L&I laments PUA issues as two federal programs restart
More relief is here, and on the way, for many workers displaced by the coronavirus pandemic.
But there are still hassles.
Claimants statewide are now able to file for unemployment compensation benefits from two federal programs that ended Dec. 26, but have resumed. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation payments are now available to Pennsylvanians again, thanks to passage of the CARES Act extension on Dec. 27.
Both extensions will be for 11 weeks. PUA reopened on Friday and PEUC restarted on Sunday.
An estimated 400,000 residents benefit from PUA, a group that is not normally eligible for regular UC, such as gig workers, freelancers and self-employed workers.
Jennifer Berrier, acting secretary of the state Department of Labor & Industry, said on Monday that about 115,000 PEUC payments already have gone out.
The 11-week extension for PEUC claimants follows 13 weeks provided under the original CARES Act, which was passed in March. That 24-week total is on top of what a PEUC claimant received through the regular UC program.
Berrier, however, acknowledged that there have been issues with PUA claims. “Not everything has gone as smoothly as we wanted,” she said during a virtual media briefing on Tuesday morning. “This is not what we wanted to happen.”
L&I experienced a major upgrade in its computer systems to accommodate the resumption of federal programs. Apparently, a few proverbial bugs are still fluttering. They include slow website or website pages failing to load; early filing; and identification issues.
The most prevalent problem, though, has been experienced by individuals who filed for four weeks but received payment for just one week.
L&I said that is related to a recalculation of an applicant’s balance. The department said claimants do not have to refile for the weeks ending Jan. 2, 9, or 16 – that L&I will process the filed claims after the issue is corrected.