Self-Employed, Independent Contractors Will Soon Be Eligible For Unemployment

Indiana Workforce Development Commissioner Fred Payne says help is coming for the self-employed and independent contractors.

Payne says the federal aid package coming through Congress allows those workers to apply for unemployment benefits. It also extends the maximum amount of time someone can access unemployment from 26 weeks to 39.

Payne urges people who have questions to visit the state’s website: unemployment.in.gov. And he says they can call the Department of Workforce Development if their questions still need answers.

“We will get to every call but we do have some call delays because of the taxing that’s being put on our system to make sure that we get back to people quickly,” Payne says.

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More than 62,000 Hoosiers filed for unemployment last week, compared to just 3,400 the week before.

Payne says it takes about 21 days to get a check after a person applies for unemployment benefits.

Contact Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

This is a rapidly evolving story, and we are working hard to bring you the most up-to-date information. However, we recommend checking the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Indiana State Department of Health for the most recent numbers of COVID-19 cases.