APRIL SOURS
WOLF EXTENDS STAY-ATHOME ORDER, SCHOOLS REMAIN CLOSED INDEFINITELY
State officials are urging residents seeking unemployment benefits during a historic surge in claims to remain patient and persistent in attempting to apply.
“One of the issues is a lot of people are nervous about applying if they don’t know if they’re going to be eligible,” said Susan Dickinson, director of the Pennsylvania Office of Unemployment Compensation Benefits Policy during a press call Monday. “Our advice to you isn’t to spend time trying to reach us first. You should just go ahead and apply, and we will determine your eligibility after you’ve applied.”
The U.S. Department of Labor reported 3,283,000 new seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims Thursday for the week ending March 21, a 3,001,000 increase from the previous week’s revised level.
Pennsylvanians have filed 834,684 new claims over the past two weeks as the coronavirus has spread and thousands of businesses closed or laid off employees, straining resources at the state Department of Labor and Industry.
Dickinson urged those seeking unemployment benefits to file online at uc.pa.gov rather than over the phone if possible. The website has a COVID-19 “frequently asked questions” page that explains much about the application process and who is eligible, she said, and urged potential applicants to read through that for answers about the process.
Dickinson said that anyone who is unable to use the internet can still contact the benefits office by phone, but urged persistence and patience due to a historically high call volume. The office will not hold anyone responsible for missing a deadline to file because they were unable to reach the office, she said, and would backdate claims to the first eligible week of unemployment when they do get through.
Dickinson said the process should be thought of as a regular paycheck. Applicants open a claim but are not paid right away; they must be unemployed for two weeks first. After
those two weeks are up, she said, applicants certify their ongoing unemployed status and then receive money in an account a day or two later.
The amount will vary by person but is generally about half of regular wages and is
capped at $572 per week, said Dickinson. The money will be deposited into a designated bank account or put into a recipient’s stateissued debit card. Personal Identification Numbers for those cards are sent out separately once benefits are approved and that process may be a little slower than normal, she said.
Department of Labor &
Industry Secretary Jerry Oleksiak said there is no data available yet for unemployment by county or industry, which is handled by the Social Security Administration. That information will be provided once it is available, he said.
Furloughed employees, as well as part-time and seasonal workers are allowed benefits and should
feel free to file a claim, said Dickinson. The office can’t “predetermine” eligibility, she said, so those who are unsure if they qualify should file and await determination. There is still a referee process available to anyone rejected, she added, and those who feel they have been wrongly denied can file an appeal.
Oleksiak said states are
still awaiting guidance from the U.S. Labor Department on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act signed into law Friday by President Donald Trump. He was unsure Monday exactly how an additional $600 per week from that act would be applied and how it could benefit self-employed gig workers.