OUR SYSTEM FOR AN HISTORIC LEVEL OF BENEFITS WHICH IS NEVER BEEN SEEN. IT ALL REALLY DEPENDS UPON WHEN YOU RAN OUT OF YOUR BENEFITS AND WHEN YOUR BENEFIT YEAR IS UP. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE SORTING THROUGH WE DO AND WHAT IS AVAILABLE IN THE NEW PROGRAM, THE PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AND WHAT IS AVAILABLE IN THE UPCOMING 13 WEEK FEDERAL EXTENSION PROGRAM. WE ARE SORTING THROUGH THAT AND PUTTING UP INFORMATION DAILY TO ASSIST PEOPLE IN DETERMINING HOW THEY CAN PROCEED. I AM SO SORRY, I MUST ASK FOR PATIENCE, BUT WE WILL SOON BE ABLE TO HELP GUIDE YOU. GULSTAN: LET’S GO BACK TO THE PUA PROGRAM. KERRY SAYS, I AM A SPORTS OFFICIAL, INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR, AS A SIDE JOB WITH SCHOOLS CLOSED I HAVE LOST MONEY WE COUNT ON. DO I QUALIFY FOR BENEFITS UNDER THE PUA PROGRAM? SHE SAYS IS -- IT IS AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD APPLY UNDER THIS NEW PROGRAM? LOREE: I CANNOT SPEAK TO A SPECIFIC CASE BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE THOSE DETAILS ON ME FOR AN INDIVIDUAL CASE BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING THE WAY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS BUILT THESE PROGRAMS AND INTENDS US TO IMPLEMENT THEM IS IF YOU HAVE WHAT ARE CALLED W2 WAGES, WAGES FROM AN EMPLOYER OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS, THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE TO GO WITH FIRST AND FOREMOST. IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THOSE WAGES OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS, AND IT IS ENOUGH TO SUPPORT A REGULAR ON EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE CLAIM, THAT IS WHAT WE WILL PROCESS IT AS. AS YOU COME INTO OUR UI ONLINE SYSTEM AND AS YOU ANSWER QUESTIONS AND PROVIDE INFORMATION, OUR SYSTEM HELPS US DETERMINE IF IT IS REGULAR ON EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE CLAIM OR GOES INTO A PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE CLAIM. IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THOSE E2 WAGES, MOST LIKELY IT WILL GO -- THOSE W2 WAGES, IT WILL MOST LIKELY GO TO REGULAR ON CLEMENT -- REGULAR UNEMPLOYMENT. LISA: THIS ONE SAYSH, I SIGNED UP ABOUT ONE MONTH AGO. EDD MAILED MY EDD DEMO CARD ON 4-20-2020. THE EXPIRATION DATE IS 4-23 AND I RECEIVED THE CARD ON 4- 27. THE EDD LEFT ME WITH NO FOOD AND NOW I CANNOT PAY MY RENT. LOREE: I CANNOT SEE THE CARD. IS IT 2023, APRIL OF 2023? BECAUSE I DID NOT THINK WE EVER PUT A SPECIFIC DATE OF A MONTH ON A CARD. IT MOST LIKELY WOULD BE A YEAR. ANYTIME YOU RECEIVE AN EDD DEBIT CARD IT IS GOOD FOR THREE YEARS. IF YOU HAVE YOUR UI ONLINE ACCOUNT, ONE OF THE BENEFITS IS YOU CAN CHECK YOUR ONLINE ACCOUNT AND CHECK THE STATUS, THE BENEFIT PAYMENTS WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN AND WHAT HAS BEEN PROCESSED TO YOUR CARD. USUALLY AFTER THAT TYPICAL BIWEEKLY CERTIFICATION PROCESS WHERE YOU ANSWER QUESTIONS AND TELL US YOU REMAIN UNEMPLOYED AND OTHERWISE ELIGIBLE, THAT NEXT PAYMENT CAN ARRIVE USUALLY WITHIN A COUPLE DAYS ON THAT DEBIT CARD. LISA: SO MAYBE WHAT PEOPLE ARE SEEING IS ONE YEAR, THEY THINK IT IS A DATE, BUT IT IS A YEAR, LOREE: IF THEY ARE GETTING A BRAND-NEW CARD MOST LIKELY IT IS GOOD UNTIL 2023. LISA: THAT IS GOOD TO KNOW BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN A LOT OF QUESTIONS JUST LIKE THAT. GULSTAN: I WANT TO GET TO THIS QUESTION FROM AMY. SHE SAYS, I WAS DISQUALIFIED FOR BENEFITS FOR NO REASON. ALL OF MY COWORKERS HAS RECEIVED THEIR BENEFITS. I CANNOT GET THROUGH ON THE PHONE. WHEN THIS IS FINALLY RESOLVED, CAN I EXPECT IT RETRO WHEN I FILED LAST MONTH? SHE IS ASKING IF SHE WILL BE PAID RETROACTIVELY FROM ONE SHE FIRST BEGAN FILING. LOREE: FIRST OF ALL, OBVIOUSLY IT IS SO DIFFICULT WITH UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE, BECAUSE IT REALLY IS A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS. YOU MAY HAVE SOMETHING IN YOUR OWN -- YOUR EMPLOYMENT HISTORY THAT YOUR COWORKER DOES NOT. IT DEPENDS ON EACH INDIVIDUAL’S WORK HISTORY AND EARNINGS. I WOULD SAY FIRST OF ALL THAT IS THE CASE, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT IS DIFFICULT DEPENDING ON WHAT YOUR SITUATION IS IN TERMS OF PROCEEDING. WE MAY HAVE HAD ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE WE HAD TO VERIFY ELIGIBILITY, OR VERIFY WAGE RECORDS THAT DO NOT NECESSARILY MATCH WHAT WE HAVE. I WOULD JUST SAY I AM SO SORRY. SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO HAVE PATIENCE AS WE FOLLOW-UP WITH YOU AS THESE OTHER SITUATIONS MAY APPLY. LISA: JOHN WRITES, WHAT IF YOU APPLIED, AND THE QUESTION, ARE YOU CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR WORK AND THE ANSWER IS NO, BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHEN THIS IS LIFTED YOU WILL GO BACK TO YOUR REGULAR JOB, BUT THEN THEY WERE DENIED BENEFITS. LOREE: YOU SHOULD NOT BE DENIED BENEFITS FOR ANSWERING THAT QUESTION NO. WE CANNOT MAKE A PERMANENT CHANGES IN THE PROGRAM. THESE ARE A LOT OF TEMPORARY THINGS WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO BECAUSE OF UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS PANDEMIC. ONE OF THEM MEANS IF YOU ANSWER THAT NO, THAT WILL NOT QUALIFY YOU FROM BENEFIT PAYMENTS ON OUR BACK END HERE, AS LONG AS YOU MEET ALL OTHER ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. ANSWER IT TRUTHFULLY AND WE CAN ADJUST NORMALLY REQUIREMENTS ON THE PROCESSING AND AND THAT WOULD NOT DENY YOU BENEFITS FOR THAT WEEK. GULSTAN: ANOTHER ONE HERE, CAN YOU GET UNEMPLOYMENT WITH AN OVERPAYMENT? CANDIDATE WAIVE UNTIL THE PANDEMIC IS OVER? WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT? LOREE: AGAIN, I CANNOT SPEAK TO ANYBODY’S INDIVIDUAL CASE, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE ARE SITUATIONS BY WHICH THERE ARE OVERPAYMENTS. OFTENTIMES THAT IS ASSOCIATED WHEN SOMEBODY PROVIDES SOME FALSE INFORMATION, THEY GO BACK TO WORK, AND THEY DID NOT REPORT THAT TO THE EDD, SO THEY COLLECT A PAYCHECK AS WELL AS ON CLEMENT BENEFITS. AS WE GO THROUGH OUR RECORDS, THAT IS WHERE WE CHARGE AN OVERPAYMENT. AND YOU HAVE TO PAY THAT BACK NEXT TIME OR WE CAN TAP INTO SOME TAX REFUNDS. IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT PEOPLE, IT CAN BE CONSIDERED FRAUD. WHEN YOU GO BACK TO WORK YOU HAVE TO REPORT THAT TO THE EDD, THEN YOUR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS STOP AT THAT POINT. LISA: PATTY WRITES, IF MY EMPLOYER CALLS ME BACK TO WORK BUT THERE IS NO GUARANTEED HOURS OR HOW MANY DAYS HE WILL HAVE AVAILABLE FOR ME, MEANING I CANNOT MAKE WHAT I WAS MAKING A WEEK PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, WHAT I STILL BE ABLE TO GET THE EXTRA $600 A WEEK AS LONG AS I AM STILL QUALIFY FOR PARTIAL UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE? LOREE: THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH CONFUSION AROUND THESE NEW FEDERAL ASPECTS OF UNEMPLOYMENT. AND THE ANSWER IS AS LONG AS YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR AT LEAST $1 IN A WEEKLY UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT, WE WILL AUTOMATICALLY ADD THE FULL $600 TO EACH WEEK OF THOSE BENEFITS BETWEEN THE END OF MARCH AND THE END OF JULY. SO, YES, IF YOU ARE GOING BACK TO WORK AND YOU HAVE LESS HOURS OF WORK THEN YOU NORMALLY DO, YOU CAN BE ELIGIBLE FOR ON EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT YOUR EARNINGS ARE. AS LONG AS YOU ARE GETTING THAT $1 IN UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, YOU CAN RECEIVE THE ANSWER $600. GULSTAN: JACKIE SAYS I AM REOPENING MY CLAIM FRIDAY, AS MY SDI IS ENDING. I’M RELEASING A RETURN TO WORK SEARCH. WILL I BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE $600 EXTRA PER WEEK? LOREE: AGAIN, I DO NOT HAVE THE DETAILS BUT IF SOMEONE WAS ON STATE DISABILITY ON INSURANCE CLAIM, THAT IS A WHOLE SEPARATE PROGRAM WHEN YOU ARE EITHER ILL OR INJURED THROUGH NO FAULT OF SOMETHING YOU CAN GET DISABILITY INSURANCE BENEFIT PAYMENTS FOR, OR IF YOU ARE CARING FOR AN ILL FAMILY MEMBER, THEN YOU CAN GET PAID FAMILY LEAVE BENEFITS FOR THAT SAME PROGRAM. MOST OF US PAY FOR THAT THROUGH OUR CONTRIBUTIONS IN OUR PAYCHECKS. IT IS THE EMPLOYERS WHO PAY FOR THE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAM, AND IF INDEED YOU ARE MISSING WORK THROUGH NO FAULT OF YOUR OWN, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH AN ILLNESS, YOU COULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE. LISA: JULIE WRITES, DO I QUALIFY IF I WAS LAID OFF, CALL THE BACK, BUT NEED TO STAY HOME FOR MY ELDERLY PARENT IN MY EMPLOYER REPLACED ME WITHOUT TELLING ME? LOREE: I AM SORRY TO HEAR THAT. OBVIOUSLY AN INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCE I AM VERY SORRY TO HEAR. BUT IT ALL DEPENDS. IF YOU ARE LOSING WORK THROUGH NO FAULT OF YOUR OWN AND BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE CARE FOR AN ILL FAMILY MEMBER, CERTAINLY YOU COULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR A PAID FAMILY LEAVE CLAIM. YOU COULD ALSO BE ELIGIBLE FOR PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE CLAIM, DEPENDING ON WHETHER OR NOT YOU MEET THE VARIOUS ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA. AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE INDIVIDUAL TO CHECK OUT THAT INFORMATION ON OUR PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION. GULSTAN: JUST A COUPLE MORE QUICKLY BEFORE WE HAVE TO GO. DOUG WRITES, MY REGULAR UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIM HAS RUN OUT. I UNDERSTAND THERE IS A 13 WEEK EXTENSION AVAILABLE. IS IT AUTOMATIC, OR DO I NEED TO SIGN UP FOR IT SOMEWHERE? MY EDD PAGE JUST SAYS MY CLAIM HAS BEEN EXHAUSTED. DOES THE EXTENSION JUST AUTOMATICALLY KICK IN? LOREE: WITH THE FEDERAL CARES ACT, THERE WERE THREE PROVISIONS THAT AFFECTED UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. ONE OF THEM IS THE EXTRA $600, THE SECOND IS THE NEW PANDEMIC SYSTEM. THE THIRD IS AN ADDITIONAL 13 WEEKS OF FEDERAL EXTENSION BENEFITS, WHICH IS SOMETHING THE EDD IS WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK TO IMPLEMENT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. SO WE ARE TRYING TO PUT ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS ON OUR WEBSITE, BECAUSE AGAIN, IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHEN YOU RAN OUT OF BENEFITS, WHAT YOUR BENEFIT YEAR WAS, WHEN THAT BENEFIT YEAR ENDED, IN TERMS OF HOW WE CAN HELP YOU PROCEED. A LOT OF THESE THINGS WE WILL BE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THE INDIVIDUAL TO HELP THEM, BUT AGAIN, STAY TUNED FOR MORE DETAILS. THIS THING IS EVOLVING EVERY DAY. LISA: THAT IS GOOD TO KEEP IN MIND, BUT OF COURSE IT IS HARD IF YOU ARE IN A PANIC SITUATIN WITH NO MONEY COMING IN. WHEN PERDIEM HOSPITAL WORKERS APPLY FOR UNEMPLOYMENT, SHOULD THEY USE THIS NEW PROGRAM OR GO THROUGH THE REGULAR SYSTEM? ARE PERDIEM WORKERS CONSIDERED CONTRACT OR SELF-EMPLOYED WORKERS? LOREE: IT IS HARD TO SAY ON ANY SPECIFIC CASE WITHOUT SEEING THE DETAILS. I WOULD SAY IF YOU ARE SELF-EMPLOYED, AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR, A BUSINESS OWNER, OR SOMEONE WHO MAY NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT EMPLOYMENT HISTORY OR SO FORTH THAT DOES NOT NECESSARILY QUALIFY FOR NORMAL UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO FILE FOR PANDEMIC UNINSURANCE CLAIM. YOU GO FOR THE SAME UI ON MY SYSTEM. WE HAVE PROGRAMMED IN SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO HELP US DETERMINE HOW WE PROCESS THAT CLAIM. IS THERE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO MAKE IT A REGULAR UI CLAIM, OR IS THERE MORE INFORMATION WE NEED TO COLLECT FROM YOU TO HELP THE PROCESS AS A PANDEMIC ON EMPLOYMENT ISSUES SINCE CLAIM? I WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO FILE. GULSTAN: A LOT OF QUESTIONS WERE PEOPLE OUT THERE FINDING THEMSELVES IN THE SPOT FOR THE FIRST TIME. CERTAINLY THE EDD FINDING ITSELF IN THIS SPOT FOR THE FIRST TIME WAS SUCH AN INFLUX OF PEOPLE NEEDING HELP. LOREE LEVY, THANK YOU FOR TAKING ALL THOSE QUESTIONS