As much as you might not like the idea, if you're unemployed or have had a reduction in earnings as an independent contractor, freelancer, gig worker it's in YOUR BEST INTEREST to apply weekly for your Disaster Unemployment Assistance / Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (DUA / PUA).

If you haven't been keeping up with Washington D.C. chatter let me remind you that it is a very good possibility that your Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) will be back dated to August 1, 2020. That could be from $200 to $600 per week from August to December 2020.

You can file at anytime this year and ask for your filings to be back dated with a review request. It's easier to just file weekly so you don't have to push your local Department of Economic Development (DED) office to file the appeal on your behalf to back date your claim.

If you are a small business or a service business with wage reductions in the form of lost earnings you should look to offset your losses if they are below the poverty line or less than 30% AMI. Actually if you are below 80% AMI you should request some type of assistance to reduce your long term debt burden and housing.

If you have questions about this process for your specific state simply register and start your weekly filings with your state unemployment office.