As millions of Americans are again waking up with no job to go to, and yesterday, we learned another 4.4 million people applying for unemployment benefits nationwide, but many obstacles to getting that relief remain.
As our news desk call the NJ unemployment line, we received the same message that thousands have,
“Due to the high volume of calls waiting, we cannot take your call at this time.”
It is the frustrating automated phone message those who have lost their jobs in New Jersey cannot seem to escape. Nobody picks up. The system is completely bogged down for those going for unemployment insurance.
We spoke to Kimberley Rowell, a Ridgefield, NJ resident who, on March 29th, after the gym she worked at closed several weeks into the pandemic, hasn’t gotten a dime. When the state finally did confirm the certified personal trainers claim, he was told his weekly benefit rate would be $0.00 with no explanation. To make matters worse has not received her federal $1200 stimulus check either.
850,000 Hurting In New Jersey
She is one of more than 850,000 hurting in New Jersey. That is the number that has filed for unemployment benefits since March 15th last week. Last week another 4.4 million Americans filed for unemployment, bringing the total to more than 26 million in the past five weeks.
16,000,000 Have Gotten Checks
But only about 16,000,000 have gotten checks. Yesterday in a press briefing, when asked about the backlog Governor Cuomo, said, “we have done far more far faster than I think any other statement country.” Governor Cuomo’s office says the majority of the backlog is for those who now qualify for the first time through federal pandemic unemployment insurance, which took effect March 27th.
No One Will Be Denied
The Governors of New York and New Jersey both insist no one will be denied a penny of the money they deserve the problem is these people needed that money yesterday.
Unfortunately for Kimberley Rowell, she still must pay a mortgage and just received her first bill for her auto insurance for the year. Held hopelessly at the mercy of a wholly overwhelmed system.
The New Jersey Governor said yesterday, “The Department is still dealing with volumes that are Formidably stated unprecedented.”
It is time to fix this problem; this is long past broken. A public health emergency that is led to a cash crisis and neither is going away anytime soon.