Since the start of March, 2,532 initial unemployment claims have been filed in Jefferson County, according to records from the Employment Security Department—averaging about 600 new claims each week.
These numbers mirror state and country-wide spikes in unemployment. The state’s unemployment department reported 143,241 claims filed in the week ending April 11.
That brings the state number of initial and recurring unemployment claims to more than 500,000 since social distancing measures began in early March due to the coronavirus.
During a press conference on April 16, Gov. Jay Inslee said the state paid $125 million in jobless benefits last week, the largest amount paid in one week since the program began during the Great Depression.
In Port Townsend, hundreds of restaurant workers, shop employees and boatyard workers were laid off when the governor issued his “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order. For many employees, this is their first time being laid off and navigating the unemployment insurance system.
Ensuring you receive your benefits can be challenging, especially when the department is overloaded with new claims. But the department hired 500 people to answer calls and help those new to the system receive their benefits, said Jim Vleming, Olympic region labor economist with the Employment Security Department.
The department also completed a system update over the weekend, and a wave of newly eligible people, such as those who are self-employed, could apply for benefits on Sunday.
Historically high traffic caused the website to slow for those trying to file claims.
Not only does unemployment insurance provide a percentage of one’s weekly income, but with the recently passed federal CARES Act, the program has been expanded to offer workers an additional $600 per week for four months on top of the unemployment insurance pay, Vleming said.
“If you have a job that’s on the books, you’ve been paying into unemployment insurance the whole time,” said Taylor Austin, a resident of Port Townsend whose claim was accepted after three weeks of struggling to contact the department.
“I think there’s a lot of stigma associated with unemployment, but you should seek out that benefit.,” she said. “It’s a resource that you have set up for yourself.”
Austin was gearing up for a summer of teaching kids and teens at the Northwest Maritime Center’s summer maritime exploration camps when the governor announced his “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order.
The Northwest Maritime Center announced it would close its offices and temporarily cancel all planned programs. Not only that, but her second job at the Uptown Pub ended as well.
When she found out she wouldn’t have work or a steady paycheck for the foreseeable future, Austin went to the Employment Security Department’s website to apply for unemployment benefits.
“It was my first time ever applying for unemployment,” she said. “It was totally new for me.”
The first important thing to know, she said, is that because of the current pandemic the unemployment system is different than usual.
If you are not eligible for regular unemployment, you might be eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. This applies to contract workers or self-employed workers. The state has also waived the requirement to submit records of three job searches each week since the governor’s order asks people to stay home and not out searching for jobs.
After making her initial claim, the website showed it was “in review.” Unsure when it would be approved or denied, Austin filed her weekly claims each Sunday after her initial claim.
But three weeks later, Austin’s claim was still under review.
“They don’t necessarily tell you if they need anything from you,” she said. “In a normal situation, you would call and say, ‘Hey, am I missing anything?’”
It turned out all she needed was to clarify an aspect of her claim about a former job. But it took hours of waiting on hold to get a person on the phone.
“I was on the phone all day trying to get through,” she said.
Once she finally spoke to a person and understood what had gone wrong with her claim, she received her weekly insurance within 48 hours, as well as back pay for the weeks her claim had been “in review.”
Austin recommends setting up direct deposit to receive the money as soon as possible.
She also recommends trying, despite how frustrating it can be, to get someone from the department on the phone to clear up any uncertainties about a claim. Even if you receive a letter in the mail stating your claim was denied, try to call and find out why. It might be that under the department’s new rules you are eligible for benefits.
“The application is very black and white,” Austin said. “But circumstances are not at all. People who have multiple or seasonal jobs that are still on record, that will push you further back in their approval of claims.”
Getting on the phone and calling when the department opens, setting up direct deposit, and making sure you file weekly claims are all steps to success to get your unemployment benefits.
Filing a claim sooner rather than later is also beneficial, she added.
“We don’t know how long this is going to last,” she said. “Having a long-term financial plan can really help the mental aspect of handling this situation.”
