From Fox 5 Atlanta
By Dale Russell
ATLANTA - We've gotten a ton of calls and emails from viewers about
unemployment. It is complicated. But, we are going to try to make this as
simple as possible for you.
Viewers want to know how many
applications Labor Department is processing every day, how many are approved
each day, and most importantly - long will it take to get my money?
The department of Labor is
processing five thousand applications every day. The approval time varies. If
you file an individual claim you will get your money within thirty days. But,
if your employer files the claim you should get your money within seven days.
That is if the claim has no
mistakes. So, be careful.
How
long will it take to get your unemployment money
FOX 5 I-Team Senior Investigative
Reporter Dale Russell is answering your questions about filing for
unemployment.
Viewers ask us what if I am called
back to work part-time, do I lose my unemployment check? No, you don’t. You can work part-time and earn up to $300 a
week without affecting your unemployment benefits. You also keep the
weekly $600 Federal money as well.
Viewers wanted to know if they lost
their job because of COVID19 do they have to follow the normal Department of
Labor job search requirements. No,
they don’t. Those job search requirements are waived for any claims after March
14th - until further notice.
Many viewers say their company can't
get through the Labor Department system to file an unemployment claim. A Labor Department spokesperson says if there are problems
with the employer portal, the boss should email: uitaxanalyst@gadol.ga.gov
That should help jump-start the
process of figuring out what is wrong.
You also asked what a company you
work for goes under and doesn't reopen. Are
you still eligible for unemployment benefits? Yes, you are. But, your
employer needs to continue to file claims on your behalf
What if you are self-employed, or
work as an independent contractor, a so-called gig worker? Are you eligible for federal money? Yes. Pandemic
Unemployment Assistance was meant for you. This one is a bit complicated.
First, you need to file a regular
state unemployment claim. If you are not eligible for state benefits, the Labor
Department will email you an application for the federal unemployment money in
about three weeks.
Be patient. The Labor Department is
building a new computer program from scratch to handle this
Finally, if you do everything right,
and by the book, you can get $300 a week in state unemployment, and additional
$600 a week in Federal Pandemic Payments, and can still work enough to earn up
to $300 without effecting either of those payments.
Finally, we know a lot of you aren't
getting your calls returned. Be
proactive. The Labor Department web site is very good. Check their Frequently
Asked Questions, tutorials, DeskAids, and Chatbot. Most of your questions
can be answered there.
Good luck and stay safe.
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