Oregon Oregon Pandemic Unemployment Assistant Applications Now Open; My Prior Excel Estimator Accurately Estimates Benefits.

The Oregon Employment Department has opened applications to the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. 

This program is for self employed, gig workers, AND workers with recent work history who may not have the length of work or the wage level to qualify for regular unemployment. Importantly, PUA requires a demonstrated direct impact from COVID-19 in order to qualify. 

For purposes of PUA coverage, an individual “lacking sufficient work history” means an individual (1) with a recent attachment to the labor force (2) who does not have sufficient wages in covered employment during the last 18 months to establish a claim under regular UC, and (3) who became unemployed or partially unemployed because of one of the COVID-19 related reasons.  

Oregon's PUA information can be found on the web page HERE. Their FAQ's are HERE. Detailed instructions on how to complete the PUA application are HERE.

In looking through these materials I see no change from the full time calculations that I did in my recently posted Excel unemployment estimator workbook--look for the worksheet labelled "Full Time and Gig Worker". [ My calculations may be $1 off or so because of rounding differences].

Oregon has posted a PDF HERE with a table that you can use to lookup the PUA weekly benefit amount based on income. Incomes below the starting point of the chart ($16,480) will receive the minimum WBA of $205, and as with all PUA filers part time PUA filers may also receive the $600 bonus payments through July.  

At $16,480 income the PUA average weekly benefit ($468) would be 148% of the $317  in average wages over the 39 maximum weeks of benefit, including the maximum 17 weeks of bonus $600 benefits. Without ANY of the $600 supplemental benefit the minimum $205 PUA drops to 65% of the $317 in weekly wages.

My Excel Workbook
Also because the minimum PUA weekly benefit ($205) is higher than the regular unemployment minimum weekly benefit ($151) the workbook's "Oregon Partial Income" worksheet should NOT be used for part time PUA recipients. Time permitting I will look to add that in a future version and Oregon may also post examples of how that will work.

My blog post with my Excel estimator is HERE. [The Official Oregon unemployment web estimator is HERE ].
 
WIth the Default Entry of $52,000 in Annual Wages, Oregon Regular Unemployment Insurance or PUA Could Replace Up to 91% of That Income Over 39 Weeks
My default Excel entries assume $52,000 gross income and 39 weeks of benefits and 17 weeks of bonus $600 payments. With those inputs, workers eligible for PUA (and regulatr unemployment insurance) would be able to replace 91% of their gross income ($35,472 UI /$39,000 in earnings over 39 weeks). 

The Excel workbook and this worksheet allow inputs of different incomes and duration of benefits which will impact the share of wages replaced by unemployment insurance.  (The $600 bonus payment which ends July 31st has a big impact on the replacement rate). Worksheets labelled "Oregon partial income" and "Oregon Workshare" also allow the input of less than 40 hour work weeks.

Originally created and posted by the Oregon Housing Blog.