WAITING
WAITING WEEKS TO SPEAK WITH SOMEONE ON THE PHONE. PEOPLE ARE IN LIMBO WITH A LOT
OF QUESTIONS.
WE TRIED TO 4@GET THOSE QUESTIO
ANSWERED WITH THE COMMISSIONER
STARTING WITH THE PHONE LINE
ISSUES. 4@
>> A WEEK AMO AGO MONDAY WE
RECEIVED 250 THOUSAND PHONE
CALLS WHICH OVERLOADED4@ THE
PHONE SYSTEM AND BROUGHT IT
DOWN.4@
WE'VE STABILIZE THAT SYSTEM BUT
PHONE SYSTEM AND BROUGHT IT DOWN.4@ WE'VE STABILIZE THAT SYSTEM BUT@
WE HAVE ALSO IMPLEMENTED A CALL
SCHEDULE.
IF YOUR LAST NAME BEGINS A
THROUGH H 4@CALL ON MONDAY. I4@
THROUGH Q ON TUESDAY AND ARE4@
THROUGH Z ON WEDNESDAY.
WE USED THAT THIS WEEK AND I
WANT TO THANK PEOPLE FOR
COMPLYING WITH THAT REQUEST.
OF THE CALL VOLUME WAS DOWN TO
A LITTLE UNDER 50,000 PHONE
CALLS A 4@DAY.
ON MONDAY4@, TUESDAY AND
WEDNESDAY.
THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD
ANSWER ALL THOSE CALLS, WHAT IT
WEDNESDAY. THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD ANSWER ALL THOSE CALLS, WHAT IT@
DID IS IT ALLOWED THE SYSTEM TO
STAY UP AND RUNNING SO WE WERE
ABLE TO TALK TO AS MA4@NY PEOPL
AS WE POSSIBLY COULD.
WE WILL KEEP THE SYSTEM GOING
FORWARD4@4@4@.
>> ARE THERE CURRENT EFFORTS TO
ADD MORE STAFF TO HELP?
>> YES WE HAVE 4@BEEN COBBLING
TOGETHER STAFF FROM ACROSS THE
DEPARTMENT AND REALIZE THAT'S
NOT SUSTAINABLE.
WE ARE LOOKING AT BRICK
BRINGING ON A MAINE BASED CALL
CENTER4@4@4@4@ TO HELP WITH THO
CALLS.
>> TO HELP SPEED UP THE
PROCESS, WHAT IS THE BEST WAY
FOR SOMEONE TO TRY TO GET
ANSWERS RIGHT NOW?
>> WE TALKED TO PUT AS MUCH
INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE ON OUR
WEBSITE.
WE HAVE A QUESTION AND ANSWER
SHEET THAT MAY ANSWER SOME OF
THE COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
THAT PEOPLE HAVE.
WE DO ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE
TO TRY TO CALL.
WE ARE GOING TO BE INCREASING
THE NUMBER4@ OF 4@PEOPLE WHO AR
ANSWERING THOSE CALLS.
WE REALLY ASK FOR YOUR PATIENCE
AND UNDERSTANDING4@4@. THESE AR
NOT JUST NUMBERS TO ANY OF US.
WE ALL HAVE FAMILY, FRIENDS,
NEIGHBORS THAT ARE GOING
THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE.
WE REALIZ4@E THE IMPACT THIS IS
HAVING ON PEOPLE'S LIVES.
WE ARE WORKING AS DILIGENTLY AS
POSSIBLE TO RESOLVE ANY OF
THESE ISSUES4@.
>> IF SOMEONE IS INITIALLY
FILING, HOW LONG4@ DOES IT TAKE
THESE ISSUES4@. >> IF SOMEONE IS INITIALLY FILING, HOW LONG4@ DOES IT TAKE@
RECEIVE A DETERMINATION OF
ELIGIBILITY AND THEN FROM THERE
HOW LONG UNTIL THEY SEE A CHECK
?
>> A SIMPLE CASE LET'S SAY I'M
WORKING AT A COMPANY, THE
COMPANY HAS HAD TO TEMPORARILY4
CLOSE BECAUSE OF COVID-19 AND I
APPLY ONLINE AND I'VE BEEN ABLE
TO DO THAT SMOOTHLY, I KNOW
EITHER I HAVE A RECALL DATE OR @
IN REGULAR CONTACT WITH MY
EMPLOYER. A4@
DETERMINATION SHOULD BE MADE
WITHIN 10 TO 14 DAYS.
YOU SHOULD ALSO BE RECEIVING
YOUR BENEFITS IN ABOUT THAT
SAME TIMEFRAME.
>> LET'S SAY YOU 4@ARE ONE OF T
PEOPLE THAT HAVE WAITED A
COUPLE WEEKS TO GET A HOLD OF
SOMEONE AND WAITING TO PROCESS.
WILL YOUR PAYMENT, IF YOU ARE
ELIGIBLE, THE RETROACTIVE?
>> YES THOSE WILL BE BACKDATED.
>>4@ WE HAD A COUPLE4@4@ 4@QUES
ABOUT WORKERS COMP.
THEY MISSED A MONTH IN 2018 FOR
>>4@ WE HAD A COUPLE4@4@ 4@QUES ABOUT WORKERS COMP. THEY MISSED A MONTH IN 2018 FOR@
WORKERS COMP.
THAT SHUT DOWN THERE FILING
ONLINE.
IS THERE PAPERWORK THAT PEOPLE
NEED? 4@
>> LET'S SAY YOU WERE RECEIVING
WORKERS COMP A 4@WHILE AGO.
WE MIGHT BE LOOKING AT THAT 4@F
WAGES AS LONG AS YOU ARE ABLE
TO WORK. 4@
I KEEP 4@GETTING BACK TO THAT.
YOU NEED TO BE ABLE AND
AVAILABLE TO WORK IN ORDER TO
BE ELIGIBLE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT.
WHAT PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE,4@ TH
PROGRAM IS NOT ONLY 4@A
FEDERAL/STATE PARTNERSHIP, YOU
HAVE 4@TWO PARTIES SETTER4@
INVOLVED AS WELL.
YOU HAVE THE EMPLOYEE, THE
CLAIMANT WHO IS FILING FOR
BENEFITS AND THEN YOU HAVE THE
EMPLOYER WHO WILL BE VERIFYING
SOME OF THE INFORMATION
PROVIDED BY THE EMPLOYEE. YOU
HAVE TO GO THROUGH 4@THOSE STEP
BEFORE SOMEONE IS ACTUALLY4@
APPROVED FOR BENEFITS.
AND THEN THERE IS AN APPEAL
PROCESS AS WELL. 4@
EITHER SIDE