Millions of workers who are self-employed, freelancers, or independent contractors qualify for a new unemployment program, set up under the recently passed CARES Act. But many are still waiting to apply for those benefits.

The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) expanded who is eligible for unemployment insurance benefits. Freelancers and independent contractors, previously excluded from these programs, now qualify through the end of July — and possibly beyond if Congress extends the program.

But it has been a challenge for states to get this money out the door. Unlike simply throwing more money at their existing unemployment insurance programs, many states have had to build new programs from scratch to help freelancers and independent contractors. Some of those programs are already accepting applications and preparing to send out checks while others are still being built.

Washington, Massachusetts, Georgia, and Alabama are among the states already accepting PUA applications, but many other states haven’t yet announced the dates for when they’ll have their program set up and ready for workers to file. Ohio, for instance, announced its program won’t be ready until mid-May, and many more states are telling workers to keep checking back for more information.

How to access Pandemic Unemployment Assistance self-employed, freelancers, or independent contractors

The best way to find out how to apply for your state’s PUA program — what the status of it is — is to visit your state’s unemployment website.

The application process for PUA programs is more complicated than for those who have been laid off or furloughed from an employer and who are eligible for regular unemployment insurance.

Keeping documentation about your previous income and wages as a freelancer, independent contractor, or self-employed worker is important and will help you when filing for unemployment. Keep documentation both about how you get your money and how much you have been paid per month in the past (old tax returns and invoices are good examples).

“Whatever documentation they have about how they get their money would be helpful,” said Michele Evermore, a senior policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project. If people are lacking documentation, they can file good-faith attestations about their wages to unemployment offices, but documents are preferred.

Why has it been taking so long for states to distribute Pandemic Unemployment Assistance funds?

Each state is running on its own timeline rather than a set one by the federal government. Washington state set up its PUA program by April 18, but the numbers of people logging on to apply for benefits was so great the website crashed and phone lines jammed, according to the Seattle Times. Massachusetts recently announced it would start accepting applications on April 20 — about 10 days ahead of schedule. Officials in Pennsylvania said freelancers and gig workers could start applying by the end of the month. Other states, including Alabama and Georgia, say freelance workers can start applying through their unemployment websites.

Other states, including Ohio, are already looking at a May timeline before they can get their PUA programs ready to accept applications, and others haven’t released timelines. New York and Michigan, for instance, are asking people to submit PUA claims but are holding on to them until their programs are up and running.

Finally, states have to program the computers in their unemployment systems with the new information — and some states rely on mainframes and programming that haven’t been updated since the 1970s.

It’s a complicated process, made even more complicated given the sheer number of people trying to get benefits at the same time. States first have to wait for the Trump administration to issue guidance so they know they’re administering a benefit correctly. Then they have to set up their own policies and interpret them to decide who qualifies, said Evermore.

“These benefits are layered on top of a system that works well in some states and works terribly in others,” said Evermore. “When a recession rolls around, how are people surprised that it’s hard to get benefits?”

Are the benefits going to run out?

With 22 million people applying for unemployment benefits over the last month, there’s already consensus in Congress that another relief bill is needed, with more money for unemployment programs.

Some ideas congressional Democrats are discussing include either extending the extra $600 a week in federal aid or adding more weeks before an individual would be kicked off regular UI benefits (without the extra $600 per week), a senior Democratic aide recently told Vox.

“We want to make sure that we have covered unemployment insurance with sufficient resources,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told Vox on Tuesday. “At this point in time, I don’t have a number, but we want to make sure those who are unemployed have the ability to support themselves and their families.”

If you live in a state that’s slow to set up its PUA program, it’s important to know that doesn’t necessarily mean you will lose out on your full amount of benefits. Retroactive pay was written into the law, so people who have to wait longer to file will likely get a bigger check up front, according to Andy Stettner, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation.

“You could be looking at a $5,000 check all at once,” Stettner told Vox. But with rent and bills looming when May 1 rolls around next week, many people are wondering whether they can wait that long for their states to get things together.

“It’s going to be hard,” Stettner said.

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This week Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested he might be ready to pump the breaks on any future coronavirus relief packages.

“We haven’t had much discussion about adding $2.7 trillion to the national debt, and the way that could indeed also threaten the future of the country,” McConnell recently said on The Hugh Hewitt Show.

Leaders of both parties have acknowledged that more aid is needed to address the overwhelming economic fallout that’s occurred during the pandemic, but McConnell appears increasingly reluctant to approve additional stimulus at the current scale.

With the likely passage of a $480 billion bill aimed at providing more funding for small businesses this week, the combined coronavirus relief will include over $2.7 trillion going toward workers, businesses, and states. These bills far surpass the roughly $1.5 trillion lawmakers approved across different bills in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.

But the current economic crisis and public health crisis is unprecedented; more than 22 million people have filed for unemployment insurance in the span of a month.

Many economic experts note that the stimulus that’s needed will have to match the singular magnitude — and nature — of the crisis. Additionally, they emphasize that current interest rates, which are lower than they were when Congressional Republicans imposed their tax cuts in 2018, reduce the cost of borrowing.

“We want massive, debt-financed disaster relief while the economy is in its medically induced coma,” economist Paul Krugman has said.

McConnell and other Republicans, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, meanwhile, have been hammering the idea that continuing to approve stimulus packages at this rate could be detrimental to the national debt. They’ve argued that the best response to the economic downturn may not be ramping up the degree of stimulus but to reopen parts of the economy strategically.

“The best way to get the economy back [up] and running is to begin to open it up again, rather than passing immediately another bill where we have to borrow,” McConnell told Politico.

While the timing around reopening the economy is by far the largest question on pretty much everyone’s minds, doing so too soon could result in further spread of the coronavirus, which would then have even worse implications for the economy down the line. As Vox’s Ezra Klein put it, “So long as the virus is a live threat, our economies won’t recover because we won’t let them recover.”

At this point, McConnell’s statements appear to indicate that he’s less open to the same types of stimulus that Democrats are proposing in the upcoming package — something lawmakers have dubbed CARES 2. Democrats have signaled that their priorities include expanding funding for states and cities, which are under severe financial strain due to tax revenue shortfalls, and including hazard pay for frontline workers.

While Democrats have leverage of their own in both the House and the Senate, McConnell’s comments make it seem like he’ll be putting up some serious opposition.

Support Vox’s explanatory journalism

Every day at Vox, we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you, and our audience around the world, with information that has the power to save lives. Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment: to empower you through understanding. Vox’s work is reaching more people than ever, but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn. Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation, but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles, videos, and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires. Please consider making a contribution to Vox today.