Health

Unemployment assistance remains an issue for several area residents

BOSTON — The stories may sound similar but these are different cases.

“I’m six weeks of no pay, no money, and it’s just frustrating,” said Abington mother Doreen Campbell.

“I only received payment for two weeks,” said South end resident Dominique Singletary. “I didn’t receive any money for all of the other weeks.”

After our story helped a single mom in Dorchester get her unemployment benefits, several more people have been reaching out to Boston 25 News with their stories.

“I was told it should take 24 to 48 hours,” said Campbell. “It says paid but pending.”

“I am a single mother of a one-year-old daughter. I’ve been laid off from my job since March 28. That same day I filed for unemployment. From 3/28 to 5/27 I haven’t received anything! I’m down to my last $50. My case still says ‘pending.’ I’ve called unemployment three times a week and spoken to over 20 different people just for them to keep tell me, ‘Your case is being worked on, you should receive the money by next week.’ Weeks have been going by and I honestly don’t know what to do. I’m stressed out and don’t know how I’m going to be able to support me and my daughter during this time,” said one anonymous viewer.

“I called them multiple times and when I finally reached them and they said it was due to them putting in the bank information wrong on their part,” said Singletary.

She says she’s thankful for the pay she’s received the last few weeks but was told she would earn money retroactively to when she filed the claim 2 months ago.

“For groceries, rent it’s still very difficult,” said Singletary. “Having to find other means, having to ask people for money, and having to owe people their money back thinking you were going to receive that money.”

The Office of Labor and Workforce Development wasn’t able to comment on either case but instead highlighted their staffing efforts.

“Over the last month, the customer service staff at the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) has grown from around 50 employees to over 1800. The remote customer service operation is now making over 32,000 individual contacts per day and DUA continues to host daily unemployment town halls – which have been held in English, Spanish, and Portuguese - and have been attended by over 240,000 constituents. Massachusetts was one of the first states to successfully launch the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program,” a spokesperson said. But for Campbell, it still isn’t enough.

“I’ve had five phone calls into unemployment that I’ve spoken with someone so I feel pretty lucky I did have had the opportunity,” said Campbell. “Everyone has been lovely and very professional but nobody seems to be able to get the adjuster to call me.”

Since April 20, 2020, a total of 371,202 claimants have filed for PUA and there are many success stories.

But if you are one of the people still waiting on your check, head to the contact form here.

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