SCRANTON, Pa. — The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program, or PUA, offers 39 weeks of money to people who don't qualify for traditional unemployment compensation.
But the process for applying has been just as frustrating for self-employed individuals as it was a few weeks ago for regular unemployment.
People have a lot of questions, and a website full of glitches isn't helping.
Benton wedding photographer Nicole Dumond and her van, who she affectionately named Doris, are typically traveling around northeastern and central Pennsylvania during this time of year, capturing the happiest moments of people's lives.
But like so many others right now, Nicole and Doris have had to pump the brakes on the photography business.
"As business owners, we don't just have ourselves to pay, we also have all of our business expenses to worry about," said Dumond.
For the first time, self-employed individuals like Dumond, as well as independent contractors and gig workers, can apply for unemployment assistance. Applications for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program opened over the weekend.
"Even though the application process started on Saturday, they're saying it might take up to 21 days to even get approval and then funding after that. So we're talking at least two months of no income whatsoever."
The Department of Labor and Industry says it has already received about 50,000 applications on Saturday and Sunday alone.
There were a lot of glitches, and the department says that's because the system isn't fully functional yet.
"We started that system even though we knew it might not be perfect, as any new system isn't going to be perfect, because we knew that the sooner we could get that out there and start accepting applications, the better it would be for our citizens that would be that much sooner that we will be able to get them the benefits that they're entitled to," said Department of Labor and Industry Secretary, Jerry Oleksiak.
Many people say they were incorrectly told they qualified for traditional unemployment, and thus were ineligible for PUA. The department of labor and industry says it's working to fix that problem and others. The payments will be backdated to the first week you were unable to work.
"Anyone who tried this weekend and felt like they should file a PUA claim, but they weren't allowed to, because it told them to file UC, there won't be any impact to their benefits if they have to file later this week," said Susan Dickinson, Department of Labor and Industry.
The department of L&I says it doesn't have a certain date yet for when funds will begin to be distributed to those who qualify for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.
If you do qualify for PUA, you will receive a log-in, rather than a PIN number in the mail. You'll be able to file a claim weekly rather than bi-weekly.
You will also be eligible to receive the additional $600 a week from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program.