The Covid-19 $1,000 Handouts? :)

[Bob21]

Bob21, I PROMISE I am not your Sock! I promise to GOD!

Tasha, but are you my sock? That’s the $64,000 question. That’s where we need Bosox, forum detective’s help.

No. I am NOT your Sick, I promise to God!

Who knows, we might be socks of each other’s handles and not even know it. Boy, this gets confusing.

[kewlJ]

OK, so this isn't really about the $1200 handout, but more about expanded unemployment under the CARE act (coronavirus stimulus). I just didn't want to start a new thread and have mcap flip his lid.

So under usual circumstances, if you are eligible for unemployment, you receive about 50% of what you would earn working, up to the max amount for each state ($407 for Nevada). As part of the CARE act, in addition to unemployment eligibility being made easier, making self employed people eligible for benefits, they wanted to make it so people would "be whole" as they called it, and get benefits closer to 100% of what they previously earned. They did this by giving an extra $600 a week on top of whatever your state would normally pay to people who qualify for unemployment. This extra $600 lasts for 4 months.

So lets do the math.

1.) say someone earned $1000 a week, roughly 50k a year. Under normal circumstances here in Nevada they would be eligible for max amount of $407 week. With the additional $600 from the CARE act they will be getting $1007, making them whole, just as designed.

2.) now lets look at someone making $10 an hour or $400 a week. Under normal circumstances they would get roughly half of $200 in unemployment benefits. But with the additional $600 from the care act they will receive $800, or double what they made at their job.

Anyone who earned 40k or less will receive substantially more in unemployment that they made at their job, ranging up to the example #2. Why should anyone get more money, up to double from unemployment to stay home. That is not a good precedent.

[AndrewG]

OK, so this isn't really about the $1200 handout, but more about expanded unemployment under the CARE act (coronavirus stimulus). I just didn't want to start a new thread and have mcap flip his lid.

So under usual circumstances, if you are eligible for unemployment, you receive about 50% of what you would earn working, up to the max amount for each state ($407 for Nevada). As part of the CARE act, in addition to unemployment eligibility being made easier, making self employed people eligible for benefits, they wanted to make it so people would "be whole" as they called it, and get benefits closer to 100% of what they previously earned. They did this by giving an extra $600 a week on top of whatever your state would normally pay to people who qualify for unemployment. This extra $600 lasts for 4 months.

So lets do the math.

1.) say someone earned $1000 a week, roughly 50k a year. Under normal circumstances here in Nevada they would be eligible for max amount of $407 week. With the additional $600 from the CARE act they will be getting $1007, making them whole, just as designed.

2.) now lets look at someone making $10 an hour or $400 a week. Under normal circumstances they would get roughly half of $200 in unemployment benefits. But with the additional $600 from the care act they will receive $800, or double what they made at their job.

Anyone who earned 40k or less will receive substantially more in unemployment that they made at their job, ranging up to the example #2. Why should anyone get more money, up to double from unemployment to stay home. That is not a good precedent.

This was addressed by Congress early in the process of approving this. You are bringing up an issue that was dead and buried. But since you brought it up....

Yes some people will get more money being out of work than when they were working. The rationale is the extra money will help them take care of extra expenses such as health care and the extra money will help stimulate spending.

You left out that for the first time self employed and freelancers and gig workers will also be added to the unemployment insurance system.

While pro gamblers can't get the SBA grants and loans I don't recall seeing anything that bars pro gamblers from the new unemployment insurance plan. Did I miss that somewhere? Or are you indeed eligible?

[kewlJ]

No, I didn't leave out that self employed, including professional gamblers are eligible. I briefly mentioned it right in the post that you quoted.

I also posted yesterday in another thread, my experience with filing for unemployment. Was hard to get through to the website but once I did, I was approved in 48 hours. I shared this mainly so the other professional AP's on this forum and that read this forum would know they are eligible.

[AndrewG]

No, I didn't leave out that self employed, including professional gamblers are eligible. I briefly mentioned it right in the post that you quoted.

I also posted yesterday in another thread, my experience with filing for unemployment. Was hard to get through to the website but once I did, I was approved in 48 hours. I shared this mainly so the other professional AP's on this forum and that read this forum would know they are eligible.

Mr Kewlj if you don't mind please post where on the Nevada Unemployment sign up website you found the place to sign up as a pro gambler? I think that section would also apply to gig workers and freelancers.

I was just talking to my neighbor who works marketing for Vegas conventions on call and he would qualify but can't find how to apply on the Nevada Unemployment website. Can you help?

The last I heard was that the Nevada website had not yet been changed to accommodate the gig workers and freelancers who would get the $600 per week for four months.

He has zero income now.

[Tasha]

I was also wondering about Professional Gamblers in this and wondering if they would be getting a $1,000 handout too and if they could file for unemployment since they are no longer employed due to their places of businesses being temporarily closed. I am kind of reminded of a messageboard for a movie I watched. In the movie there were Two Protagonists. One of them had a job as a Teacher who was about to be out of a job as her school was set to be blown up to make a Hotel and she was going to go to the Unemployment Office or something like that and a fan of the movie asked why she was going to go to the Unemployment Office when she already had a job. The response was,"Her place of business was set to be blown up to become a Hotel. Blown up= No job, so =Planning to go to Unemployment office. You don't have a job anymore if your place of business no longer exists!"

Luckily the Protagonist job was saved when the Co-Protagonist found Paperwork that legally prevented her place of business not being able to be turned into anything else for at least YEARS or something like that. So, since the Casinos went out of business (Or temporarily "Blown up" for the time being can Professional Gamblers file for Unemployment? Will they get the $1,000 handout too or will they be denied if Professional Gambling is considered more of a Recreational Hobby than a "Real" job? :/

[Bob21]

I was also wondering about Professional Gamblers in this and wondering if they would be getting a $1,000 handout too and if they could file for unemployment since they are no longer employed due to their places of businesses being temporarily closed. I am kind of reminded of a messageboard for a movie I watched. In the movie there were Two Protagonists. One of them had a job as a Teacher who was about to be out of a job as her school was set to be blown up to make a Hotel and she was going to go to the Unemployment Office or something like that and a fan of the movie asked why she was going to go to the Unemployment Office when she already had a job. The response was,"Her place of business was set to be blown up to become a Hotel. Blown up= No job, so =Planning to go to Unemployment office. You don't have a job anymore if your place of business no longer exists!"

Luckily the Protagonist job was saved when the Co-Protagonist found Paperwork that legally prevented her place of business not being able to be turned into anything else for at least YEARS or something like that. So, since the Casinos went out of business (Or temporarily "Blown up" for the time being can Professional Gamblers file for Unemployment? Will they get the $1,000 handout too or will they be denied if Professional Gambling is considered more of a Recreational Hobby than a "Real" job? :/

Yes.

[kewlJ]

TASHA - Did you read my post #82, because I really wrote that with you in mind. I am assuming Walgreens isn't paying you $40 - $50 thousand dollars a year and that you are probably closer to the $10 and hour example. Forgive me if I am wrong, but if that is the case, you could probably receive much more than you currently earn by not working AND even more important, would not be risking your health and/or the health of your family members that you recently stated you live with. Normally I would never suggest someone would be better off not working and getting unemployment, but these are anything but normal times. You are risking your health for that small amount that Walgreens is currently paying you to stay on the front line dealing with customers.

Moving on, I will now address AndrewG, aka Alan M, even though Alan refuses to be honest enough to use his real identity. Alan is trying to play his usual gottchya games with his question and doesn't deserve an answer, but I will do so, as it may benefit anyone else trying to file a claim. The hard part is really just getting through to the unemployment site, or at least it was difficult earlier in the week. Today, I got on with little problem. As you would expect I guess they are having tremendous volume filing.

So you have to go through the process of creating an online account. After you do so and click the file a new claim, you begin entering all your information. Several pages in, the earnings that they have for you will show. Then they ask if this is all of your earnings. They ask if you have been self employed since 2018 and if you answer yes, there is a place for a manual entry. It has been a few days so I am trying to remember, but I think this is where it initially said, I was ineligible. don't let that stop you.

Next you click on continue with claim (despite that initial ineligible declaration). The next set of questions asks if you are filing due to being unable to work because of the coronavirus or covid-19 outbreak. I believe this is where there is again a place for you to claim that you are self employed and write in the appropriate information. then just keep going and complete the claim.

The website says they process each claim on the same day it is received, which would be amazing under these circumstances. I actually didn't check back the following day, but 2 days later, my claim had been processed. It said something to the effect that I would separately receive a debit card and information on when it would be funded.

So there Alan....take your gottchya moment and shove it up your ass. AND I will no longer respond to you as AndrewG. If you cant be honest enough to stop attempting (and a bad attempt it was) hiding behind a second name, I am not interested in any kind of interaction with you. But take care of yourself. I imagine with your age and medical history, you are high risk. Seriously....be careful.

[mcap]

I’m pretty sure you don’t get unemployment if you voluntarily quit it’s if you lose your job not by choice. So Tasha couldn’t just quit and collect unemployment+600/wk.

[kewlJ]

I’m pretty sure you don’t get unemployment if you voluntarily quit it’s if you lose your job not by choice. So Tasha couldn’t just quit and collect unemployment+600/wk.

This is a good point mcap, under normal circumstances, which these are not. I have never filed for or dealt with unemployment before, so I am just going but what I have heard or learned from....I don't even know where I might have heard or learned this from. But I believe (maybe wrong) that if you quit a job you have to have a good reason. probably some sort of list of acceptable reasons. And I would think if you feel in danger by this crisis, that would qualify. Nobody should be forced to continue to work with the public, putting not only themselves by their family at risk, for a low paying job.

I would think under normal circumstances if you can prove that your job puts you in danger, that would be an acceptable reason. In this circumstances, I would think that wont even be questioned.

[Tasha]

I’m pretty sure you don’t get unemployment if you voluntarily quit it’s if you lose your job not by choice. So Tasha couldn’t just quit and collect unemployment+600/wk.

This is a good point mcap, under normal circumstances, which these are not. I have never filed for or dealt with unemployment before, so I am just going but what I have heard or learned from....I don't even know where I might have heard or learned this from. But I believe (maybe wrong) that if you quit a job you have to have a good reason. probably some sort of list of acceptable reasons. And I would think if you feel in danger by this crisis, that would qualify. Nobody should be forced to continue to work with the public, putting not only themselves by their family at risk, for a low paying job.

I would think under normal circumstances if you can prove that your job puts you in danger, that would be an acceptable reason. In this circumstances, I would think that wont even be questioned.

Yeah like the public literally breathing in your face as you ring them up.

[kewlJ]

Yeah like the public literally breathing in your face as you rimg them up.

I am sure by now everyone has seen the story of the Detroit Bus driver (if not google Detroit bus driver coronavirus). The guy posted a video complaining about passengers coughing on him. Like 5 days later he was dead of coronavirus.

There has to be a point where people say "fuck this...just not worth my life".

I guess it is easier to say that for people that have at least some financial cushion, but geez, everything always comes down to risk vs reward.

[AndrewG]

Thank you Mr Kewlj I will pass along the info. I'm so sorry for your other problem with Mr Alan.

[AndrewG]

Called my neighbor. He received a screen that said he must call to complete his claim.

[AxelWolf]

I’m pretty sure you don’t get unemployment if you voluntarily quit it’s if you lose your job not by choice. So Tasha couldn’t just quit and collect unemployment+600/wk.

I always thought you had to be laid off in order to collect unemployment? Perhaps it's a state-by-state thing?

[kewlJ]

Ok, so I just received an email from someone claiming my information may not be correct. I wish he, or she would have posted here, as I have no problem with someone correcting my information. I am just going through this for the first time and trying to learn, as well.

So this person claims that just because my online status is approved, don't mean that my claim has been approved. I don't get that. But he says it isn't officially approved until I receive a notice in the mail saying so, with an amount that I will get each week and further instructions. Ok, so I'll wait and see what I get in the mail.

The guy also says the week that you file doesn't count. That the clock starts running next week and at the end of the week, you go back to your account and re-affirm that you did not work that week. I was thinking I would just start getting money, apparently on this unemployment debit card, but apparently it isn't that simple, instead you have to keep re-applying each week. Ok, whatever. Sorry if I mislead anyone, like I said, I am just trying to figure this out myself. My real purpose in going public was to inform other professional AP's that we are supposed to be eligible for unemployment. The casinos are closed and we can't earn a living just like everyone else.

[kewlJ]

I always thought you had to be laid off in order to collect unemployment? Perhaps it's a state-by-state thing?

Expanded unemployment eligibility is part of this 2 trillion dollar coronavirus stimulus package passed last week. It shouldn't be a state-by-state thing. It should be the same everywhere, but if there is any state that should be more knowledgeable about professional gamblers, you would think it would be Nevada. Other states are probably like "what now, professional gambler??"

[AndrewG]

I don't know if professional gamblers are covered or not but the new law does allow self employed and freelancers and "gig workers" to be covered by Unemployment Insurance and there is a minimum of $600 per week for four months.

There are various news reports about how the state unemployment funds are not set up to handle the new claims. That info is all over the web.

My neighbor works as a freelancer or gig worker when conventions are in town. He can't finalize his application and it says he must call. That's all he knows and that's all I know.

I do not know if pro gamblers are covered or not for unemployment insurance. But I do know that pro gamblers cannot get money from the SBA, but that is separate from Unemployment.

By the way, I did see something on CNBC that if you are forced to quit your job because you have to take care of kids or someone ill with coronavirus then YES you do qualify for the special unemployment insurance.

The other thing I saw on CNBC is that it could take a while before states are able to administer the new unemployment insurance plan BUT the benefits will be retroactive and everyone who qualifies will get the full four months.

I'm sorry but again I don't know anything about pro gamblers being eligible for the unemployment plan.

[AxelWolf]

I have a tricky situation perhaps someone can help me out with a question:

My brother is and always has been a US citizen and he's even a veteran. He has been living in Columbia for the like the last 10 or 15 years where he had some business where he was teaching English and hiring other teachers to work for him and teach English as well. He was doing okay for quite a while, but it seems like some of the bigger companies came in and under-bid him. He finally gave up living there as things weren't going too well the last 3 or 4 years I helped them out on and off it got to the point where he was in a fairly bad situation. So I helped him get back to the United States recently and eventually got him to Las Vegas and help them get set up so he could start a new life. He Is fairly skilled in many different areas but Advantage play probably isn't for him.

He hasn't had a job or filed taxes here in the United States in many years. He was looking for work when my moms health suddenly got to the point we had to bring her to Las Vegas. He was a primary caregiver and she was living with him the last two or three months where I was basically paying the bills. She needed 24/7 care so we couldn't even get a job. Only recently he was approved as a certified caregiver where he was supposed to get paid for taking care of her. I'm not sure exactly what day it was he got approved/ on the payroll, but my mom passed away right around the time he was approved, I'm not sure if he even got any hours in.

Considering he hasn't filed any taxes or had a job here in the United States would someone like him be eligible for any money?

It's kind of a screwed-up situation since his plans got all screwed up while taking on the responsibility of taking care of our mom and now all this Corona crap. It would be fairly hard for him to get a decent job right now. As far as I'm concerned he certainly deserves to get something considering he is a veteran and took care of my mom for two or three months who needed 24/7 care.

[AndrewG]

Mr AxelWolf I recall hearing that if he is a citizen and has a social security number he will get the $1200 regardless of income. He might also qualify for the special unemployment program. But since Nevada has not yet joined into the unemployment program yet there is no definitive answer.

He should file a tax return for 2019 immediately even if it shows no income. There are other benefits for low income persons plus it will put his SS number on the list for the $1200.