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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHow the pandemic and a broken unemployment system are upending people's lives
Ten bucks left, no place to go: How the pandemic and a broken unemployment system are upending peoples livesHe had five days to move out of the house in Brightwood Park, and now Daniel Vought stood looking at the plastic crates stacked in the living room holding his things. T-shirts. Power cords. Pokémon cards and stuffed animals. His beloved guitar a Gibson Explorer electric still hung on the wall. He figured it would be safer staying behind.
A new housemate was coming, one who could actually pay $800 a month for the room Vought, 30, had lived in rent-free since the coronavirus pandemic shut down the Georgetown bar where he worked.
For four months, his unemployment benefits application had been snared in red tape at the D.C. Department of Employment Services, a black hole of unanswered emails, phone holds and automated voice messages offering delays instead of answers.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of people in the nations capital have been sucked down the same confusing abyss. Through July 29, the employment office has fielded more than 133,000 claims, nearly five times the number processed in all of 2019.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/coronavirus-unemployment-delays-dc/2020/08/01/50016264-c522-11ea-8ffe-372be8d82298_story.html
live love laugh
(13,137 posts)It seems just to be another almost intentional Republican sabotage of a government agency.
I dont understand how things can be so bad at such a bad time.
MichMan
(11,974 posts)I believe she is appointed by the mayor, but I could be wrong
[link:https://does.dc.gov/biography/dr-unique-n-morris-hughes|
Nearly all state unemployment offices have been overwhelmed, so it certainly isn't unique to DC, but that doesn't give those waiting for their money much comfort. Mine was held up for 7 weeks in Michigan before I saw a dime of it.
live love laugh
(13,137 posts)Spoke to a friend in Tennessee just yesterday who talked about difficulties getting through to even file a claim. Here in Chicago some have never been able to get a check from as far back as March when shut downs began. Ive seen complaints from states all over the map. I dont understand why were having this problem nationally.
roamer65
(36,747 posts)There will be shanty town slums like Mexico City or Rio de Janeiro.