Unemployment assistance begins for Nevada's independent contractors, gig workers
CARSON CITY — Independent contractors and gig workers eligible for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program can now begin filing weekly claims online, the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation announced Saturday.
The system began accepting PUA claims on Saturday, May 16, 2020 at www.employnv.gov. The first payments are expected to be made beginning Wednesday, May 27, 2020, according to a DETR news release.
Independent of the traditional Unemployment Insurance system, the PUA filing system is designed to provide streamlined filing for Nevada’s self-employed, 1099 contract workers, and gig workers, to connect with PUA benefits.
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claimants can contact the call center for all PUA related questions at (800) 603-9681 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, and Saturday between 8 a.m. and noon.
PUA claimants must also be able and available for work as defined in state law, must have prior earnings in Nevada or a job offer to work in Nevada and must not be eligible for any UI benefits, including regular UI, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, and State Extended Benefits.
“We have been working tirelessly to provide this essential functionality of the PUA filing process. We know there is a great deal of interest and demand for weekly filing and expect our call center and claims portal to be very busy today,” said DETR director, Heather Korbulic. “Staff will continue to work including the upcoming holiday to ensure this functionality is available for Nevadans.”
Claimants can view the newly-updated PUA Claimant Guide for information on the weekly filing process and access other helpful resources on the agency’s website at detr.nv.gov/pua.