Where are your benefits? Idaho Dept. of Labor updates FAQ page

Where are your benefits?

More info is now available on the Idaho Departmennt of Labor website for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.

THANKS FOR JOININGUS TONIGHT..

IMMADELINE WHITE.IT'S NOW BEEN MORETHAN TEN WEEKSSINCE GOVERNORLITTLE DECLARED ASTATE OFEMERGENCY DUE TOCOVID-19 -- ANDSEVERAL IDAHOANS...ARE STILL WAITINGON UNEMPLOYMENTBENEFITS.BUT THEY TELL USIT'S NOT OFTENCLEAR ON THEIRCLAIMANT PORTALS ...EXACTLY WHAT THEISSUE IS --PREVENTING THEIRPAYMENT.FOR THOSE WHOLOST THEIR JOBSDUE TO COVID-19AND ARE NOTELIGIBLE FORREGULAR BENEFITS --PANDEMICUNEMPLOYMENTASSISTANCE IS A NEWPROGRAM... THATUSES FEDERALDOLLARS TO DOLEOUT BENEFITS.BUT SINCE THEPROCESS IS NEWTHERE HAVE BEENSEVERAL QUESTIONSLEADING TO ANINCREASE IN CALLSTO LABOROFFICIALS... BACKINGUP THE SYSTEM.THAT'S WHY IDAHODEPARTMENT OFLABOR REPS SAYTHEY HAVE UPDATEDTHE "FREQUENTLYASKED QUESTIONS"PAGE ON THEIRWEBSITE."IT USED TO JUSTKIND OF BE JUST ANALL OVER THEBOARD, HERE'S THEPROGRAM FORPANDEMICUNEMPLOYMENTASSISTANCE.

BUTWHAT WE'VE DONE ISWE'VE SPLIT IT INTO 3GROUPS -- AND ONEOF THOSE IS FORPEOPLE WITHPENDING ISSUES.

SOWE'VE GOT PEOPLEWITH PENDINGISSUES, SELF-EMPLOYED, ANDTHEN THE LOW-WAGEEARNERS.

AND UM SOWE DID THIS IN ANATTEMPT TO TRY TOANSWER MORESPECIFICALLYPEOPLE'S QUESTIONSTHAT DO HAVE THEPENDING ISSUES --BUT I KNOW THATDOESN'TNECESSARILYADDRESS THEQUESTION, 'WHAT ISTHE PENDINGISSUE?'"AS WE PREVIOUSLYREPORTED... REEDERSAYS CLAIMS AREGENERALLY WORKEDOLDEST TO NEWEST-- BUT IF YOU WEREONE OF THE FIRST TOAPPLY... AND YOUSTILL AREN'T SEEINGBENEFITS... IT'SLIKELY BECAUSETHERE IS SOME KINDOF INTERVENTIONNEEDED... ON YOURCLAIM.REEDER SAYS THEYARE IN THE PROCESSOF HIRING -- A FEWDOZEN MORE LABORDEPARTMENT