Self-employed ineligible for Rebound cash grant and PUA simultaneously, business owners react

Self-employed Idahoans are now eligible to apply for the Rebound cash grant, but controversy surrounds a requirement stating those who received Pandemic Unemployment Assistance are ineligible for the grant.

OUR REBOUND IDAHOSERIES.OUR NEWSROOM ISCOMMITTED TOBRINGING YOUCRITICALCOVERAGE...THROUGHOUT THECOVID-19 PANDEMIC...SO YOU AND YOURFAMILY HAVE THEINFORMATION YOUNEED TO BOUNCEBACK.A PART OF THATMISSION... IS HOLDINGGOVERNMENTACCOUNTABLE.TONIGHT... IT'S FIRSTCOME, FIRSTSERVED... FOR IDAHOREBOUND CASHGRANTS.THE 300-MILLIONDOLLAR POT OFFEDERAL STIMULUSMONEY...ADMINISTERED BYTHE STATE... JUSTOPENED UP TOSELF-EMPLOYEDIDAHOANS.BUT AS OURMADELINE WHITEREPORTS... A CAVEATTO ELIGIBILITY... HASSOME STRUGGLINGAPPLICANTS...CONCERNED.SELF-EMPLOYEDIDAHOANS.

OUT OFWORK DUE TO THEVIRUS HAVEARGUABLY BEEN ONEOF THE GROUPSTHAT HAD IT THEROUGHESTRECENTLY.

BECAUSETHEY HAD TO WAITFORIMPLEMENTATION OFA NEW FEDERALPAYMENT PROGRAMIN THE DEPARTMENTOF LABOR.

MEANINGNOT A SINGLEPERSON IN THISGROUP SAW A DIMEOF GOVERNMENTASSISTANCE UNTILJUST A COUPLEWEEKS AGO.NOW, GOVERNORLITTLE IS ALLOWINGSELF-EMPLOYED TOBE ELIGIBLE FOR THEREBOUND CASHGRANT.

BUT TAKE ALOOK AT THE FINEPRINT."SO IF SOMEBODYHAS RECEIVEDBENEFITSELSEWHERE, YOUCOULDN'T DOUBLEDIP AND RECEIVETHESE FUNDS ASWELL."AND NOT ONLY THATIF YOU'RE STILLWAITING ONBENEFITS.

YOUCOULDN'T GET THEGRANT UNTIL ADECISION WAS FIRSTMADE ON YOURBENEFITS."SO IT'S STILL AWAITING GAME."THE GRANT FORSELF-EMPLOYED IS AONE-TIME PAYMENTOF $7500.

WHICH MAYBE USED ONBUSINESS COSTSLIKE THESE."PEOPLE WOULDHAVE TO DO THEIROWN CALCULATIONAS TO WHAT'S BESTFOR THEM.

ONE OFTHE THINGS THATTHIS GRANT ISINTENDED TO COVERIS REALLY THEDISRUPTION SOREDUCED SALES."SUZI AREMAN, OFCOURSE HAD NOSALES DURING THEMONTHS SHE WASFORCED TO SHUTDOWN IN HER NAMPASALON.

THAT SHE'SOWNED FOR 26YEARS.SHE SAYS SHE'SDISAPPOINTED IN THEGOVERNOR FORADDING THIS CAVEAT."THE WAY I SEE IT, ISTHATUNEMPLOYMENTSHOULD BE USEDFOR YOUR ACTUALHOME, YOUR RENT,OR, HOUSE PAYMENT,YOUR UTILITIES,INTERNET,WHATEVER YOUNEED TO KEEP YOUFOOD.""THE GRANT HE ISWILLING TO GIVE TOSELF-EMPLOYEDSHOULD BE FORTHEIR BUSINESSES."SHE'S WAITED 10WEEKS NOW, AND NOBENEFITS.

SO SHESAYS, EVEN THOUGHSHE APPLIED FORTHE GRANT, SHE'SSTILL STUCK IN THEWAITING PATTERNUNTIL A DECISION ISMADE ON HERBENEFITS."WE DON'T KNOWWHICH WAY IT'SGONNA FALL."LIKE SO MANYOTHERS.

TURNINGTHE LIGHTS BACKON.

WHILE IN THEDARK.

ABOUT HERFUTURE.SHARE YOURREBOUND STORIESWITH US ATTHEREBOUND@IDAHONEWS6.COM.MADELINE WHITE.IDAHO NEWS 6.AS WE REPORTED...IDAHO'SUNEMPLOYMENT HASHIT RECORDLEVELS.... IN RECENTMONTHS.THE STATE...SWINGING FROMRECORD LOWUNEMPLOYMENT INMARCH... TO ARECORD HIGH 11-POINT-5 PERCENT INAPRIL.BUT AS THEECONOMY OPENSBACK UP... THE IDAHODEPARTMENT OFLABOR TELLS USCONTINUING CLAIMSHAVE BEGUN TO GODOWN.WE COUL