Assistance is available to self-employed workers, independent contractors, gig and platform workers who are impacted by COVID-19.
A NJ worker experiencing any of the following COVID-19 scenarios would likely be eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance:
- diagnosed with COVID-19 or experiencing symptoms and seeking medical diagnosis (please note, NJ is currently awaiting specific guidance from USDOL on this scenario)
- member of the individual’s household diagnosed with COVID–19
- providing care for family member or member of household who has been diagnosed with COVID-19
- individual is primary caregiver for child or family member unable to attend school or another facility closed due to COVID-19
- unable to reach place of employment due to an imposed quarantine or because advised by medical provider to self-quarantine due to COVID-19
- was scheduled to commence employment and does not have a job or is unable to reach the job due to COVID-19
- became breadwinner because the head of household has died from COVID-19
- quit his or her job as a direct result of COVID-19
- place of employment is closed due to the COVID-19 public health emergency
- self-employed / independent contractors / 1099 filers / farmers – and impacted by COVID-19
- seeking part-time employment but impacted by COVID-19
- does not have sufficient work history and impacted by COVID-19
- otherwise not qualified for regular or extended Unemployment benefits and impacted by COVID-19 (please note, NJ is currently awaiting specific guidance from USDOL on this scenario)
- exhausted all benefits under regular Unemployment and impacted by COVID-19 (but if combined UI and extended benefit payments total 39 weeks, no additional benefits are available)