New Yorkers seeking unemployment benefits deal with long waits and confusion
Confusion of unemployment benefits
States are scrambling to keep up with an unprecedented number of unemployment claims, including previously ineligible workers like independent contractors and the self-employed who can now apply for the new, federally-authorized Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, also known as PUA.
NEW YORK - On the day the U.S. Department of Labor revealed another 5.2 million Americans filed for unemployment amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Cuomo administration acknowledged those who are having trouble filing for benefits.
"It's great that the system has worked better for some, but if you're one of the people still struggling, it doesn't matter at all and we understand that," said Melissa De Rosa, secretary to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. "I sympathize with that and I apologize for that."
States are scrambling to keep up with an unprecedented number of unemployment claims, including previously ineligible workers like independent contractors and the self-employed who can now apply for the new, federally-authorized Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, also known as PUA.
Personal organizer Amy Boudin got a call from a private number on Monday night from someone claiming to be with the New York State Labor Department, asking for personal information such as her social security number.
"My husband was in the background going, 'No way! No way!' she said. "So I raised the red flag and I said, 'Sorry, I hope you can understand I'm not going to give this private information out.'"
Ever since, she has been trying to follow up and call back.
The state's Labor Department says don't be alarmed if you get such a call. The department tweeted: "We encourage you to remove any blocked call filters. Because our representatives are working remotely, incoming calls MAY appear as private. Anyone calling from the DOL will verify their identity by providing the date you filed your UI application & the type of claim filed."
Realtor Jennifer Nobis said she has been playing phone tag with the state for two weeks.
"I did receive a call on Saturday," she said. "I was able to speak to somebody briefly but we were disconnected so I have not been able to get through the unemployment process yet to move forward with the pandemic."
Nobis is following instructions on the state Labor Department's website, which says: "You cannot apply for PUA until you have been determined ineligible for UI benefits. You must apply for UI before you apply for PUA."
But the U.S. Labor Department said this is wrong and told FOX 5 NY in a statement: "A determination of ineligibility for regular benefits does not require an individual to have applied for and been denied regular UI benefits."
Mary Anne Trasciatti, the director of labor studies at Hofstra University, said these technical problems expose deeper issues that will outlast the pandemic.
"I think that the underlying problem here is the nature of work in the United States has changed and we have not caught up with that change," she said.
Still, people like Amy Boudin need help now.
"We have bills to pay, two kids to feed, we have our mortgage, our car payments, insurance," she said. "It's not easy. Not easy."
The state Labor Department said that everybody who is owed money will eventually get it. It said that it has made improvements to its website with the help of Google. Since the new system launched last Friday, the department called back 400,000 applicants.