Mississippi Department of Employment Security Announces Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation
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For Immediate Release
Date: January 11, 2021
Jackson, MS ---
Today, the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) announces that Mississippi will participate in the Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) program. On December 27, 2020, the Continued Assistance for Unemployed Workers Act of 2020 (Continued Assistance Act) was signed into law. In addition to other benefit provisions extended beyond their original expiration date of December 31, 2020, this Act created the MEUC program in which states have the option to participate. The state of Mississippi has chosen to participate in this program.
The MEUC program provides an additional $100 per week in supplemental compensation to individuals receiving certain unemployment benefits who received at least $5,000 of net self-employment income in the most recent taxable year. This benefit is payable for weeks of unemployment beginning with the week ending January 9, 2021, through the week ending March 13, 2021, for eligible recipients.
To be eligible for the additional $100 from the MEUC program, an individual must meet the following criteria:
1. Must be an eligible recipient of one of the following benefit programs:
- Regular state Unemployment compensation (UC)
- Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE)
- Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Service members (UCX)
- Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC)
- Extended Benefits (EB)
- Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA)
- Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)
- Self Employment Assistance (SEA)
2. Received at least $5,000 in net self-employment income, as defined in section 1402(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, in the most recent taxable year ending prior to the individual's application for regular UC.
3. Submits required documentation substantiating their self-employment income
It is important to note that recipients of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits are not eligible for MEUC.
MDES will issue notifications to individuals who are potentially eligible for the MEUC benefits.
As with any new legislation, states must work with the U.S. Department of Labor to ensure program compliance and integrity. Therefore, it is unlikely that all eligible claimants will immediately begin seeing these benefits.
MDES is updating the ReEmployMS system to accommodate provisions of the Continued Assistance Act for timely payment of benefits.
More information is located at mdes.ms.gov. Updates will be made as additional information becomes available.
