The mistake causing Marylanders to lose unemployment benefits

The new BEACON One-Stop application was supposed to make the unemployment insurance process easier, but some claimants say the poorly worded questions has caused them to lose benefits.

FOR THOUSANDS OF MARYLANDERSTRYING TO FILE FORUNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE.

WMA━2NEWS MALLORY SOFASTAII HASBEEN FOLLOWING THE ROLLOUT OFA NEW ONLINE SYSTEM TO MAKETHE PROCESS EASIER..

BUT ASSHE TELLS US TODAY & A CHANGEIN THE SYSTEM RESULTED IN SOMEPEOPLE*LOSIN* THEIRBENEFITS.úIT SHOULD ONLY TAKE A FEWMINUTES TO FILL OUT WEEKLYCLAIM CERTIFICATION QUESTIONS.THIS IS HOW THE DEPARTMENT OFLABOR VERIFIES THAT YOU STILLNEED UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE.BUT THE NEW SYSTEM LAUNCHED AFEW WEEKS AGOQUESTIONS..

AND IF YOU PUTDOWN THE WRONG ANSWER..

YOULOOKING AT HOURS OF WORK TOUNDO A SIMPLE MISTAKE.

DIANETAI WAITED A MONTH AND A HALFFOR HER BENEFITS..

AND WHENSHE FINALLY RECEIVED THEM SHEWAS ON THE VERGE OFHOMELESSNESS Diane Tai, filedfor unemployment insurance:2:43 I was looking at aneviction and was trying todeal with the backlog of laterent:05 SHE REGAINED HERFOOTING THEN HER BENEFITS WERESUDDENLY CUT OFF.

IT COINCIDEDWITH THE LAUNCH OF THE BEACONONE STOP APPLICATION SYSTEM ONAPRIL 24TH WHEN WEEKLYCERTIFICATION QUESTIONS WENTFROM 5 TO 10..

AND WERESOMEWHAT AMBIGUOUS DT: 8:46question number 6, during theweek listed above, did yoreceive any of thefollowing?//8:51 unemploymentcompensation from any state,federal, or canadian law:10 TOWHICH SHE ANSWERED YE&MARYLAND IS A STATE..

AND SHERECEIVED ━ HUNDRED DOLLARSFROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENTTHROUGH THE CARES ACT.

BUTAPPARENTLY THAT WAS THE WRONGANSWER DT: 8:15 No.

I didnreceive the benefits for thatweek:03 DIANE WASNONE CONFUSED.

IN RESPONSE TOALL THE FEEDBACK..

THEMARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF LABORREWORDED THE QUESTIONS & ANDPROVIDED CLARIFICATION..

BUTONLY AFTER PEOPLE HAD GUESSEDAT THE RIGHT ANSWER..

WEREDENIED BENEFITS..

AND TOLD TOCALL TO GET THEM BACK..

A NEARIMPOSSIBLE FEAT DT: 10:52 Itried all of the claim centnumbers as often as I can,theymatter what time of day ornight you call, Igotten a busy signal:12 THEAGENCY HAS SINCE RESPONDED TFACEBOOK MESSAGES SAYING DUETO THE CONFUSION..

THEYCORRECTING PAYMENT STOPPAGESRELATED TO THIS.

BUT FORMANY..

THAT HASNYET.

DT: 12:54 I know theydoing the best that they canbut itthat if we make a mistake, orsomething goes wrong, we getstuck in the middle of ourapplication, we canany live person for help itjust frustrating:1* FORDIANE AND SO MANY OTHERS&UNEMPLOYMENT IS A LIFELINE.THEYDEVASTATED WHEN THE CLICK OF ABUTTON CAUSES IT TO VANISH DT:14:49 itdignified and credible to mylandlord in reassuring hethat I can get her my monthlyrent on time WE JUST HEARDFROM DIANE━ SHE FINALLY MAIT THROUGH TO SOMEONE AT THECLAIMS CENTER..

AND THEYIMMEDIATELY FIXED THEPROBLEM..

AND A SPOKESWOMANWITH THE DEPARTMENT OF LABORSAID THEY WILL BE IMPLEMENTINGAN AUTOMATED SOLUTION TO HELPTHESE CUSTOMERS ..

THEY'RESTILL WORKING THROUGH THEDETAILS.

WE'LL PUT THE LATESTON OUR WEBSITE AS SOON AS WERECEIVE MORE INFORMATION.THERE YOU'LL ALSO SEE A LISTOF THE NEW QUESTIONS AANSWERS FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'TEARNED WAGES.

AND MALLORY HASHEARD FROM A LOT OF YOU ABOUTTHE UNEMPLOYMENT PROCESS.

SHEHAS ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONSAT WMAR 2 NEWS DOT COM SLASHREBOUND MARYLAND AND JOIN OURFACEBOOK GROUP“REBOUNDMARYLAN” FOR A DISCUSSION ONHOW WE "REBOU