Surviving COVID-19: Unemployment Insurance for Farm Owners

​With eateries, restaurants, and hotels closing down due to the ongoing pandemic, an alarmingly high number of farms face hardships with millions of kilograms of fresh produce going to waste. Daily produce that used to get hundreds of keen buyers is now becoming somewhat of a burden with farm owners struggling with where to dump the food. Most farmers report having started dumping unclaimed produce into compost pits or plowing them back into the fields. The good news is that Unemployment Insurance (UI) has been made available to self-employed individuals up to year-end.

Who Qualifies?
Farm owners who’ve felt the impact of the pandemic as their regular customers no longer buy their products can apply to receive UI benefits. This is exclusively available via the arrangement of the CARES Act, a countrywide public Coronavirus alleviation package for the public, passed in March. 

To qualify as an independently employed individual, you should: 

• Receive your essential salary from independent work 
• Self-confirm that you are jobless from your independent work 

This new qualification for UI benefits is just for jobless individuals or farmers who’ve had terrible income losses due to the Coronavirus pandemic. It’s significant since candidates are expected to clarify why the misfortune was explicitly due to Coronavirus, and not other market factors. 

How To Apply
Depending on the state you’re from, you can file a claim for unemployment insurance benefits on their website. Gather data regarding your salary for the previous five quarters first. Thereafter, to fit the bill for UI as an independently employed individual, you have to present the defense that your joblessness is directly a result of Coronavirus.  

If you think you’re unjustly denied UI benefits given the new data and conditions, you can bid try and appeal your case.

Unemployment Insurance FAQs
Here are a few questions frequently asked by people hoping to get UI:

• Do I still qualify if my spouse is employed off the ranch? 
  Yes. The UI depends on your primary salary, not the entire household's. 
• If my partner and I work on the farm as our essential means of income, can both of us apply?
  Absolutely, if both of you are farm owners, you're advised to report your salaries separately by splitting the total in two.
• What happens if the ranch posted a misfortune on taxes a year ago?
  Try your luck and still apply; you're not excluded from the benefits!
• Can this be used in tandem with PPP? 
  No. If you're already under the Paycheck Protection Program (another form of a relief support organization for COVID19), you're unfortunately not eligible to apply for UI since PPP funds are technically keeping you afloat.
• Is there another form of income I should report to UI case managers? 
  You have to report any extra income from the ranch (if you are adjusting your strategic policies, your UI benefits decrease as your salary from different sources increases).
• Does UI get taxed? 
  Yes, it does. You're expected to report and tax for your UI salary with your 2020 tax. You could set up withholding for when your case is affirmed.

Conclusion
This is one of the instruments accessible to ranchers presently to get past this troublesome time. It ought to be thought about when choosing which of the different sorts of government-funded help programs are useful or essential to keep your ranch afloat during Coronavirus.

At Insurance Agency Network, we aim to provide comprehensive insurance policies that make your life easier. We want to help you get the insurance that fits your needs. You can get more information about our products and services by calling our agency at (425) 681-0996. Get your free quote today by CLICKING HERE.