April 28,2020 10:25 a.m.
The Oregon Employment Department is now providing unemployment benefits through the CARES Act Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.
A department release said the agency has recruited and trained staff to process PUA claims.
Oregonians who are eligible for the program include individuals who do not qualify for or cannot collect benefits on a regular unemployment insurance claim. That includes Oregonians who:
*are self-employed and not subject to unemployment insurance tax
*perform work as an independent contractor
*perform work not subject to unemployment tax insurance, such as agricultural workers
*did not earn enough in wages or work enough hours to qualify for regular unemployment benefits
*exhausted regular unemployment benefits, and are not eligible for another extension
In addition, to be eligible, residents must be unemployed, partially unemployed, or unable and unavailable for work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Covered situations include individuals who:
*are directly caring for a member of the household diagnosed with COVID-19
*have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or are seeking a medical diagnosis for it
*are unable to reach the place of employment because of a quarantine imposed as a direct result of the public health emergency
*were scheduled to start a new job or were unable to because the business closed as a direct result of COVID-19
*owned or worked for a business that closed as a direct result of COVID-19
The PUA application and certification forms can be accessed at this link: https://govstatus.egov.com/ui-benefits/CARES
Applications can be emailed to the Oregon Employment Department: OED_PUA_INFO@oregon.gov