Since the middle of March, about 36.5 million Americans have applied for unemployment benefits, and for many of them, the procedure was complicated by system failures, delays, and filing errors.

The coronavirus stimulus bill complicates the types of work that are eligible for wage replacement by extending unemployment eligibility to workers who were previously ineligible, including roughly 16 million Americans who are self-employed, independent contractors, freelancers, and gig workers.

If you work multiple jobs, this is what happens to your eligibility for unemployment benefits. Can you Applying for unemployment benefits while still employed? Let’s newsmartz.com find out!

Applying For Unemployment Benefits While Still Employed, You may be eligible for partial unemployment if your working hours are decreased in any way, including if you hold many jobs and are fired from one of them.

The amount of your benefits will depend on how much work you lose each week and how much money you are still making each week, and eligibility will vary by state. The government benefit of $600 per week specified in the coronavirus relief bill is also available to workers who are receiving partial unemployment benefits.

Numerous states base their partial unemployment payments on the number of hours you worked. Some, like New York, however, base the amount of your benefits on the number of weekdays you worked. This can affect how you plan your shifts at your current job, such as if you decide to work longer shifts on fewer days rather than spreading them out across the week.

If you lose your work due to no fault of your own, you’ll be eligible for unemployment benefits and will get payments based on your prior earnings. When you confirm your weekly benefits with your state unemployment office, make sure to mention any additional income you may have from a side business, such as developing websites for clients on Fiverr or running an Etsy store.

Applying For Unemployment Benefits While Still Employed, Evermore says to CNBC Make sure that all taxable income, including income from independent contractors or freelance labor, is taken into account when filing for unemployment. Your earnings from side jobs may reduce the amount of unemployment benefits you receive that week or may disqualify you from receiving any benefits at all.In several states, before your payment is lowered, you are permitted to make up to a predetermined percentage of your benefit amount through additional employment.

Fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance are made when income is not reported. Depending on the state, consequences may include being required to repay benefits plus interest, paying penalty fees, losing access to future benefits, and facing criminal charges.

Workers who were previously ineligible for benefits, such as the self-employed, can now get unemployment benefits for up to 39 weeks as well as $600 per week until July 31 if they lose their jobs as a result of the pandemic under the stimulus bill’s Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. Applying For Unemployment Benefits While Still Employed.

However, you won’t be eligible for PUA for lost income from a side business if you are eligible for standard unemployment because of a job you still have.

Let’s say, for illustration, that you can continue working from home at your day job. The majority of your revenue, which comes from the money you make driving for Uber, has been lost due to the pandemic, though.

You will not be eligible for any unemployment assistance because you still have your W-2 job with an employer.

Evermore declares, “That’s a major problem for people.” Three out of ten American workers who work a side job say they need it to help them get by, according to a 2019 Bankrate survey.

Evermore continues. These individuals might rely on 1099 contract employment for the majority of their income, but they might also work in the food sector if they want more consistent hours. As more people are being called back to work, perhaps for shorter shifts and tips, they are now seen as employees and are therefore ineligible for both the old benefits and the new ones created by the stimulus program.

Anyone who declines suitable employment is ineligible for unemployment benefits, and neither a general fear of contracting the virus nor receiving more in benefits than one would make working would be acceptable reasons for decline.

In general, you won’t be required to include incoming rent when you report the earnings you make on your weekly files if you rent out a single property as a type of passive income that is unrelated to your employment (for example, you own your home and rent out one room).

However, since state laws can differ, Evermore advises contacting your local unemployment office for more information.

That also implies that you won’t be able to recoup some of your lost rental income through Applying For Unemployment Benefits While Still Employed if your tenant is unable to pay rent that month.