The state has launched a new program to help people who don’t qualify for traditional unemployment benefits, Gov. David Ige said this afternoon.
The program is called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, or PUA, and is supported by the federal CARES Act.
The PUA website can be found at pua.hawaii.gov.
On the site, those who are self-employed or are “gig workers” can apply for unemployment assistance.
Pre-applications can be submitted now, but they are not yet being processed, according to the website.
“By May 15, 2020, additional features will be added to process your application, and you will be sent an email with additional information.”
The site also notes that “the information you submit, including income, will be validated against the Hawaii tax records. If your data does not match, it will delay processing of your application.”