Starting a business on unemployment in Mississippi

Self-Employment Assistance in Mississippi

Yes. Mississippi runs Self-Employment Assistance: you keep your weekly unemployment benefit while you start a business full time, with no work search. Profiled as likely to exhaust benefits. 40+ hours a week on the business and training.

How self-employment affects your benefit

Self-employed and 1099 claimants must still make three job contacts a week, one of them a job application; the other two can relate to their self-employment and must be logged, and earnings must be reported. Separately, the SEAP program lets approved claimants build a business full-time with no work search, and self-employment earnings are not deducted.

If you work less than full time and earn less than your weekly benefit plus $40, you may be eligible; the first $40 of weekly earnings is disregarded.

Your weekly job search

Contact three employers each week for full-time (35+ hour) work, at least one with a completed application or resume, and enter each contact's details in the Work Search section of your weekly certification; you must also register for employment services at a WIN Job Center or online.

Pontia keeps your job-search record for you and links to MDES WINGS job listings ('Find a Job Now') / WIN Job Centers, so your plan and your search run side by side.

Other help in Mississippi

• Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation: can fund a self-employment plan if you have a disability.
• Medicaid: Mississippi did not expand Medicaid, so the new federal work requirement for expansion adults does not apply here.
• SBA Microloans of up to $50,000, and free advice from your local SBDC and SCORE mentors.
• On SSI or SSDI: PASS and the SSDI trial work period let you test a business.

Questions