>>>
>>> THE
>>> THE PANDEMIC HAS SINCE SO MANY PEOPLE INTO A FINANCIAL
CRISIS WITH JOB LOSS, FOR LOWS,
BENEFIT CUTS, WE ARE OFFERING
GUIDANCE WITH OUR NEW SEGMENT
CALLED HELP-WANTED.
CALLED HELP-WANTED. OUR LEGAL ANALYST JOINS ME NOW,
SHE SPECIALIZES IN UNEMPLOYMENT
WHILE, GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING, NATASHA.
>> NICE TO SEE YOU.
YOU SAID HE RECEIVED QUESTIONS,
ONE ASKED THIS QUESTION, I
APPLIED FOR UNEMPLOYMENT AND
HAVE NOT HEARD BACK AND I CAN'T
GET THROUGH.
GET THROUGH. CAN I EXPEDITE MY APPLICATION?
>> COLORADO NOT UNLIKE THE REST
OF THE NATION IS SEEING THE
HIGHEST NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYMENT
CLAIMS IN HISTORY.
SINCE MARCH THEY HAVE PAID OUT
APPROXIMATELY $2.5 BILLION IN
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS.
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THE
DELAY WAS LAST WEEK THE
DEPARTMENT HAD TO HOLD $34
MILLION IN UNEMPLOYMENT
COMPENSATION BECAUSE THERE WERE
A NUMBER OF CLAIMS THAT WERE
FLAGGED AS FRAUDULENT.
LEGITIMATE CLAIMS WERE DELAYED
IN THE PROCESS.
TO EXPEDITE THINGS THE
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR IS ASKING
THOSE WHOSE LAST NAME BEGIN
WITH THE LETTER A-M FILE CLAIMS
ON SUNDAY, TUESDAY, THURSDAY OR
AFTERNOONS ON SATURDAY.
THOSE WHOSE LAST NAME BEGIN
WITH THE LETTER N-Z SHOULD FILE
CLAIMS ON MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS
OR FRIDAY OR BEFORE NOON ON
SATURDAY.
SATURDAY.
SATURDAY. IF BENEFITS ARE APPROVED THEY
ARE GENERALLY BACKDATED TO THE
DAY THE CLAIMANT WAS FIRST
UNEMPLOYED AND ELIGIBLE.
>> HERE IS ANOTHER QUESTION WE
GOT SOMEONE ASKING I APPLIED
FOR UNEMPLOYMENT AND WAS
DENIED.
DENIED.
DENIED. DO I HAVE ANY RIGHTS TO APPEAL
THE DECISION?
THE DECISION? >> THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
THE ANSWER IS YES.
A CLAIMANT WHO HAS BEEN DENIED
BENEFITS CAN ACTUALLY APPEAL
THE PROCESS SO WHEN A DECISION
IS INITIALLY MADE BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, THE
CLAIMANT WILL RECEIVE A WRITTEN
LETTER THAT IS CALLED A NOTICE
OF DECISION.
OF DECISION. ON THE DECISION IT TALKS ABOUT
THE APPEAL PROCESS BUT
GENERALLY THE CLAIMANT WILL
HAVE 20 DAYS FROM THE DATE THE
NOTICE OF DECISION WAS MAILED
AND THAT IS ACTUALLY ON THE
NOTICE OF DECISION.
SO THEY MUST FILE THEIR APPEAL
WITHIN 20 CALENDAR DAYS FROM
THE DATE OF THE NOTICE OF
DECISION.
DECISION.
DECISION. WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS THEY WILL
HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO
BEFORE A HEARING OFFICER AND
PRESENT EVIDENCE THEY BELIEVE
SUBSTANTIATES THEIR CLAIM AND
JUSTIFIES THE BENEFIT.
THAT PROCESS NORMALLY TAKES
FROM ABOUT 4 TO 6 WEEKS.
UNDER THE CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES
I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF
THERE IS A DELAY BUT THERE IS
NO HARM FOR A PERSON WHOSE
BENEFITS WERE DENIED IN
APPLYING OR APPEALING THE
DECISION BECAUSE ALL THAT CAN
HAPPEN IS THE DENIAL IS UPHELD.
>> LAST QUESTION, SOMEONE ASKED
IF I AM RECEIVING OTHER BENEFITS
WHILE UNEMPLOYED, WILL I STILL
BE ELIGIBLE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT
BENEFITS?
BENEFITS?
BENEFITS? >> THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION,
THESE BENEFITS ARE DETERMINED ON
A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.
IT IS HARD FOR ME TO SAY AND
ABROAD EXPLANATION WHAT WILL
HAPPEN SPECIFICALLY TO EACH
INDIVIDUAL CLAIM.
INDIVIDUAL CLAIM. BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING IF YOU
ARE RECEIVING A PAID BENEFIT
AND NOT EMPLOYED, YOU GENERALLY
WON'T RECEIVE UNEMPLOYMENT FOR
THE SAME TIME PERIOD.
IF SOMEONE IS RECEIVING
EMPLOYER PAID SICK LEAVE OR
EMERGENCY PAY SICK LEAVE OR
EVEN PAID LEAVE UNDER A FAMILY
MEDICAL LEAVE PROGRAM THAT THE
EMPLOYER MAY HAVE IN PLACE,
THEY MAY BE INELIGIBLE TO
RECEIVE BENEFITS FOR THE SAME
TIME PERIOD.
TIME PERIOD. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY
CAN'T APPLY AND BE AWARDED
BENEFITS. THEY JUST WOULDN'T
START UNTIL THOSE OTHER
EMPLOYER PAID BENEFITS RAN OUT.
>> AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU.
WE HAVE HAD SO MANY QUESTIONS
ABOUT THIS PROCESS AND IT CAN
BE COULD BE USING AND SPECIFIC
TO THE PERSON ON THE SITUATION.
ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOU COMING ON
WITH