Unemployed due to COVID-19? You may be eligible for unemployment benefits
23rd March 2020 · 0 Comments
By Emeka Dibia
Contributing Writer
The impacts of the coronavirus reach far and wide but one of the hardest places hit for many people affected is in the pocket.
The ongoing and ever-changing crisis has put hundreds of people out of work. The state put systems in place for those affected to receive unemployment benefits. However, you first need to make sure you’re eligible, then apply before it’s too late.
“Anyone that has lost their jobs due to COVID-19 can go online and apply for benefits; we do realize that the traffic on our website has caused it to crash once or twice today (March 17) and that our phone lines are being overwhelmed,” said Secretary of the Louisiana Workforce Commission Ava Dejoie.
Dejoie said in the first week of March there were 1,698 new claims filed. That number isn’t that far off from last year which saw 1,584 new claims.
However, that number could rise quickly.
According to Dejoie, on March 17, the Louisiana Workforce Commission received 1,800 calls by 10 in the morning. By noon, that number had risen to 3,600 calls.
The Louisiana Works Commis-sion started to move existing staff people to help assist with the dramatic influx of calls. In all LWC reassigned 25 people to help handle phone claims.
“If you were laid off from COVID-19, beginning on Monday (March 16) of this week, you have until Saturday (March 21) at 5 p.m. to file a claim. It’s important to know you have a week to file the claim from your time of unemployment,” Dejoie said. “The claim processing time will then begin from Saturday to Sunday. Your claim will be adjudicated immediately.”
Dejoie stressed the weekly maximum benefit in Louisiana is $247 per week. If you are a 1099 employee and do not have any wages paid into the unemployment insurance system for you from an employer, during four of the last five quarters, you will not be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.
“It’s a misconception that employees pay to the unemployment trust fund for themselves. It is employers that pay into it. It’s not unless you’ve been an employee that you are able to receive unemployment insurance benefits,” Dejoie said.
For employers concerned about COVID-19 and its impact on their experience rate – the rate by which businesses are assessed based on the number of employees they have that file claims – Governor John Bel Edwards made an emergency order that would exempt employers that experienced an uptick in claims as it relates to COVID-19.
Employees may be eligible for benefits, if their work hours have been reduced because of lack of work due to the Coronavirus; if their workplace closes temporarily, and they aren’t being compensated; and if they have been instructed not to report to work, and aren’t receiving pay while at home.
On March 17, the LWC extended its claim center’s hours of operation from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Those interested in filing a claim or learning more about eligibility, can do so at www.louisianaworks.net/hire or by calling the claim center at 1-866-783-5567.
This article originally published in the March 23, 2020 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
