NEW YORK – The New York Department of Labor announced Saturday that it has distributed $ 3.1 billion to unemployment insurance recipients since the coronavirus pandemic began to affect New York businesses in early March.
In total, more than 1.4 million New Yorkers have filed full applications for unemployment benefits since the crisis began, including traditional unemployment insurance and pandemic unemployment assistance, the department announced.
NEW: NYS DOL has distributed $3.1 billion in unemployment benefits to NYers since the coronavirus pandemic started impacting NYS businesses in early March.
We will keep working around the clock seven days a week to ensure every single NYer gets every single dollar they deserve.
— NYS Department of Labor (@NYSLabor) April 25, 2020
“Every state faces great challenges due to unemployment, but in New York we are updating our systems while providing benefits to New Yorkers more quickly and aggressively compared to any other state,” said the state Department of Labor commissioner. New York, Roberta Reardon. “I have been unemployed myself, I know it is losing a job and while there is more to do, we have delivered more than a million New Yorkers billions of dollars in benefits in just six weeks. We will continue to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to ensure that every New Yorker receives every dollar they deserve.”
Every state is facing major challenges when it comes to unemployment, but in New York we are upgrading our systems in real time while delivering benefits to New Yorkers faster and more aggressively than any other state.
— Roberta Reardon (@NYSDOLCommish) April 25, 2020
Additionally, the Department of Labor announced the update of sections of its website for New Yorkers seeking unemployment benefits. These updated pages, which include the home page, an explanation of how to file your claim, information about the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program and more, are now easy to read and navigate, helping unemployed New Yorkers get the information. they need faster so they can apply for benefits.
With an unprecedented rise in jobless claims, the Labor Department has taken decisive steps to update its system, streamline operations, and improve its ability to serve New Yorkers. These efforts include:
• Launch a new simple website and with the help of Google Cloud.
• Undertake a major initiative to return calls to New Yorkers with partially completed applications and obtain the information necessary to process their claims. To date, the Department has made more than 625,000 proactive calls.
• Increase the number of Labor Department representatives who handle calls and process applications to 3,100 employees who work seven days a week.
Hours: Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. my Saturdays and Sundays from 7:30 am to 8:00 pm
• Implement a simplified online application that allows New Yorkers to easily apply for traditional unemployment insurance or the new pandemic unemployment assistance in one system.
• Be among the first states to release additional weekly payments of $600 to unemployed people, even before the federal government made funds available.
Since March 9, New York State has processed 1.4 million initial applications for unemployment benefits, including 207,172 during the week ending April 18 and 399,015 the week before.
Between March 9 and April 22, New York State has distributed $ 3.1 billion to support New Yorkers who lost their jobs.
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