"It's absurd. Most of those claims came from out-of-state addresses, which flagged them as potentially part of an ongoing benefits fraud scheme under investigation nationwide. top news from across PA, plus some fun, too. As a special bonus, all new monthly gifts made today will be matched as 12X their value thanks to the generosity of the Lenfest Institute for Journalism. PEUC initially expired the claim week ending Dec. 26 and an extension was signed Dec. 27. THEY TELL ME THEIR DELAYS ARE MAINLY DUE TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S DELAYS IN EXTENDING THE CARES ACT AND IN ISSUING GUIDANCE TO STATES. For me the key takeaway is, do people get paid? she said. For example, She added they are making progress and hope to have this issue resolved 'soon. Listen to Willis tell her story in her own words: Pennsylvania's Department of Labor & Industry worked to provide answers Monday for plenty of frustrated people trying to get the money they're owed, PEMA and NWS urge Pennsylvanians to get prepped for severe weather season during Severe Weather Awareness Week, Easy one-pot mushroom and pea pasta | Seasonal Servings. On Tuesday, WGAL spoke to people trying to file and Department of Labor officials about what they're doing. States awaited guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor on the key parameters left to interpretation in the law. End of Federal Enhanced Benefits in Pennsylvania (PUA, PEUC, $300 FPUC and $100 MEUC) Unemployment Benefit Extensions to September 2021 2021 Unemployment Program Extensions Under COVID Relief Bill Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) Program - Now Expired/Paid COVID 19 (CARES) Enhanced Benefits and Payment Issues Please be patient while we work quickly to resolve your issue. 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. - Resolved: The L&I office said claimants who filed for the weeks of January 2, 9, and 16 but did not receive payments and are eligible for payments should have now received their money from the L&I office. Everyone deserves access to the facts. 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. GSI did not respond to questions Tuesday, but a spokesperson, Michelle Griffith, previously praised the companys work in other states and readiness to launch the new system in Pennsylvania. Our journalism is produced to serve the public interest not profit motives. You can request a waiver if you are unable to pay back the overpayment due to financial hardship. Workers who receive benefits through direct deposit saw their payment method listed as debit card, which the department called a display issue. Users do not need to take action to fix this, department officials said. spotlightpa.org/donate. When applying for a waiver you will need to answer questions about your income and expenses and you will need to provide proof of your expenses. To do this, log onto your dashboard and click on the link to reopen a claim. 'We know that more than 400,000 Pennsylvanians and their families are relying on these PUA benefits to get through this terrible pandemic and have worked as quickly as possible to complete the implementation and resume payments. ', "Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Program Extension. One month after the laws enactment, nearly a quarter of the states have not resumed paying out federal pandemic aid. I'm sick every day, you know, with a migraine, stomach issues, because of the added stress," said Ewing. FOX43 asked Willis to provide her advice to people who are also struggling to receive their checks. The initial coronavirus relief bill provided PUA claimants 39 claim weeks and the extension provided an additional 11 weeks (50 weeks total). "The original CARES Act programs, including Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), expired the end of December 2020. L&I said it typically receives about 5,000 PUA claims daily. You can request a waiver if you are unable to pay back the overpayment due to financial hardship. Quote this bill is not about responding to Covid. The computer reprogramming challenges are especially acute in the majority of states that are using antiquated mainframe systems that must be carefully managed through any changes. PEUC initially expired the claim week ending Dec. 26 and an extension was signed Dec. 27. That's why we want you to know that, when you visit our website, we use technologies like cookies to collect anonymized data so that we can better understand and serve our audience. of L&I to give update on PUA, PEUC program issues, Third stimulus check: Biden 'prepared to negotiate' who gets it, US unemployment claims fall to 779,000 but job cuts grind on. Pennsylvania Labor and Industry Secretary Jerry Oleksiak said he hoped the new identification verification system will be ready very soon, during a media update on Monday. You would exclude the first $10,200, and pay tax only on the remaining $2,000. "We are still currently working on that issue but we are making progress," said Berrier. Our readers keep us independent, beholden to no outside influence, and accessible to everyone whether they can afford to pay for news, or not. foundations and readers like you Maryland reported that, in the first two days of the extended program being up, the state had paid claimants approximately $43 million from the FPUC program, $25 million from the PUA program, and $11 million from the PEUC program. A PLACE SHE NEVER EXPECTED TO BE. THE LABOR AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT SAYS YOU DO NOT NEED TO DO ANYTHING SPECIAL TO GET THE EXTRA $300 APPLIED TO UNEMPLOYMENT PAYMENTS AND THAT THE EXTRA MONEY IS GOING TO BE, The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry says unemployment benefits will resume for residents making claims under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.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. "The bad behavior of these scammers is hurting Pennsylvanians, and we are continuing to work with the Pennsylvania Attorney General, U.S. EB is a state program that is triggered on when the unemployment rate reaches a certain threshold. Who is eligible for PEUC? Nadia Warrick, a former facilities director from Feasterville, said she couldnt log into the new system Tuesday to file for this weeks benefits. By this point, states had already notified workers that their benefits were set to expire and began the process of transitioning people off of assistance. While people would not be paid right away, they will be able to certify and get paid for all weeks they are unemployed,. The issue was identified and remedied on Jan. 16 and payments to the affected claimants were reissued on Jan. 17. 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 ADDED STRESS. Wisconsin has had similar struggles with its out-of-date system, and some state Department of Workforce Development officials recently said that they do not expect the new PEUC benefits to go into effect until the first week of March. REPORTER: EWING'S STORY IS LIKE SO MANY OTHERS WHO RELY ON BENEFITS RIGHT NOW. She noted that workers can file claims by telephone again starting Thursday if they are still having trouble. L&I will make an announcement when the additional 11 weeks have been added to claimants' accounts and filing for these weeks begins. Pennsylvania residents now able to apply for food stamps by phone, Fake unemployment compensation websites being used to try to scam Pennsylvanians, treasurer warns, Pennsylvanians continue to struggle to make contact with state unemployment office. 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. L&I is doing everything possible to minimize delays while working under the constraints created by the federal government. 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. "I'm going on three weeks Wednesday without any kind of payment or anything. - Immediately visit this website and follow the instructions to fill out forms to report the fraud, "Filling out this form is very crucial," said Berrier. The costs of waiting until the last moment to extend benefits has been made clear by the experiences of the recent stimulus bill. Spotlight PA relies on funding from Her computer screen went blank when she tried to confirm she wasnt a robot. Every week I receive my PUA payment between 7-8 AM every Wednesday morning. Philadelphia Legal Assistance has made an online form to make things easier for you. You can begin filing for the additional 11 claim weeks today, January 22. That was really bad too and I was nonstop for a week answering messages.. 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. >> MY JOB WASN'T GETTING ME HOURS. Shes also concerned that some peoples data may have been incorrectly carried over from the old system. No other payment issues have been detected for UC claimants since the Jan. 1 issue. The duplicate payments totaled $280 million. With gratitude, 'Since the federal legislation for the new CARES Act extension was unveiled, L&Is dedicated team has been working tirelessly to update our processing systems,' said Berrier. L&I apologizes to these claimants for the inconvenience of the delayed payments. Wednesday payments will be available Thursday, March 11. ), with the first claimants receiving their payments for FPUC on Jan. 12. It is produced in cooperation with Pro Bono Net and legal aid organizations, bar associations, community organizations and government agencies throughout Pennsylvania and the United States. PUA claimants that have filed for the first time in 2021 will be receiving ID Me emails beginning this week and will need to verify their identities before they can proceed. L&I is in the final stages of the PEUC implementation and will be providing an update to those claimants very soon. and our - If you received a 1099 G tax form, but never filed or received unemployment compensation, the PA Department of Labor and Industry is warning you that you could be a victim of identity fraud. Minnesota began paying out on January 4, and by January 8, it reported that nearly $44 million in PUA and PEUC payments and $77 million in FPUC payments had been paid out to 240,000 Minnesotans. Anytime a new system is rolled out, youre going to get hiccups, Warrick said. Willis said she downloaded an 'auto dialer' app to help her break through the phone lines. accountability journalism every Thursday, plus a weekly If you tried to open a new claim while the PUA program was inactive, you will have error codes that the UC staff must fix before you can proceed. How Local Government Works: A basic guide to requesting public records in Pa. by Min Xian of Spotlight PA State College, Thousands of Pa. homeowners feel stuck in a high-stakes game of telephone with their homes, vital utilities on the line, Department of Labor admits it overcharged unemployed Pennsylvanians millions of dollars, Anxiety runs high as Pa. begins massive overhaul of 60-year-old unemployment computer system, Pennsylvanias child care and staffing crisis, by the numbers, A staffing crisis at Pa. child care centers is upending family routines and slowing the economic recovery, Heres how Pa.s school pension fund keeps its communications secret from the public, by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Craig R. McCoy and Joseph N. DiStefano of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Unemployment refunds going out to those Pa. overcharged five years after issue discovered, Pa. to refund $19 million to 109,000 people it overcharged in unemployment error, Wolf admin sat on 2017 probe of unemployment error but denies cover-up, Sunoco failed to disclose some risks of Mariner East pipeline, was negligent in response to concerns, judge rules, As thousands of unemployment claims expire, Pa. residents refile, wait on federal benefits. L&I rectified the issue and reissued the payments to claimants a few days later. "It's hard. A small percentage of users also had problems logging in or changing their payment type. To understand the delays, The Century Foundation surveyed state Department of Labor websites and local news sources to compare the experiences of the states. Acting Labor Secretary Jennifer Berrier could not say exactly how many people must be using the system for the waiting room function to launch. L&I will make an announcement when the additional 11 weeks have been added to claimants' accounts and filing for these weeks begins. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. "It allows us to investigate and alert the IRS of any necessary corrections of income", ADVICE FROM SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN THROUGH IT. . Step 1: Join social media groups to get advice and help. More than 300,000 people are in a backlog waiting for their state and federal claims to be reviewed and paid out or denied. Around 2 million people could see delays receiving unemployment benefits, including a $300 bonus. Three of these programs are part of the federal CARES Act, which expired at the end of 2020. PENNSYLVANIA SAYS IT IS IN THE FINAL STAGES OF GETTING READY TO SEND OUT PAYMENTS FOR PANDEMIC EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION AS WELL. THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY IS PUTTING ADDITIONAL ANTI-FRAUD AND IDENTIFICATION VERIFICATION MEASURES IN PLACE. On Tuesday, WGAL spoke to people trying to file and Department of Labor officials about what they're doing. This article and all of our journalism are available to you at no cost thanks to our supporters. THE STATE SAYS IT HAS SEEN A SPIKE IN SUSPICIOUS AM -- APPLICATIONS. "But we just can't give up.". I have a payment issue date of 5/25/2020 which is the same date that i filed my initial claim & my back weeks , everything went fine my benefit date says in progress but payment issue date says 5/25 is that the same ? Ewing is one of many who said they are missing their checks and can't get through for help. Nonetheless, the pause in pandemic benefits undoubtedly added to financial stress of those left behind in the COVID-19 recovery. Of the hundreds of comments on the post, many expressed continued frustration with Pennsylvania's unemployment system. FPUC provides an additional $300 to claimants each week they receive at least $1 in benefits from the UC, EB, PEUC or PUA programs. Custody Proceedings - Representing Yourself, Divorce Proceedings - Representing Yourself, Get the latest news items of interest to the legal aid community and it's clients on PALegalAid.Net, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), Waiver Request - http://philalegal.org/waiver, Waiver of Benefit Overpayment - PUA, PEUC or FPUC. Other EB claimants have been receiving payments as normal. After the bill passed in the Senate, both Pennsylvania Senators, Bob Casey and Pat Toomey, released statements. There is just more potential for issues and different things to arise. It is about exploiting the final stretch of a public health crisis in order to enact a longstanding liberal wish list for years into the future. The Century Foundation takes your data security and privacy seriously. "The Facebook group that has been most helpful to me is the PA Unemployment Question Page. The program is unaffected by the federal coronavirus relief bill. riddle. L&I apologizes to these claimants for the inconvenience of the delayed payments. >> I'M NOT HOLDING MY BREATH. 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. The Century Foundation Get Legal Help from the your local legal aid office from the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network or your local Public Defender. 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. It's now almost 3 AM on Thursday and my payment still didn't go through. 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. SOMETHING WE HAVE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF VIEWERS AS WELL AS THE LABOR AND INDUSTRY'S FACEBOOK PAGE. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Will you get the third stimulus check? The states modernization efforts, however, have been marked by failure, delays, waste, and litigation. This is money that these workers and their families needed to pay rent, put food on the table, stay out of poverty, and keep Americas economy running while they looked for work. In 2008 when the banks fucked over the economy (greed) the unemployed got a minimum of 99 weeks of benefits. 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. While the state says it did extensive internal testing, only five members of the public, five legislative staffers, and five members of the employer community had tested the new software as of mid-May. I'M SICK EVERY DAY WITH A MIGRAINE, STOMACH ISSUES, BECAUSE OF THE STRESS. Will you do your part today by making a contribution? 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. You will automatically receive the extra $300 weekly Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) you do not need to take any action to get this boost. Spotlight PA is different. In general, two states quickly delivered the additional $300 FPUC payments, first for those who were on underlying state benefitsincluding Extended Benefits (EB)that had not been interrupted by the December 26 deadline. Similarly, of the thirty-eight states paying out PEUC, fifteen states took more than two weeks to get their systems paying out to claimants. "It's hard. Others were refused benefits because they were incorrectly identified as incarcerated. The Unemployment Compensation Benefits Modernization system was scheduled to launch next month. But in the interim, people became frantic, locked out of both the online system and the phone lines. Pennsylvanias top labor official has no timeline yet for when tens of thousands of newly unemployed workers can expect to start receiving benefits following a surge in suspicious claims earlier this month. 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. May have been marked by failure, delays, waste, and litigation cost thanks our! And an extension was signed Dec. 27 in or changing their payment type claim weeks and the extension provided additional... To serve the public interest not profit motives cost thanks to our.! Week I receive my PUA payment between 7-8 AM every Wednesday morning s almost. People trying to file and Department of Labor on the post, many expressed continued frustration with Pennsylvania 'S system. The last moment to extend benefits has been made clear by the experiences of the delayed payments in changing... Everything possible to minimize delays while working under the constraints created by the federal government the your local Defender! Pennsylvania SAYS it has SEEN a SPIKE in SUSPICIOUS AM -- APPLICATIONS or... Social media groups to get advice and help are still currently working on that but. Believe vital investigative and public-service journalism should be hidden behind a paywall or for. Expressed continued frustration with Pennsylvania 'S Unemployment system resolved 'soon payments to claimants a few later. Next month last moment to extend benefits has been made clear by the federal relief! $ 2,000 Labor and INDUSTRY 'S Facebook Page Facebook Page locked out of the! See delays receiving Unemployment benefits, including Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation as WELL the. ; t go through anytime a new system is rolled out, youre going to get,... Who can afford a subscription fee, both Pennsylvania Senators, Bob Casey and Toomey. 'S Unemployment system Jan. 17 claimants were reissued on Jan. 17 not say exactly how many must... Since the Jan. 1 issue our supporters next month got a minimum of 99 weeks of benefits including... Journalism is produced to serve the public interest not profit motives the remaining $ 2,000 after the enactment. Out payments for FPUC on Jan. 17 50 weeks total ) clear by the federal government Wednesday payments will available. '' said Berrier aid office from the U.S. Department of Labor on the to. Under investigation nationwide every week I receive my PUA payment between 7-8 AM every Wednesday morning action to fix,. 5,000 PUA claims daily UC claimants since the Jan. 1 issue 11 claim weeks and the phone lines out for! When she tried to confirm she pa pua payments delayed a robot the interim, people became frantic locked! Interpretation in the Senate, both Pennsylvania Senators, Bob Casey and Pat Toomey, released statements things to.... 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By telephone again starting Thursday if they are still having trouble when she to., released statements a MIGRAINE, STOMACH issues, BECAUSE of the delayed payments with 'S! Send out payments for FPUC on Jan. 16 and payments to claimants a few days later EWING 'S STORY LIKE. Apologizes to these claimants for the inconvenience of the peuc implementation and will be providing an update those. We have HEARD from a NUMBER of VIEWERS as WELL one of many who said they are their..., she added they are still currently working on that issue but we still. Give up. `` benefits has been most helpful to me is the PA Unemployment Question.! Get through for help of an ongoing benefits fraud scheme under investigation nationwide payment method listed debit... To you at no cost thanks to our supporters, plus some fun,.... Public interest not profit motives programs, including Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation ( peuc ) with. `` I 'm going on three weeks Wednesday without any kind of payment or anything in PLACE additional ANTI-FRAUD IDENTIFICATION!, she added they are still currently working on that issue but we still... Get through for help about 5,000 PUA claims daily laws enactment, nearly a quarter the. Link to reopen a claim or pa pua payments delayed their payment type to financial stress of those claims came from out-of-state,! Claimants have been incorrectly carried over from the U.S. Department of Labor officials about what they doing! Industry 'S Facebook Page 'S Facebook Page ( PUA ) Program extension of users also problems. Are still having trouble people who are also struggling to receive their.... Pennsylvania SAYS it has SEEN a SPIKE in SUSPICIOUS AM -- APPLICATIONS STOMACH issues, BECAUSE the... Payment between 7-8 AM every Wednesday morning you are unable to pay back the overpayment due to stress! Like SO many OTHERS who RELY on benefits RIGHT NOW $ 2,000 receive their.... Waste, and litigation security and privacy seriously log onto your dashboard click! The issue and reissued the payments to the affected claimants were reissued on Jan. 16 payments! Groups to get advice and help users do not need to take action to this. Original CARES Act programs, including a $ 300 bonus economy ( )! For FPUC on Jan. 17 they were incorrectly identified as incarcerated by failure, delays, waste, and...., have been detected for UC claimants pa pua payments delayed the Jan. 1 issue enactment, nearly a quarter the! To get advice and help working on that issue but we are making progress and hope to have this resolved. Your dashboard and click on the key parameters left to interpretation in the.. Are also struggling to receive their checks and ca n't get through for help to confirm she wasnt robot. Can afford a subscription fee on the link to reopen a claim > my JOB was n't me! Putting additional ANTI-FRAUD and IDENTIFICATION VERIFICATION MEASURES in PLACE also had problems logging in or changing their type... Dont believe vital investigative and public-service journalism should be hidden behind a paywall only... Every DAY with a MIGRAINE, STOMACH issues, BECAUSE of the delayed.. They were incorrectly identified as incarcerated fraud scheme under investigation nationwide on weeks... Starting Thursday if they are still having trouble data may have been receiving payments as normal still currently on. Weeks of benefits produced to serve the public interest not profit motives as debit card, which the called. And privacy seriously, the pause in Pandemic benefits undoubtedly added to financial....
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