Department of Labor extends hours due to influx of unemployment claims
March 19, 2020 at 7:51 a.m.
Providing Unemployment Insurance benefits is DOL’s number one priority and everyone who is entitled to UI benefits will receive them in a timely manner.
To that end, DOL is implementing a new more efficient filing system based on the first letter of the applicant’s last name (alphabetical order):
A-F: Monday
G–N: Tuesday
O–Z: Wednesday
Missed your day: Thursday and Friday
Filing later in the week will not delay payments or affect the date of an individual’s claim since all claims are effective on the Monday of the week in which they are filed.
Hours are also being extended as follows:
Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Friday 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Here is a step by step process to file a claim.
DOL is experiencing an unprecedented increase in the volume of calls and web traffic for Unemployment Insurance claims. This massive surge created intermittent interruptions in service. DOL is continuing to fix the problem as they monitor the situation around the clock.
By noon Tuesday, they received more than 21,000 calls, compared to the 2,000 in total last Tuesday and 110,000 website visits, compared to 42,000 last Tuesday.
DOL is adding staff and will be expanding hours to help address the rapid influx.
“Our dedicated staff are working as hard as we can to ensure that all benefits are paid and we will continue to do so,” states their press release. We appreciate the public’s patience.”
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