Tag Archives: Maine Department of Labor
Thousands of Mainers told to repay pandemic-related jobless benefits
Joseph Parker collected jobless benefits in 2020 as society grappled with an unprecedented public health emergency and economic disaster. Parker, a then-sidelined contract worker on a lobster boat, gratefully received benefits through an emergency federal program for workers who didn’t qualify for state unemployment insurance. The checks continued for about six months before Parker was able to return to work, and he said he hasn’t filed a claim since. Then he was caught up in the state’s attempt to recoup $46 million from 11,000 Mainers it says were overpaid federal unemployment benefits distributed during the pandemic. >click to read< 08:42
Maine Department of Labor to Accept Unemployment Applications from Self Employed and Others 8 a.m. May 1
The Maine Department of Labor will begin accepting applications for the new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) at 8 a.m. Friday, May 1. People whose claim does not require further review should begin receiving benefits within seven days of filing. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance is a new federal program which expanded eligibility for unemployment benefits to certain categories of workers not typically able to receive unemployment in the past, such as: ,Self-employed workers ,Farmers/Fishermen, Independent contractors, Nonprofit employees not already covered by regular state unemployment benefits, Gig economy workers, Workers who do not have enough work history and earnings to be eligible for traditional unemployment benefits, Others who have been determined ineligible for regular unemployment benefits. >click for links, and more information< 14:10
