Oklahomans Still Having Trouble Receiving Benefits

Oklahomans Still Having Trouble Receiving Benefits

TRAVIS GUILLORY... ISWORKING FOR YOU TONIGHT--TRYING TO HELP PUSH"SOME"... FURTHER ALONG INTHE PROCESS.NEARLY 200,000 OKLAHOMANSHAVE FILED FOR UNEMPLOYMENTDUE TO THE CORONAVIRUSPANDEMIC.

BUT, AS WE'REHEARING FROM MANY VIEWERS,GETTING THOSE UNEMPLOYMENTBENEFITS SEEMS NEARLYIMPOSSIBLE.

ONE VIEWERREACHED OUT TO OUR PROBLEMSOLVERS CORONAVIRUS HOTLINEAND SAID, "MY OKLAHOMAUNEMPLOYMENT DEBIT CARD HASZERO DOLLARS ON IT, BUT MYACCOUNT SAYS THE MONEY WASDEPOSITED ON APRIL 20."ANOTHER VIEWER SAID, "MYHUSBAND RECEIVED A CARDWITH A ZERO BALANCE." WESPOKE WITH ROBIN ROBERSON,EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THEOKLAHOMA EMPLOYMENT SECURITYCOMMISSION, WHO SAID, "OURWEEKS RUN SATURDAY TO SUNDAYSO IF YOU FILE ON A MONDAY,YOU WILL GET A CARDTYPICALLY WITHIN TWOBUSINESS DAYS BUT THEREWON'T BE ANY FUNDS ON ITUNTIL THAT FOLLOWING MONDAYBECAUSE IT WON'T PROCESSUNTILSUNDAY.

THAT'S WHY PEOPLEHAVE TO RE-FILE WEEKLYCLAIMS."ROBERSON EXPLAINED, "IFYOU'RE NEW TO UNEMPLOYMENT,KNOW THAT NOT ONLY DO YOUHAVE TO FILE THAT INITIALWEEK FOR YOU TO CONTINUE TORECEIVE BENEFITS; YOUHAVE TO GO IN AND UPDATEYOUR WEEKLY CLAIM." BUT FORSOME, THERE IS A MUCH BIGGERISSUE.

ONE VIEWER TOLD OURPROBLEM SOLVERS, "IWAS APPROVED IN MARCH ANDSTILL FILE WEEKLY BUT DO NOTHAVE MY CARD." ANOTHER SAID,"I WAS APPROVED FOR BENEFITSAND WAS SUPPOSE TO BE PAIDON APRIL 20, BUT I NEVERRECEIVED MY CARD FROM THEUNEMPLOYMENT OFFICE." HERE'STHE THING: THE CARDS DO NOTCOME FROM THE UNEMPLOYMENTOFFICE; THE OESC USES AVENDOR CALLED CONDUENT FORISSUANCE OF THE CARDS.ROBERSON SAID, "THE VENDORRAN OUT OF CARDS AND THAT'SWHY SO MANY PEOPLE ARERECEIVING LIKE A GENERICDEBIT CARD VERSUS ONE THATHAS OUR LOGO ON IT.

WEDIDN'T WANT TO STOP ANYONEFROM RECEIVING CARDS, SO WESENT OUT GENERIC ONES.

IWOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE PEOPLETOUSE THE ACH THE AUTOMATEDDEPOSIT OPTION VERSUS DEBITCARDS." 2 WORKS FOR YOU ALSORECEIVED A STATEMENT FROMTHE OESC THAT SAID, "THEOKLAHOMA EMPLOYMENT SECURITYCOMMISSION IS WORKINGCLOSELY WITH CONDUENT TODEALWITH RECENT ISSUES RELATINGTO THE ISSUANCE OF OKLAHOMAUI DEBIT CARDS AND THETIMELY DEPOSIT OF FUNDS ONSUCH CARDS.

WITH THE USPSEXPERIENCING STAFFSHORTAGES AT SUCH A HIGHLEVEL, CURRENT EXPECTATIONSCAN RUN AS HIGH AS 16 TO 18DAYS FOR THE INITIAL RECEIPTOF CARDS.

THIS WASCOMPOUNDED BY A RECENTSYSTEM MISHAP THAT LED TO A1 TO 2 DAY DELAY ONDEPOSITS." 2 WORKS FOR YOUHAS REACHED OUT TO CONDUENT,AND WE'RE WAITING TO HEARBACK FROM A REPRESENTATIVE.IF THERE IS A CORONAVIRUSQUESTIONYOU WOULD LIKE OUR PROBLEMSOLVERS TO LOOK INTO, CALLOUR CORONAVIRUS HOTLINEAT 918-748-1502 AND LEAVE AMESSAGE.

TRAVIS GUILLORY, 2WORKS FOR YOU.WE'RE SUPPORTING GREENCOUNTRY ORGANIZATIONS THAT