Some out-of-work people say their former employers are still waiting to hear from the state’s unemployment agency. It’s a step in the verification process they say is preventing them from receiving benefits.
NBC 6 Responds has followed the developments of Marta De Torres’ claim. She says her claim became active in April.
When we spoke with her last week, she was still waiting for benefits.
“We deserve a system that takes care of us, not leaves us,” De Torres said.
After waiting months for help, she says she has learned a delay in the processing of her claim is connected to employment verification.
She says this prompted her to reach out to her previous employer.
“They sent me a letter saying they never heard from her, and they haven’t reached out to them,” De Torres said.
De Torres says when she reached out to her previous employer, they told her they had not received an unemployment claim for her.
According to the Department of Economic Opportunity’s website, “All employers during the last 18 months are reviewed and contacted regarding your employment.”
“I’m stuck, I can not apply for PUA yet, i am stuck in a pending moment, it is the same,” De Torres says.
De Torres is not alone.
“I am going into savings now just to get by and it is so frustrating,” Harry Zifferblatt said.
He originally applied in March and says he recently found out his latest claim for federal benefits is pending due to employer verification.
“Then I finally got some person on the phone who said they looked into my file and said, I’ve got the biggest feeling this is because the employer has not contacted the state or the state has not contacted your employer,” Zifferblatt said.
But without clear cut direction on how to move his unemployment claim forward he feels stuck.
“How do I get it to them so they actually can structurally look at it and say you know what, we made a mistake,” Zifferblatt said.
According to the DEO’s website, “If your employer fails to respond to a request for information by their deadline, a determination will be made with the available information provided in your application.”
