FAQ about applying for unemployment in New York State

The federal CARES Act provides enhanced Unemployment Insurance benefits and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance for New Yorkers.

The Act was signed into law on March 27, 2020.

THOUSANDS OFWESTERN NEWYORKERS ARE AMONGTHE MILLIONS OFAMERICANS WHO ARENOW LOOKING FORWORK BECAUSE OFTHIS PANDEMIC.THAT IS PUTTING ASTRAIN ON THESYSTEM.ALA ERREHBI ISANSWERING YOURQUESTIONS ABOUTTHE NEW POLICIESTHAT ARE MEANT TOHELP.LAST WEEK MORETHAN THREE MILLIONAMERICANS FILED FORUNEMPLOYMENT ASTHE COVID-19PANDEMIC SHUTDOWN LARGE PARTSOF THE NATION'SECONOMY.

FOR MANYAPPLICANTS, THE TASKITSELF HAS BEEN ACHALLENGE."I LITERALLY CALLEVERYDAY FROM THETIME I WAKE UP UNTILTHE TIME THEY CLOSE.AND I DON'T GET TOANYBODY."PATTY MARSHALL ISONE OF THOSEPEOPLE.

SHE FILEDHER CLAIM BEFORETHE CORONAVIRUSWAS DECLARED APANDEMIC, BUT SHEHAS YET TO RECEIVEHER UNEMPLOYMENTBENEFITS."IT'S HARD NOTKNOWING WHEREYOUR NEXT MEAL ISCOMING FROM OR HOWYOU'RE GOING TO PAYA BILL."MARSHALL SAYS SHEFILED HER CLAIMMARCH SECONDONLINE, AND HASBEEN CALLING THEMSINCE THE FIFTH TOMAKE SURE THELABOR DEPARTMENTGOT HERDOCUMENTS.SHE STILL HASN'THEARD BACK.

BUT THEDEPARTMENT OFLABOR HAS BEENFLOODED WITH CALLS.IN A STATEMENT TO 7EWN LAST WEEK,THEY SAID THEYRECEIVED MORE THAN475,000 ON FRIDAY,AND HALF A MILLIONSITE VISITS.THEY'VEIMPLEMENTED A NEWALPHABETIC FILINGSYSTEM BASED ONTHE FIRST INITIAL OFYOUR LAST NAME."WHAT THEY'RE TRYINGTO DO IS AVOID THECRUSH OF APPLICANTSON ANY ONE DAY.

ANDSO THEY HAVE A CALLCANTER, THEY KNOWIT'S BEEN BACKED UPTOO.

THE TELEPHONEFILING HOURS HAVEBEEN EXTENDED FORNEW YORK STATE."BUT MARSHALL SAYSSHE WANTS THEDEPARTMENT OFLABOR TO HIRE SOMEOF THE PEOPLE FILINGFOR UNEMPLOYMENTTO HELP ANSWER THEPHONES."THERE'S SO MANYPEOPLE THAT WOULDWORK FROM HOME TOHELP WITH THESITUATION, EVEN IF ITIS JUST TEMPORARY."FOR MOREINFORMATION ONFILING FORUNEMPLOYMENTBENEFITS, YOU CANCHECK OUT THE WEBVERSION OF THISSTORY ON WKBW-DOT-COM.ALA ERREBHI, 7 EWN.ON WKBW DOT COM