>> I'VE BEEN CALLING CLOSE TO 2,000 TIMES A DAY, TRYING TO GET THROUGH. L&I is doing everything possible to minimize delays while working under the constraints created by the federal government. Within the first 12 hours of the launch, more than 62,000 Pennsylvanians had filed claims and the Department of Labor & Industry deemed the new system a success. WE'LL PUT THAT ADDRESS FOR YOU AT WTA, Amanda Ewing, of Finleyville, said she hasn't received her unemployment check in nearly three weeks and can't get anyone on the phone to give her a reason. Data from the U.S. Department of the Treasury confirm the delays in payments. Editor in Chief. "But we just can't give up. But at the same time, I would think that, being so far along into this pandemic, they would have been building this new platform in the background and tested it and made it sure-proof for all of us people out here in Pennsylvania, who really rely on these funds.. Sign up for our free newsletters. There have been 28 million PUA claims in Pennsylvania totaling more than $5 billion in payments since March, according to the department. Pennsylvania's Department of Labor & Industry announced it is putting additional anti-fraud and identification measures in place for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program following a spike in suspicious applications. A swift enactment would be the best Valentines Day present that Americas plagued jobless workersand the states that are responsible for delivering aidcould ask for. It could amount to a two-week delay that hits mostly gig workers and long-term unemployed. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Throughout the entire month of January she only received one check for $105 dollars. HARRISBURG, Pa. Pennsylvania's Department of Labor & Industry announced it is putting additional anti-fraud and identification measures in place for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. "I'm going on three weeks Wednesday without any kind of payment or anything. The PUA payments, which are part of the latest federal stimulus package, had been delayed for weeks as L&I worked to update their computer system to meet new federal requirements. PUA Payment Delay? We have no billionaire owner or shareholders to consider. The delay also prevented states from getting a head start on responding to changes that the bill called for. 15 Best Amazon Clothing Brands Including Closet Staples and Statement Pieces, Memorial Day Sales 2023: The Best Early Memorial Day Deals You Can Shop Now, 45 Best Wedding Gifts That Are Way More Unique Than a Blender, 25 Trendy Amazon Spring Fashion Finds You'll Want in Your Closet ASAP. This payment is on top of the other program's payment. AND NOT -- WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT RECEIVING OUR MONEY. The program expired the claim week ending Dec. 26 and an extension was signed Dec. 27. PUA is the federally funded program created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that pays unemployment benefits to individuals, including independent contractors and gig workers, who otherwise dont qualify for state benefits because they are self-employed. "Important PUA program extension information for claimants follows. 2023Spotlight PA228 Walnut St., #11728Harrisburg, PA 17108-1728. Additionally . Visit PAVictimsHelp.orgfor more information. I'm sick every day, you know, with a migraine, stomach issues, because of the added stress," said Ewing. Former Director of Workforce Policy and Senior Fellow, states had already notified workers that their benefits were set to expire, 4.8 million people (including 1.3 million children), Working to Expand Doula Coverage This Black Maternal Health Week, Five Key Takeaways on Mifepristone, after Two Competing Rulings, Advancing Contraceptive Equity: Policy Priorities for 2023, Cuts to Medicaid Should Be Off Limits During Budget Negotiations, Its Time to Break the Link between Autism and Homelessness, Off-Kilter Podcast: Swimming with Dragons: What We Can Learn From Spoon Theory About Self-Care, The Recent Ruling on Mifepristone Could Undermine the Need for FDA Reform, Mapping Where Medicaid Policy Changes Can Improve Black Maternal Health. Unemployment compensation, PUA payments may be delayed, Pa. Department of Labor & Industry says. We are still adding 2020 as a base wage year in the system and will notify you when you are able to file for benefits. In a response to Pittsburgh's Action News 4, a representative from L & I wrote: The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry has made more than $33.1 billion in unemployment program payments during the COVID-19 pandemic. The slow rollout of aid has been eased by the $600-per-week stimulus that began to be processed immediately by the Department of the Treasury after the stimulus law was passed. With gratitude, The phone outage was unrelated to the new unemployment system and affected several state agencies, according to the department. Families who have been out of work for as long as nine months during the pandemic have reached the end of their financial rope4.7 million people were behind on rent, and for 4.8 million people (including 1.3 million children), this aid was the last thing keeping them from being thrown from the working class into poverty. The timing of the payments' arrival varies based on when claimants file the claims for their other unemployment benefits and the method the claimant chose to receive their payment (checks require mailing time, financial institutions may cause delays with direct deposits, etc. The good news is that payouts are starting to catch up, reaching nearly $9 billion in the fourth week of January, even though they are clearly still not reaching all that are eligible. You can request a waiver if you are unable to pay back the overpayment due to financial hardship. YOU MUST FILE BY JANUARY 29. She noted that workers can file claims by telephone again starting Thursday if they are still having trouble. PUA is a special unemployment program created by the federal coronavirus relief bill to assist claimants who are not typically eligible for Unemployment Compensation, such as freelancers, gig workers, and business owners. While people would not be paid right away, they will be able to certify and get paid for all weeks they are unemployed,. Half of unemployment payments may have been stolen by scammers | FOX43 Finds Out Fraud experts are estimating scammers may have ended up with just about 50% of unemployment payments since the. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. FOR AMANDA, WHO HAS NOT RECEIVED AN UNEMPLOYMENT CHECKS FOR -- CHECK FOR NEARLY THREE WEEKS, JUST GETTING SOMEONE ON THE PHONE TO ASK WHY HAS BEEN A STRUGGLE. Department officials said they identified two areas where several users had trouble. Other EB claimants have been receiving payments as normal.TEMPORARY FEDERAL UNEMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS:Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC)L&I has made approximately $1.1 billion in PEUC payments since March 15. incredible people, places, and food of Pa. every Friday. Attorneys, and other state and federal agencies to identify those responsible, L&I Secretary Jerry Oleksiak said.Pennsylvanians who believe their identity was stolen and used to fraudulently apply for unemployment benefits can report the theft online.L&I said people who have received unemployment benefits they did not apply for should not use the funds and instead return them. All states and territories have now updated their unemployment systems to account for the extra $600 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation payment to those eligible for regular unemployment insurance (UI).While the roll-out and payment of these benefits has been plagued by challenges with some states struggling a lot more than others . THE ADDED STRESS. We dont believe vital investigative and public-service journalism should be hidden behind a paywall or only for those who can afford a subscription fee. Some claimants who filed EB claims on Jan. 10 did not receive their payments on time due to a programmatic glitch. Her computer screen went blank when she tried to confirm she wasnt a robot. L&I is working to complete reprogramming of the PUA system to accommodate these changes and has turned off claimants' ability to file for weeks after the expiration of the original program. When she tried again later, she was told the new username and password she had just created were incorrect. Pennsylvania is among the states where scammers began filing PUA claims under stolen identities using personal information taken through previous data breaches that occurred outside of state government. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WGAL-TV. Claimants of other unemployment compensation programs run by L&I are also not affected.L&I said it typically receives about 5,000 PUA claims daily. There is just more potential for issues and different things to arise. "It's hard. The PA Department of Labor and Industry also touched on ongoing problems facing the PUA and PEUC programs. The act extended FPUC (a $300-per-claimant additional benefit to all recipients), PEUC (extended benefits for the long-term unemployed), and PUA (benefits for low-wage and self-employed workers not eligible for regular unemployment) through March 2020. Christopher Baxter "The bad behavior of these scammers is hurting Pennsylvanians, and we are continuing to work with the Pennsylvania Attorney General, U.S. Among Americans who did not have the same income as before the pandemic, 72 percent said they had trouble meeting basic household expenses and 31 percent reported not having enough money to pay for food. "But we just can't give up.". The expiration, however, caused a delay in issuing money for weeks. PENNSYLVANIA SAYS IT IS IN THE FINAL STAGES OF GETTING READY TO SEND OUT PAYMENTS FOR PANDEMIC EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION AS WELL. Claimants of other unemployment compensation programs run by L&I are also not affected. Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. 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Problems with delayed payments plague Pennsylvania unemployment system, Here's what you can do if you're still waiting for unemployment help in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, had been delayed for weeks as L&I worked to update their computer system to meet new federal requirements, Important Updates and News about the PUA Program, Important L&I Updates Related to COVID-19, Report Unemployment Fraud and Identity Theft, You can begin filing for the additional 11 claim weeks. 2001 - 2023, Pro Bono Net, All Rights Reserved. We will put more money in the pockets of working families, help our Children return to school safely and ensure everyone who wants to can be vaccinated. Andrew Stettner was the director of workforce policy and senior fellow at The Century Foundation, focusing on modernizing workforce protections and social insurance programs. foundations and readers like you The Department stressed email inquiries are the fastest way to get a response from officials and to send that email to the department (UChelp@pa.gov) with the last four numbers of the claimant's social security number and detailed information on the problem they are facing. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. She admitted the servers were running slowly because an estimated ten times as many people were logging on alongside the system launch. L&I has made approximately $7.1 billion in PUA payments since March 15. In the legislation, Congress enacted a series of new eligibility rules for the PUA program related to identity, employment verification, and weekly certification.1 In addition, hundreds of thousands of workers who had exhausted PEUC or PUA benefits before December 26, 2020 gained an additional eleven weeks of benefits that they could access if they were still out of work as of January 2, 2020, but they needed time to reapply and verify they were still out of work. The federal Department of Labor did not provide L&I with the necessary guidance for the changes to the PUA program until Jan. 11. In these states, jobless workers have been left with few answers, as they are forced to go without aid because of the stop-and-start nature of pandemic programs. L&I urged the federal government beginning in November to extend the CARES Act as soon as possible to prevent gaps or delays in unemployment program benefits to claimants. Other EB claimants have been receiving payments as normal. The new computer system, which only processes state unemployment benefits, was stood up by the same contractor, Geographic Solutions Inc., or GSI, that manages the technology for paying out federal pandemic benefits. The duplicate payments totaled $280 million. Our readers keep us independent, beholden to no outside influence, and accessible to everyone whether they can afford to pay for news, or not. PENNSYLVANIA SAYS PAYMENTS ARE NOW GOING OUT ONCE AGAIN FOLLOWING THE CARES ACT FUNDING EXTENSION. morning, plus a daily puzzle. Benefit Year End Delays to PUA With many claimants having received benefits for over 12 months, they would have likely passed their benefit year end date (BYE ). That group has over 3,000 members and there is a lot of knowledge being shared. That story is here. Privacy Policy. A request for waiver is available for non-fraud overpayments of benefits for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC). Step 1: Join social media groups to get advice and help. These two programs expired just before the end of December before President Trump. Everyone deserves access to the facts. The Century Foundation The federal government did not complete the extension until Dec. 27, and L&I has been delayed in restarting payments for the three federal programs by the federal Department of Labor, which did not issue all of the guidance needed to ensure states are following the federal law when making payments for the federal programs until Jan. 11. To understand the delays, The Century Foundation surveyed state Department of Labor websites and local news sources to compare the experiences of the states. Wednesday payments will be available Thursday, March 11. It has been lauded by the state as a necessary fix to the decades-old mainframe infrastructure, which officials have characterized as slow, unintuitive, and ostensibly held together with tape. This payment is on top of the other program's payment. Those who should have received benefits include all those previously collecting state or federal unemployment insurance (UI) on December 26, as well as those who exhausted PEUC or PUA benefits in 2020 and were still out of work. The initial coronavirus relief bill provided PUA claimants 39 claim weeks and the extension provided an additional 11 weeks (50 weeks total).Numerous changes, such as new identity and employment verification requirements, were added to the program in the extension by the federal government. PUA benefits ceased on September 4, 2021. PEUC provides UC claimants with a 13-week extension on their claim, with an additional 11 weeks added through the coronavirus relief bill extension, bringing the total to 24 weeks. ' "Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Program Extension "PUA assists workers who lost their jobs due to COVID-19 and are not typically eligible for other unemployment compensation programs. 15 Best Amazon Clothing Brands Including Closet Staples and Statement Pieces, Memorial Day Sales 2023: The Best Early Memorial Day Deals You Can Shop Now, 45 Best Wedding Gifts That Are Way More Unique Than a Blender, 25 Trendy Amazon Spring Fashion Finds You'll Want in Your Closet ASAP. Colorado, for example, has not been able to pay out FPUC, PUA, or PEUC to any claimants because its entire system has been down for maintenance, although it recently announced it will allow claimants to reopen their existing PUA and PEUC on February 1, more than a month after the programs were extended. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FILE FOR JANUARY 2, JANUARY 9, JANUARY 16, AND JANUARY 23. Put simply, a retroactive check in February cant be used to put food on the table in January. L&I apologizes for the inconvenience caused by the delayed payment and has worked to prevent the issue from recurring. It's now almost 3 AM on Thursday and my payment still didn't go through. On Tuesday, WGAL spoke to people trying to file and Department of Labor officials about what they're doing. Julia Simon-Mishel, who leads the unemployment compensation unit at Philadelphia Legal Assistance, said workers had trouble loading the systems webpages because of heavy traffic. 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