Coronavirus Puts Colorado Unemployment Benefits At $100 Million Per Week
DENVER (CBS4) - The number of people who have filed for unemployment because of the COVID-19 pandemic has passed 450,000, according to new figures released Thursday by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. More than 22,000 claims were filed last week to bring the total to nearly the population of Colorado Springs.
"I stopped counting after 325 tries between May 6 and yesterday," said Pat Marotta on Thursday about calling the department to address her claim. "I understand they are probably inundated with people calling and I totally get that."
An executive assistant, her company told her she would be let go on March 23 because of the coronavirus. She called the first day she could and even got a pin number, after receiving one payment she never saw any additional funds. So she tried to file again but Marotta was told she was no longer eligible. She got on the phone with someone from the pandemic specific team for unemployment but she was told she needed to call the number for regular benefits.
Payouts are reaching $90 million to $100 million a week, before the coronavirus outbreak, that figure was between $7 million and $8 million a week. The trust fund that the state of Colorado uses to pay unemployment benefits had a balance of $1.5 billion in November 2019. CDLE projects they will be able to keep making payments through June, possibly early July. The federal government would then need to loan Colorado the money to keep making payments, these would be loans without interest according to state officials.
"It's getting a little tight now but you know, we can do that, we're tightening our belts," Marotta said. "It is a lot better when there's two incomes."
Her husband is still working but she says their family can only sustain another four to six weeks without any additional financial support. She has tried applying online but the system tells her she has already filed, she even submitted the form to get a call back. They are considering downsizing their home and moving if they can't get the assistance they need.
CDLE says unemployment usually lasts 26 weeks but there is a current extension to 39 weeks. The timeline in place will change as the order has become safer-at-home from stay-at-home in Colorado. People looking for work say they need the support now to keep them going so they can keep up their search for new employment. As someone who does administrative work, Marotta knows it's hard to find openings as businesses are operating at lower staff levels at their offices.
"I understand that but when I start calling, I literally have to walk around with my earbuds just redialing and every two minutes I have to redial," she said of the unemployment phone line. "I need the unemployment but I also need a job but I need to get on unemployment while looking for a job."
The team handling calls hired another 90 workers, bringing their total to 300. This team includes temporary hires and state employees who were brought on from other departments. CDLE staff continue to encourage the public to try submitting their information online and using tools from their website to answer common questions so they can avoid a phone call. The call back service is available for new claims but it can take up to five days for someone to get to your request.
"I don't get paid for it but my full time job is calling unemployment," Marotta said.
