Unemployment benefits for self-emloyed workers

Stacey Deiken is a self-employed business owner.

Her application and appeal for unemployment were denied.

Fox 4 helps her navigate ways to get financial assistance.

FOX FOUR, WE ARE HERE AT FOXFOUR, WE ARE COMMITTED TOHELPING YOU RECOVER FROM THEPANDEMIC...THAT INCLUDES HEARINGYOUR FRUSTRATIONS ON THE STATE’SUNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM AND TRYINGTO GET YOU ANSWERS.EVEN THOUGH MOST STATEBUSINESSES ARE OPEN AGAINMANYSELF-EMPLOYED BUSINESS OWNERSARE HAVING A HARD TIME.A MASSAGE THERAPIST TELLS FOX 4SHE’S BEEN DENIED UNEMPLOYMENTBENEFITS AND IS ON THE VERGE OFCLOSING HER BUSINESS FOR GOOD.FOX 4’S RACHEL LOYD SHARES HERSTORY AND A POSSIBLE SOLUTION.(:23 - :28)THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE BEENTOUGH FOR STACEY DEIKEN.

HERHUSBAND KEITH DIED FROM ACHRONIC LUNG DISEASE THREE YEARSAGO.

BUT SHE STAYED RESILIENT.SHE OPENED HER VERY OWN MEDICALMASSAGE BUSINESS IN NAPLES TOPROVIDE FOR HERSELF.THEN THE PANDEMIC HIT, FORCINGHER TO CLOSE HER BUSINESS.

HERUNEMPLOYMENT AND APPEAL WEREBOTH DENIED BY THE FLORIDADEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICOPPORTUNITY.I’ve borrowed money from prettymuch everybody I can think of -my sister, my girlfriendA HARD ROAD GOT EVEN BUMPIERWHEN HER FATHER PASSED AWAY INAPRIL, AND BECAUSE OF THEPANDEMIC SHE DIDN’T GET TO SEEHIM BEFORE HE DIED OR GIVE HIM AFUNERAL.BUT SHE SAYS THERE HAVE BEENSIGNS OF HOPE ALONG THE WAY.

SHESAYS HER CLIENTS HAVE BEENGENEROUS ENOUGH TO PAY INADVANCE FOR MASSAGES THEY’LL GETIN WEEKS OR EVEN MONTHS TO COME.It kind of makes me want tocrybut it’s really hard.SHE SAYS EVEN WITH ALL THE HELPSHE’S GETTING IT’S STILL NOTENOUGH TO PAY RENT FOR HERBUSINESSCONSIDERING HERLANDLORD WON’T GIVE HER ANEXTENSION.SO, I GOT SOME ADVICE FROM ACERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT WHOSAYS DIEKEN WAS DENIED BECAUSESHE’S SELF-EMPLOYED.

SOMEONE WHOIS SELF-EMPLOYED IS LIKELY ABETTER MATCH FOR "PANDEMICUNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE".

HEADVISED DIEKEN TO LOG INTO THECONNECT WEBSITE AND SEE IF SHEHAS A NOTIFICATION TO APPLY FORP-U-A INSTEAD.

SOMETHING SHESAYS SHE DESPERATELY NEEDS RIGHTNOW.What would break my heart is ifafter all this hard work, youknow, you just have to closeyour shop, and then do what?

Idon’t even know what I would do.LLTAG: DEIKEN SAYS SHE’LL KEEPME POSTED ON THE APPLICATIONPROCESS.

AND IF YOU’RESELF-EMPLOYED AND APPLY FOR THESTATE’S PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENTASSISTANCE THAT AUTOMATICALLYSUBMITS YOUR APPLICATI