She says she was entitled to $84 in state and $600 in federal benefits. Many New Jersey residents are growing increasingly frustrated as they wait to hear back from the state's unemployment office after filing for benefits.  Since then, it gradually improved as businesses have attempted … Most claimants who exhausted those benefits have been notified that their payments are ready to resume. The announcement comes as record numbers of unemployment … Matt Wolckenhauer filed for unemployment last March but still has not collected any benefits. Ashley Balcerzak is a reporter in the New Jersey Statehouse. A breakdown of the claims in New Jersey shows the hardest-hit sectors are food and accommodation services, ambulatory health care, personal services and temporary employment agencies. NEW CERTIFIERS: If you received notification this week that your claim is payable, certify during your assigned time (see #1, above). April 14, 2020. Opened claim - collected two weeks and returned to work. I've worked over 20 years - never collected Unemployment until I was temporarily laid off in the summer. Unemployment is one of the most critical economic issues facing the country as it balances re-opening with safety months into the pandemic. RELATED: Stuck in the system: 33,000 NJ claimants still unable to receive unemployment extension benefits RELATED: Nearly 1 year into pandemic, many NJ residents still face issues … All rights reserved. Rockaway resident Alfred Cararo waited weeks for New Jersey’s Department of Labor to pay his unemployment claim. During the handful of times that Joe Almstadt was able to reach someone on New Jersey’s unemployment line, he didn't receive any helpful answers about why his claim status has been pending for four months. “That changed my status, but there was no way to get in touch with anyone to talk about that adjustment and what changed,” Anderson said. She said she feels “betrayed by the state.”, “I hung on to my job through most of 2020, in addition to having two children at home with special needs who are having difficulties with their behavioral health challenges, much less trying to get them to stay on their meds,” Sepulveda said. Sepulveda got through to a person twice, and each time the call center agent said her claim was under review — but they didn’t know why, or what she could do to fix it. She has read “every inch” of the Department of Labor’s website, mailed a letter asking for help, and visited the local unemployment office, where a large “closed” sign hung on the window. Twitter. “The feature simulates a human text response to provide real-time responses to the 20 most frequently asked unemployment-related questions," it said.  Since then, it gradually improved as businesses have attempted to reopen safely, … Unemployment benefits in New Jersey: how to claim weekly payment After a delayed rollout due to a need to program state computers for the 11-week benefits extension, New Jersey … NJ COVID news: Here's where to get ... Pereira has never gotten through to a live claims agent on New Jersey’s unemployment phone line. Reasons range from "a discrepancy over the reason for separation, reporting wages in more than one state or returning to work," among others, said department spokesperson Angela Delli Santi. US NEWS. The state Department of Labor launched a new call center in June and said it "continues to hire, train and reassign staff to assist where they are most needed." She redials the number for several hours a day. The state’s commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development says much of the problems with the state’s unemployment system are a … Tech for other state programs is at risk, too, NJ homeless count turns up grim reality amid pandemic, Here's where to get COVID-19 vaccinations in New Jersey, but supplies are scarce, For prisoners freed early during COVID-19, a changed — and sometimes lonely — world awaits, Bergen County is a mecca for diverse dining, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. It can be difficult to get through to the unemployment office to get help with your questions or resolve issues with your claims. “I’m recovering from a divorce. Brian Peyton, 50, of Vineland, N.J., was indicted on Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, by a … The overwhelming number of claimants have received at least one payment, they note. 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