Applying for unemployment benefits has been frustrating for many who are trying to navigate the online application process
Thank you for joining us tonight, i'm dan shaffer.
Every night at 6:00 we are looking at the coronavirus impact across north alabama.
400,000 people in alabama lost their jobs since the start of the pandemic.
The state admits about a third of them are still waiting for their first unemployment check.
Waay 31's i-team worked to find out way.
Waay 31's breken terry is live from the shoals with what she's learned.
Breken?
>> this this story you will hear from a cosmetologist a restaurant server, and a professor who are all struggling on various levels.
And none of them has seen any unemployment benefits yet.
>> i have tried to call them every day.
>> literally one day i tried over 150 times.
>> i called them 39 times.
>> meet jenna danielle, a.j.
Santos and richard wallace.
The coronavirus cost them their livelihoods.
>> i filed for unemployment on march 28.
>> i filed originally in alabama march 26.
>> like march 20th, i think.
>> all three are still waiting on the state for help.
>> trying to figure out how to stay afloat has been nerve-racking because i depolited all of my savings.
>> it's getting to the.where you get concerned about groceries.
>> if i can't get unemployment i'm not going to be able to survive over the summer?
>>: santos' claim was denied because it didn't list his most recent employer.
He tried calling to appeal or fix it but dets gets to answer.
Daniels and wallace don't know if their claims are being processed.
>> when i try to log in it will say i make too much money, which i don't.
You i don't know where they got that from.
>> wallace took me to the site to show the issues.
>> you can reopen your claim at initial claims internet site.
Ready for this?
>> yeah.
>> he clicks back to the original page and tries the other link.
>> okay.
So let's click on this.
Ready?
Look there.
>> i haven't heard anything about the website crashes.
>> tara hutchison is the spokesperson for alabama's department of labor.
I asked her about the list of complaints we heard from people.
>> if people can't even get in to talk physically with someone, then how can they tell you guys, hey, your website is not working?
>> well, they are very fovocal on facebook.
We get a lot of e-mails as well.
>> a lot of calls, too.
>> we understand that there are still issues with our inquiry line.
We're working to modify that, to make that more accessible.
>> everybody after contracting with a call center to add 100 people on the lines and reassigning employees to help with complaints.
Hutchison said there's not much more the state can do.
>> it's very tough.
All 50 states are experiencing the same thing.
This has basically been a tsunami of claims. >> the department said it's considering bringing back retired employees to help in this unprecedented time.
Time that's eating away at what money unemployed alabamians have left and still waiting for the state to help.
>> you know, the system is kind of broken.
>> i feel like our state wasn't prepared to handle this amount of claims. >> it's irresponsible.
>> now, the little bit of good news in all of this is that once or if you get approved for often employment the state will pay you back for those missed weeks.
They told me that's why it's important to log your weekly earnings so that they can pay you back.
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