[ Read more: State says antiquated system to blame for unemployment claims backlog ]. “There are a lot of nuances to it that could easily result in an error in the claim. Phone appointments: (808) 762-5752. “I’ve got to hand it to my colleagues and the legislators because they actually took it on. ... (New Jersey and Hawaii are the others.) Please DO NOT overwhelm the system with multiple tickets. “We recognized that a massive amount of help would be needed to tackle the backlog of unemployment insurance claims that exploded in a few weeks,” House Finance Chairwoman Sylvia Luke said. Hawaii Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Program. Individuals are to submit their full name, telephone number … HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - The first wave of about 200 state worker volunteers began tackling Hawaii’s massive backlog of unemployment claims. Inslee addresses unemployment backlog, vulnerable workers and contact tracing data By Alexis Krell. khon2.com. People are so eager to pitch in that they got rolling Monday, two days before the official launch. On January 25, 2021, the Unemployment Insurance Division began paying the $300 plus-up (FPUC) on claim certifications for weeks ending on and after January 2, 2021. The unions -- the Hawaii Government Employees Association, the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly and the Hawaii State Teachers Association -- have signed up about 580 volunteers. Unemployment Tax in the Nonprofit Sector. Copyright © 2021 StarAdvertiser.com. Click here to see our full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak. Thousands Still Waiting Action On Unemployment Claims. One week after the launch of a call center meant to address the backlog of Hawaii unemployment claims, filers are still reporting problems getting through. “The challenge now is that the state doesn’t have enough computers at the convention center,” Saiki said. Volunteers assisted the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to process a backlog of unemployment insurance claims in April and May. READ FIRST. Telephone: (808) 529-4747, Bank of Hawaii sets aside $33.6M for possible loan defaults amid coronavirus shutdown, Man, 52, escapes from his car trunk after kidnapping in Kapolei, police say, Oahu’s move to Tier 3 is only a step toward recovery, Hawaii sees 52 new coronavirus cases, bringing the state’s total to 27,223, Supreme Court won’t halt turnover of Trump’s tax records, Aloha Stadium parking lot events prove popular with more being booked, Hawaii first to get new warships that can pull up onto beaches, Gov. But not all were at ease with the set up. Tens of thousands of claims also need additional scrutiny for a variety of reasons, including mistakes made by claimants, Murakami said. Read more: Help is coming to ease Hawaii’s severe unemployment claim backlog (Hawaii News Now) Lawmakers instrumental in effort, are also volunteering “We recognized that a massive amount of help would be needed to tackle the backlog of unemployment insurance claims that exploded in a few of weeks. It’s not quick. “It’s not an easy thing to file a claim,” Murakami said. 500 Ala Moana Blvd. Unemployment backlog hurting millions 07:25 "I know there are literally thousands of people in Indiana waiting," said Atwood, referring to her … READ FIRST. On the Internet all I get is ‘sorry high volume, try again later,’” he said. “I’ve been trying to get through all morning long between going online and calling them by phone. HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - The first wave of about 200 state worker volunteers began tackling Hawaii’s massive backlog of unemployment claims. “They (the labor department) already had volunteers down there and working seven days a week, but the volume is unprecedented.”. The Hawaii unemployment trust fund was recently projected to run out by May 10, according to previous PBN reporting, but Kunstman says that date has been pushed back, thanks to federal support. We appreicate your patience and cooperation as our staff work through the backlog of help tickets. 3. READ FIRST. That’s roughly 37% of the estimated 651,650 people in Hawaii’s labor force in March. They were the ones who mustered all the community support and put this thing together.”. “Yesterday was really good. Ige orders flags lowered in tribute to 500K Americans killed by COVID-19, U.S. tops 500K COVID-19 deaths, matching toll of 3 wars, VIDEO: Hawaii to receive delayed COVID-19 vaccine doses this week, Gov. #7-210 House Speaker Scott Saiki said a second shift will be added next week that could double the number of people processing claims. Copyright 2020 Hawaii News Now. And we have go through those individually and fix it.”. Honolulu, HI 96813-5080 830 Punchbowl St., Rm 110 Unemployment Important Links. State employees who would like to volunteer can sign up online at hawaii works.org. All rights reserved. HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - The first wave of about 200 state worker volunteers began tackling Hawaii’s massive backlog of unemployment claims. # JUSTin Backlog once again at Hawaii’s unemployment. Honolulu, HI 96813 Tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charities (like the Tax Foundation of Hawaii) may “self-insure” against unemployment … We’re hoping that over the next few days they’ll find more and be at the 500 capacity.”. It is not user friendly. In just a few months, Hawaii’s unemployment rate has skyrocketed from one of the lowest in the country to the highest. April 22, 2020 at 8:28 PM HST - Updated April 22 at 9:14 PM, Read more: State says antiquated system to blame for unemployment claims backlog, Hawaii reports 52 new COVID-19 infections; no additional fatalities, Watch ‘This is Now’: Oahu on track to ease COVID restrictions, Grammy-winning duo Daft Punk break up after 28 years, Vehicle crashes into hydrant on Ward Ave., sending water gushing onto roadway, Forecast: Blustery tradewinds to push up surf, but no heavy rains expected. We handle cases in the order they are received. More changes ahead for unemployment call center as backlog, fraud persist. Even some lawmakers have signed up to help. On Wednesday, he said, there were only about 50 people working at the labor department’s intake center when legislative leaders visited and resolved to take action. by Tom Yamachika, President, Tax Foundation Hawaii. “This should provide much-needed assistance to exponentially increase the processing capabilities of the state … and get people the relief they need.”. The state labor department reported last week that 244,330 unemployment insurance claims were filed between March 1 and April 15. Private contractor Maximus will wrap up its duties at the unemployment call center this week and is scheduled to be replaced by a reduced number of new in-house hires. “They have 150 computers set up today. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our guidelines. Only current state employees are eligible to volunteer to process unemployment forms, given the private nature of the information. University of Hawaiʻi employees, along with other state employees, have joined an effort to assist the Department of Labor Industrial Relations (DLIR) with its backlog of 237,000 unemployment insurance claims. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. “If she had done it right there, this would be done ... It’s frustrating. Hundreds of state employees are volunteering to help process Hawaii’s crushing backlog of unemployment claims in hopes of speeding up checks to workers idled by COVID-19. The $300 plus-up for back weeks is being paid in batches. Hawaii to idle state workers to process unemployment claims April 10, 2020 GMT HONOLULU (AP) — The Hawaii Department of Human Resources Development will soon redeploy idle state employees from various departments to help process a massive backlog of unemployment claims, officials said. IMPORTANT! The state public employee unions, who along with the Legislature helped organize the volunteer drive, said they hope the additional bodies will reduce the wait to weeks. One-hundred trained adjudicators will help the Hawai'i State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) process the backlog of unemployment claims. Back week … HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Union leaders and state legislators put out a call over the weekend for hundreds of state workers to help tackle the massive backlog of unemployment … Two weeks ago, in this space, we discussed the unemployment tax and insurance system and how employers are likely to be hit with a significant and automatic rate increase at the end of this year.. For many nonprofit employers, the system works differently. Over the weekend, employees from various state departments set up new work stations with computers — spread out in keeping with social distancing guidelines — to get ready for the anticipated influx at the convention center. The Hawaii Department of Human Resources Development says it will soon redeploy idle state employees from various departments to help process a massive backlog of unemployment claims. Watch “This is Now” live from the HNN Digital Center weekdays on KHNL or across Hawaii News Now’s platforms online and on mobile. By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the Terms of Service. They are going to be asked to bring their own masks, and the convention center will be doing enhanced cleaning all throughout the day while they’re there.”. “The state unemployment insurance computer system is from the 1980s. The total backlog of claims as of Jan. 13 is the most since Nov. 4, when the backlog of total claims was 890,185. Submit your coronavirus news tip. The COVID-19 impact on Hawaiʻi ’s workforce has affected a wide range of industries, according to a new University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization (UHERO) report.. Based on unemployment insurance claims … Learn more here. Claim Filing by Phone. David Ige says, Column: Don’t hurt vulnerable families; make taxes more equitable, Feb. 24, 1977: Tanker Hawaiian Patriot burns west of Hawaii, spilling 30 million gallons of oil, By Susan Essoyan sessoyan@staradvertiser.com. To handle the avalanche of claims, the labor department had to rely on an antiquated computer system. By Anita Hofschneider / … About 80 volunteers turned up for training and started processing claims in a cavernous convention center room where work stations were quickly installed over the weekend. HONOLULU — The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) today announced updated unemployment insurance claims information, including paying $2,349,952,775 and 2,117,125 weeks claimed since the onset of … Another room was being set up to add more work stations. Two weeks ago, in this space, we discussed the unemployment tax and insurance system and how employers are likely to be hit with a significant and automatic rate increase at the end of this year.. For many nonprofit employers, the system works differently. About 100 state Legislative staffers are also volunteering while various other state agencies are contributing the rest. Hundreds of state employees are volunteering to help process Hawaii’s crushing backlog of unemployment claims in hopes of speeding up checks to workers idled by COVID-19. A second call center will help those needing to reset passwords if they filed unemployment before and already have an account. On the phone I get busy signals. The Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation has made significant strides in addressing its backlog of unemployment claims, according to the department’s top administrator, but with new claims still flooding the state, any gains may be difficult to notice. “These people need to get paid — it’s super important,” said Caroline Sluyter, communications officer for HGEA. State employees who want to volunteer must obtain permission from their supervisor and wait until they are confirmed for a shift before going to the convention center, Sluyter said. Over the weekend, the Hawaii Government Employees Association, Hawaii State Teachers Association and University of Hawaii Professional Assembly put out a call to their members seeking volunteers for shifts to start Wednesday. “All of these people contributed so that thing exploded,” said Scott Murakami, director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. The state’s huge backlog of jobless claims has left many waiting weeks for benefits. Hawaii Governor David Ige acknowledged that there have been painful delays in getting benefits paid out, but also noted that the state has already processed 95% of unemployment applications. More claims processing centers, more workers getting trained, and some target dates for when you can get your money. A Gray Media Group, Inc. Station - © 2002-2021 Gray Television, Inc. 420 Waiakamilo Road, Suite 205Honolulu, HI 96817Main (808) 847-3246News (808) 847-1112. “We don’t want any additional people congregating that aren’t absolutely necessary. Many like Eric of Makiki hope the claims process improves quickly. House Speaker Scott Saiki said a second shift will be added next week that could double the … “We tried to speed it up as much as possible, but unfortunately some of those systems are rather dated as well," said state Labor Department Director Scott Murakami. We want to get it done, but it needs to be safe. DLIR has seen a steep increase in claims as a result of the COVID-19 health pandemic. He said he got a call this morning from a Labor Department staffer who told that he had to re-enter some of his weekly pay check records online, even though he hasn’t been able to sign on. Star-Advertiser staff writer Kevin Dayton contributed to this report. The campaign to muster volunteers is part of an all-out effort by legislative leaders, various state departments and public-sector unions to get relief to the legions of unemployed workers across the islands. After completing their training Monday, the 80 early-bird volunteers, many of whom were legislative staffers, managed to process 559 claims in about two hours, he said. “The fastest way to tackle this enormous problem was to coordinate an unprecedented, across-government effort. There have been 683 new cases in the islands in the last 14 days. State Sen. Laura Thielen took to Facebook to talk about the slow pace of the work, saying it took her almost four hours to process 29 claims. Although it was a training day and it was not at capacity, 2,500 claims were processed,” said Saiki. More than 250,000 people have filed for unemployment since March 1, creating a massive backlog that could take months to clear. For some, the loss of work has derailed dreams for starting over. It’s not intuitive,” she wrote. “It’s a lot of people, and they are social-distancing inside the center,” Sluyter said. House Speaker Scott Saiki said their goal is to ramp up to as many as 500 volunteers at a time at the convention center — if enough state computers can be secured. “As volunteers become more comfortable with the computer system, then I’m assuming they’ve be able to process more claims.”. “We can’t take volunteers from the outside for security reasons and confidentiality reasons,” Saiki said. “The processing of an unemployment insurance claim is tedious and complicated, and DLIR was working day and night to process them,” said House Labor Committee Chairman Aaron Ling Johanson. I almost broke down and cried this morning it was so frustrating.”. Hawaii’s unemployment rate shot up from 2.7% at the start of this year to an estimated 21.7%, the highest in the country, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent analysis by USA Today. The 69-year old shuttle bus driver was furloughed on March 24 and filed for unemployment shortly after that. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. Another 300 have signed up to help. Having trouble with comments? This effort was stood up in just three days.”. Figures from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that some 68,700 people in Hawaii are currently unemployed, giving the state a … All rights reserved. Showing some computer equipment awaiting setup at the Hawai‘i Convention Center on Monday were state Rep. Ty Cullen, left, state Comptroller Curt Otaguro and Ed Sniffen, deputy Highways Division director. Inside the Hawai‘i Convention Center on Monday, work stations were set up as legislators and other state employees who volunteered learned how to process unemployment claims to help deal with the backlog.
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