Unemployment numbers for January are due out today, and if economist's predictions are right, they'll be the highest in nearly two decades. Sandra Endo has information on how to make the process of filing for unemployment benefits as easy as possible.
EVERY SEAT IS TAKEN IN THE WAITING ROOM AT THIS WASHINGTON DC JOB CENTER. WITH STAGGERING UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS NATIONWIDE, STREAMS OF JOBLESS AMERICANS ARE CLUTCHING AT UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS AS A LIFELINE AND ARE STRUGGLING TO STAY AFLOAT.
It's been very very difficult. I've had to have the support of family members to help make ends meet and to pay the bills.
NEW CLAIMS HAVE DOUBLED SINCE LAST YEAR, HERE IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL WITH PEOPLE STAYING ON UNEMPLOYMENT LONGER THAN BEFORE.
IT'S A FAMILIAR STORY ACROSS THE NATION, AND GOVERNMENT OFFICES LIKE THIS ONE ARE FINDING IT HARD TO KEEP UP WITH THE INCREASED LOAD.
The phone lines are ringing busy all day most days so that's the first complaint and the second is the delay in getting the check and that's simply because of the volume we're seeing of people coming in and the number of claims we have to process so we're going to work on that to alleviate the backlog.
THERE ARE WAYS TO MAKE THE PROCESS EASIER:
-FILE ONLINE IF POSSIBLE
-BUT DOUBLE CHECK YOUR WORK. ERRORS ON THE FORM COULD DELAY YOUR APPLICATION
FOR WEEKS.
-AND HAVE ALL THE NECESSARY INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR FORMER EMPLOYER, EVEN THE PAST TWO EMPLOYERS AVAILABLE, TO MAKE FILLING OUT THE APPLICATION QUICKER.
Unemployment benefits vary from state to state, and usually it's nowhere near what the person was making before-- the average waiting time for that first
check to come after applying , is 21 days.
In Washington, I'm Sandra Endo.
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