"Your source for employment news in the Mother Lode"
This week in Mother Lode Works... - Pandemic Unemployment Assistance
- Resources for Technology
- Job Search Resources
- UI Updates and
- Predictive Re-Openings in the Mother Lode
More Relief Assistance from California EDD Coming April 28, 2020 Much anticipated, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance will be open for Applications online starting on Tuesday April 28, 2020. The website for applications is www.edd.ca.gov.
Who qualifies?
You can qualify if you don’t qualify for regular UI benefits in California or another state and also do not qualify for State Disability Insurance or Paid Family Leave benefits. This includes:
- Business owners
- Self-employed individuals - Independent contractors
You can also be eligible if you qualified for regular UI benefits, but have collected all benefits for which you are eligible.
If you are not a citizen of the United States, you cannot be paid PUA benefits unless you were legally permitted to work in the United States at the time such services were performed. In addition, you must be authorized to work for any week of PUA benefits claimed to be eligible for payments.
You must also meet one of the following criteria:
- You have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and are seeking a medical diagnosis. - You are unable to work because a health care provider advised you to self-quarantine due to concerns related to COVID-19. - A member of your household has been diagnosed with COVID-19. - You are providing care for a family member or a member of your household who has been diagnosed with COVID-19. - A child or other person in the household for whom you have primary caregiving responsibility is unable to attend school or another facility that is closed as a direct result of the COVID-19 and the school or facility care is required for you to work. - You became the breadwinner or major support for a household because the head of the household has died as a direct result of COVID-19. - You have to quit your job as a direct result of COVID-19. - Your place of employment is closed as a direct result of COVID-19. - You were scheduled to start a job that is now unavailable as a direct result of the COVID-19 public health emergency. - You are unable to reach the place of employment as a direct result of the COVID-19 public health emergency. - If you work as an independent contractor with reportable income, you may also qualify for PUA benefits if you are unemployed, partially employed, or unable or unavailable to work because the COVID-19 public health emergency has severely limited your ability to continue performing your customary work activities, and has thereby forced you to stop working.
Benefit Payments In order to provide benefits as quickly as possible, payments will be issued in phases. If you qualify for PUA, and depending on the effective date of your PUA claim, the initial payments you will receive are as follows: Phase 1: $167 per week for each week you were unemployed from February 2, 2020 to March 28, 2020 due to a COVID-19 related reason. Phase 2: $167 plus $600 per week for each week you were unemployed from March 29, 2020 to July 25, 2020, due to a COVID-19 related reason.
Phase 3: $167 per week, for each week from July 26, 2020 to December 26, 2020, that you are unemployed due to a COVID-19 related reason, up to a total of 39 weeks (minus any weeks of regular UI and certain extended UI benefits that you have received).
Note: If you qualify for your claim to be backdated to an earlier PUA effective date based on your last day of work, you could receive payment for prior weeks you were unemployed due to COVID-19.
You will be required to “certify” for your benefit payment. Certifying is the process of answering basic questions every two weeks that tells us you’re still unemployed and otherwise eligible to continue receiving biweekly payments.
NEW: Technical Assistance Hotline and Hours from EDD Help is now available 7 days a week from 8am to 8pm – at 1-833-978-2511.
- Technical Help - Password Resets - UI Online Questions - General Information - EDD Customer Account Numbers
You can also email WSBStocktonFieldOffice@edd.ca.gov Please allow up to 72 hours for a response.
Resources for Technology
We are all now suddenly extremely reliant on our technology, devices and programs. In the midst of this, we are having to rapidly learn new skills, and accommodate daily changes. On top of this challenge we are also dealing with loss of income and ability to make payments. Now more than ever we must ask for assistance. Many vital service providers, like phone, internet, power and utilities are offering deferred payments, no late fees, and no shut off for non-payment. However, customers must contact these organizations and report that they have been affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Cell Phones Verizon, AT&T, T Mobile are all offering programs for customers affected by COVID-19 and the economic impacts of Stay at Home orders. Contact your provider and find out what their policy is.
Laptops and Tablets California schools are providing families with school children free laptops. Supportive Services through programs such as ours- Mother Lode Job Training, County Social Services or Health and Human Services, local charities like St Vincent De Paul, Catholic Charities, Interfaith, Community Action Agencies MAY have programs to assist with the purchase of computers for being able to work remotely.
Amador County:
All Amador County Libraries – call 209-223-6400 for directions on accessing
Calaveras County:
Conifer Communications in San Andreas All Calaveras County Libraries – call the main branch to get the password at 209-754-6510 Mountain Ranch – Senders Market parking lot
Mariposa County:
Mariposa Chamber of Commerce Mariposa Arts Park Woodland Elementary School Sierra Foothill Charter School (Cathey’s Valley)
Tuolumne County:
- Sonora Library - 24/7 WiFi access. Individuals need to sign into the website for public access. www.tuolcolib.org. This login is good for 8 hours. - Tuolumne City – Summerville Elementary, 18451 Carter st., Tuolumne, 8a-8p Monday-Friday, Parking lot, Password: sumel123 - Mi-Wuk – Alicia’s Sugar Shack 24191 CA-108, 24/7, Parking lot or outside sitting area, Wi-Fi name: sugarshackguest, no password - Cal.Net, 24/7, Parking lot, 197A Mono Way, Sonora - Starbucks, Parking lot, 13781 Mono Way, Sonora - Safeway, inside store only, no sitting area, 1291 Sanguinetti Rd, Sonora
Job Search Resources
- Mother Lode Job Training: MLJT continues to get job orders and make referrals for openings, so be sure to contact one of our Resource Specialists:
Amador: Ashly Roberts at 209-536-4410 or aroberts@mljt.org Calaveras: Indiana Walsh at 209-536-4703 or iwalsh@mljt.org Mariposa: Sarah Phillips (Job Developer) at 209-742-0778 or sphillips@mljt.org Tuolumne: Connie Perriera at 209-536-4511 or cperriera@mljt.org
- Columbia College: If you do or did attend Columbia College, Mary Watts at wattsm@yosemite.edu is working to keep updated job openings ready for referral.
- Onwardca.gov: This brand new statewide website specifically for job opportunities with essential service providers is open and ready for business. This website is easy to use and does not require a login or password to access its resources. Information is being updated daily.
UI Claim Updates
There has been an important change to Unemployment Insurance (UI) that the Labor Secretary announced yesterday. The Employment Development Department (EDD) has updated its website to reflect the latest changes for UI claimants at www.edd.ca.gov/unemployment/certify.htm.
Certifying for Weeks Ending March 14 through May 9, 2020:
Based on the persistent inability of claimants to access the UI Online system during this time period, if your UI benefit certification form has dates for weeks ending March 14 through May 9, you do not need to certify or re-certify for UI benefits. For these weeks, this means: - After you initiate your UI claim and are determined eligible, you do not need to provide any certification for your first benefit payment or continuing biweekly payments. - You will automatically receive your benefits, unless you have an existing disqualification or pending issue. - You will be required to provide information to the EDD if you worked during any of these weeks. - The failure to provide the EDD with information that you worked during these weeks may result in an overpayment that the EDD must later recover.
In the steps for receiving UI benefits, this means after you apply (Step 1), we will take care of Step 2 for you for the weeks ending March 14 through May 9, based on the persistent inability of claimants to access the UI Online system during this time period. You will be required to inform the EDD if you work during these weeks through Ask EDD by selecting Unemployment Insurance Benefits, then Payments, and then EDD Paid Me and I Returned to Work, Need to Report Wages.
See the latest number of claims filed below:
*Numbers for local areas have a week delay compared to state numbers.
Re-Openings in the Mother Lode Information is changing as new data is collected. As of today, there is no date set for an easing of the statewide Stay At Home order. Regarding reopening businesses and allowing people to go back to work, the governor says testing and tracing will be fundamental to getting back to a semblance of normal.
If testing and tracing is able to occur, Calaveras County’s Public Health officer's tentative idea on when things could start to open back up are detailed here.
According to Dr. Kelaita: "Late April – Mid May we expect that new cases remain flat and transmission of the disease remain controlled. If so then Early May could see the re-opening of solitary outdoor activities such as golf, hikes, parks assuming they’re conducted with social distancing practices.
Social distancing measures would stay in place until Mid June, by which time we expect to have widespread antibody testing to determine immunity levels, and allow for some safe return to the workforce. Mid June to early July the easing of stay at home orders can start to be considered.
High Risk people will continue to shelter in place. Stores and restaurants limiting the number of patrons, wait staff wearing gloves or masks could be able to re-open under some circumstances. Telecommuting will be preferred if available. Schools will remain closed possibly opening in Fall."
Factors that could affect this timeline:
- Increased testing, new treatment discoveries, declines. - If we relax too aggressively we may see resurgence in case counts in October assuming that hot weather mitigates the virus. - Hotels/Motels/Air B and Bs are dependent upon local health and the rescinding of the statewide Stay At Home order. Recreational travel and activities will not be allowed to open until we have more statewide information, and see both regional and statewide disease activity decreasing.
Next week on Mother Lode Works...
- New COVID-19 Programs
- Small Business Loans Update
For more information, contact your local Mother Lode Job Training job center:
Amador Center Manager: Annette, Email: asolisrios@mljt.org, Phone:(209) 223-3341 Calaveras Center Manager: Emily, Email: egraham@mljt.org, Phone:(209) 754-4242
Mariposa Center Manager: Stephanie, Email: sleasure@mljt.org, Phone:(209) 966- 3643 Tuolumne Center Manager: Pam, Email: phughes@mljt.org, Phone:(209) 588-1150 Mother Lode Job Training is a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Equal Opportunity Employer/Program; CRS 711 (TTY) Auxilary aides & services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.
Mother Lode Job Training is a proud partner of the America's Job Center of California network.