NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Thousands of self-employed people who filed for unemployment benefits should finally start seeing payments in their bank accounts or debit cards this week, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Self-employed people are not usually eligible for unemployment but an exception has been made because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance payments will be given out with money from the federal CARES Act. Officials with the department said that claimants will get the minimum benefit available through the PUA, at $120 every week, so they can process claims quicker.
Claimants will also receive an additional $600 every week from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation. In total, self-employed people who filed for unemployment due to the spread of coronavirus should expect to see at least $720 in benefits starting this week.
Anyone eligible to receive more than the minimum will have their payments adjusted up over time, according to a release from the Tennessee department of labor. Once the department finalizes a claim, the claimant will receive the difference between the minimum and their actual benefits in a later payment.
The PUA provides up to 39 weeks of benefits to anyone who is able to work but is also unemployed due to COVID-19.
PUA payments are retroactive to March 15, or when the person first applied. Benefits from the FPUC are retroactive back to the week ending April 4, according to the department.
The department also said that it will contact each claimant to request wage information if it was not provided. People will receive instructions on how to make up any missed weekly certifications.
Officials also said that claimants should not change their claims while they are processing, in order to prevent issues that could cause a delay.