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How much will you receive for unemployment insurance in the US? 3:08
(CNN) - Unemployment benefits are becoming a financial lifeline for millions of Americans after their employers closed their doors to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The growing tsunami of layoffs has overwhelmed state unemployment systems as record numbers of workers try to apply for benefits. The situation is unlikely to improve in the short term.
The bottleneck comes after Congress passed a historic expansion of unemployment benefits, but applicants must be able to file their first claims before checks can start arriving.
- Unemployment benefit claims soared to 3.3 million last week, the highest number in history
The situation is so bad that governors have begun to apologize to frustrated people who cannot file claims and have to wait longer for their money.
"Unemployment benefits are extremely essential to support workers trying to make ends meet and stay connected to the job market," said Kali Grant, senior policy analyst at the Georgetown Poverty and Inequality Center.
This is how unemployment benefits work
The rules vary by state, but generally employees must have lost their jobs through no fault of their own, have a minimum level of previous earnings from recent employment, be ready to take new jobs immediately, and actively continue to look for work. States can now waive these last two requirements, as hundreds of millions of Americans remain in their homes, and many states have closed nonessential businesses.
Who is eligible for unemployment benefits also varies by state. Not all part-time workers qualify. And independent contractors and workers also don't, though Congress has created a pandemic unemployment assistance program that temporarily covers them.
The amount you could receive depends on your recent income and the state you live in, said Chad Stone, chief economist at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. Benefits range from about $ 200 to $ 550 per week, on average, depending on the state, and generally replace about 40% of wages. Although Congress just gave a push to those checks.
The time to file your initial claim is likely to take longer, so approval will also be delayed due to the large number of requests, but once this is done, it is estimated that your first payment will reach your bank account in two or three weeks by direct deposit. You no longer have to wait a week for benefits to begin, thanks to Congress.
If you are ineligible, you can appeal, though that process is likely to take longer these days, too.
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This is what Congress has just changed
In its recent stimulus package, Congress made several unprecedented changes to the unemployment insurance program.
Unemployed workers will soon receive an additional $ 600 a week in addition to their state benefits, for up to four months. That will significantly increase payments to people.
Lawmakers also added up to 13 weeks of extended benefits, in addition to state programs, which range from 12 to 28 weeks.
In addition, the new pandemic unemployment assistance program extends eligibility to those who are unemployed, partially unemployed, or unable to work due to the virus and do not qualify for traditional benefits. This also includes independent contractors, freelancers, and labor economy workers. The benefits of the pandemic program reflect what is available in the state.
Congress also allowed states to relax some of the rules to facilitate approval of applications.
Extended benefits and the pandemic program end before December 31.
What is the difference between dismissal and layoff? 2:22This is what happens when applicants try to apply
However, being able to file a claim is another matter. It's not nice: Americans have turned to social media to criticize their state unemployment agencies for failing websites, error messages, endless wait times, and busy signals.
The chaos has prompted several governors, including Mike DeWine of Ohio and Andy Beshear of Kentucky, to take to Twitter in recent days to acknowledge the frustrations.
Nils Warren has been trying to file an initial claim on the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity website for the past two days, but can't get over the first few steps. The online system will not allow the audio engineer to reset your PIN, and you cannot communicate with anyone on the hotline. The automated phone system told him Wednesday that he would receive a call within two hours. After more than six hours, the phone rang, but then it went offline quickly.
"It just goes round and round," he said of the agency's site. “It either boots you up or you get an error message. It's like Groundhog Day but worse. ”
The department, which recently pulled the system out for maintenance multiple times, apologized on Twitter on Wednesday for the difficulty Floridians have had in filing their claims.
Warren, who saw all his jobs at convention centers, meetings and sporting events disappear in mid-March, hopes the unemployment payments will help him cover his utilities, food and mortgage bills so he doesn't have to drain his savings. He doesn't expect to be booked again until the summer.
Meanwhile, the Texas online system is so overloaded that the state Workforce Commission recommends that people submit their documents at midnight or very early in the morning. The agency's website notes that usage is lowest between 10 p.m. and 8 am
In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo acknowledged Tuesday that the state system was not complying with the demand.
"I apologize for the inconvenience. It must be irritating to deal with that, ”he said at a press conference.
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Last week, the state Department of Labor received more than 8.2 million calls, compared to 50,000 in a typical week. Its online filing system had 3.4 million visits, compared to 350,000 normally.
The agency has dedicated 700 people to the unemployment insurance hotline and is training hundreds more. It has extended call center hours, added 20 additional servers to increase the capacity of its website, and is processing applications on Sunday.
The state is also asking people to apply on certain days, based on the first letter of their last name.
Still, even late at night, the agency's page warns that it can take more than an hour to apply.
"The site is so flooded that it continues to fail because you literally have hundreds of thousands of people at any one time trying to access the site," Cuomo said.
"People's stress is getting worse," he said. “You are unemployed, you are trying to access a damn website. You cannot access it. "
