Public Comments - North Carolina Senate Unemployment Insurance (May 14-19, 2020)

Summary

A compilation of public comments headed North Carolina Senate Unemployment Insurance Public Comments, with columns for date submitted, name and comments. The entries carry the dates 05/14/2020 and 05/19/2020. The commenters describe claims left pending for weeks, calls to the unemployment office that end in a full hold queue or a dropped call, and delays in receiving benefits. Some mention PUA, the $600 weekly payment under the CARES ACT, and contacting their senators or representatives for help. One comment states that an earning allowance should be waived or raised during the pandemic.

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“Public Comments - North Carolina Senate Unemployment Insurance (May 14-19, 2020).” Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2020-05-18-public-comments-308dacdf40/, SHA-256 cbe1dd5ea000cf9879c898418b0c6f1020009c9173b827a0e5d99dd75950500a.

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North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Date Submitted Name Comments
I originally filed on 4/4 and have been unsuccessful in receiving an response or getting in touch with anyone to help resolve
05/14/2020 Unemployment Claim Brandy Garner
the situation. Overall Iâ€™ve had a poor experience.
Yâ€™all are doing a great job! My mom and I both are laid off because of corona, I did receive my funds but my mom is still
05/14/2020 Mrs Brittany Upchurch waiting. Her name is Linda Coombs. We know yâ€™all are doing your best and encourage yâ€™all to carry on one day at a
time

I had an horrible experience I went over a month without receiving benefits and Iâ€™m still waiting. I told over a 100 times
05/14/2020 Ms Cheyenne Harris for weeks and the few times I did get someone on the phone they would say they couldnâ€™t help me then transfer to DES
and then it would just hang up on me I reached out to N.C. commerce Governors you name I just wanted to someone to
simply just tell me what was going on thatâ€™s all!

I filed March 25 and did not receive any unemployment benefits until May 6th. I called hundreds of times and sent
05/14/2020 Brittney Dellinger
numerous emails and filled out many forms on the DES website. The process was beyond frustrating and there was hardly
any communication. Also unless I checked on my money I was not notified once it was approved via mail nor email.

I submitted a claim for unemployment insurance before the PUA system was even a thought, being self employed I had
heard that it was possible during the time to file. With this in mind, I had hoped I was being proactive. Instead, my claim
has been sitting at â€œpending resolutionâ€•since March 29th and the few times that I have been able to reach a human to
05/14/2020 No Answers Danica Casey
talk to about it, theyâ€™ve either not been able to help, transferred me to other departments that hung up on me, or told
me all I could do was wait and see what happens. This has been incredibly frustrating during an already scary and stressful
time. If this pandemic has done anything, itâ€™s unveiled the failing system that makes up our public works and social
systems.

On March 15th, 2020, I began my unemployment insurance claim. Due to a error in the system, my dates of employment
would not register and therefore I was given an error message that I had not entered a separation. For four weeks, I called
the unemployment phone line and each time I received an error message saying that the hold queue was full and I would
need to call back later. After numerous times of calling and failing to connect, I tried to enter the same employer twice and
on the second addition of the employer, my dates registered. I submitted my claim in April 16th, 2020. I waited the two
05/14/2020 Mrs Catherine Ganzert weeks to receive payment and still nothing. I received no communication from the DES during this time. I called for two
weeks and each time received the same message that the hold queue was full and I would have to try another time. Two
weeks later, after trying every hour of each day to reach the office, I finally got through to an agent. The agent was helpful
and kind. She told me I would be receiving payment including back payment in two weeks. To date, I have not received any
payments. I have three small children and although these are unprecedented times, this is certainly a department that
should be prepared to handle such things. I am left with late and unpaid bills and in peril of not having a home for my three
children.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I have been unemployed since March 17th. My first case was was deemed ineligible due to wages but my current employer
was not listed so I reapplied April 1st. My case is still pending. I was laid off temporarily and am a single mother of 3 with
05/14/2020 Amanda Beasley no income. I canâ€™t get anyone of the phone I am told the call volume is too high and hung up on no matter when I call. I
have emailed numerous people. My second case is still pending. I found out if I donâ€™t qualify that I can apply
For pua but I canâ€™t apply for that while my case is still pending so Iâ€™m sitting in limbo mean while I canâ€™t pay my
bills.

I filed for unemployment on March 23rd. After 5 weeks I finally gave in and contacted my senator. I contacted him on a
Thursday. That following Wednesday my claim was through and received money the next day. I'm very thankful to him in
05/14/2020 Mrs. Ashley Gibbs working hard for us. I had no problems putting in my claim. I did have problems contacting DES on the phone. I called every
day for 3 weeks. Waited on hold for 5 hours got disconnected. My concern is what happens when my benefits stop.? I have
children and a home to maintain and it can't be done on a single paycheck from my husband. On that note. You are doing
awesome. Thank you. God Bless. Be safe.

I applied for PUA, since regular unemployment denied me for not making enough quarterly. The PUA then just sat in
05/14/2020 Carrie Spinney pending stage. I spoke with the office, they said they would push it through, I believe it was about 5 days later it went
through. It was over 2 weeks with all proper documentation. I know others who still do not have any unemployment. My
work was closed due to COVID, I am not an independent employee.

I filed for unemployment March 31st after being laid due to covid-19. My case sat in â€œpending resolutionâ€•for 4 weeks
05/14/2020 Dylan Daratt
before it was changed to allow. I emailed over 100 people connected to DES also including the general assembly of NC. I
spent over 30 hours trying to call through only to be hung up on or never be able to get through.
I filed the day I was furloughed on March 18, 2020. I filed all the required paper work at the time I was furloughed. I heard
nothing from unemployment about payment. Just constantly requesting more and more information. Once one question
was answered by myself they would request more information. Finally on May 14, 2020 I was informed that my Benefits
would start. I had spoken with Venessa numerous times sometime 3 times a week. I stayed in contact with my employer
all through the entire time.
05/14/2020 Mr Alfred Young
Now that I have finally received a payment on week seven I understand that my benefits will only last 5 more weeks. I
work with folks who are at a high risk and may not be able to return until the late fall depending on how things open back
up.

So for myself the benefits I will receive will only help for 5 more weeks from today. As they will stop, leaving me with out
an income.

Frustrating.
05/14/2020 Mr Alfred Rogers Took 6 weeks.
Something to think about .... everyone I dealt with on phone and/or web chat was from OUT OF STATE ... Missouri or
â€œin the Midwestâ€•. NC has an unemployment problem and it was handled by others... contraintuitive.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed for UI on March 27th. It took all the way until 5/4 to get it approved. I made numerous phone calls where I was on
hold for 2 to 3 hours at a time. I would finally get to speak to a representative, they would need to transfer me, and I
would get disconnected. It was very frustrating. It's also frustrating that NC has a very low earning allowance. I lost a part-
05/14/2020 Gillian Wilk
time job because the business shut down due to Covid. I am unable to get any benefits unless I basically quit my other part-
time job. This is not right. Either the earning allowance needs to be waived during the pandemic or it needs to be higher.
I feel like the $600 from FPUC needs to be given to individuals with reduced hours, and they shouldn't have to make $1 in
UI benefits to get this.

I called daily 187 times a day to the NC Unemployment office it never went through all reps were busy and all cues were
full. I emailed unemployment several times roughly 15 times and faxed them as well and no one
ever contacted me . It took me contact NC Rep Richard Hudson, Tom McInnis, whom contacteded me ASAP and contacted
NC DES on my half , I contacted Jamie Boles he responded a couple days later and contacted NC DES on my behalf . Once I
contacted them all I finally started receiving unemployment roughly 7 days later roughly a week ago finally On May 5, 2020
05/14/2020 Angel Kofoed
. I had Contacted Roy Cooper via email and fax and never got a response from him and I contacted him at least 15 times.
And I contacted the representative Allen McNeil he read my message my email but never contacted me back or attempted
to.

Sad thing is I applied for unemployment last year September 2019 and unemployment never contacted me and never
looked at my unemployment claim until this year March 15,2020 when I filed for unemployment due to COVID 19.
So the unemployment office has not been doing their job for a long time and us as Americans, North Carolina citizens we
pay our taxes and we should Be able to get help and assistance quicker than 6 months later!

I tried calling unemployment for 5 weeks. Got no answer or hung up on. I emailed them and got no reply. When I contacted
05/14/2020 Unemployment Diane Moore
my senators office I got immediate answers. They resolved my issues. I'm on a group on Facebook and they're is a lot of
people still having issues. If by chance they do get someone to answer the phone they are rude and then hung up on.

I had to contact Tom Mcinnis's office for help (again). I filed for unemployment after Hurricane Florence and it was a
05/14/2020 Mr. Edward Tatum
absolute fight to get the 130ish a week but it was just as confusing this go round when filing because of COVID 19 and I
understand they were slammed. I am expecting a letter like I got last time saying I owed the money back I had received.
05/14/2020 Unemployment Erica Pinchback I have been out of work since March the 20th due to the virus I was wondering what was going on

The tattoo shop I work at, Sacred Mandala Studio, in downtown Durham, closed March 16th due to covid19. Since I am an
independent contractor, I was able to file for unemployment or the PUA until late April. Due to website complications I did
05/14/2020 Mr Jerry Martin
my initial claim over the phone. Whoever I spoke with input my information incorrectly and itâ€™s been a nightmare since.
I have called up to 50 times in one day, and have called every day for almost 2 weeks. No one can seem to fix my back date
issue and get my back pack for the previous 6 weeks.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I'm getting unemployment benefits right now because PUA program kicked in. But on April 26th, I answered a question
05/14/2020 Jenny Chlopek
wrong when I completed my weekly certification. It still says "refused work pending resolution." I received and extra $370
this week so I'm sure where that came from even though it says NCDES UI benefits.
When you call to find out whatâ€™s going on with your claim you wait on hold up to 6 hrs then get hung up on or just
05/14/2020 Mrs Deanna De Leon canâ€™t get through at all. When I do get through Iâ€™m told â€œjust be patient, tour claim is up for review!â€•Enough is
enough! We need our money!!!!
My payroll information is incorrect in the unemployment system resulting in a denial. It still hasn't been corrected and I
05/14/2020 JAson Carr
still haven't been contacted.
It took me 6 weeks to finally get unemployment. I held on for 2 1/2 hours. I held that long because that was the first time I
had even gotten through. The process after that was quick. Within a few days. To say desperation and depression had set
05/14/2020 Tammy Chuby
in was an understatement. I feel like we were totally forgotten. I am not happy at all with the way this was/is being
handled.

05/14/2020 Mrs Deborah Christie It took one full day to get my application completed. Then to file weekly I found that if you waited until around
10 pm it was no problem . Other than that I had no issues and was very pleased.

I filed for unemployment on April 4th, and my claimant home page showed there was an issue with my lay off delaying the
05/14/2020 Mr Chaston Church processing of my claim. I tried for weeks to contact someone using all the contact info provided on the DES website,
including chat and email, but was never able to speak to someone, or not gain any insight as to how to fix the issue with my
claim. As of today, May 14th, my claim has yet to be processed, and I am still not able to reach anyone with my questions.

I am a self-employed hairstylist. The first time I applied I was denied, I was told to try again. So, I did. That was 4/3. It is
5/14 and my UI claim is still pending, which prevents me for applying for the new PUA. I received a letter to verify
employment for myself, I was told to disregard. Then I was told my claim was still pending because I had not verified my
self-employment. I tried to do so by phone but was unable, I tried online but because my SSN was tied to my UI account, it
05/14/2020 Desperate for answers... Aubrie Blackmon
could not be used to set myself up as an employer online. I have been unable to speak to anyone at DES since then. I tried
online chat but was quickly put off after a two hour wait. We are entering week 8 of no income. My UI is STILL pending and
preventing me from applying for the PUA I am owed. In 8 weeks of being ordered not to work, I have received no
compensation. I have very little faith that I ever will. I am beyond the point of desperation. I understand they are busy but
this is just unacceptable.

Its been awful and as you read this comment i still haven't received unemployment or anything for that matter. I have
spent 40 plus hours on the phone trying to reach someone , anyone and nothing. One day i spent 6 hrs on phone on hold
only to be hung up on.. talking about feeling helpless.. I have continued to try but at this point i will most likely be back at
05/14/2020 Dianna Lesperance work before i receive anything. Which sucks for me because now im behind on everything... If you call the new
unemployment number and are able to reach anyone they cant tell you anymore than what you see online. They hired
people to basically tell you what you can find out online and have no control to help or fix anything?? Like really what was
the point. At this point i have a better chance in catching the covid19 before i get a dime from unemployment!! If anyone
would like to help that would be awesome
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I have repeatedly tried to contact the unemployment office for help. One time I got through and supplied additional
documentation and answered questions, and was assured that would move my claim along. That was almost 3 weeks ago.

The second time was last week. A â€œspecialistâ€•was supposed to call me about my claim, and that has not happened.

It is now been eight weeks, and I have had zero income coming in.
05/14/2020 Mr John Shaughnessy
The situation is starting to get desperate.

All I need is for the unemployment office to either approve my claim and send me my back assistance, or deny it and let
me apply for pandemic assistance. I cannot do ANYTHING until my claim is moved out of pending.

Running emergency aid through the antiquated and dysfunctional state unemployment system had been an unmitigated
duster for myself and most people I know in my industry. We have no income coming in, and with social distancing, the
concert/event industry will not be back for a long time, and not in a form that will enable us to quickly recover. We need
help NOW.
I filed a regular UI claim on 4/2/2020. It has been pending since that date. I've emailed numerous times, sent faxes, and
made many phone calls. I need this claim number to be made ineligible so I can finally file under PUA. Every person I speak
with can't help me. I need to speak with someone directly from des, not the call center. The problem is the call que is
05/14/2020 Hairdresser Angela Allen always full and it just hangs up on you. I can't seem to get anywhere. This has been a very frustrating experience, to say
the least.. Thank you for reaching out to me.

Angela Allen

I applied for UI on 3/15 because our schools in Wilkes County closed due to Covid-19 and I was a substitute. I was then told
by a by a personnel person at BOE that substitutes can't get UI. I continued to file weekly hoping I would qualify for PUA
when it became available. On 4/24 I applied for PUA and it went to pending. I called the phone number offered by DES so
many times, and spent so many hours on hold, to either be disconnected without help, or getting the answer of "be
patient" when I did get someone to answer the line. I am a widowed mother of an 11 year old and times got really hard for
us. I had to get food from the local food banks and borrow money from family members. Thank God for the stimulus check.
05/14/2020 Ms. Jenifer Long
After almost 9 weeks I emailed my state legislator Laura Ballard. I received info back from Mr. Verbiest to do a survey that
was included in his email and that he was forwarding my info to try to get help. I was told if nothing happened within 3
days to email back. Nothing happened so I did email him back. I was then given 2 days pay and 2 payments of $600. I was
beyond thankful but still had no help with backpay. Instarted calling again and could never even get on the queue to be on
hold because it was full. I have emailed Ms. Ballard once again in hopes of getting my back pay. Patiently waiting...

Thank you,
Jenifer Long
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed unemployment for the first time ever made mistake answering questions..Can never get through Des line first thing
in morning at 7:55am says que full..Been calling since I filed to fix the issue.. All month of March I worked 2 hours a week
last day I worked was March 31 my checks were for $12 and $22..So trying to get it back dated..The question I answered
05/14/2020 Ms Christy Urbina wrong was did I work I put yes and I didn't I took PTO used my 5 day vacation got paid for that April 25th $355 so I know
that week doesn't count..But when I looked on my claim it says holiday pay which it wasn't just PTO..It also says non
payment cause I quit..I didn't quit nor did I get fired I actually couldn't find the answer not going due to kids at home doing
online school and my job hasn't worked me..If I could get that fixed or someone call me to fix the mistakes I would
appreciate it claim # REDACTED.. Phone# REDACTED.. Thank you have a good night!

I became unemployed when Governor Cooper closed all schools on 3/16/20 due to the pandemic. I was a part time
resource teacher at a private Christian school. All hourly and part time employees stopped being paid. I filed for PUA on
4/27/20. I knew I would be ineligible for normal unemployment due to churches not paying I to unemployment taxes.
When I found out PUA was for people like me who â€œnormally wouldnâ€™t qualifyâ€•for unemployment I was excited.
My excitement didnâ€™t last as I tried literally hundreds of times to call DES only to be told all ques were full, and to call
back later. When I did get through, I would wait 3-4 hours, only to be told by someone that they didnâ€™t have
05/14/2020 Mrs. Devon Payne
â€œclearanceâ€•to look at me claim. They could only see what I could see at home on their screen. I have emailed over 500
employees at DES with no response or a response saying it isnâ€™t their department. My claim has been in a pending
status for weeks, while several of my coworkers were approved the same day, and have been receiving benefits. There
seems to be no rhyme or reason to who is and is not approved. Hiring 1000 new people to answer phones isnâ€™t going to
help if they do not have the proper training or access to help people! The feeling of helplessness grows each day with each
failed call, wrong answer, and no movement on my claim. Thank you for listening, and I hope you all are able to help those
suffering in NC.

Was given the run around about the simplest forms had to wait over a month and a half to be told that my claim wasnâ€™t
done correctly in the first place do to a incorrect account number that was a system error from what the representative
05/14/2020 Issue upon issue Brandon Whitworth
told me. After speaking to three or four representatives being told that everything was fine and I was just waiting on a
resolution date to then be told by another person that she didnâ€™t know why they didnâ€™t catch it. Still pending
resolution as of today and still no answers but told to just wait .... and wait
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

By far the worst experience ever. No one is here to help at all. No one cares about us American people. This system is
05/14/2020 Miss Gabrielle Apperson terrible. I could never call because the moment you did the line hung up. No one ever answered emails to help. The online
assistance kicked me off every single time. The system Is a total failure. Iâ€™ve filed 2x now and nothing. Still nothing.
Itâ€™s been 6-8 weeks now and I still have yet to have my claim actually looked at.

Me and my boyfriend work in food service. We were laid off on March 15, 2020 because of covid-19. We, along with over
100 workers from the place we work for started filling asap when we got laid off. We couldn't get through for several
weeks, not even into the queue, to speak with someone about our claims. I have a letter stating I'm on layoff because of
covid-19. We haven't received any benefits and our claims are pending, status not changing, and it's been over 2 months.
05/14/2020 Della Woody
If we hadn't of gotten the stimlus check, we couldn't have paid our bills for May. I finally got through to someone on the
11th of may, and was told we had to file a new claim even though we've been filing our weekly certification every week.
Now it's going to be two more weeks to see if we get our unemployment?! How are we supposed to pay our bills, or me
get the medicines that I need. I'm high risk for covid19. I'm 56, diabetic, and underlying health conditions. And we need
our benefits and back pay from March up until now.

The filing of my claim was not the hard part. That part was easy. It was how long it took to get my unemployment once I
had filed. I filed around March 20. My unemployment was not approved until April 20. While I understand the
05/14/2020 Mrs. Amanda Poole-Loggains
circumstance that caused it to take longer, i donâ€™t understand why, when unemployment saw all these claims coming in
due to COVID they didnâ€™t jump faster to get claims through the system. I even contacted my Senator about it and it still
took 3 weeks after that. Letâ€™s hope if something like this happens again that unemployment will be better prepared.

I originally submitted a claim on March 22,2020 due to being laid off from my dental job because of the covid virus. The
online application was easy enough to navigate, but anything after that has been pure hell. For two weeks I listened as
others got approved and mine said ineligible because they couldnâ€™t establish my wages. So I immediately uploaded my
W2 from 2019 as proof. I also called daily and would either not be able to be connected to the queue at all or sit on hold
for hours. Two days in a row, my phone disconnected after 4 hours on hold!! So I decided to start emailing any and
everyone I could think of, from Gov. Cooper down to my local representatives. Within a few hours, I had responses from
state representatives who forwarded my information to the person at NCDES. Within a day, my approval went from
05/14/2020 Ms Edith Campbell ineligible to open. And then a payment. Finally. But it didnâ€™t back date to my initial claim date of 3/22/2020. It picked it
up from 4/5/2020. When I realized this, I immediately emailed the contact person who was helping me, Lockhart Taylor,
and I have not heard another word from him. I emailed a few times with no further response.
Also frustrating is the wage payment letter they send out. It would be helpful if it would list what the total amount of
monies is, how much tax is taken out, and what dates the payment is covering. For instance, when I got the bulk check
finally, I couldnâ€™t figure out the weeks it was covering because the numbers wouldnâ€™t evenly divide up into some
easy way to figure out if it was for three weeks? Four? Did it include the $600 extra? Who knows? None of that is explained
in the letters posted.
If it had not been for me taking action on my own to reach out to as many representatives as possible, I seriously doubt I
would have gotten this resolved.
05/14/2020 Unsuccessful Itianna Bowden I havenâ€™t been able to get through to unemployed or had anything accepted
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

While everyone is grateful for unemployment in this time of need, it has been incredibly stressful trying to get approved. I
personally waited 7 weeks before getting approved and that was after doing a bunch of emails to senators and people who
worked for department of commerce. Many others like myself have struggled making no income for many weeks and
05/14/2020 Elizabeth trying to pay bills and run a house and family. Even with stimulus check it only goes so far or many have yet to receive it.
The biggest issue with filing a claim is never being able to get through on the phone. When you do get through so many are
new and cannot heâ€™ll and transfer you, but the phone hangs up because the hold que is too long and will not allow you
to wait. Even with extended hours or chat line itâ€™s too busy being overwhelmed with people so many are left with no
idea
I filedwhat toon
for UI do3/21.
and no answers.
I am a Massage Therapist and Yoga Teacher - these are my main sources of income. I have a practice
in Shelby, NC that was growing, and doing really well before COVID. My books were full for the month of April and
beginning of May. I was slated to have the biggest month I've ever had. In addition to working as a LMBT and RYT, I work a
VERY part-time job as a barista. I've been working this job for a while, and will take shifts when business is slow, or when I
need a little extra cash. By no means is it a real factor in my income, it's really more of a way for me to engage with my
community. I'm always scheduled 1-2 shifts, but the nature of service is that there's always a giving/taking/trading in shifts -
so I average about 1 shift a week.

When I filed for UI, I listed that we were on reduced hours at the coffee shop, and that I was unable to work as a LMBT and
RYT because of COVID. The reduction of hours at my PT job qualified me for UI, which makes I'm unable to apply for PUA.
But now, we're back to normal hours at my PT job, and I'm still unable to work as an LMBT and RYT. My case has been
pending for over a month now, and I've yet to receive any payment. In addition, I've given up a couple of shifts because I've
had important meetings regarding my spa/main sources of income - and I'm worried that because I've forfeited shifts - this
will now disqualify me from standard UI.
05/14/2020 Jordan Brackett
As a self-employed individual, I find it very hard to understand how a PT job, with fluctuating hours, can impact my ability
to apply for PUA. The online system is ineffective, and the application process was a nightmare for SE folks early on. I've
received a determination, but no payment or updates. I've written e-mails in hopes an agent would reach out to amend my
claim - nothing. I've called every single day for over a month, up to 35x in a day - at all hours of the day - it's impossible to
get through. I've never successfully reached a DES agent.

I also learned that the call center lines are being staffed by a call center in FL. Which I find ironic! NC hiring folks in FL -
when their own people are struggling to make ends meet!

I am working on programs to take my business online, but it's layered - and I'll never make what I do in person. I am doing
all that I can. I'm drawing money out of my business account to cover my personal expenses, which I've never had to do
before - and something I told myself I'd never do. I'm living as minimally as possible, but I can't sustain like this much
longer. I'm debating whether to close up shop, or to try to push through.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Pending claim for COVID layoff since 4/3.Â

Got through to DES three times via phone. No one able to help. Transferred calls invariablyÂ led to disconnection or
message saying to try back later (no option to hold). I did receive a phone call from a DES rep the week of 5/4. She said all
looked fine on her end but offered no guidance for resolution timeline.Â

Chat is a great idea but has proved utterly useless; it also puts more people on the DES site for hours, while the site is
already under severe stress from claimants.Â
05/14/2020 Kimberly McCall

Sent more than 500 emails to DES employees and elected officials. Senator Burr's office had the indecency to recommend
I reach out to state leaders. This after Burr and his family profited from pandemic misery. When a million constituentsÂ are
unemployed, there should be no federal/state distinction (and DES *is* administeringÂ a federal program). Apparently my
other elected officials are hiding in a panic room without wifi or conscience.Â

It's understandable that benefits would be delayed in the chaos. But two months into the state shutdown, there are still
more than 500,000 of us awaiting a determination and payment - or direction on next steps. The additionalÂ people DES
hired do not appear to have the skills required to actually process claims.Â

I am a self employed sole proprietor cosmetologist. I applied for UI with DES on 3/26/2020 the day after my salon was shut
down due to the pandemic.. After a month of pure frustration and no communication I applied for the PUA on 4/25/2020. I
have received part of what I filed for and have an appeal for the difference in with DES since 4/30/2020.

05/14/2020 Mrs Barbara Lantz It has been an extremely stressful experience to call literally hundreds of times to be hung up on due to the cue being full,
then when you get in the cue to be on hold for up to 4 hours at a time. More than once I have spoken to someone who did
not have the training to address my situation or to help me. Thankfully this is the first and hopefully the last time in my life
I have has to apply for govt assistance and it is a wonder to me how anyone that needs it navigates this horrible system.

I hope and pray this example of govt overreach and slaughter of civil liberties has not caused a precedent. I fear my
industry and the millions of other entrepreneurs like us will suffer far worse than a virus when this is over.
Barbara Lantz
I filled for unemployment in January. It ran out about April 4. I couldn't start my job because the Outer Banks of N.C. was
05/14/2020 Deborah Cason shut down because of COVID19. I signed up for PUA . The only response I get is pending. I have been 5 weeks with no
payments.

05/14/2020 Melissa Thurman I applied March 19th and as of today my claim is still pending. Iâ€™ve spoken to several people and gotten several different
excuses. But none has been a resolution. At this point my kids and I are losing our home and vehicle due to this
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I had to refile on 4/12. It has been almost five weeks now and it still hasnâ€™t gone through. Pending resolution of â€œsix
times testâ€•that nobody has seemed to be able to give me answers about, although my wages were approved on 4/22.
05/14/2020 Unemployment experience Kristin Bare
Almost everyone Iâ€™ve talked to have ran into issues with not being able to get approved, and pending applications.
Some have been pending for nearly two months now.
05/14/2020 Mrs Aleisha London-knight
Claim been pending since i filed no correspondence and nothing in the mail. Keep being told by covid workers to wait
I filed my initial claim march 27 and did not receive benefits till may. There was no communication from DES, about; what
05/14/2020 kyle cunningham
need to be done. I had to talk to another filing for ir in order to figure out what to do.

I am highly upset because I was told I can file for unemployment whether I was laid off from my job or my hour were
reduced due to Covid-19. I was approved on May 4, 2020 after filing on March 22, 2020 but have not received one
payment because I guess I made to much with 20 hours a week but that still is nothing when youâ€™re used to working 40
05/14/2020 Kayla Boone
hours. I am very upset cause now I am really loving check to check when I feel I should have had a payment processed
through unemployment because I still lost hours! I have a 4 year old son that grows everyday and I canâ€™t even buy him
clothes because I have to worry about paying my bills, even though I have short checks. Itâ€™s unfair and I feel everyone
should receive unemployment whether they lost their job or lost their hours due to a pandemic we canâ€™t control!!!
My last day of employment was April 10th at waxhaw weekday children's Ministry. The childcare center closed due to
covid 19. Since this is a nonprofit organization I was told by my employer to wait and file for the PUA on April 24th. Since
05/14/2020 Childcare Jessica Griffin then I have not been approved. My claim currently says ineligible. This has been a very stressful time. I lost my home due
to 2008 recession and I was able to get it back. I am very worried It could happen again it I do not recieve unemployment
benefits soon.

I filed for unemployment on March 23, 2020, after my job was shut down, due to COVID-19.
After numerous phone calls, several emails, unspeakable hold times; sometimes in excess of 12 hours and multiple
disconnections per day, I was finally able to speak to someone in PUA Customer Service. Only to be told there was
NOTHING she could do because my claim was in PENDING status, and I had to speak to someone at DES.
(FYI: MY CLAIM HAS BEEN IN PENDING STATUS SINCE 3/23/20).
05/14/2020 Denise Capasso
She filled out a request form and advised me someone would be calling me within 24-48 hours. That was on May 7, 2020
and I still HAVE NOT received a call, nor has ANYTHING been done with my claim.
I have been without ANY income since 3/16/2020. I am a single parent of two teenagers that I cannot even take care of.
I have tried to be very patient and understanding. But as of today, May 14, 2020, I have gone two days shy of 60 days,
WITHOUT ANY INCOME.
At my wits end, I called my Senator's office and expressed my concern and fear of losing everything I own. She advised me
on what to do and thanked me for being so patient and kind.

I applied for Unemployment Insurance on April 19th. I filed online and eventually received payments on may 11th. The
05/14/2020 Melissa Jones system is not very user friendly and does not provide for communication or updates. It does not tell you if you are
approved, denied, what step to follow next. It has stated that after the initial 12 weeks, they are 'working on' the 13 week
extension. Please work to make this more user friendly and make it easier to call.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I finally got approved for unemployment April 24th. I did receive money for 3 weeks back pay but I should have received
4. When filling out my weekly certification for the week ending April 25, I misunderstood a question. It asked to enter
wages you have received from another state and I thought it meant any state. I entered the $132 I was getting from NC
05/14/2020 lauren Williams
and it blocked my from any other payments. I didnâ€™t realize that this is what happened until a nice man finally emailed
back letting me know. I called the unemployment number 5-6 times asking why I had not received payment, and they all
stated they were just waiting on my weeklys to get approved they were still pending. When I found this out I called and
was on hold for 5 hours waiting to get it fixed. The lady that answered was the nicest lady and doll so helpful. She told
me what I needed to do so I did it and now Iâ€™m just waiting to get the rest of my back pay.

I filed for UI benefits on March 23rd due to a furlough issued by my employer(GKN Automotive) because of Covid-19. My
claim was eventually approved according to the DES website on April 8th with no evidence of any problem whatsoever.
Weeks went by and I never received any benefits even with successfully certifying each week. I reached out to my local
Unemployment center which is just a job searching place and the lady was able to pull up my claim and confirm that I had
been certifying properly and should have been receiving payments. After a day, she contacted me and told me that she
thought she had found the problem. I filed for UI last may of 2019 due to being laid off from my last job. When all of this
stuff happened with covid, when I filed, it hadnâ€™t been a year since my last UI claim so I had to reactivate that claim
instead of starting a whole new claim. She mentioned that I never showed up to a work search requirement and thatâ€™s
what the hold up was with receiving benefits. So after a couple of unsuccessful weeks attempting to contact the customer
service line for DES (because she stated that the claims department was the only people who could remove that
05/14/2020 John Foust disqualification) I reached out to local elected officials for help. They managed to have a DES agent contact me. Things get
even worse from here! The representative informed me that the reason I hadnâ€™t been receiving payments was because
there was a fraud flag attached to my account due to the old claim for last year. Just a brief background, I had never filed
for unemployment, so last year while receiving UI benefits I contacted the customer service line with questions once I
found work. A very nice representative told me to certify each week until I got paid from my new job.....so thatâ€™s what I
done. Come to find out, I was later informed that was incorrect. That I was supposed to stop certifying once I received a
job. This resulted in me owing money back to the state. THIS BALANCE WAS PAID OFF IN FULL! So the gentleman that
recently contacted me from DES told me essentially there is nothing that can be done other than scheduling a hearing with
the legal team for the department of Commerce, which we put an appeal in for three weeks and I have heard nothing
since. I contacted DES in February to confirm that I owed nothing and that they would no longer be calling/mailing me
asking for payments. At this time, there was nothing mentioned anything about fraud or suspending my account....nothing!
Other than, â€œyour balance has been paid, have a nice dayâ€• . Now in the moment of a world wide pandemic, I am forced
out of work and unable to receive UI benefits and federal emergency aid over a back payment issue that I paid off months
ago because of a mix up and misunderstanding!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I waited 7 weeks for unemployment benefits to come through, no way to call and discuss the delay or hear any idea when
money would be coming in for my daughter and myself. I emailed Sen. Andy Wells and his assistant Linda responded to me
05/14/2020 Ms. Kristen Lemon immediately, less than 48 hours later my claim was out through and money was in my account. I know the system is
overloaded but all my friends who filed after I did were getting money for weeks. I'm very grateful for Linda and the
benefits I'm now receiving.

I had a terrible time with NCDES. The phone lines would not allow you to hold to speak with a person, kept getting a
â€œtry your call again laterâ€•message, emailed twice via the contact us link on the website with no reply to either. Only
shortly after reaching out to and speaking with an assistant for Mr. Sandersonâ€™s office after 4 weeks of a pending status
05/14/2020 Jennifer Smith
and no contact, did my payments finally start. NCDES is also taking out 20% in tax instead of the 10% I had requested in my
original claim. I have no explanation from them for taking out more than I have designated on my claim form. My furlough
was just extended from June 1 to July 31 so Iâ€™ll have to file an extension soon and dread the process. Thank you for your
help during this difficult time.
I had a horrible experience. I was never able to reach anyone for 3 weeks. Once I finally did it was discovered that my social
security number was not being used by my employer. Took another 2 weeks to get that handled. If i had not spoke to
05/14/2020 Ms. Bonita Parker
someone Iâ€™m assuming this would have never been resolved and I would have automatically been deemed ineligible bc
no one reached out to me about this
I applied for unemployment March 27th when my preschool closed due to COVID-19 and have been pending ever since. I
uploaded my documents and have filed each of my weekly claims . I have been in touch with Senator Ballardâ€™s office for
05/14/2020 Mrs Amy Reese several weeks with no change in my status. Many if not all of my co workers have all received unemployment as well as the
$600 weekly amount. I have been at an incomplete status for PUA for several weeks also with no help in changing that
status.

It has been 5 weeks and still no payments start trying to call at 8:00 am and throughout the day only able to speak to one
live person the system has a problem if you show you are working more than one job I was working two part time jobs so
when I was filling out my weekly unemployment is being held because I was being honest and reporting my one part time
05/14/2020 Jerry wilson
job I was only working a total of 32 hours now only working 8 or 16 per week I need help in resolving this issue I know the
system was not able to handle this but I will keep my Trust And Faith In God First which our country was founded on
Thanks for all the hard work and endless hours God Bless
Ps I was furloughed because of covid 19

I am a self employed hairstylist out of work due to Covid19, under the executive order of the governor .i began being out of
work on 3/15/20 but was unable to file until 4/24/20 when the system was fixed to handle self employed . I filed under the
PUA. I was given one week of $119 worth of benefits . It was for the week of 3/15/20 which was prior to the additional
$600 in benefits . I certified the following week only to be given a message that I was denied and to redo my application . I
05/14/2020 Ms. Kimberly Haire
did so, only to not receive anything . I was instructed to contact DES. I have been trying , calling at least 45 times a day only
to be told there is a high call volume . There is no email info , my account is vague in info to assist and Iâ€™m stuck out of
work for 8 weeks now without any further pay . I do not know when I will be able to return to work . I feel let down by the
system . I am on my last $103 to my name and Iâ€™m one of the unfortunate still waiting on a stimulus check . I need help
!!! I cannot make it much longer without money that I am owed to buy my food and medicine . Thankyou ,
Kimberly S. Haire
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I have myasthenia gravis and am on three immunosuppressants as treatment including a bimonthly infusion at the Levince
Cancer Institute. I have had to be selfish quarantined since March 15th. I had not been employed since January because I
was in an accelerated phlebotomy course which i can no longer pursue due to my immunosuppression and the COVID 19
05/14/2020 Kelli Hutcheson
pandemic. Therefore, I filed for unemployment for the pandemic unemployment assistance. Unfortunately I was not aware
there was an actual covid option so I selected 'medical reason.' I have yet to receive any assistance and I have tried to
contact the des help line which always says they are not talking calls at this time and I wrote an inquiry which I never got a
response. Needless to say I feel helpless.
I had difficulty filing for unemployment due to my mistake on my 2018 taxes. I had one number wrong on my SS#. My
federal taxes had been corrected last year but I had never corrected my state SS#. I filed for unemployment 04/03/20 and
received notice from Unemployment Dept. on 04/07/20 that there was a problem. I called NC Chamber of Commerce and
05/14/2020 Ms. Cheryl Faris
had them correct my state SS#, attached a copy of my SS card and drivers license but never received any communication
from Unemployment Dept. until I called several senators and representatives. I would like to thank them all for their
assistance.
I resigned from my job in February due to it being a toxic work environment and after meeting with someone at the EEOC
office, they suggested I apply for unemployment due to a toxic work environment. I started trying to apply for
unemployment during the first week of March after my meeting with the EEOC but the site crashed every time I tried to get
on it. I was not able to get on the site until March 27th around 1am and was only able to start my claim before the site
crashed again. I did not get to finish filing my claim due to the site crashing until April 16th. I have called unemployment
every single day only to wait for anywhere from 3 to 9 hours if the call is not immediately dropped and to have my call
dropped after waiting due to high call volumes or to reach a person that is unable to answer my questions or help me and
try to transfer me to someone but my call gets dropped.

I was also told I am eligible for PUA and there should have been a link on my DES account for me to apply for PUA benefits
but there is no link. I am able to work and have been job searching but have not had luck finding work due to COVID. I
have applied to well over 200 jobs and I've emailed several potential employers about the status of my applications and
they have replied that they are not hiring or have a hiring freeze due to COVID. The job I had lined up to start after leaving
my job was canceled because of COVID. Even though I've been in management for the last two years, I've been applying
05/14/2020 Jeanna Aubin for anything and everything because I've always preached that you must do what you have to to survive. I've applied to
grocery stores and pharmacies as well as package delivery companies. I respect what the front line workers are doing and
am happy to help and money is money even if its a $20 plus an hour pay cut for me. I also applied to help with all of the
unemployment claims calls since since my background is in workforce development and that is the job I have been doing
for the last four years. But I haven't heard back from anything. I am also severely hard of hearing which limits job
opportunities for me but hasn't stopped me from trying to apply to anything I can right now.

I am a military spouse and my husband just received orders to NJ. We are supposed to be there by August 1st. Normally I
wouldn't be worrying about this but being out of work unexpectedly and unable to find other employment or get
unemployment benefits has burned through my savings and left me worrying how I am going to be able to afford to pay
bills next month let alone pay for moving costs and a new house. Even though my husband is military and receives military
benefits, he still doesn't make much and can't afford to pay for both of our bills let alone moving costs. (We cannot use
house hold goods to move us because they are so backed up from the stop movement order). Being a college graduates,
we still have a high amount in private loans we have to pay as well as utilities, car payments and other additional bills.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Applied 3/17 received first payment on 4/24 then didnâ€™t get another payment until 5/12. Couldnâ€™t get any answers
call all the numbers and even if I called the pandemic number they would just transfer me to the other number where you
05/14/2020 Sheila Bell
couldnâ€™t even leave a message or wait for a response- also tried the chat - only took certain questions even tried the
contact form never got feedback from those either. Luckily I have gotten 2 payments and hopefully will continue to get
them - but having no idea from week to week is very frustrating

First my husbands claim was denied and we could not get through to talk to anyone at unemployment to find out what was
going on. Second we had to contact so many people to get some answers that it was a full time job and very stressful. Then
when we did get answers it was not good, because my husband had just gotten back to work after being on disability for
05/14/2020 Mrs Elizabeth Bisesti the past year and he works in a restaurant so he was completely denied. I think this should be looked into for future events
because it is discrimination by not allowing the people who were cleared for work just going back to not get any form of
help. Now when the pandemic unemployment came through he only got payment for the month of April and nothing for
March, again not right since it was not his fault that he had medical reasons for not being able to work. Feel free to contact
me with any questions.
I am unable to file weekly certifications due to issues with my claim. I have made calls to DES and when I was able to enter
05/14/2020 Ms Stephanie Dezern the question hold was on hold for 6 hours. I've sent over a 100 emails to DES employees hoping for some kind of resolution
that has not happened yet.
I filled on April 5. My claim is still pending. I havenâ€™t worked since April 1. I have kids and bills that are still coming in.
05/14/2020 Africia ONeal
The whole process is depressing and frustrating.
Filed for husband self employed on March 29, 2020. Uploaded 2019 tax return, and schedule C. Nothing happened until I
called on May 4th and the agent changed him to PUA. But she did not back dated his claim from March 29th which is his
initial claim. He has filed every weekly certification since March 31. The Agent for DES made numerous mistakes and she
mistakenly inputted his initial claim twice as April 29th. He has not received any weekly payment in April, a whole month of
missing payments. We have tried several times to reach the benefits dept to fix the representative's mistakes and can't get
05/14/2020 Robert Fasciano any help at all.
My husband's name is Robert Fasciano. He is very upset about it all and wants me to deal with it for him. It is causing his
blood pressure to rise.
We would like his April back payments sent to his card please. An agent from the 866 call center did make notes regarding
this issue on his account. If y'all can help great.
Thank you

I am a self-employed shiatsu therapist who closed my practice on March 13th to help stop the spread of coronavirus. I
applied for unemployment on March 27th but my claim has been "pending resolution" for close to two months now. Every
05/14/2020 A. Raymond Johnson
day I call the unemployment office and every day I am hung up on by the system because the wait queue is so long. It's
now May 14th, I haven't worked in two months and I won't be able to work full time again for at least another month or
more. Bills are piling up, when can I expect to receive help from the federal relief package?
Filed for unemployment benefits on March 31st. Uploading all the documentation necessary and filed claims each week.
05/14/2020 Mrs Heather Brewer
The correspondence hasnâ€™t gotten me any where. Thank you for any help offered.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I was told I could still file my claim even though I had went back to work. I was told I could still file and get my back pay. I
was first laid off March 27 and I was out until April 14th I went back to work April 15th. I filed April 27th and it didnâ€™t
give me the option of putting when I went back to work. So I havenâ€™t filed my weekly certification because I donâ€™t
05/14/2020 Still havenâ€™t got help Harli Cooper
want to mess anything up or get any money that Iâ€™m not supposed to. Iâ€™ve tried calling the UI call center Countless
times but their hold lines are always full and last time I actually got put on hold I got a freaking voicemail! Now I have been
laid off again and I canâ€™t file my new claim until I get my first claim fixed. My experience has been nothing but stressful.
Iâ€™m looking for work but thereâ€™s not a whole lot I can do being 5 months pregnant. Iâ€™ve emailed the assistant
director of commerce regarding my situation. I just need help fixing my claim. Hopefully someone contacts me soon.

I initially filed my first claim on April 4th , 2020 and received my first payment on the 13th of April . I did a weekly
certification on the 19th and went back in on the 21st and saw it said resume claim, which I thought was odd . So i
completed the claim it came back as employed/unemployed fulltime . Since this has happened my family and I have not
05/14/2020 Unemployment Problems James Martin
received any payment . Were doing all we can to keep living essentials going in our house hold . If someone can correct the
employed/unemployed fulltime in my status the issue will be resolved(I think) . I know the pandemic has affected everyone
but I cant get anyone on the phone at anytime , by any phone number to resolve my issue . My family and I are asking for
help so we can sustain our living until this pandemic is past us . Sincerely James Martin Jr...
As ot Thurs May 14 I still have not received any kind of payment and can not get through I am behind on rent and car
05/14/2020 Kenneth Dotson
payment

It took a very long time to get moved from pending status to approved. I called numerous times, sometimes holding for
hours at a time. The one day, I held for 7 hours and 34 minutes and the person that finally answered was rude and said she
could not fix anything and would transfer me. As soon as she transferred me, I was disconnected and then when called
05/14/2020 Ms. Lori Rahtes back, I could not even get into the hold queue. Finally after a month I was able to connect with a wonderful woman named
Cheryl (I don't know her last name) but she was the friendliest most helpful person you could have working there. She was
able to fix my issues right then and there on the spot. She made sure she had my phone number to call me back just in
case I got disconnected. The very next day - I was approved. I called numerous times before reaching her and it was the
worst experience ever.

I originally filed my unemployment claim on March 27 and again on April 26 for the pua. I have heard zero back and they
both remain pending. You canâ€™t speak to anyone. Iâ€™ve tried so many times a day every day since this begun and
nothing. No calls no way to email an actual des worker so Iâ€™m in limbo with my landlord promising eviction if I canâ€™t
05/14/2020 Unemployment Lisa Wilson
get this money. My stimulus went to last months rent and bills and now I have nothing. It would help if I knew I was
approved and can now give my landlord and others a timeline on when Iâ€™ll have something. But not knowing anything is
the worst feeling. I also have an auto immune And kidney disease which makes me more susceptible to covid. Iâ€™m not
staying home and not working because I want to. Iâ€™m staying home because I have too
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Hello. My name is Justin Kelley, and I was one of the ones UNLUCKY enough to be on unemployment already when COVID-
19 happened. I received my last unemployment payment from the state on April 5th, in the amount of $163. I had been
receiving this since February 2nd, when my weekly payments started. On April 14th, I received $588 randomly on my
unemployment card which I assumed was the federal assistance. I've received nothing since. From my understanding of
the CARES act, I'm still owed the federal funds from weeks ending 4-4, 4-11, 4-18($588 so paid?), 4-25, 5-2, 5-9, 5-16, and
05/14/2020 Justin Kelley now 5-23. That's $4,200 that I still haven't received that I've encountered SO MUCH HARDSHIP and stress and pain and
emotional breakdowns from trying to be strong for me and my girlfriend when she didn't believe we would ever get
anything. For state that's another $163 for 4-11, 4-18, 4-25, 5-2, 5-9, 5-16 and now 5-23. That's another $1,141 I have
absolutely suffered without. I didn't receive my Stimulus check and still have absolutely no reason why. I helped my
father, girlfriend, and a friend of mine all receive their $1,200 stimulus with absolutely zero issues. I didn't get to file my
taxes this year because I was "supposedly" issued an IP PIN from the IRS which I never received and cannot speak to
anyone to resolve. I need help. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity, I've tried to as accurately as possible share
my experience since COVID-19 happened.

Hello my is Wallace Wright I live in Mount Airy North Carolina. I was laid off from October 25th 2019i went back to work
for one week in March. Then got laid off again because of this covin 19. The problem i had was that i used the 12 weeks of
unemployment before i worked for that one week. Now i had tried to call but it kept telling me that is was busy. I finally got
05/14/2020 Mr. Wallace Wright
to file on line. Only to be pending for the last 3 weeks. I am back to work now for 2 weeks and i am in the negative 1200 on
my bank account. So when i do get paid for the next 3 weeks i will be paying this back because i didn't have unemployment
benefits. Is there any way some one can help me with this? My phone number is 3364296261. And my email is
wallaceewrightjr@gmail.com. thank you for your time and help
Everyday, I would call at 8am and by 800 and 15 sec the lines were all busy and the queue was full, this would go on for
hours repeat dial, up to 400 times. After 4 weeks my claim is still pending resolution, the chat feature was helpful by
05/14/2020 Ms Dawn Tiyoweh
stating that everything was in place, but they have limited access and refer you to call the number, something needs to
be done.
I have been waiting since March 25,2020 since I filed my claim due to covid 19 and have issued all documents to resolve
05/14/2020 Unemployment Issues Lisa Paige the issue with my claim, and still have not received no update on my status. I have constantly seek for help daily and the
issue still remains the same.

I have been waiting 13 weeks for my unemployment benefits. There have been numerous issues since I filed and though I
have quickly tried to provide any requested information, the status of my claim has never changed since the day I filed. My
homepage still states â€œineligibleâ€•due to my employer reporting incorrect income. I have sent paystubs and W-2 twice
through US mail, once by Certified Mail, twice via fax and Iâ€™ve also, most recently, uploaded my paystubs and W-2 to
05/14/2020 Kiki Dâ€™Angelini â€œmy Documentsâ€tab online. The status of my case still has never changed. My HomePage also still states â€œpending
resolutionâ€•as it has since the time I filed. That status has also never changed. I have daily tried to contact DES and
requested they call me via online contact form at least 6 different times but Iâ€™ve never been contacted. I also sent direct
e-mails to the assistant secretary but have not heard back. Iâ€™ve contacted the Attny Generalâ€™s office with no
response. Gayle Adcockâ€™s office was told by DES at least 5 different times that they would contact me but I have
received no contact from them to date.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
Warning ISSUES DELAYING PAYMENT
IssueComplete ByNote
Lay Off/Lack of WorkPending Resolution
Potential Incorrect Last EmployerPending Resolution
Hello,
Above is a copy of what has been holding up me receiving my unemployment checks. I work in the airline industry and at
the end of March Delta Airlines asked it's employees to volunteer to take Leave of Absence (LOA) to help save the
company. Bookings where/are down tremendously and the company to this day, is loosing about 50 million/day. By taking
the LOA, Delta says that it would work with every state to make sure we would receive unemployment to help us survive
this pandemic. We received a letter head letter from Delta advocating so. 41,000 of us have accepted LOA from Delta and
we are in the hope by doing so we can return to our jobs with a strong company. I filed my unemployment claim on March
28, 2020 and have yet to receive my first check. I have Faxed, mailed, and called DES Several several times in the hope of
clearing the matter up, but to no avail! Every time I do call I get a recording and then the line is hung up on. I have written
my Governor, my Representative and my Senator. My representative was frustrated and referred me to my Senator (Todd
05/14/2020 Mr. David Hill Johnson). There a representative of the Senator has been trying to resolve my issue and that has been going on for two
weeks now with no success. There is no way to communicate with DES at all. By even sending a fax with information and
mailing that same info, I never received a response at all. So to summarize, Faxing, writing and especially calling is no help
at all in getting your claim resolved. Asking your representatives also, does not seem to help as they are frustrated as us to
help in our need to pay our incoming bills. Those who have stayed on with Delta have taken a large pay decrease due to
hours cut. They too where promised unemployment for the hours lost, and of course they too are not receiving
unemployment either. To have me pending for a question of lack of work/ lay off and proof of employer (when in fact my
employers name and my salary are posted on my claim) is ridiculous! If anyone has been watching the news alone,
everyone knows what has happen to the Airline Industry, enough to know that this pending resolution is wrong!. But I'm
not alone. Reading stories on the net around the state, it seems more that half of the claims submitted are going through
the same issue as I am. It truly seems the DES has shut down any communicating to get things rectify. The call center on
occasion will answer, understand your issue and try to transfer you, and all you get is the recording they are busy and you
are hung up on. I have tried to call at exactly 8:00 am and again recording and hung up on.
Moving forward I truly hope you can make head way and help me and everyone resolve there issues with unemployment

I was laid off due to the Covid-19 pandemic on March 13th. I immediately applied for unemployment insurance that day.
The website determined that i was ineligible for UI but I could not find out why I was ineligible. My previous work
experience was not displaying on the website either and is still showing that no wages were earned prior to my last job
05/14/2020 Craig Bond
where i was laid off, despite the fact that I uploaded my w-2's for the past employers. I finally got someone on an online
chat that was capable of fixing my account which was not allowing me to apply for PUA to give me access to the PUA
interview. I am not waiting for determination and have been told it could be another 8 weeks before I hear back from that.
I have called the hotline numerous times, emailed and faxed, and attempted every avenue to contact someone. I still don't
know why I was not approved for UI even though I have worked without interuuption for the past 12 years.
I took me 2 hours to complete online application. Every time i fill something out it goes back to the beginning i put down
self employed but made a mistake and put amazon as employers i called 20 times a day every day can't get through to
05/14/2020 Filing unemployment Sabrina PALMER
make correction can't talk to anyone to help me i no longer work and my husband hours been cut i need assistance very
soon
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Iâ€™ve been having trouble with getting my weekly certification Iâ€™ve been doing it weekly on the website just curious to
05/14/2020 Tyra Lyles
know why itâ€™s taking so longer for me to get my money ?!

Im a single mom of two and Iâ€™m on the verge of having to go to a shelter. My car was token and the bills are piling. Not
05/14/2020 Thaya Carr to mention the food is scary. I first filed back on 2/23 and my case is still pending. I have yet to speak to anyone. I reach out
everyday with no response. Please help. This is causing major stress for me because I have no other support or income
other than working, and I cannot work right now due to covid-19.
I personally have had no issues with my UI benefits. My issue is with no one answering the phone when you call ??. This is
really frustrating for the others that are having an issue. I have tried calling the UI office several times in the past and all it
tells me is that, "all cs reps are busy assisting other callers and the queue is full, please try your call again later." That is bull
05/14/2020 Mrs Mary Hurtado
crap, because I called at 8:00 AM and it told me the same thing. I don't believe that. I understand that they are busy but
maybe they need more phone numbers for people to call for assistance and more CS reps to take the calls and help these
people with their claims.
I have been waiting on my unemployment for 2 months and a week. I dont not understand when I have done my due
05/14/2020 Unemplyoment Patricia Mathis diligence and I can never get through a call even after they hired 150 more people. I Have work on my job a total of 13
years what is the problem?
I wanted to reach out to you with the concerns of my unemployment benefits. I have applied for my unemployment on
April 12th, 2020 and have filed my weekly certifications for each week since and notice that there is a issue with delaying
05/14/2020 MR Shaheed Speller payment due to â€œwork performanceâ€• . I have tried to reach out to the unemployment office via phone multiple times
as well as attempting to go to their office in Raleigh but was unsuccessful to get ahold of anyone. I have also shared
additional documents of my W-2â€™s.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I initially filed for UI on March 27th and was deemed ineligible a few days later. I refiled again on April 10th with a pending
claim. Once the PUA was approved, I tried to apply, as I am self employed, but I was unable to do so. Partly because I had a
pending claim and partly because DES said there was some sort of glitch in the system and the link to file for the PUA was
not automatically appearing for those of us who filed for regular unemployment prior. After HUNDREDS of phone calls and
emails, I finally spoke with someone one May 8th (Laura Patrick, who was a true angel!). She was able to help me with my
pending UI claim and requested that someone look at my homepage to add the PUA link. Within hours I was able to
reapply for the PUA. I finally thought this battle was over and was excited to start receiving benefits. During the entire
duration of all of these claims I kept up with the weekly certification filings, regardless of the status of claims. I waited a
05/14/2020 Mrs Kelly Sullivan
few days and still no change. My PUA status says OPEN but there is a flag with an issue delaying payment. It says my DUA
weekly certification is pending resolution. I tried calling today (5/14) several times and decided to try the online chat. After
waiting an hour and a half, I was able to discuss my issue with someone. They said I had to wait 10-14 days for my claim to
be reviewed, which means I may not even get any benefits at all and it could be weeks until I DO get them. I understand
this is a trying time for all of us. But it is the government's and state's responsibility to take care of it's people when they
cannot take care of themselves. I have not been able to work since March 19th, my husband's hours have been drastically
cut as well and we have two young children (6 yr old and 1 yr old). We have been able to delay our car payments for a few
months but all other utilities and rent MUST be paid. Not to mention food and necessities for our family. It is unacceptable
that I have had no income for 2 months and cannot get any assistance whatsoever from the government or the DES. I'm
literally maxing out my credit card with no end in sight. If and when I am able to receive benefits or go back to work, it will
take us months if not years to get us out of this financial hole we are now in.

My name is Tabitha Welch. I applied for OUA benefits on the first day that self contractors were able to file 4/24/2020. I
originally made a mistake when answering a question on a weekly certification and needed to correct it as we can't edit
our claims. I answered that I was not unemployed by Covid19, when obviously I am. I haven't been able to get in contact
with anyone who can edit this information for me. This mistake is keeping me from getting back pay for my claim. I have no
run through my savings. From September-March of every year is our slow season. Match-August essentially pays the bills
05/14/2020 Tabitha Welch
for tattoo artists for the whole year. We've now been closed for basically two of those months and I haven't been able to
get assistance. I've called and spent hours. HOURS. Easily 15 or 20 hours on the phone with DES with no solution. I've
emailed senators and representatives and DES employees about my mistake and have had no luck with my mistake so far.
My claimant ID is [REDACTED].

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

I left NC and moved to AL in order to find a better opportunity. I was prevented from attaining a job in AL because of Covid-
19. I have been refused unemployment benefits along with PUA. I attempted to call for three weeks straight and only was
05/14/2020 Mrs. Samantha Jones
able to be placed on hold one time. When I thought I had reached a person it sent me to an voicemail box due to the
person being away from their desk. I was finally able to get through again two weeks later. If it werenâ€™t for the help of
Jackie Elliot I would still be wondering why my claim was still upheld.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed my claim on April 3rd and it took approximately 5 weeks for my claim to be processed. Getting in touch with
someone via phone or through the customer contact form was not an easy task wait times would exceed 2 hours and most
05/14/2020 Tana Smith
times the person you would reach could not assist you at all and would transfer the call only for it to hang up because the
call que was full hence youâ€™d have to start the same process all over again. Over the course of 5 weeks I spoke to 2
agents that were actually able to assist me. The only real progress happened when I emailed the senators office.

My original benefits ran out in December and I was waiting for the link for extended benefits from the des site. I feel like
05/14/2020 Kevin Brown we got put on the back burner as everything was set up for newly unemployed but we are the ones in more financial need.
We have been out of a job for a longer period. Plus I would like to add that NC has one of the worst unemployment
benefits in the country. Thirteen weeks so very short plus the amount is low.

As a mother of three and employee of public schools of Robeson county; I havenâ€™t received any calls or updates on my
account still has pending resolution thankfully I have had resources that have helped and provided but would love to be
05/14/2020 Mrs Danielle Clark taking care of my family on my own as usual. Iâ€™ve used savings to go thru this trying time and remained positive that
eventually it would come. Many days Iâ€™ve called in and recently did the chat, call in Iâ€™ve been on hold some days up
to 8 hours then someone picks up and hangs the line up. To try call back and hear the words the hold que full frustrating so
hopefully someone can get me a resolution soon
I filed my initial claim April 12, 2020.
I filed my 1st weekly certification on April 20, 2020. I have not received payment for that week. Itâ€™s my understanding
the â€œwaiting week periodâ€•was not going to apply to UI at this time.
I have filed weekly certifications on April 26, 2020 May 3, 2020 May 10, 2020 and have received payment for these 3
certifications.
05/14/2020 Mr Morgan Jackson
I have called over a month multiple times a day, emailed numerous agents with NC COMMERCE and have yet to get an
answer.
Thank you for taking the time to look into not only my case but THOUSANDS of others who have not received any money
during this pandemic.
Thank you and God Bless.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

To whom it may concern,

As of April 18, 2020, I was furloughed from my corporate job. I applied for unemployment immediately and waited for a
response. Within 24 hours, I received my wage determination from the unemployment office. I was shocked to see I was
approved so quickly, but at closer look I understood why and it was shocking. I was approved for $41 dollars a week even
though between oct 2018 and dec 2019 I was averaging at least $1000 bi weekly (gross). After further review I saw that
who ever reviewed my application completely put in my salary and job timeline wrong in the determination and left out at
least $18000 in gross earnings. I immediately tried to appeal the wage determination and uploaded supporting documents
such at w2s to fix the mistake. I never heard back regarding that issue.
05/14/2020 Lianne Padilla

In the time being I have tried to call the unemployment office over 500 times. I have never once even gotten to the point
of being put on hold, just a automated answering machine stating all agents are busy and the queue is full so to call back
later. I have called from mornings to nights to no prevail and no answer.

I have done all my weekly certificates and have received pay fortunately but it is still severely the wrong amount. If it
wasnâ€™t for the extra $600 stimulus, my weekly check wouldâ€™ve been less than $40 (after taxes) even though I have
payed into unemployment tax my entire working life.

I understand many people have not been able to receive anything from UI and I have at least received something. But the
system is broken when it comes to communication.

I was laid off 3/15, filed 3/30. Claim is still in limbo. Best I can tell, my claim has to be appealed (no option on the website
05/14/2020 Matthew Tchirkow
to so do). I've made thousands of calls to DES. At this point I'm broke. My car will be repossessed soon and I'm depending
on handouts for food and a place to live. I applied for PUA a couple weeks ago but that is still pending.
Filed 3/20 as independent contractor bc recommended to file. Not sure why mu UI is open bc I filed as independent
05/14/2020 Tina Staples contractor And sent in my 1099. and all my weekly claims are for My independent work. Now I feel when i filed PUA on
4/25 the open UI is hilding it up
The experience had been nothing but terrible to say the least. You canâ€™t ever get thru in the phone to call. I was denied
unemployment back in December 2019. So happened that now I can get it. These people donâ€™t know a thing when you
05/14/2020 Angela Vazquez
call, they donâ€™t have answers. Everyone should be approved during this time. Itâ€™s no ones fault they lost their job
because of covid.
It has been 3 weeks and my claim is still pending. Every time I call the call center number I can not reach anyone. When I
finally did reach a person they couldnâ€™t answer my question and had to transfer me and the phone has hung up. This
05/14/2020 Nicole Borrillo
system is horrible and I understand itâ€™s a lot of people who are without jobs that have filed but we all need answers. I
am truly frustrated!
I applied for unemployment on 3/31, after the stay at home order was issued and being a self employed individual, I would
have no chance for work. After waiting for 5 weeks, I finally contacted Senator Brown's office for assistance. There I found
05/14/2020 Zach Wyatt the most help I've run I to yet. Mrs. Byrd was wonderful and helped me get the assistance I needed. 11 days after that
contact, I was taken off the "pending resolution" status and was able to file the PUA. The next day I was approved and
today, 5/14, I received my first payment.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Hello,
Today is May 14th, 2020. I have still yet to hear from unemployment. My original filing was on 3/15. When I was first
denied, I reapplied immediately on 4/12. I was denied the first time I am guessing because the unemployment agency was
not sure how to process claims based on Covid-19. So I reapplied 4/12 in hopes that things had gotten figured out. It is now
5/14 and my claim is still pending. I have been without work since March 15th. I have had no support from the
unemployment bureau, I cannot get through on the phone no matter how many times I call or which option I chose on the
dial directory. There is no way to communicate via messaging. Any alternate means of communication I found, I never got
05/14/2020 Mr James Zimmer any response from. Luckily, I had some financial savings and I have made it through so far, though I am about tapped out.
I can see for anyone who is living paycheck to paycheck, that this would be the means causing them to have to do things
that they normally wouldn't do to come up with money for food and bills.

Overall experience had been negative with the unemployment system. Not sure what specific details you are seeking.
Should you have any questions feel free to email me.

Sincerely,
James Zimmer

I am a hairstylist that worked 40 hours a week and was told to cease operation on March 24. We were told to file under
the unemployment website to receive unemployment payments in which I did so immediately. I submitted all documents
and nothing. I tried to call with no way to even hold because all lines were busy and the que was full. After reading a
article on Facebook from WFMY news , they had a new number we could contact for the new PUA unemployment. I called
immediately . I was in tears and cried to the lady that answered and praised her for the fact someone just answered! She
told me the unemployment had to deny me in order to file for PUA in which I was so I was able to re-file under PUA. Here
05/14/2020 Mrs Melanie Draughon
we are over a month later and no help. No back pay from March 24-May 5. 1 random check for off amount. Nothing since
then even after I file every week on Sunday! I am financially drowning and just today received another letter that said I was
denied unemployment benefits and to call DES. The new line said they could not help me further and the regular DES line
has always been busy and canâ€™t even hold. I even called 7:30am to see if I could wait on hold till 8am when they
opened...nothing hung up on me! Called at 8am on the dot when they opened..nothing ..call is full and canâ€™t even hold!
NO HELP!!! I am forced to get a loan just to survive because I couldnâ€™t wait anymore with no help! Itâ€™s Devastating!
I even tried to get an essential job and no one will new hire! I am lost!
I hope writing this letter helps because nothing else has!
I am a retired NC Public School teacher (30 years). I am employed by my local school district as a part time tutor. I work
approximately 25 hours per week. I love this job because it gives me a sense of purpose and helps supplement my
05/14/2020 Ms Wendy Hicks retirement income. On March 15th, 2020 I lost my job due to Covid -19. I filed for unemployment on March 22nd, 2020. I
file weekly certifications each week, yet my claim still is pending resolution due to retirement. I have called and I check my
application daily to no avail.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I first filed my UI claim on March 28th as salons were closed down as of March 25th. I am an independent hairstylist. I was
considered ineligible so I applied again on April 24th and was considered ineligible once again. I applied for the PUA and
that was accepted. I received one deposit for $1977 and was still all along doing my weekly certification. I misread and
answered a question wrong so they stopped all deposits. I during this whole period I called DES several hundred times only
to be hung up on or not even be put on hold. I finally this past week was able to get through to speak to someone after
05/14/2020 Mrs Kimberley Jackson
holding for 4 1/2 hours. I explained to her what was going on she then addressed it with her supervisor who spoke with
their supervisor and told me the problem should be fixed within 24-48hours. As of this point it has been 48 hours and my
account still looks the same. It shows if I go to determination history that I can dispute and tells me to fill out a form to
send in with in 10 days. There is no form there to fill out. I am at a loss of what to do and who to turn to as I have bills that
still require me to pay them. So any help you guys can provide for me to clear up this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Kimberley Jackson

I applied on March 22nd I still have not gotten a dime. Iâ€™m desperate and hopeless I have called every day waited for
05/14/2020 Ms Linda Coombs
hours then when I finally talk to someone they hang up when transferring me. Iâ€™ve spend hours on the chat to get told
they canâ€™t help me to call DES itâ€™s a vicious cycle. Itâ€™s not right! This is absolutely negligence
I have tried almost everyday 20 -30 time's a day with no answer or just to be hung up on. Pending status since April 22
05/14/2020 Unemployment PUA RITA Hall
with PUA after found ineligible UI been trying since March 16th

Hello! My name is Jessica. I am a bartender, and applied for unemployment due to reduced hours on 4/3/20, (been out of
work since 3/22/20), but then they closed bars/restaurants. I am used to working 20+ hours a week, part time, due to
finishing my education. I have 3 kids, 2 of which are in school. My husband is military, but we still rely on my pay to help as
05/14/2020 Jessica Kilgore
well. Im going on week 8 with no movement. I have called mulitple times waiting over an hr on hold, which is thankfully
better than others who have waited 4 or more. They were very nice and told me they would get it pushed, but its still
pending. I've emailed what feels like a hundred people, no return emails. Thank yall for trying to help us and remaining
concerned with this issue! Its very appreciated!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
Seven weeks, yes 7 weeks of getting absolutely NO-WHERE with DES, no answer after hours of being on hold, and when
the line was picked up it immediately was disconnected, after multiple emails to the heads of the DES with no response,
the frustration is out of this world for even the most patient person. Only after someone in a FaceBook group created for
the unemployed in NC was able to obtain a full list of all contacts at DES and shared were people including myself (only
yesterday) were able to get whatever issue that was holding up my claim resolved and subsequently paid. I literally cried
after having a 2-minute conversation with "Barbara" from DES (who was very nice btw) who stated it was an easy fix and I
should see the money owed to me in my account soon. I hung up and cried my eyes out! The stress of all of this has just
been exceptional. My mother died on March 16th from COVID-19 in NJ. This was my first Mother's Day without her, I have
a 6-year-old son who's home and his father and I are currently homeschooling him for the unforseen future. Our small
business has been shut down because of all this and it's up in the air when we will be able to re-open. There are people out
there going through way worse than me, but I can assure you some people on our FaceBook group have insinuated scary
things, like "I can see how someone can commit suicide over this." RED FLAG and it's real, people are waiting for 7, 8, 9
weeks for their unemployment, they are mothers, fathers, young, old, hard-working people. It's just not right for the
working class or any class to be treated this way!
05/14/2020 Ms. Michelle Lanzisera
Below is the email I sent to the contacts at DES that made all the difference. Only a few hours after sending this email did I
receive the fateful call from "Barbara" from DES. This is just a glimpse of the struggle for so many. The DES needs to
understand, leaving people hanging for weeks and weeks can make or break a person in so many ways. It's my
understanding that NC DES had issues getting payments out before the pandemic. I believe I read somewhere that they
were rated at 64% of timely payments, before COVID-19. That's just plain unacceptable.

My email:::

"My name is Michelle Lanzisera; I'm self-employed and my claim is still listed as pending: here's my concise story;

After 7 weeks and counting, I can NOT and have NEVER been able to get through over the phone after hours and hours
and days and days of trying;

I applied on March 27, 2020 due to the Coronavirus. I was approved on April 20, 2020. I have spoken with multiple DES
representatives, and they have all told me that they are not waiting on anything from me and it is just a "waiting game". I
am the only employee of Pritchard Law Firm who has not received any benefits, and we all applied on the same day. My
05/14/2020 Unemployment Issues Victoria Owensby claim ID is 11678687. Additionally, I spoke with Monica through the chat function of the DES website on May 14, 2020, and
I was told that my claim was open, my weekly certifications were up to date, and my fact finding had been completed. I
asked for an estimated date to receive my first payment, as it has been seven weeks, and she apologized but could not give
me a date. I have returned to work full time as of May 11, 2020, and I am worried this will confuse the DES workers before
I even receive benefits for being out.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am a 1099 Contractor, I filed when notified to do so by the Realtor Association - I was denied and told to refile, I did and
was denied again. I've uploaded copies of my 1099's and all requested information. Several other Realtors have applied
after me and are receiving their UI/PUA. I call, chat, email and check my account every day - Everyone I speak with assures
05/14/2020 Nicole Occhiato me that there are no "issues" with my claim and I should have been paid. I'm unable to work due to Corona Virus
Restrictions and need income severely. I am the head of household and need to get paid to buy food, pay bills and get my
required prescriptions. I am a breast cancer survior and need to be on a drug that costs me 290/month with my insurance.
Please help me. - my bank has helped me with overdraft charges, but the damage is done. Please help me get paid. I
appreciate any help in approving my claim.

Iâ€™m a Mother if 4 children which 3 lives with my Ex Husband who has been employed through this pandemic. I loss my
job and been homeless with a 10 year who is handicapped. I still get biweekly visits with my other three children. How can
05/14/2020 Unemployment/Stimulus/CS Lovette Minnis
my stimulus check be released to a still gainfully employees person and no consideration to even give the amount you
should receive of the $500 to the other parent for the child they do have full time. Also my unemployment benefits have
been given to him as well. This Pandemic isnâ€™t being considered for the other parent.
05/14/2020 Director of Talent Acquis Timothy Bauer Happy to share constructive opinions
I filed my claim March 24th. This is the 1st time I gave ever claimed for unemployment.
Since March when I file for unemployment I answered every question.
I still see on the website that it says PENDING RESOLUTION.
05/14/2020 Kitchen Manager Kenneth Curry it has yet to change and does not give me options to help the PENDING RESOLUTION.
To let me know what specifically I can do.
I know that they are overwhelmed with this crisis... just frustrated that the one time I really need it I have haven't been
able to get it.
I am a self employed hairstylist and filed for unemployment on 3/29/2020. I was found ineligible for nc unemployment,
but was approved for PUA. So far I've only gotten one payment for $734. Thats it for 7 weeks of being unemployed. I am
05/14/2020 Unemployment claims Colleen Hursey afraid that if phase 2 starts next week, I won't get the back pay that I am owed. I have tried hundreds of times each day to
call DEC and can never get through. I have been on chat and they can't help me. I can't live on $734 . Please help me get
my back pay so I can pay my bills.

I filed for unemployment because of Covid 19. My employer had run out of work for my position, but also my health
makes me vulnerable. It has been six weeks, no money, no answers as to the holdup. It says on the website that my
05/14/2020 MR JAY PROSSER
military retirement pay is an issue, but I needed unemployment in 2011 or 2012, and it was not an issue then. I am at high
risk for Covid 19 as is my wife and son, who live with me. I am afraid if I cannot get some assurances that I will receive
unemployment, I will have to find some kind of work, and endanger my family as well as myself.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed on 3/13/20. It is 8 weeks & I am still waiting for answers. I have made countless calls morning noon & night to no
avail. I have yet to speak to a human being, This is not only unacceptable but a total disgrace to the millions of hard
working tax paying citizens like myself. I am unemployed through no fault of my own. There is a global crisis going on &
where is our help when we need it? My claim is somewhere in unemployment limbo amongst the millions of others. I
have been reduced to a claim number which by now I can rattle off instinctively. Our tax dollars were not spent on
updating your antiquated system which obviously should have been done long before this pandemic hit. Instead toll lanes
05/14/2020 Mary DeSimone were built on 77. How is that helping us now? We need our money, Period. I have rent like everybody else & that doesn't
include my car payment, gas, electric, water, car insurance, groceries, cell phone, credit cards. I am holding on tight
praying everyday that I look in my bank account & see my money there. It has yet to come. If this isn't addressed
immediately, I have no doubt you will see homeless people in record numbers. I'm fortunate my landlord is understanding
& thusfar have met my obligations, But it is getting harder &harder to keep myself going, I implore you - do something
about this awful frustrating disaster immediately. Get us our money please. Oh, and that new "chat" feature that was
recently added is not working nor is it helpful in any way, shape or form. It cut me off after waiting hours. I tried next day
holding over an hour only to be told she could not help me. Why? Then why bother with this nuisance? She did nothing
for me except add to my aggravation & sheer frustration. Thank you.

I have been approved for unemployment due to my healthcare employer cutting my hours due to COVID-19, and not
seeing any patients in office. However, I have only been paid for one week out of the six weeks that I have claimed. It is
extremely frustrating to get a hold of anyone to figure out why My unemployment account has the status of issues delaying
payment, stating reduction of hours due to coronavirus. in my profession, we are in the front line dealing with patients
05/14/2020 Ms. Kellie Lee every day, that do you actually have to come in the office. I am at risk to being exposed, and yet my hours have been
reduced by over 25% a week. Yes health risks come with healthcare workers, however I need to be compensated for what
Iâ€™m missing, or at least a significant portion. DES is promoting qualification for reduced hours due to Covid 19, yet not
providing this. I have no choice to be full time right now at my place of employment per the pandemic; I should be
rightfully compensated to make up for what Iâ€™ve lost. There should be no â€œholesâ€•when it comes to Covid 19
unemployment!
05/14/2020 William Hatcher I need my money. Status still pending
I initially filed a claim after being told I was laid off due to covid-19 in March, that claim was approved however I never
received any payments. When trying to file my 2nd weekly certification it said that my benefits had expired, even though I
never received any payments. My employer had major issues with trying to reach anyone via phone. She ended up faxing
05/14/2020 Unemployment pending Yolonda Waters
the forms with a large handwritten note that she needed help. I filed a second claim which said I was ineligible. so I filed a
PUA claim that has been pending for weeks and I cannot reach anyone via phone. PLEASE fix this issue. I cannot pay my
bills!
I filed my claim on March 5th anf continued to file since. I haven't received anything and haven't received any help. My
05/14/2020 Furniture Upholsterer Manuel Byers claim is still pending and therefore cant file for the $600 PUA money either. My wife and I are in desperate need of this
assistance. I hope someone can help us.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I was furloughed due to covid and I had trouble from the first day filing from wrong ssi problem to hours reduced problem.
I tried calling and calling on hold for up to 4 hours at a time or someone would answer and then hang up. Or if you were
05/14/2020 Ricky Watts lucky transfer you and hang up. So I was getting desperate and frustrated and joined a FB group for unemployment help
with other people trying to file and we started emailing people..it seemed to work for some and not all of us. Then finally I
thought if I didn't try harder i was going to be in trouble so I did a mass email and finally one thing changed and then
another. But it should not be this hard I understand the crisis we are in but we are not in this together.

Hi i am down to nothing and on the verge of being evicted.I was laid off due to Coronaviris and have no idea when my job
will re-open.It has been 6 weeks of filing and my status still says pending resolution. My manager has sent in all
05/14/2020 Mrs Josette Norman
documentation needed and even added additional notations hoping they would speed up the process.I've tried speaking
with management to see what the issue delaying payment is and was unsuccessful.Your assistance is greatly appreciated if
you can direct me to someone that can assist me with matter.Thanks and God Bless.
There was a mistake made on filing my claim and I have called that number for 7 weeks morning and night without getting
through to the people that could help with my issue. I know someone could help resolve my problem if I could get
05/14/2020 Robin Curtis
someone on the phone. I still have bills coming in that have to be paid. This seems hopeless and after 7 weeks this should
be fixed. Can someone please help?

I submitted the claim seven weeks ago and my claim is still pending. I knew Joey from Facebook and he was helping me to
05/14/2020 Unemployment claims Orapin Brent talk with someone that can make my claim move forward. Unfortunately the lady that I spoke with canâ€™t assist my
claim. She told me she will transfer to another person that can help me. Now, I have been waiting for 10 days after I spoke
with the lady from DES. I would someone contact me. Thank you!

These times are all new to everyone and I feel that due to this the DES was overwhelmed. I do feel that the system could
be simplified a little. I had a unique situation in that I am getting a retirement package fro. A previous employer that pays
me a portion of my salary for two years, ending on 11/2020. This has really held up the process of receiving
05/14/2020 Robert McDougall unemployment. I have submitted several documents stating the situation as well as a check stub from the previous
employer. I was let go from my job on 4/1/2020 for lack of work due to Covid-19. This has put a strain on our family with
me not able to collect. I will say that everyone I have spoken to at DES has been extremely respectful and patient. I fell we
need to look at simplifying the process especially in urgent situations. Thank you for hearing my opinion. I would be glad to
address further if needed.

I have been actively employed at Timken since 2/12/2018 was laid off on March 22 due to covid 19. We went back to work
on April 22nd up until May 9th. They have had to recoup money through our payroll and we haven't received a check since
March 31st and our April 15, April 30th check was $0 and our May 15th check was very small due to deductions. Luckily I
have been financially prepared but if this had happened to someone less fortunate it would be very bad. I had a active
05/14/2020 Horrible service Van Haynes claim open that was showing ineligible so my hr rep at timken opened a new claim today and shows ineligible again.
However if opened a pua claim which paid of $2,328 but that's short around $800. I'm just trying to get my back pay and
unemployment for the lay off again. I Have uploaded all documents showing my wages earned. [REDACTED] is my claimant
id number. I have not been able to get through on the phones and I want answers. I understand you guys are overwhelmed
but just a few moments of your time is all I'm asking. I have tried to appeal but I keep getting exception has occured-please
contact support team.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I tried for over 3 weeks to get thru to file for unemployment. Line would cut off just before getting to the last page. Finally I
contact Joyce Krawic my senator for help. Her assist Debbie Lown tried to get tru to have someone call me but it never
happened. Debbie gave me the name Lee Lilley and I emailed them. Finally a lady called me from DES and did everything to
05/14/2020 Robert Wilkinson
get me in the system. I finally started getting my deposits 5 weeks after starting my efforts to get in the system. Without
Joyce and Debbie I still would not be receiving checks. The system is over burdened and I am thankful for the help I
received.
On 3/24/20 I was given a notice that my job would be ending with the Reidsville Chamber of Commerce due to the
Governorâ€™s order related to CoVid 19. Before I left my office that day I filed a claim for unemployment benefits and
submitted the requested documentation about my retirement pension from the State of NC. I retired in November , 2019
after 29 years of service with the Department of Health and Human Services. The job with the chamber was a full time
position that I began in January as a means to help me supplement my retirement income. I have called, emailed and
called some more trying desperately to get in touch with someone so I could find out why my claim was still pending after
I had sent the requested information. I have not gotten any correspondence except for a letter stating that my claim was
being reviewed by adjudication and in that letter it stated that I was deemed eligible for benefits. I have patiently waited
to hear from someone and I have attempted many times to get in touch with DES by phone but the message I receive is all
representatives are busy and the hold que is full and for me to review my claim on line. Believe me I have reviewed my
claim many many times on line but nothing has changed. Until yesterday, 5/13/20 when an employee in the password
reset department was reviewing her old emails and for some reason she had one of the emails I had sent. She called me to
see if any progress had been made on my claim. I told her no and that my claim was still pending because of my retirement
pension documentation. She took my information and when she reviewed my claim all the information had been received
05/14/2020 Debbie Ellis that was requested but nothing had been done since 3/24/20 except for the adjudication letter I received through the US
Postal Service. She told me she was going to forward my information to the correct department and hopefully some
progress would take place on my claim. She later called me back and stated that she spoken to someone about my claim
and the pending status has been removed. If she had not gotten my email in error and chose to review it, I would still be
waiting to get some results. The problem is I canâ€™t file for the Federal Benefits because of the hold up on my original
claim. Like I previously stated I donâ€™t draw a lot of money with my pension and this job with the chamber was to help
supplement my income. I have actually had to apply for my Social Security benefits early because of the hold up with my
unemployment and the lack of me being compensated for being laid off. I have worked faithfully since I was 15 years old
and have been very blessed to not ever have to apply for unemployment. This experience has been so nerve racking and I
have worried over it until I had to do something to make sure our monthly financial obligations could be met. This is the
reason for applying for my Social Security benefits at the age of 62. I know that there are thousands of other individuals in
my same predicament but there has to be a better way of getting us the help we need. I donâ€™t make a lot of money with
my retirement and really needed this unemployment to help me through this awful world wide situation. As of today, I
have not had any other contact from anyone so Iâ€™m not sure where I am in the process. Again, I am back to the wait
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I was forced to sign up for the PUA due to Gov Cooper shutting down all hair salons on 3/25/2020. I had to wait a month to
sign up because the Department of Labor had not gotten the information to the DES until 4/24/2020. When signing up, I
chose to receive funds by direct deposit. I have had one direct deposit, and two checks (one for the first 3 weeks of
unemployment) mailed to me. I filed Sunday 5/10/2020 for the weekly certification and have yet to receive anything, in
05/14/2020 Sandra Klingenstein any form, as of 5/14/2020@7:23 pm. When I check my homepage at the DES, most days it has switched itself to debit card,
so I switch it back to direct deposit. I have been emailing with Tara Hughes (sheâ€™s been most helpful), she recommends
not to switch it back but to leave it and it will self-correct? My experience with the DES â€œhelpâ€•line is most unhelpful,
after waiting for a good amount of time, you get disconnected, thatâ€™s if youâ€™re fortunate enough to actually get
through.
I just want to go back to work!

05/14/2020 Brandy Strickland I filed my unemployment claim on March 22, 2020. As of May 14 i still have not received any unployment. I am still
employed and once they reopen we will be able to go to work. Hopefully this matter will be resolved sooner than later

This has been a disaster. My last day of work was 3/20. I spend to weeks just trying to file because I couldn't get a real
person to fix an email issue. Finally I was able to file, three more weeks go by and I reached out to Senator Bergers office
and a week later I did get a partial payment. To this day I still have not received anything for the first two weeks. According
05/14/2020 Mrs. Melissa Eanes to the message for the ESC they are swamped with calls and I am sure that's the case but I still have not spoken to anyone
at the Raleigh location and one day I called 83 times and couldn't even get in que. I was called back to work for Mother's
day week so now I am hoping I don't have a problem this coming week and I also hope that I will get to speak to someone
soon to straighten out the first two weeks. A lady at the local ESC said I may not get it even though it wasn't my fault that I
couldn't reach someone. I do hope she is wrong. I was the first one to defend the situation in the beginning because I
understand this has been overwhelming but after 7 weeks its pretty disappointing.

I tried for several weeks to call the DES even when they opened at 8am each day and throughout the days. Each time I got
the automated voice response saying that their agents were working with other individuals and that they cube was full. I
was nearly ready to give up when I joined a Facebook group "North Carolina Unemployment". This group shared several
05/14/2020 Daniel Dill contacts with email addresses. I emailed Stanley Arnold at 8:30 am one morning and Mr. Arnold responded back at 8:36
am saying the problem with my claim had been fixed. I had tried for six weeks to contact DES and Mr. Arnold solved my
problem in six minutes. He is truly a god-send and several other members of the group have shared the same experience in
dealing with him. As for as the employees of DES best advice is to start over from the top down and place Mr. Arnold in
charge.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I applied on March 29th. Waited until April 10th to see what happened online. No change in it. Once my Job at the tax
office ended on April 15th I started calling 100s of times a day to speak with someone. Didnt get thru the hold queue ever.
Even when calling at 8am and all day until 5pm. Finally got in touch with someone who said they weren't trained to assist
on open pending status claims and was transfered and got disconnected. I probably spent over 200 hrs trying to get thru to
DES. Finally after emailing senator Johnsons office thought I might gey somewhere. No one ever responded to Joey
Stansburys request for them to call me. On Monday May 11th I got hold of a list of NC Commerce employees and just
started emailing away. Finally got help amd pending status updated. However, now, although they said there was not a
holding or waiting week, they held a week against me. I was due up for hire for one pt seasonal job and lost my 2nd pt
05/14/2020 Tonya McIntosh
position at our civic center on March 11th. If it hadn't been for my full time but reduced to part time dt virus tax job, I
would have been without income the whole time.

Now during this hardship they are pulling my overpayment balance out of my weekly benefit which is ok although there is
a payment plan in place. But at least it is almost paid off. But this process was very hard to handle. I went thru depression
and anxiety attacke trying to deal with it all. All the staff they have hired will tell us they aren't trained to help and transfer
us to thr main DES number. A facebook group should not have been the place that we had to reach out for help. This
system is so broken. I am a strong willed woman but this almost broke me emotionally and financially. Imagine watching
your husband who had a stroke in October being forced to risk his health to go back to work bc I couldn't get answers. This
is so hard to deal with. Thank you for listening. Hope this will help others in the battle to get help.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
I filed on March 20, in anticipation of being laid off on March 27. I am still an active adjunct at my local community college,
but haven't taught a class since last summer. I was laid off from my primary job, and that was the income I needed
replaced. When I filed, I put the last day of work for both jobs as the 27th of March, as I did not have an option to indicate
that I was still actively employed at the community college, but with no upcoming work to my knowledge. (Apparently, I
needed to put the last time I had taught a class.)

Two weeks in, I began trying to call. I called my community college job, and they did my verification immediately. No
change in my status. I kept trying to call DES directly, but did not manage to reach anyone until Saturday hours began. On
April 25, I was able to talk to a person who seemed confused about my employment situation. She stated that the reason I
had not yet been paid was due to this confusion, and fixed the records to make my primary employer evident to an agent.
My primary employer verified my employment situation that same day. However, nothing changed on my application. I
tried calling again, mostly to verify that all had been received. Once again, I could not reach an actual person until Saturday,
May 2. It seems that the fact that my employer had responded had not triggered any response. The agent I spoke to let me
know that my records had been updated, and my case assigned to an adjudicator, and that I would be receiving pay by
05/14/2020 Cyd Dawson-Smith early the following week. On May 9, I once again called (I tried calling literally over 300 times in the week between, starting
at 8 on the nose. My first try usually indicated that I was calling outside of business hours. As soon as I heard that message,
I hung up, redialed, and received the message that all agents were busy and the hold queue was full. I tried calling several
times in succession, to no avail.) and spoke to a different agent who once again stated that my case had been referred to
an adjudicator and that I should receive payment in the upcoming week. At this point, I let him know that those words
were the same ones I had heard the week before, and yet here we were. He put me on hold and spoke to his supervisor.
Upon his return, he assured me that it would be taken care of.
I decided to not wait another week. There was $15 in my checking account, without any additional income in sight. I sent
emails to pretty much every single person in the Department of Commerce. By the end of the day on Monday, I received
emails and phone calls letting me know that my payment was in process, and by Tuesday, I was paid.

Getting my unemployment became essentially a full time job for me. I hated doing what was in essence spamming the NC
DOC, but I really felt as though I had no other options. I understand that there is a massive logjam with processing claims,
but NC shut down March 13, and some of the efforts put forth have been far too small in scope, and have taken too long to
I filed for UE and was rejected and filed an appeal. Once I heard about the PUA I was approved. It was tough trying to get
thru on the phone and it was impossible! They would tell you that the que was full and that I had to call back. When you do
05/14/2020 Barber Kevin White get on the que you wait for hours then after waiting for hours you get disconnected! I had my representatives office give
me some guidance and I have been receiving my payments. I would love to go back to work with guidelines from DHHS and
local Health officials.
My previous submission I checked "no" under did you file a claim - sorry about that. I have been pending resolution for
weeks, I call, chat, email and check my account every day. Anyone I chat with or speak with assures me there are no issues
05/14/2020 Nicole Occhiato
with my claim and am told that I should have been paid, and I'll just have to wait until they get to me. I really need to get
my claim paid.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I had filed for UI and Iâ€™ve been waiting to get denied so i can apply for PUA since Iâ€™m self employed. This has been a
long and drug out process which is ridiculous. I havenâ€™t received a check in 6-7 weeks now and my UI claim is still
pending so i canâ€™t file for PUA. Others have waited longer then myself so i shouldâ€™nt complain but when you have
bills to pay and kids to feed peopleâ€™s patience run thin. None of the DES workers Iâ€™ve spoke with tell you the same
05/14/2020 Kelly Harvell
thing everyone seems untrained and clueless. Iâ€™ve talked with one lady from PUA and DES that said they were switching
my information and claim over to PUA but here we are still waiting. I check on this claim everyday 30-40 times a day and
itâ€™s so sad to see no changes. Itâ€™s sad that you have to wait on the phone for 5 hours on hold for someone to talk to
and the they still canâ€™t help you. Itâ€™s sad that your online chat kicks you off before you can ever chat with someone.
Frankly Iâ€™m disappointed in this whole process.
I have still not gotten approved and cannot get thru on chat or phone. I have tried calling directly at 8 and have never
05/14/2020 Mrs PANSY FLANAGAN gotten thru. My employer had sent their part ; I have uploaded all my information. I have no idea how or when I will get
approved.

I filed April 15 2020. I have filed 5 weekly certifications. I know there was 2 weeks I would not receive benefits due to
reporting wages. Me and my wife have tried several times a day to contact des. And neither can get thru. Iâ€™ve
05/14/2020 Mr Anthony Shepherd
contacted the local branch here in Wilkes and have been told everything looks good. But every time I log on it is saying
issues delaying payment. But can not find out what if any issues there is. So as of this Sunday I will have 4 weeks waiting
to get a payment. This is very aggravating being our income is based mainly on my checks.
I have filled in 7 week certifications and my UI was allowed, but showing paid 0. I paid W2 taxes but it took too long that I
was very stressful. I had to calls, emails,chats, waited average 2-3 hours to get in touch with someone, all of the answers
05/14/2020 Mr Minh Nguyen
were wait a little more and all of them said they saw no issue in my case. It was very bad experience and now I have to deal
with back-pay, because it shows paid 0 dollar in my case.

I filed for Unemployment Insurance on April 3rd. I filed again on April the 27th for Unemployment Assistance. I have called
numerous times every day and always get a message saying they cannot take the call because of Covid-19. One time I held
05/14/2020 Regina Breeding on for hours to be hung up on when I finally got through to someone. The site keeps saying "Pending" with no updates.
This is a very frustrating situation for people who have been waiting for their money and are in a bad financial situation
because of the issues at the NC Unemployment Commission. Additional measures need to be taken quickly to help people
who are in this situation. Thank you!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Last date of employment was March 25. Proof was faxed and sent certified mail. The effective date for benefits should be
March 22. I need to initiate my claim in California but someone at DES started my claim in NC effective April 12. These 2
issues have caused extreme stress and frustration.

1. Spent hours to reach a call center agent; 2. In queue for over 2 hours; 3. Call center agents can only answer the most
basic questions; 4. Call agents were unable to connect to an analyst (VM full,or no answer) to transfer a claimant call or to
obtain further guidance; 5. I was (allegedly) put on a "spreadsheet" by numerous call center agents that was to be sent to
05/14/2020 Mr. Jeffrey Dack an analyst. An analyst was to follow up on my numerous problems and call me which never happened; 6. Filled out and
submitted numerous DES Customer Contact Forms and emailed asstsecretary@ncommerce for assistance. No
acknowledgement, no confirmation that my concerns would be addressed; 7. Received Choice Letter on April 28 advising
me to call DES within 10 days to select either CA or NC for UI benefits. When I called, which took about 4 1/2 hours to get
through, the call center agent didn't know what a Choice Letter was. Agent couldn't reach analyst, was put back in queue,
waited another 90 minutes, disconnected. This happened every day. Again, filled out 4 Customer Contact Forms and
emails. Finally, on day 8 received a call from an analyst who will process my request.

Confirmation and acknowledgement that my issues and problems have been received and will eventually be addressed
would certainly have lowered my stress level. Why DES opened a NC claim with the wrong benefit start date gives me the
impression that claims are being rushed through and there's a lack of proper training.
I have field for PUA being ins elf employed. Iâ€™ve been waiting so far 15 days with no changes at all to my claim. This is
crazy and no one should wait this long for answers. Iâ€™ve tried calling but get hung up on, sometimes i wait 4 hours
05/14/2020 Rosa Harvell before i get hung up. Chat is absolutely no help and half the time the website wonâ€™t even let you upload your
documents. Itâ€™s ridiculous i know a lot of ppl have filed for UI or PUA but this is so crazy to have to wait this long on
someone to correspond.
I have problems with the numbers I put on my PUA and income weekly certifications. I need to get in touch with someone
05/14/2020 Sarah Leone who can fix it. I waited on hold over five hours today and could not get anyone at DES to help me. Why can we not get
help? What do I do?

NC Unemployment is broken beyond belief. I've been trying for weeks to correct my personal information in order to
receive any kind of benefits and I've gotten nowhere. Hours on the phone haven't helped, emailing everyone that could
possibly help hasn't helped. I've been on hold for hours and the only email replies I've received have been automatic or
05/14/2020 Nerissa Durvas short 2-3 sentence statements asking me to do things I've already done. I've exhausted every option on the DES website,
uploading extremely personal documents for nothing to happen and I'm just sitting on pending for weeks. My bills certainly
aren't waiting on this and I'm looking at $4-5k in debt if/whenever the state reopens and I have nothing to help. I've tried
for months unsuccessfully and I'm losing hope on not only my fight with unemployment but my will to survive in general. I
sit here writing this with tearing streaming down my face, please, please help us. Stop letting people like me slip through
the cracks. I've done everything correctly but I'm tired of sitting and waiting for nothing. Please help.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I lost my job unrelated to Covid-19 the first week of Februrary. I have been searching for work nonstop. However, last
week, my benefits exhausted. I now have no source of income. I have been waiting for information on PEUC and have not
05/14/2020 Courtney Hansen been given an helpful information on when that plan will be out and how I am supposed to apply for it. I continue to search
for work but have bills to pay in the meantime. We need definitive answers on when this plan will come out and how to
apply for it.
I applied the end of March. I had to call that week and got thru and was told the problems were fixed ;However they
weren't. After waiting 4 weeks, I started trying to call. I would call at 8 and after being hung up on 3-4 times I world get
thru only to be told the queue was full. I would call all day up until 8 pm and never get thru. I would call over 200 times
05/14/2020 Mr Gregory Flanagan and never get thru. The one time I did get thru I held for 3.5 hrs and yet they didn't fix the problem. After 5 weeks, I did
finally get paid. Trying to get help or on touch with anyone is nearly impossible. And if you do get thru and they try to
transfer you ; the line disconnects and you have to start over. Hold times are ridiculous and that's only if you are lucky
enough to get thru.

I was laid off in March on the 15th. I wasnâ€™t able to apply for benefits until the April 24th.. why because I donâ€™t know
why.. I guess be cause I had an exhausted claim already. Every since I was laid I have not been able to get no one on the to
speak with them to open my case up to get an extension. So I waited til they put the link for PUA on the site in April 24th
then I applied. From this time I have been getting up every morning at 755am to get on the phone line... but itâ€™s nothing
but disappointment when I call... i am literally on the phone line at 800 and the line is already busy and have to call back..
05/14/2020 Lillian Noel weâ€™ll first when I call at 8 and hit my selection to get to the right rep the phone hangs up.. the. By this time itâ€™s
803am and the lines are busy and I have to call back is what the messages say...Iâ€™m like damn how are they getting on
and Iâ€™m not. A little about me Iâ€™m 32 with 2 kids that Iâ€™m learning to home school now. Iâ€™m struggling with
bills because there is no income.. my bill companies are not waiving bills they are just not disconnecting or or adding late
fees.. thatâ€™s cool but they are still adding bills together so now Iâ€™m 3 Months behind right now. Itâ€™s disappointing
and sad that this is all affecting us but I believe the system could be improved especially for people that have exhausted
claims .. when will we get help.. their people I know that got they unemployment and we worked together and applied the
same day.. Iâ€™m on week 9 for waiting.. as a Iam typing I receive a call for a late bill my phone my main communication
and canâ€™t pay it.. Iâ€™m struggling to feed my kids healthy meals. I need help and fast...

As a small business owner, Iâ€™m completely disgusted by the response by North Carolina and the federal government as
well. It took me almost 7 weeks to get unemployment. Iâ€™ma single mother and I live in the most expensive city in the
state. My landlord gave me no wiggle room on my rent and I had to feed my children. Iâ€™ve worked since I was 15 and I
work 40-70 hours a week yet waitresses are getting $950 a week and Iâ€™m only getting $608 a week. Nothing makes
05/14/2020 Self employed nightmare Devon Woodruff sense. God forbid you try to call. I was on hold for 2 weeks. Every single day. Three times I was hung up on after being told I
was being transferred. I know people who filed when I did and still havenâ€™t been approved. I wish the elected officials
whoâ€™ve completely dropped the back on this would live for two months with no income. Not to mention the fact that
literally no one is talking about it. The press could care less. I contacted several journalists. Essential employees are angry
that people who make minimum wage are now making twice that collecting unemployment. The whole thing is a
nightmare.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Filed for UI March 13 for reduced hours then again April 3 for no work due to Covid 19. Obviously found ineligible because
self employed/indepedant contractor. Filed as soon as possible under PUA April 24 and absolutely no movement since.
There is however still pending resolutions under my initial claim. I have uploaded 1099 and 2019 tax return. Been on hold
05/14/2020 Melanie Marks
forever hung up on and sent hundreds of emails to no avail. I have not yet received my stimulus and am at my wits end
with this. I am a private home health aid with the majority of my clients in independent living facilities with an elderly
population.
I was unable to file for a month due to unable to reset password and get someone on phone or email or fax. I even went to
Raleigh DES and sent a request. I called 20-30 times daily and could never even get put on hold. I realize you were
05/14/2020 Elizabeth Nicole Coombs experiencing extremely high numbers of requests but due to not being able to file I feel I should be able to file for those
weeks also. I would appreciate any assistance you can offer with this. Thank you for your time and all you are doing. Look
forward to hearing back.

I was let go from my job Feb 7, not for any reason of misconduct. I had been out of work that week Mon-Thurs very sick
and had doctorâ€• s note and PTO available. I had a breathing treatment at doctor and now wonder if it was Covid but no
way to know. I believe my employer was upset that I was out that week, though the reason I was given was I was not able
to provide enough assistance to the other person in my department. I had planned to take off Feb and March and go back
to work at end of March, but due to Covid, there are really limited jobs available, especially in the income bracket I am
05/14/2020 Jodi Rice used to.
I filed for unemployment originally March 10.
I was unaware that I needed to do the weekly certification, so I refilled March 30. I received a letter stating that I was not
eligible for 3/1 to 3/7, which I understand because I received severance until the end of Feb. As of now, my case has been
open since I refilled March 30 showing â€œpending resolutionâ€•for job performance. The tine limit fir response from my
employer should be well over by now and I have received no determination.
Thank you for your assistance

Im not sure what the exact date it was that I started my claim. The last day I worked was March 15. I tried filing the first
05/14/2020 Claimant ID [REDACTED] Unem Luz Lopez week I was laid off due to the Coronavirus. I was online and got kicked offline and took me weeks of phone calls to get it
fixed. I finally started getting weekly payments but I never received any back pay for the first 6 or 7 weeks. Iâ€™m still
unable to get through by phone. It has caused great financial stress.

Was laid off due to Corona Virus which I indicated on my initial application. A week later, reviewed my file and it indicated
that I quit voluntarily. Sent several emails and faxes, after being unable to make contact by phone. Since that time I have
contacted my district representatives in an effort to obtain assistance, however, to this date, I have never been contacted
by anyone to assist me in resolving whatever issue that is preventing me from receiving the benefits that I am due. I have
05/14/2020 John Reed submitted my weekly claim for eight weeks now and have my confirmation numbers. I don't umderstand why in North
Carolina people that lost their jobs to the Corona Virus can't receive the benefits that Federal funding have already been
given to the state for that express purpose. It is my understanding that other county employees, such as myself, have also
not been able to receive any benefits. My wife and I are still able to receive our social security retirement, but my paycheck
from the county was something we needed for gas and food. I have friends and relatives in other states that were also laid
off and states with five times the population of NC, such as Florida, and they have been recieving their benefits promptly
every two weeks. What is the problem in North Carolina? Your efforts and cooperation will be greatly appreciated.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed for unemployment on March 26th because I had quit my job at Target. My reasoning for quitting is because my hours
were reduced dramatically and felt that I may have been discriminated against a little bit, because of my pregnancy. My
05/14/2020 Marisha Thurmond-Montgomery due date is May 28th, and I will be a new mother using my unemployment benefits for my baby. With this pandemic
causing craziness, I didnâ€™t have the support of a baby shower or anything. Iâ€™ve tried contacting Unemployment
customer service, but because of COVID-19 there is no way to get through to anyone and the phone just hangs up in your
face. So there
I am (was) is time
a full no way to receive entertainer.
professional help from anyone, because
Like most they
variety canâ€™t Ibe
performers reached.
spend the winter marketing and booking
events that take place in the spring and summer. By the time winter is over funds are running low but work is just around
the corner so optimism is high.

When Covid 19 began to affect NC (on or around March 13th) I expected to lose a couple of weeks worth of events,
festivals, fairs and school shows. By March 20th every event in March, April and May had cancelled. Many June and July
events were also cancelling and those that were not (primarily library shows) were asking about "virtual" programming.

I began to try to file for unemployment at the start of April but was informed that self employed workers were not able to
start filing until April 25th. I created an account and waited. On April 25th the DES website was inundated. Every time I
tried to file the website would crash. I estimate that I tried the website ten times that day. The following day I tried to call
des for help only to hear on the recorded line that all lines are busy and that the queue is full. I tried this number multiple
times.

05/14/2020 Mr Thomas Hughes Eventually I contacted the office of Thom Tillis but they seemed disinterested and told me this was a "state" issue. I
contacted the office of State senator Jim Davis... his helper (penny) was very helpful and put me on a list to chat to their
DES liaison. The DES liaison has never contacted me despite Penny following up.

Eventually I was able to fill in the filing forms... but a pop up appeared advising me that they could not verify my
immigration status with Homeland security (I am a green card holder). the next day I called DES, I waited on hold for
1.5hours and the gentleman from des sorted out my immigration problem (DES had spelled my name wrong).

It is now May 14th. I checked my homepage half an hour ago and my status is still "pending". I have received no help from
DES, no state support... nothing. The DES phone line is still full and the website crashes occasionally when I try to file my
"weekly". In all honesty... filing for unemployment is a disaster.

Stay healthy

I applied, and was approved, however have not received payments in three weeks. The system has a glitch in the weekly
certifications, I have tried calling several times a day and cannot get through the phone lines. I have submitted online
05/14/2020 Emily Crowell
request for contact and never been contacted. The online chat feature is worthless agents just tell you to call the same line
you cannot get through on. I have emailed staff to only be told they will forward on and it never happens. The whole
system is broken and nothing has been done to fix it. Staff have been no help and no one wants to try to fix my issues.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed March 22 as a federal employee and kept getting different answers for my case, when i was able to reach someone.
05/14/2020 Samantha Morehead
After many weeks of waiting I finally spoke to a great man, Rich, he was able to see my claim, know what needed fixed,
contacted someone to fix it and called me a few times to ensure everything was fixed.
I filed April 3, 2020, I received the "Determination Letter" stating that I am NOT DISQUALIFIED due to being laid off from
Lack Of Work. I have not as of May 14th received any unemployment benefit. I have called numerous times each day to
speak to someone. When I do reach someone they cannot tell me what the problem is. They always say "Let me transfer
you to a Specialist". I am put into the queue and twice each time I have held on, the first time was for 2 hours and 47
minutes, the second time was for 2 hours and 53 minutes. No one ever picks up. I have emailed and sent hand written
letters with no answer.
05/14/2020 Laura McLean I have read the rules on NC website for receiving unemployment benefits and it states. Your past earnings must meet a
certain criteria and you were laid off at no fault of your own. My earnings met the criteria and I was laid off due to lack of
work just like the Determination Letter stated.
I am at my wits end trying to find out what is wrong, I have no money coming in and I do not know what else to do.
Please help if you can.
Thank you,
Laura Denise McLean

I filed on March 26th I believe and then filled out everything for the PUA which is what I fall under on April 24th. I have
called several times and waited for 4 to 5 hours only to have someone tell me absolutely nothing that I already knew not
to mention how rude they are. I talked with someone on May 7th who told me they have 14 days to process my claim well
05/14/2020 pauline white today May 14th is 14 business days since I filled out the PUA so I called again today waited about 3 hours only to be told its
pending. I know its pending I can see that when I log on I need to know why it is still pending. I know people who filed after
I did and it is approved already. I understand that this whole thing has been hard for everyone to deal with but someone
needs to be able to give me some answers. Is something missing that I need to upload???? no one tells me anything but be
patient its pending. I believe I've been Patient 2 1/2 months waiting.
I filed since March 26 still haven't received my unemployment I filed 7 weeks and haven't received anything. I don't know
05/14/2020 Mr Robert Moore what's going on people I know been got there's but I haven't received mine. Thank you Robert Moore ps my bills getting
can't find a job this rediculious
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Hello.. so... iâ€™ll start from the beginning, I ended my job in North Carolina end of February because my husbandâ€™s job
moved us to Texas. I started my new job here in Texas March 4 and then was furloughed due to COVID-19 March 23. I had
to file in NC sense they take the wages from October 2019 and prior, also because my work history in Texas had only just
begun. So I filed March 23, and on my claim instead of putting I was laid off do you to COVID-19 I put quit due to relocation
because I didnâ€™t want to say I was laid off from my job in North Carolina since we had recently moved. I tried multiple
times to get in touch with DES after finally talking to somebody in the appeals department she was pretty rude when I tried
to explain my situation (due to me moving out of state then laid off) she said â€œI donâ€™t need to know thatâ€•then
finally just told me to have my employer write a letter stating i was laid off and upload it.. I did so a few days later. Finally
05/14/2020 Jess Mann on April 24 we came back my claim was denied because of me â€œquittingâ€•even though I had moved out of state. I also
was going to file an appeal and received a letter in my documents with a hearing issue â€œleft work Without a good cause
attributable to the employerâ€and â€œwas discharged for misconduct connected to workâ€Which was absolutely absurd
because my former employer had already verified my claim the day I filed, and I had also worked for him for multiple years.
I sent multiple emails out trying to get an explanation, finally had a DES representative call me and told me I filed my claim
wrong because I quit and I hadnâ€™t uploaded my most recent employer. I explain to her I didnâ€™t know I needed to do
that since it only had been 2 1/2 weeks I had worked there. A few days later I emailed the same representative asking what
else was needed and she said DES was waiting on my employment verification even though I had uploaded a letter from
my current employer she said it wasnâ€™t good enough. My current employer tried calling multiple times and sitting on
hold for hours and then getting hung up on. They also have yet to receive anything in the mail to verify my employment. I
am not sure who helped my claim go through but Iâ€™m very grateful
Thank you Jessica Mann

I became unemployed March 17 due to Covid 19. I filed for UI March 27. I became very frustrated with the whole process
within a couple days due to not being able to get through on the phone or online. If I was able to succeed at getting on hold
and in line to ask a question about my claim, I would hold for 5+ hours only to be disconnected, transferred to another
05/14/2020 Mrs Kassandra King department, or speak to someone that was rude and acted like I was bothering her by not knowing how to proceed with
the whole process. My family struggled to put food on our table or pay our bills due to a situation beyond our control and
no help or answers from our government at all. I now have delinquent marks on my good credit because I did not receive
any UI benefits for nearly 2 months. As a North Carolinian that has never been unemployed or received low income
benefits such as Medicaid or food stamps and has always provided for her family and had good credit, the way the UI
benefits situation was handled there are now long term negative effects I will have to overcome in the future.

05/14/2020 Mrs Kristin Briggs This system designed to help NC citizens to secure some form of income is ridiculous. Calling 8 hrs a day, trying to figure
out a way to speak to someone just to ask what they can do to get their file looked at. Absolutely ludacris.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am a disabled veteran. I filed my claim for UI and was declared ineligible. I was expecting this because I was told that I
have to file for UI first and be declined to be eligible to file for PUA as a self employed contractor. So I filed for PUA on
April 14th. My claim has been in a pending status since then. I attempted to call the Employment Commission several
05/14/2020 Mr. David Blide times but kept getting the message that the hold queue was full and immediately hung up on. Monday May 11th I found a
number specifically for PUA and called that number. I spoke with a representative that told me normally a representative
could push it through but he was new and couldn't do that. I called Senator McInnis's office and spoke with Lynn that
same morning. She had me fill out a form then told me to wait 5-7 business days and if i haven't heard anything to call her
back. That is where I sit today May 14th.

Filing was difficult. After setting up a claim a person must do a weekly certification. Making a mistake as I did on the first
week by saying ( No ) to looking for employment. Later it was discovered that I should have said ( yes ) even though once
the restaurant I work at is closed due to the virus and I will go back to work there once it opens. Over five hours on hold
during two separate phone calls and I still could not get anyone to change my yes to a no on my first weekly certification.

I finally in the forth week of filing got a letter stating that I did not meet the monetary qualification . I do not understand
what ( Benefit year not established. You did not earn wages totaling at least six times the average weekly wage in at least
two quarters of the base period. ) I am a part time employee and work 20 hours a week. My W2 showed my wages last
05/14/2020 Mrs Renyi Perlman
year equaled $ 5, 720 I also submitted a protest showing my Federal tax filed for 2019. This showed tips which raised my
income to $ 7190. As of yet I have not received any acknowledgement of my protest stating my wage increase above that
reported on my W2. I don't know if I'm still excluded from any unemployment funds. I was told that there is a federal
benefit that can be filed if my NC unemployment is denied. The problem is I can't file for Federal help as long as NV is still
pending. Then the problem is if I get a complete denial from NC I have no idea how and where to file for the federal
assistance. Spending Hours on hold calling NC Department of Commerce for advice on how and what to do is ok but
when they transfer you and the call is dropped in seconds it is truly disheartening. I still do not understand why a person
that has worked for the same employer for years even a part timer can not get some assistance. I am still grateful that my
family lives in a state that is concerned for the wellbeing of its residents. We all stand together and will follow the
guidelines of our state government and hopefully lives will be saved. We hope that NC and all of America can come
together and get back to normalcy as soon as possible.
I filed March 22nd for reduced hours. Still am pending. Have heard nothing. Got through on chat but the agent said keep
waiting he could Not resolve the pending issues through chat.
05/14/2020 Mrs Molly Mathews
I have tried probably a cumulative total of 500 times in the last few weeks to call but canâ€™t even get on hold as the
â€œhold queâ€•is full.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I'm self employed I run Inkternal Art Studio in Madison NC. Tattoo studios were shutdown by the stay at home order. I
applied for unemployment that week and was deemed ineligible with in end days. So the following week I filed a new
claim because we were told we could receive unemployment benefits. That was over 6 weeks ago and now I'm supposed
to apply for the PUA for self employed people. But my claim from six weeks ago has a status of pending which is
preventing me to apply for the PUA program and receive my benefits. I've personal spoke to over a 100 agents over the
phone and 3 agents on the chat room on the website after all this conversation it's the same answer sorry sir there nothing
05/14/2020 Mr. Randy Joyce Jr I can do you need a supervisor to look at your claim and remove the pending status. Let me transfer you hold on and then
the phone hangs up. I've ever left a call back number and when it called I was on hold a hour and a half and then it just
hung up on me. I've seen countless people say you have to call right at 8 am and hope to make to the hold que and hold
all day long to speak to someone. The few times I've used the chat it takes hours to speak to someone and they can't help
you once you get them on the line. I understand the system is stressed and it's working harder than ever it why am I 6
weeks into this trying to get denied so I can apply for the PUA that no one said was coming 6 weeks I signed up right away
as the government said to do and once denied I signed up again because the government said to and now I'm the one stuck
waiting while people are signing up for PUA and getting money the next day how is that right I'm in the system my tax
records were faxed 6 weeks ago my 1099 form uploaded multiple times but I'm still pending.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I was laid off from my company on March 23 and started the process of filing for unemployment on March 27. At that time,
my unemployment was placed on hold due to my retirement/pension. (I am a retired educator from North Carolina June
30, 2016.) I have tried several times to make contact with DES, meeting with a phone system telling me all operators were
busy and could not take any messages. I did receive a call on on May 9, however, did not have my phone at the time. She
emailed me two days later and wanted a good number to reach me at which I gave her the same number. I received a call
from her today, May 14. She saw I had not uploaded a copy of my retirement pay, which I had after we finished talking.
She said she would be in contact with me when she got back around to my case.
I had earlier got in contact with Rep. Presnell and Senator Hiss, who put my case to Alexander Janes. He returned an email
stating someone should be in contact with me between two to four days. This was on April 24. Again, the contact did not
come until May 9.
While waiting on the call, I chatted with someone at DES who could not help me, and was also able to talk to someone
who looked at my case and basically said no one had looked at my file. She also stated it usually takes 20 business days to
05/14/2020 Berry Stines complete. I stated to her it had already been 30 plus days and still no resolution.
As you can see, it is very frustrating, especially since I have not had any secondary income due to Covid 19. Before the
shutdown, I was making more than what I was receiving from my retirement. Since this time, I have been having to use
savings to help pay bills.
I know of another retired educator who filed at the same time as I and had the same issues. Her case was settled and she
was able to receive unemployment. I would guess there is other retired educators in same situation. I understand
educators are not allowed to draw unemployment and I like most, from time to time, we do help out in our former system.
For me, that was a sub bus driver. I know this is a federal statute stating if you are in the role of instruction, research or
administration, but driving a bus does no fall in any of those. Just to be clear, I am not filing for unemployment from the
school system, I am applying for the company I was driving a motor coach for. In fact, I would only driver for the school
system if it did not conflict with my job at Young Transportation and Tours.
I understand the state has hired extra staff, but these new staff members are not able to help, as they cannot answer
questions.
I hope this has helped you understand some of the frustrations I have had. Thank you for your time.

The last day I worked at the Cherokee Indian Hospital in Cherokee, NC as a Dental Contractor was on March 17, 2020. I
filed for Unemployment Benefits on the Dept of Employment Security Website soon after. I found the Website to be
confusing and information I supplied was interpreted incorrectly. I have called the Dept of Employment Security multiple
times daily since that time. I have never been able to reach someone to discuss my case. I received a letter from the Dept
05/14/2020 Dr. LeRoy (Lee) Crapanzano
of Employment Security telling me my claim was denied. I filed a protest and sent Earnings Documentation from the
Cherokee Hospital from 2019 and 2020. I am currently receiving some Unemployment Compensation Benefits, but I feel as
though the benefits I have received are not accurate. I am still trying daily to reach a Dept of Employment Security
Representative to discuss my case !!!
Dr. Lee Crapanzano
I have no comments, itâ€™s been almost 5 weeks and still have yet to receive my unemployment nor have I even received
an update and I canâ€™t even get through to anyone on the phone I call several times a day and everytime I get the hold
05/14/2020 Unemployment Timothy Brennick
que is full some of us really need our unemployment due to not being able to pay rent car payments utilities phone bills
ect...
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I have called every day and have waited on hold up to 8 hours to get disconnected when the call que opened. I filled the
05/14/2020 8 weeks of pending Ashley Jones week of 3/25. No respresentive has been able to answer why my status is still pending. I am self employed and have not
been able to apply for pua as if today 5/14.

I have been layed off every since April 7,2020. I have a online account but haven't had any luck getting into it ..I had
received ui before so therefore my claim was exhausted. My online account kept directing me to call the number. I have
called up till April 28 2020.I finally got someone to file the pandemic claim for me .A customer service representative set it
up for me finally. Not anyone from des I could never get through. May 7th or 8th 2020.A customer service representative
05/14/2020 General labor Melinda Tucker help me with my weekly certification she was able to go all the way back to the week of April 11th 2020.I cant use my
online account to do my weekly certification. The call in number want let me file my weekly certification cause my funds is
exhausted. So the only way I can file my weekly certification is I use the number for the pandemic. I'm only filling for the
pandemic cause I was told there is no extension on regular unemployment. Its been pending for awhile but the
representative keep saying its nt any issue jus waiting on des to process it ..But I never can speak to anyone ..Thanks for
your time

I originally filed because my hours at work were reduced. A week and a half later, I was furloughed. I filed my weekly
certification every Sunday like I am supposed to and ran into so many problems with not receiving my payment. I have
called multiple times, the wait times to talk to someone is ridiculous. Iâ€™ve spoke to two people with DES that didnâ€™t
know how to assist me because they were contractors hired for the pandemic. I did on the other hand finally get ahold of
someone who knew what they were doing. She explained to me that the week of the 5th of May through the 8th of May, I
would receive my payment in full with my allowed back pay. Later that week on May 7th, a gentleman from the
unemployment office called me and explained to me that an anjudicator is currently reviewing my claim to be processed
05/14/2020 Unemployment Issues Timothy Monigold II
and payment be sent out and that I should receive it by end of day on May 8th or not later than mid week of the week May
11th, being May 13th being the latest. I then called on May 12th to speak with a lady in regards to still not receiving my
payment like I was told, she told me everything looked great on her end, just to keep filing my weekly certifications and
that she herself would send an email to her supervisor to have them follow up with the anjudicator to get my funds
released for payment. Here it is May 14th and I have yet to receiving any form of payment from the unemployment office.
Sunday, May 17th will make 8 weeks since I have filed. I went to the online chat to check my status of claim on May 13th
and waited 2 hours for them to close the chat down and tell me to try again at a later time because they were closed. This
whole process has been irritating, stressful, and unorganized. My bills are piling up with past due payments and I have no
money to buy anything to provide for my kids when needed.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am a hairstylist and my shop was shut down on March 25. Shortly after, I applied for unemployment and was denied. I
was told even though I was self employed there were special conditions because of the situation that I could receive
unemployment benefits. When I tried to call for many weeks and could not get thru I decided to email the Governorâ€™s
office the unemployment office and Senator Sandersonâ€™s office saying that my business was shut down and it was un
except able to shut down a business and not be able to get paid. Senator Norm Sanderson'soffice replied back 2 times in
24 hours explained to me I was not eligible until April 24 to apply since I was self employed. At least I knew why and called
05/14/2020 Mrs. Nancy Drexler at promptly 8 am on the 24 and spoke to a nice lady who helped me and I recieved money that next Monday. I was
relieved because Iâ€™ve never in my life been unemployed or had to file for benefits. Since then I filled out weekly
certification and answered one wrong question and Iâ€™ve called numerous times to try and resolve this and have
recieved no more money. At this time I am owed two weeks and have called and called trying to resolve this with no luck.
It should not be this hard when the government shuts your doors down and tells you you canâ€™t work. While I
understand why this had to be done I have bills in a closed salon I canâ€™t pay and my household bills as well. Thank you
for hearing me out.
Nancy Drexler

I applied for unemployment on April 5 after being furloughed on March 23. I work for Novant Health in an outpatient
surgery center. When elective surgeries were cancelled we were shut down until reopening on May 4. During that time I
had applied for unemployment and completed weekly certifications every week. I have never gotten any funding from
unemployment. I usually make about $1500 per week and was hoping to qualify for the $350 +$600 weekly to help us stay
current with bills, utilities, food etc.

05/14/2020 Tanya Gearhart We have had to skip payments to lenders and change our living situation to accommodate this drastic loss of income.
While I am thankful to now be able to work full time, I am still behind and need the unemployment income from those
weeks to help me catch up.

I have called multiple times with no answer to the unemployment office. I have emailed twice concerning my application
for approval with no response. I have called my employer and was told that they did not have anything for me to approve
from the state. Recently I have reached out to my NC representatives to find some help to resolve this. I have appreciated
the local businesses that have helped give meals or discounts to healthcare workers. Honestly at this time, what I need is
missed income. Thank you for your help and for looking into the concerns of those that still struggle with approvals.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Me and my husband are self employed potters located in Rutherford County NC and our business and art shows were shut
down back on March 17th per the NC governor's orders. I tried to go ahead and just open an account with the DES dept for
when the PUA would go into affect at some point. It took about 7 days to even log onto the website and phone calls were
instantly disconnected as soon as you tried to call. After getting an account established, word finally arrived that we would
have to wait until April 25th to even apply for PUA. That is 6 weeks after our business was forced to close. Initially
supposed to be 2 weeks to flatten the curve and now it seems every week the goal posts to re-open keep getting moved.
April 25th rolled around and then the 26th, 27th, 28th and so forth with no success to even access a link for PUA available
05/14/2020 Mrs. Mandy Huffman on my claim. It was only after joining the facebook group nc enemployment support that it became common knowledge
that if your claim said pending, you could not access the PUA without calling. Well, we know how that works, constant
hanging up so I was forced to start e-mailing any and everybody I could. It took over a week of that for the PUA link to
finally show up where I was able to file for help. My husband choose to wait until April 28th to open a claim and just this
week was able to file weekly. Hopefully his funds come thru next week. The UI system is broken in NC and what is more
frustrating is the lack of concern from the governor by forcing such a slow reopening for our state. I am yearning to go back
to work and continue contributing to society in a productive manner. Thank you for letting me voice my experience but I
have several artist friends who have yet to receive any help whatsoever and are relying on ones like us to help them buy
groceries and such. I never would have thought this would happen to our economy and then have such an abysmal
response from the state.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I moved to NC last June. Been working here full time since. I was furloughed with my job and applied for unemployment on
March 20. After still not seeing a change in my status, I called 1 week later. The man told me to upload my W2 from my
current employer and my previous two employers when I lived/worked in VA. I did so and uploaded my furlough letter.
Called two weeks later after no changes, the woman told me they had JUST sent the request to VA employment that
morning...
Then called one week after that, spoke to the same man I talked to for my first call, said my current employer recently sent
in my second quarterly rate and I wouldnâ€™t need my employment info from VA and terminated that request. Said there
would be a change to my claims page within the next 24-48 hours. After finding a FB group about people in similar
situations, I reached out to several different people via email. Two days later 5/07, my account went from pending to open
and approved. It also said that my payments were issued through Direct Deposit- it hasnâ€™t hit my account at all.
05/14/2020 UI Claim filed 3/21 Shelby Wray
Yesterday, 5/13, I received a letter in the mail thinking it was a paper check for my funds. Instead I found a letter dating
5/08 saying that I need to choose between a North Carolina Combined Wage Claim or to file an Interstate Claim, and that
whichever I decided to choose- I need to call the DES number. I tried calling and the online chat and nobody could help me.

Honestly, I do not know what an Interstate Claim is, but at this point I do not have time to file another claim and go
through this process again. I would like to stick with whatever I have now.

Please understand that I need these funds IMMEDIATELY. I am due to have my first child in less than 1 week. I filed this
claim as soon as I was laid off to avoid these troubles and issues so close to my due date, but now I am struggling to get any
bills paid on top of preparing to bring home a newborn.

If I could have access to my funds as soon as possible, I would greatly, greatly appreciate it.

I am an employer. We received notice that we needed to verify information in the unemployment portal. We have never
received a PIN for the portal and have tried numerous times to obtain one. After the shut down, we were sent in circles
on the portal when we attempted to get a PIN to access and update the information. The portal referred us to a number
05/14/2020 Walter Nieman for employers to contact for assistance. We placed no less than 30 phones calls and spend hours on the phone, only to
receive a message that "due to high call volume they were unable to take our phone call personally", referred us to the
portal and hung up on us. After numerous emails to Alexander Janes (NC Department of Commerce Legislative Affairs via
Senator Steinburgs office), I have still never received any assistance with obtaining a PIN for the portal and not able to
verify information for the unemployment claim. While I expect difficulties with this unprecedented event, the system has
complete failed me as an employer - and hopefully not to the detriment of our former employee.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I initially applied for unemployment on March 22 because I am self-employed and due to Covid-19 I have not been able to
work. It was not until May 6 that my state benefits were finally denied so that I could officially apply for PUA. This was after
countless phone calls (up to 200 a day trying to get into the hold cue), speaking to someone and then being transferred and
05/14/2020 Stephen Mabe
the phone hanging up, and even emailing my counties Representatives. I was given a form to fill out, and I think that is
what brought attention to my application. Today, I am still pending PUA benefits. As of 5/14, I am waiting the 24 hour
period before I can see two new documents in my claim. This will all be worth it if I can finally be approved, and given the
retroactive payment that I feel like I deserve. I know there are many other people in my shoes, but the system is failing the
citizens in our state. This program is here so that the hardworking people have something to fall back on in times of need.
I originally filed March 23 and was denied UI. I am a salon owner and cosmetologist so I fall under the CARES act. I re
05/14/2020 Mrs. Shelia-Marie Russ
applied April 25 and my status is pending and no one has been able to help me.

I was furloughed from my job as a hospitality coordinator with a large law firm in Winston-Salem North Carolina we can no
longer socialized together or have meals together even have meetings with a lot of people... So of course can't do my job
from home on a computer... It's been almost one month.. I filed as soon as I could.. my employer has submitted all
05/14/2020 Linda Ann Matthews information... My home page has a reason for No payment lack of work laid off... Pending resolutions.. you can sit for
HOURS trying to get through on the phone to ask what that means... And if you do get through NO ONE can find an
answer... And they transfer you to someone else who doesn't know anything either... I had a dang great job... Making
pretty good money.. but not good enough to tide me over for weeks to over a month... I need money from unemployment
to get by... Thank you so much for helping!

I filed for state unemployment on March 13th after my employers let me know that we would be suspending operations
due to COVID-19. I work a combination of W-2 and 1099 jobs, and therefore my unemployment claim was pending (I
believe because of the fact that my 1099s are the main source of my income). I was unaware that a separate filing system
would be put into place for contracted workers and am now unable to file under the PUA because my original claim is still
05/14/2020 Mrs. Kaitlin Baden pending. On week 8 I finally managed to get someone on the phone but she was unable to help me and when she
attempted to transfer me to someone who could, I was told that the queue was full and the call was disconnected. I'm
currently still working part-time for my non-profit without pay because I couldn't bear for all of our hard work from the
past year to disintegrate due to the pandemic. I was interviewed and was hired for a full-time position with a school which
will hopefully begin on the 1st of July, but until then I'm still trying to sort out this unemployment issue. Any information or
guidance would be beyond appreciated. Thank you.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I work as head of the kitchen at a small, locally owned cider brewery called urban Orchard Cider Company in Asheville, NC.
We were shutdown on the 17th like all bars, breweries and restaurants, our entire staff was temporarily laid off. I
attempted to file march 17 for unemployment, which I have never gotten before. Before I could even get in, my login
password was incorrect and after three tries it locked my account. Everyday for the next few weeks I called every number I
could find, emailed every email, filled out the contact form on the DES website, wrote my reps, called and called and called
for hours. Why did I call for hours? Every single time, I was hung up on. My husband was calling too, trying to file and got
so frustrated he smashed our house phone against the wall and broke it. Finally, I tried to login one more time on april 5th
and I could login! I finally filed. I uploaded everything I thought they could need. I still called and called, looking for
guidance on how to do it correctly. No one answered. Finally, one day.. I got an answer. she did not ask my name or if she
could look up my claim. She assured me everything looked fine, even though I had the pending triangle of doom and a
pending resolution that said Layoff/lack of work due to covid. Whatever that meant. Having been in customer service for
years, I knew instantly she knew nothing and could not help me and sounded as if she hated her job. I hung up, feeling even
05/14/2020 Ms. Samantha Simpson more uneasy. I joined facebook groups I found so so so many others struggling, wondering what it all meant and if they had
done it right, trying to help each other. In one group, eventually I found my anwer.. I needed to upload my letter from my
employer saying I was laid off do to the State of emergency shutdown and Covid. REALLY? THAT's IT? I said.. not believing
all this time it was so simple. I did just that and was approved the next day, pending resolution removed. It took 57 days
from start to finish. A DES worker actually called me back about the login from the time I filled out the contact form,
looked over my case and told me absolutely nothing and was no help. I HAD to figure it out myself. The system sucks.
People are hurting. People don't know how to file and no one is helping us!!! Now people are starting to defy the govenor's
order because they are getting no help, which puts us all not only at risk of the virus, but at risk of chaos. I think you all
know what we need, a system that works to get us our benefits now. It's very frustrating, scary and deeply disappointing to
feel so forgotten, when we need the help now, most of us hard workers who have never had to do this before. The other
HUGE problem is HYBRIDS! Technically to survive in Asheville I worked as an employee, an independent contractor and a
small business owner as a crafts artist. The system does not work for me, I don't exist. It's either one or the other.. you
can't file for UI and PUA... so I went with my employee job but I am not getting as much as I should since they cannot count
my other income in this archaic system. HELP!!! HELP US NOW.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I applied for benefits on April 3rd, 2020. I started receiving benefits 05-13-20.

This after close to 8hrs on hold and time actually chatting with a rep. We went through approx 1hr of Q&A. I was finally
advised the mistakes made were not my fault and 'sorry'.

I tried to respond only to find out she had terminated the chat without asking or saying anything further.

I guess after 6 weeks and two days of trying to solve by chat I was thankful something, anything finally happened.

05/14/2020 Mr Matthew Todd Thenof course I heard in the past 24hrs how the NCGA is going after Mr. Cooper for being hesitant when the death count
keeps rising.

I felt insulted when I asked Senator Johnson for help solving an issue that still exists to this day but he passed the buck and
told me to seek help elsewhere knowing that was a non starter.

I did not expect any help from the NCGA when I equate the body to the North American version of the Taliban with the
"head" in DC.

I do not count on any of you to actually care about me or my family. I expect you to care more about money and power.

Senator Burr is the latest example of the NCGA indifference.
I never asked for unemployment but i had no choice was at the point of losing everything didnt know what to do it was
going on four weeks since I filed couldn't get intouch with anyone at the unemployment office i contacted the office of
05/14/2020 Unemployment Phillip Turner senator Phil Berger Mr Liaison was genuinely concerned when I told him I was selling plasma to eat he was a blessing got
right on my case and in a little over a week he got me my unemployment and back pay thank you so much Mr Liaison for all
you done
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am an Independent Contractor and the place I work closed at the end of day March 27, 2020. I filed for unemployment
and uploaded my information that night. On March 30th DES posted a letter online that I was not aware of until April 6,
2020. It said benefit year not established due to insufficient wages. I had uploaded my 2019 1099 tax form and 2018 1040
tax forms. But they no longer showed on the site. The letter said I had 10 days to respond so I sent a certified letter to the
address on April 7 which arrived April 9th. On April 10th I reapplied and re-uploaded the information. On April 23rd I
received the same letter dated March 30, 2020 giving me 10 days from date of letter to reply. On April 25 I received yet
another copy of that letter. On April 24th I faxed a response to the first postal letter I received . On April 30 I again sent a
fax to them including information on trying to contact them through the phone lines. ie April 28th I called and got the
recording which said my wait time was 5 minutes so I held on. After being on hold over 5 hours the phone was
disconnected. I tried again on April 29th and did the weâ€™ll call you back when we have a representative available
option. They called me but no one was on the line when I picked up. This happened 3 times. The next day I called and
tried the call me back option again. They did call me back and said I was next in the queue. After being on hold for a little
05/14/2020 Laurie Schultz over 3 hours once again the phone was cut off again. On May 4th I got a call because of emails I had sent to my NC district
legislators in Raleigh. I was finally able to fill out the PUA form. On May 5th I once again had a letter saying I had
insufficient wages and still showing 0 dollars in each quarter. So on May 5th I called again and got a woman who said she
could not help but would connect me but first would add my number to the callback queue just in case I got disconnected.
She put me through and within 15 minutes I was disconnected and never got a callback. On May 10th I once more received
a letter showing no income. On May 11th I called (919) 707-1268, which was the number on that letter, at 8:00AM They
said hold for the next available representative. After being on hold for 8 1/2 hours I actually got a person who told me the
reason that I was showing no income was they were manually inputting the information and were behind on that. I have
received some money from the PUA program but wanted to know why they got the figure they did. She said that when
they Got my income information input the amount may change.

So it took 16 1/2 hours on hold, plus trying to call about 20 more times, 3 faxes, one postal mail letter, filing out and
uploading forms on the website 3 times, texting the DES text number, and emails to Jon Hardister and Rick Gunn before I
received any help from DES. And they still say I have insufficient wages in my base period.

I have an employee by the name of Carmen Herrera Mejia who filed an unemployment claim on March 30th. She deleted
her fulltime Job by accident on her claim and tried to add it back in manually. But It did not work. I have called the
unemployment office 5 times a day since March 30th, but I receive a message that the call queue is full. I sent 5 faxes to
the office as well. I filled out a form on Survey monkey (Twice) per an email from Joey Stansbury. He stated that someone
would reach out to me within 72hrs. If not I could call him. No one reached out to me for 15 days, so I called him twice as
well. I was able to Chat online will a agent name Jordan who was friendly, but he stated that I needed to call the
05/14/2020 Mr. Rod Jones
unemployment line in order to have the issue resolved. I just want guidance on getting this issue resolved for my associate.
I understand that you have many claims at this time because of Covid-19. I see the message on the news and on your
webpage everyday. But what 's being done about it. Yes you have extend your call center hours, but if the queue is full,
how does that help? Yes your have online chat options. But if he agent online does not have the tools/access to resolve the
problem, how does that help. There should be an simple or easier way to correct an error on your unemployment claim,
Than to contact the call center. There should also be a large call center queue, or email response team for unemployment
issues
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Having been self-employed, sole proprietor for most of my 44 years as a licensed Cosmetologist I was not familiar with the
unemployment system. I speak for a large number of Cosmotologist in saying that we were directed but Governor Coopers
Executive Orders to stop the only thing many of us know how to do. Many Cosmotologist may have smart phones but
maneuvering around computer is another story. So, for many it was a nightmare, not to mention the website crashing, the
phone system being inadequate. I understand why all this failed. We were instructed by the NC Board of Cosmetic Art to
follow the link they had posted on their website to sign up for UI. I filled a claim in the early hours of the morning only to
find out the claim questions were difficult to answer because I didn't have an employer. In order to move through the
questions I had to put something in the blanks. After filing the claim I was told by the system my claim had issues that
would need to be fixed. Otherwise I didn't qualify. After many trys at calling I gave. I emailed DES, I faxed DES. All I needed
05/14/2020 Mr. Rob McCullough to know was if I needed to file another claim. It was never explained that a special date and a different form would need to
be filed in order to get the PUA. At least myself an a number of fellow hairsylist that converged on Facebook. So, I
contacted Sen. Tom McInnis and asked for help. Through several emails he sent and Cc to me things finally settled down
for me and I am receiving my PUA. I know several hairstylist who have not received any funds and some who have received
a week or 2 but not the retro payments. I do have a concern, when we are allowed to work, we could run the risk of lower
incomes for a while until or clients feel safe to return. I have spoken with some of mine who are like myself in the high risk
catagory that do not want to come rushing back setting up my concern of a lower income in the early weeks of return. My
question is, will PUA completely stop on they day Gov. Cooper gives the green light? I've not heard any discussion in this
regard. I expect the first week will be a stampede but having been in this business for 44 years, that may die down quickly
and we could be stuck poor bookings. Also, if the Governor shuts us down again can we just start filing our weekly
certifications again or would we have to file a new claim? Anyway, my thanks goes out to my Senator for stepping in just a
few hours from my first contact with him to get help. It was the first psitive thing that had happened for me since this
started. Thank you for listening.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
I am down to my last dollars and I have called Unemployment everyday it seems like 100 a day for almost two weeks with
no luck. I even sent several messages through the des.nc.gov/customer contact form with no response. I have gotten
email addresses from a Facebook group designed to help people who are suffering through this crisis no response.
My hours were cut from 40 hours a week to 20-25 weekly due to the Covid-19. I filed my initial claim on 4/5/2020 and
have done my weekly certifications every week since. On 4/20/20, I received a letter and said my Unemployment claim
was approved and I was eligible for benefits. Then on 4/23/2020 I got an alert on my account that said I needed to upload
paycheck stubs which I did immediately. I have not received ANY PAYMENTS. So thatâ€™s when I started calling.
On 4/24/20 I logged on and it was a link to apply for PUA assistance which I did immediately. I was already approved for
regular unemployment benefits. Now the PUA assistance shows pending as of 4/24/20.

When I log into my account it shows I am NOT receiving payments from unemployment due to excess earnings. While
trying to research, I saw others in the Unemployment Facebook group say you cannot make over your Earnings Allowance
or Weekly benefits (not sure which is correct because I have NOT been able to get a hold of anyone at unemployment). My
weekly benefit amount is $74/Earning Allowance is $14. Of course me working 20-25 hours a week I will go over that.
05/14/2020 Ms. Tiffanie Williams
My hours were cut due to Covid from 40 hours to 20-25 hours a week. There is no way I can survive without a full
paycheck!!! I have 2 children!!!!! And I do NOT RECEIVE ANY assistance (besides Medicaid). And itâ€™s NOT FAIR that us,
working part time hours do NOT receive any kind of assistance from unemployment because our weekly benefit amounts.
Something has to be done!!!!! And my boss say we will be working part time for a long time.

If I was home NOT WORKING I would be getting $600 plus a weekly benefit amount. I know some people receiving $950 a
week! While I GET ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. This pandemic is NOT our fault!! Why arenâ€™t the Legislators, (US HOUSE, NC
HOUSE, NC SENATE, THE GOVERNOR, THE HEAD OF NC UNEMPLOYMENT COMMISSION) helping the people who work
during this pandemic. Other states have! This is ridiculous!!!!

My name is Tiffanie Williams

My unemployment claimant ID [REDACTED]
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
The main reason I am telling my story is to possibly help someone else never have to have this happen to them.
I will start out by saying I understand that the world has not seen anything like this pandemic and it hit us out of no where
and as the Governor always refers back too is that the people in DES and the system was overloaded, yes I get that but that
has nothing really do to with what happened to me, I am a self employed Hair Stylist who was out of work due to the shop
closing at the end of March, I tried to file an online claim on March 20th and it would not let me continue so after
repeatedly calling I decided to press the number for a different department and the person that answered sounded
annoyed and said the only thing he could do was transfer eternally and I was so happy just to get threw finally, so the lady
filed my claim over the phone and said I dont even know where " to put people like you' information, ( meaning because I
was self employed) not to professional but hey at least I was in the system.
So day after day hour after hour I kept trying to get threw with no luck, first there were recordings just saying that I could
not reach anyone due to it being to busy, so then I tried emailing them, I tried the forms of the website, I also emailed any
on there I could, I emailed anyone and everyone I could even think of, then I even started faxing them basically begging
them to PLEASE get in touch with me, because I had a feeling that something was majorly wrong with the claim, because It
didnt make sense to what I was seeing, not ONE response did I receive! This was all in a approximate time frame of five
05/14/2020 Ms. Teddi Page weeks ( so can you imagine the frustration, depression and major anxiety that was a daily occurrence) then on April 24th
they allowed PUA claims, in which some information said dont file again if you already have a claim then other information
said yes you have to file another claim, so again I could not file online, I ended up calling NC Works which the lady was so
nice and she actually filed it for me because she was able to get threw and I know she felt sorry for me it took us THREE
HOURS she actually couldnt believe it and the system kept changing answers dates mainly which she was amazed at how
flawed the system was, I said welcome to my world! I still kept seeing the first claim with all the issues then a PUA claim
which said pending, I still needed answers desperately!!!!
So then I decided to email all the Senators that I could which was about eight of them, to my surprise they started getting
back to me and so my name was put on a list that they send to DES daily, so I was hoping that with their backing I would at
least get noticed, did not hear anything, so I called again this time there was a new number supposedly for PUA, I talked to
at least five people who knew absolutely nothing and each one said they had to transfer me to DES and each single time it
just hung up! So I started just calling over and over the DES number finally I got in the que, was on hold for three hours to a
guy to answer saying he couldnt answer any of my questions I would need to talk to a "higher scale" I guess he meant a
supervisor, so after holding another hour, I talked to this lady who was extremely rude, cold, and mean, even as I cried to
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am a Registered Dental Hygienist from Lumberton NC that was laid off from my job of 23 years on March 31. I applied for
unemployment that same day. I have never needed the assistance of unemployment until now and it has been a
nightmare. To get help with my unemployment claim I emailed and faxed a letter to the unemployment office several
weeks ago and still no response. About three weeks ago I finally got through to the unemployment office by phone after
holding for 7 hours only to be told I was routed to the â€œemployer sideâ€•and they could not speak to me about my
05/14/2020 Dental Hygienist Amy Britt claim . The lady told me she would have someone call me from the individual side within a few days and itâ€™s been
several weeks since and still no phone call. At my request, my employer has called twice to the unemployment office in
Raleigh because all my other co workers are receiving unemployment pay except me. He states the unemployment rep told
him they would call me within 3 to 5 business days to straighten it out and it has been 3 weeks since with no phone call. I
reached out to Senator Danny Brittâ€™s office April 25 and they are trying to help but even they canâ€™t get anyone to
call me back to help see why my claim still states pending resolution due to the Coronavirus. I also emailed a letter to
Governor Cooper last Friday about the issues Iâ€™m having with my unemployment claim. As of today May 14, 2020 I still
have not been paid. I have worked hard and paid taxes my whole life and never requested any government assistance. I
find it sad and somewhat offensive that the one time I need help, I canâ€™t even get the courtesy of a return phone call.

Received errors when trying to load forms and could not get my claim to the right department until after my senators
05/14/2020 Ms Tammie Jump office arranged for your office to call me after multiple attempts to file through the self employed part of the process.
Iâ€™m totally understanding this is new to us all but it wasnâ€™t your mortgage or lights hanging by a thin string. People
In youâ€™re department need to be trained how to do more than just reset a password. Thanks

I filed my UI claim on April 12th. Today's date is May 14th. I still haven't received any UI benefits. I called the DES over 1400
times before
I was able to get through. The person I spoke to couldn't resolve my issue and said it would have to be turned over to an
05/14/2020 Ricky Nance analyst who called me three days later. I called DES today and they discovered a question where I filed my weekly
certification on May 3rd where I accidently answered no to the question "are you available for work?" The other weekly
certifications were correct. I do work a part time job which I included when I filed my claim. After submitting my claim, I
noticed it said employed/unemployed part-time. I think there was confusion on which job I was trying to file for
unemployment due to the coronavirus. I was filing unemployment on my full-time job at PVH.

Iâ€™ve been without income since 03/15/20. I am a self employed bookkeeper. I have yet to receive unemployment,
05/14/2020 Miss Pearl Foster though I did receive an approval notice. It took me two weeks of calling dozens of times everyday to get ahold of someone
in March to even unlock my account so I could even file. Iâ€™m currently awaiting my testing results, I have no money, my
small business is likely closed forever. So incredibly disappointed.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Hello,
I began filing for unemployment benefits in October 2019. My benefits were interrupted in November 2019 due to a
medical condition in which I had two surgeries. My benefits resumed late January 2020. I had searched for work and had
05/14/2020 Mr. David Stevens
some promising leads until the state was shut down due to the Coronavirus. About the time the government announced
there would be an extension for state benefits and a $600 weekly national benefit my standard benefit expired. My last
benefit was paid on April 14, 2020. I have repeatedly sent email messages and called with no responses. I understand the
current issues but it has been a much unpleasant experience for me.

I have been waiting for over two months on a pending claim. Iâ€™ve tried calling from 7:59am to 7:59pm, every hour on
05/14/2020 Samantha Jamison
the hour and at 30 minute intervals several times. I have tried emailing. I cannot get in the hold queue to speak with a DES
agent who can fix my claim. I called 167 times today alone. Just today. I am desperate.

I applied for unemployment when my hours were reduced because of covid 19. I work for a cleaning business and we
werenâ€™t allowed in some homes and businesses. The person I work for says that I am self employed which I never
understood so when I filed the first time I filed as self employed. I kept getting questions tossed at me but no way to
explain or get answers on how to file. So I was ineligible. Then when the self employed could file under pua not sure if that
is correct but I filed with that and there again I had questions tossed my way that I couldnâ€™t answer. I called the number
05/14/2020 Tanya Roberts
for that and they couldnâ€™t help me either. So just as confused as ever I reached out to Rebekah LaHay and that is when
someone contacted me but there again couldnâ€™t get answers. I want to know how I should file? Why is it such a
problem for a person that has continued to work and donâ€™t know what they are walking in on and could get the covid
canâ€™t get some kind of help . I know this is long comment but Iâ€™m trying to explain the situation the best I can. Also
is a cleaning business essential? Please help if at all possible my bills are still coming in and with reduced hours itâ€™s hard
to make ends meet. I will say this Phil Berger will always have my vote because of Rebekah LaHay and how she responded
to me immediately and has reached out for me and kept in touch. Thank you
1. It took me 1.5 months to get a place in the DES phone queue to file an initial unemployment claim. I couldn't file online
due to a technical issue with my account.

2. I tried submitting additional information the DES system wanted after my initial claim was filed. The system returned a
SCUBI error every time I tried to submit my replies. The customer service reps I chatted with either didn't understand what
I was telling them or told me I had to call the main phone number.
05/14/2020 Lucie Hudgins
3. The deadline to submit the additional information has passed so I can't try again. However, on May 12th documents
with someone else's responses to the same interview questions were uploaded to my DES account. I called in about this
the next day, but the representative I spoke to couldn't fix the problem. I finally wrote down what happened in a document
I uploaded to my account. I hope someone reads it.

2. As of May 14th, 2020 the only way I can get a place in the phone queue is to call as soon as the phone lines open in the
morning and then wait several hours for a representative.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
Hi, my name is Melannie Tyson. I am an Occupational Therapy Assistant and I work at Iredell Health System in Statesville.
My reason for applying for unemployment was due to COVID19, my hours were reduced to about half. I was originally
hired as a full time/40 hour employee. Currently, I am working 20-25 hours a week. I am thankful that this has been the
first time in my working career that I have had to file for unemployment, but it has been an unnecessarily miserable
experience.
Prior to filling out my application on the NC DES website, I had several questions about my application as I have another
PRN job, but have not worked there since February and did not know what day to put as the date I was let go as I was still
employed by both places, just had decrease in hours. I looked on the NC DES website, but there were no clear answers for
the questions I had. I also emailed the NC DES on their website on April 8 and never received a response to answer my
questions. For two weeks, on my days off I attempted to call 20-50 times/day only to get the recording "our call volume is
high" and disconnected each time. I even reached out 3 separate times to the local NC works office in Mooresville by
phone, which they said they would place my name and number on a list that was sent to the NC DES daily. I still kept
calling the NC DES multiple times, on my days off even after I had filled out the application and still was unable to get
through. On Wednesday April 15, I attempted to call the Unemployment call center (919-707-1150), which I received this
05/14/2020 Melannie Tyson number from a co-worker. I waited on hold for 7 hours 10 minutes only to find out I was placed in the wrong queue for the
employer not employee assistance. I let the person know who I spoke with that I had waited over 7 hours only to be
placed in the wrong queue. Rather than help, they transferred me back to the employee queue where I was promptly
disconnected due to call volume. I then reached out to my national and state representatives. Jan Copeland from Rep.
John Fraley's office was the most helpful in getting me in touch with Alexander Janes, the Legislative Affairs director for the
NC Dept. of Commerce. I emailed Lex about my situation and said that he would have someone call me. I did not get a
phone call from the NC DES until April 29 when Darren Waters called and left a message on my voicemail with his direct
line. When I called, he was very helpful and answered my questions. Jan Copeland from Rep. Fraleys office followed up
with me on April 29th as well to see if my problem had been resolved and if I was able to get in touch with the NC DES.
I know that I am not the only one with this situation as many of my co-workers have experienced similar situations when
contacting the NC DES, either unable to get in touch or waiting hours for someone to come to the line.
Also, I would like to close with this. As a front line employee in a Skilled Nursing Facility wing attached to a hospital. I hope
that the NC General Assembly takes another look unemployment benefits for those like myself. It is ashamed that those
taking care of those who are vulnerable and in need, only seem to get the occasional free lunch, plant, and fly over.

Claimant ID [REDACTED] I have been approved for unemployment effective date 3/22/20. There is a pending resolution
05/14/2020 Gary Stewart regarding Retirement Pay which is delaying payment. I have attached all requested documents. I do not know why this is
pending. I have not had any success in getting thru to NCDES. If I knew what I needed to do to get this resolution resolved, I
would. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated. You may reach me at [REDACTED]. Thanks for your service.

Hello, I will be filing my 9th week claim on Sunday, As of May 13th I finally had some change with my UI. Hoping to qualify
05/14/2020 Terri Cecil for my back pay and the $600. I am behind on my bills. Stressed, worn out with the unemployment process. And Iâ€™m
not sure what emails, calls, messages I made to get some changes but I am very thankful to have hope now. Thanks to
everyone who has helped me and will be helping others like me. ??
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Iâ€™ve called the DES over 60 times per day for over 3 weeks. I havenâ€™t gotten an answer at any point from anyone
that could help me get my backpay sorted out. An agent filled out and filed my claim over the phone. She asked me 3 times
what was my last day of work. All 3 times I replied, March 23, 2020 was my last day of employment before the governor
05/14/2020 Tattoo artist Jacob Black shut down tattoo shops. She still put it down as April 19, 2020. Despite what I told her. Iâ€™m in danger of losing my home
and falling behind on my bills due to this. I am extremely disappointed how this is being handled. Not one time have I been
able to even get in the call queue. Even when I was told by an agent that the queue was completely empty. Every time
theyâ€™ve tried to transfer me over to someone that could help me, Iâ€™ve been disconnected. This is maddening for
someone that is simply trying to make a living to feed their kids!

This process has been ridiculous! I filed at the end of March but then had to wait until end of April for pua... Filed for pua
05/14/2020 Mrs. Theresa Scott-Reed as of April 25 and I am still waiting for my claim to be approved. I have called the bs call center number who knows nothing
and had to connect you to Des who also has zero answers. I finally got through to Des who said they transfered my call to
the dept to be expedited a week ago .. there is still zero change to my case. It's ridiculous!

I applied on 4/8. The process has been beyond frustrating. My status was â€œincompleteâ€and â€œpendingâ€for 6
weeks and I could not get any information as to what was needed to complete my application and move it forward. I tried
countless number of times to call the DES and would have to call between 200-300 times in a row to even get into the hold
quque where I would wait 2-3 hours to speak to someone. The first person I finally connected with accidentally
disconnected me. Other times, the person could only tell me that it appeared someone was working on my application and
they did not need anything. After weeks passed, I obtained a list of all DES email addresses from a Facebook page and like
others, started emailing everyone, along with my senators begging to speak to someone regarding my claim. Within hours,
I received 3 calls from DES employees who were able to assist me and get all the information they needed which was
05/14/2020 Lisa Maccorkle
holding up my claim. It makes no sense that my claim was held up and they couldnâ€™t communicate to me WHY,
therefore it sat there for weeks and weeks. If it wasnâ€™t for someone sharing the email addresses, I would have made NO
movement. Within 3 days of speaking to employees from DES, my claim was approved and I received payment. There are
many parts of the application that are not clear and causes confusion and therefore questions are not answered correctly,
which was my issue. Also- the lack of communication is the biggest issue. If my claim is denied- tell me WHY, if it is
incomplete-Try being clear in your questions and communicate to the applicant what you are missing. The call center
employees are anything but helpful and are of no help to people calling in- train them first. The system is old, broken and
needs to be fixed. It is ridiculous that there are people waiting 9 weeks for their benefits and are at a point where they
arenâ€™t eating because they are trying to save more food for their children. This is a major problem and needs serious
attention.

Filed a claim on march 27, was may before I got approved and paid. Trying to reach a person on the phone was horrible.
Hours spent calling and calling, get on hold and the system would just hang up. When you do get a person somehow you
05/14/2020 Megan courtney would get disconnected or transferred to be told goodbye. I sent email soon email trying to receive help. The questions are
worded to confuse people. They are yes or no yet 2 or 3 questions are asked at a time with the answers being yes, no and
no. There is no way to get help. They should give people our apps and instead of allow deny or flag, call the people fix it
then proceed. Instead of everyone blocking up the phones trying to reach them.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I have been unemployed since Governor Cooper Executive Order 120 which closed Salons. I am a Hairdresser and at that
time I applied for the Unemployment Insurance (UI) which I was denied because I am self-employed. However, I did my
weekly certifications every week even after been said that Ineligible. I applied for the PUA benefits on April 24th and there
have been issues ever since. I had questions about my claim every time the call center agent would say you need to talk
with someone at DES. If I could get a agent when the they transferred me I would get cut off. It wasn't until I contacted
Sen. Steinburg's office and his legislative assistant Ed Stiles that I received a call back from DES. Then I was told the system
would merge because they could see my effective date was wrong my PUA but the new system they are working would fix
05/14/2020 Mrs. Mineeta Rountree it. This was the May 7th. I been calling and keeping contract with Ed and nothing seems to be working. On May 14th one
of the call center agent told me what my problem was. He said it was my weekly certifications. It was question that asked
if I was had applied for, received, or was eligible for any unemployment compensation under any other state or federal
law? I put Yes and the amount I had been told that eligible for but he said I was suppose to put No. I thinking they can fix
it. He said it was an easy fix but DES did grant them access to fix it only DES can fix it. Of course when I got transferred I
waited an hour and a half and got cut off. My issue is the question is confusing because all my benefits are federal so
technically the answer would be Yes on the federal part. So I have been waiting for my unemployment benefits for weeks
because of technical error that on DES can fix and they have not granted access to call center agents that hired the ability
to fix it. All they can is put in claims. I even tried the Chat log online and I get the same response. I have bills in June and I
needed the unemployment with the back pay that I am entitled to. Please help can some get someone with DES to finally
call me to fix this issue. [REDACTED]
I applied for unemployment twice. The first time, I got denied. The 2nd time, I applied April 5 and am still waiting for a
05/14/2020 Applying for unemployment Lacey Hunt response. I called about 30 times asking to be sent to an agent and I got hung up on. I need my current application deleted
so I can file for PUA
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My name is Lisa Totten claim number [REDACTED]. I want to say thank you for taking allowing me to share my concerns.
For seven weeks now I call DAILY and I am on hold for hours (no exaggeration) trying to get thru to someone who can help
me. I have a call log and I call between 30-35 times daily. At night I try calling last minnute hoping I can get thru no luck. But
I have reached three people in 37 plus days calling. I will have to give a shout out to a lady named Natalie agent number
[REDACTED] her supervisor Judy, She has been extremely helpful even calling me back once and letting me know it is still in
process. I am a single 52 year old that makes a good average salary BUT with no money none in eight weeks, it gets so hard
making ends meet. REp Donnie Lambeth, Rep. Lee Zachary, and Sen. Vickie Sawyer have been great in trying to help but
still NO MONEY. I have faxed paperwork four times in case the didnt receive everything they needed. I got thru by luck last
05/14/2020 Ms. Lisa Totten
week and they said they have everything they need but "maam there are millions of people in your situation. I am so
sorry." I am normally ok on money but I had just taken a leap of faith and made a large payment to double up on house
payments and I got furloughed 48 hours later with $500 left in the bank. I have lived off of eatting sandwiches daily and
canned food which that is ok) for almost eight weeks now. I actually ran low on food and tried to go to a food bank and no
one could help me they were either out of food or closed. I am not looking for a handout I just need to make ends meet.
God has truly blessed me but I cant go another two weeks without money (10 weekes. WOULD YOU PLEASE HELP ME I
NEED HELP IN GETTING MY CLAIM TO GO THRU. I have furloughed every bill I can. One other thing I would like to mention,
everyone is very nice to work with BUT some people tell us we will have to call back tomorrow to talk to a supervisor. My
prayer is for our everyone to get their money after two weeks and I ususlaly am not int his position but now I am in a true
bind financially. I appreciate you allowing me to submit this and please help me to get my money asap. I appreciate your
time and may God bless you all and america,
I am self employed and filed on April 29, 2020. I have never filed for unemployment before. I have repeatedly called and
05/14/2020 Mrs Melissa Urton
could not even get on hold. My claim is still pending.
05/14/2020 Realtor Vicky Abernethy
My UI claim is open and my PUA is pending. I filed for unemployment the end of March. Still waiting. I am self employed.

I filed for unemployment on March 29, 2020. I went through each screen filling out the information. Finally I came to a
screen that was asking about my pension. I filled in all the information requested including the last day I worked for that
employer (March 24, 1984). The system would not accept that because it was not between 2010-2020. It stops there and
05/14/2020 Mr. Ralph Pearson won't go any farther. It says there is an interview request needed. When I click on it goes back to asking for the same
information. I have tried this once a day to see if it has been fixed. It hasn't. I also call customer service at least once a day,
go through the phone tree only to be told that the lines are all busy and then hung up on. My benefit has been set at
$2640.00 and I received a letter saying I "was not disqualified", whatever that means. I don't know if it will help but my
confirmation number is [REDACTED]. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
I was informed 3/25/2020 I was being furloughed effective 4/2/2020 due to Covid-19. I had a previous unemployment
claim that was filed 3/1/2020 before I was offered a new job. My claim was waiting for an appeal (to receive back pay for
the weeks I was not employed) but I knew I needed to file a new claim with the Covid-19 reason. I tried countless times
starting 3/25/2020 to get in touch with someone to assist with closing that claim so I could file a new one. My appeals
judge finally called me on 4/12/2020 (2 days before my appeal!!) and explained what she needed me to do to withdrawal
the appeal. I immediately did what she asked yet my appeal was not fully withdrawn until 4/14/2020. I logged in to their
claimant website to file a new claim but was only given the option to reactivate my old claim. I tried calling to get help and
was never even able to get to the hold queue. I saw no choice but to reactivate that claim with all my of new reasonings
and furlough letter from my employer. I fully expected from the beginning to have to wait the normal â€œ14 daysâ€•to
receive any payment and continued to file my weekly certifications. After 14 days passed and there was absolutely no
movement in my claim I began trying to call again. Same situation, not able to get even to the hold queue. The only line
that answered was the PUA line and they were unable to help me. I then began emailing anyone I could. I have a family and
bills to pay so I was being as proactive as I knew how to be to resolve my issues. After emailing several reps and having a
few reply I received a phone call from DES. The agent was able to help me and stated they verified employment with the
05/14/2020 Amanda Crane wrong employer, because it was a reactivated claim and not a new claim. She stated she would be able to fix it. A few
hours later I received another phone call from a different DES agent who knew nothing of my first conversation with the
first agent. She stated there were still errors and she needed a supervisor to fix them. She stated she would take care of it
and would return my call. I trusted that she would. Unfortunately I never heard from her again. The next day my claim was
changed to â€œallowâ€•but the effective date was 4/12/2020 NOT my original file date or even the date I was furloughed. I
was back at square one and again had absolutely no luck even getting to the hold queue. It didnâ€™t matter if I called at 8
am or 8 pm, it was impossible to get through. I again emailed my senator and he had me fill out a form and I received a
phone call within hours. This agent corrected my effective date and I thought everything was settled. I was issued my first
payment 4/29/2020 for my back pay. I had selected direct deposit and put in my info prior to this date. I waited patiently
one day, two days, four days, nothing. At this point I was defeated. I didnâ€™t know what more to do. I tried calling again
and again to no avail. Again, I reached out to Stanley Arnold & Jim Berger for help. An agent, Tia, called me the same day I
emailed and told me that the payments were sent but my bank declined then saying the account did not exist. I used their
website to confirm my information and it matched what my bank info showed. Tia stated she needed help with it from IT
and would call me back, I begrudgingly asked if she would give me a call back number because I didnâ€™t receive a call
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

As noted in my initial email I filed for unemployment on March 25 which was the first day we were shut down. I am a small
business owner and have been for 39 years. I have never used the system for any reason in my career. I worked on filing fir
three weeks and could never finish the claim as the system would crash or shut down each time. I also called every day all
day as I was not working and had bills to pay so I called 50-100 times a day for three weeks. Finally I reached out to the
senators office which was not a lot of help as it took me another two weeks to file and get it completed. Then I was
denied. I also helped about fifteen stylists that work with me file as the system is not user friendly. I finally received 4
05/14/2020 Mrs Lisa Anderson weeks of 132 and 4 weeks of 600. I have not received the fifth week at all. Sixth week just came so Iâ€™m still owed 732
for the 5 th week and 7 and 8. I called many times to talk with someone about it but no way to call as the lines are full. Also
did online chat and the person was not helpful and told me I had to call. How do you call when the system still cuts you off.
Iâ€™m a tax paying citizen and business owner and Iâ€™m ashamed at our unemployment system as it has failed us.
Iâ€™ve been out of work for two months with little to no pay and no one seems to care about the small business or the
beauty industry. We are many of us small business owners that are just keeping our head above water. Also the ppp has
not come thru either and I filed March 25. I thank you for listening to me and hope this will help someone else in the
future.

I would like to say that the state legislative was very responsive to my request and concerned with my issue, but to this
05/14/2020 Unemployment Robert Dyer day I have not got any response or payment for unemployment, states that it is pending because of pension pay and only
pension I get is firemenâ€™s pension fund which is 176 dollars a month I think it can be resolved if I could just talk to
someone from DES thank you for your time and your help Robert Dyer

My name is Heather Whitehead. I am a hairstylist and I am self employed. I have been out of work since March 24. I first
tried filing for PUA on April 24.
In 2016 my name and SS number were fraudulently used to file unemployment. I reported the situation. And thought the
issue was resolved. I have spoken to several consultants when I call the number to DES. Some very helpful in my situation.
One person I spoke with went in and tried to update my information and when she entered it into the system it came back
05/14/2020 Heather Whitehead
and said access has been revoked due to fraudulent activity. She told me I would have to speak to an agent to clear up the
situation. I have called several times a day every week since I first tried applying and can not reach an agent. Anytime a
consultant tries to connect me to an agent it hangs up. When I sign in with my email and password the website says
Claimant Account Hold Claimant ID [REDACTED]. I can not apply or submit any documents. I am so frustrated at this point.
We have two small children and have been living on one income. I have been going in complete circles with DES. I would
appreciate any help with getting my name cleared up and be able to finally apply for PUA.
Thank you.
I've been trying to see why I haven't received any money yet. I called again today to ask was everything filled out correctly
and the lady sayed everything was ok that she saw,so I asked why I haven't gotten any money yet and she dated she didn't
05/14/2020 Mrs gladys lucas lucas
know why but she will send them a email asking why I haven't yet.Please help me find out what I need to do .Thank You so
much.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I originally filed for unemployment on 3/28/20. I am a sole proprietor and my business is Square Deal Coins (I am self
employed). I filed after the governors speech on shut down. I was encouraged to refile a week later and I did so. I have
been waiting ever since. I have called a lot of times, almost daily and several times daily. It is discouraging and I have not
enjoyed it. It has been 47 days now and that is too long to wait. I have been patient but my patient has worn thin. My case
is shown as pending due to reduction of hours due to Coronavirus and it is Claim# 11680397. I qualify due to fact of what
was said by the President. I have called numerous times as stated and DES just hangs up on you immediately. They have
05/14/2020 Mr James Wright started to include a call center in Kansas city to pick up if you select option 1 but they just tell you to call DES and then you
will get hung up on immediately - and they are right. They have also added a chat and they are most likely sub contracted
also. They just tell you to call DES and they(DES) hang up on you immediately. I expect to speak to the right one, the one
who can fix my Coronavirus under employment issue immediately. I want it now with back pay. This issue should not be
this bad. No excuses just help me and my family and lets get back to making money and solving all the regular issues that
we already have without this.
Gratefully yours,
James P Wright
I have been progressively filing for unemployment due to a drastic cut in my hours due to COVID-19. I only received one
05/14/2020 Kathryn Moran
payment but none after that.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
As a self employed small business owner who has been greatly affected by the Covid 19 shut down I first started applying
for unemployment at the end of March. Hours and hours spent setting alarms to try and catch the system at a time I could
even log on, it took a week of this just to set up an account. Days and hours on the phone trying to get through only to be
hung up on, emails request for help never answered.

Finally they announced we could not apply until the 24th but at that time I had already spent 3 to 4 hours a day trying to
get through. There were days I would be on hold for 5 hours only to be randomly disconnected. On the 24th my link to
the PUA was not active like others so that meant more days of trying to get that fixed and again hours and hours of calling
trying to get in the hold que only to then be hung up on.

Now my claim is hung in pending has been for weeks and again hours trying to get through you can get to the first number
but they can't help you at all one of them even admitted to me the number was useless there is nothing they can help you
with. Promises of staying on the phone with me to be transferred never work it always is a disconnect. I am sure at this
point I have tried to get through that first number that disconnects you over 100 times and not once have I gotten through.
05/14/2020 Melissa Roten There is no help online either.

At this point I have no hope of getting this resolved many of my friends have just given up hope. I needed answers to
qualifications and I still do not have that I delayed applying for other help because I did not know the guidelines they are
not clear for self employed.

At one point a operator admitted they were in India and kept asking for my SS # and telling me how my state was in a lock
down I could not go outside. That was unsettling, why not hire some of us to help and not outsource this!

In my 30 years of self employment I have made it through many a down time and never asked for a dime from anyone
even when I did qualify for other programs. It is hard enough to ask for help but to be treated as we have been is just
cruel, I have looked at my life insurance plan several times and thought that may be my only way to provide for my family.
This virus is serious and dangerous but you have taken our life from us anyway and humiliated us especially outsourcing the
call center when our state needs the jobs. I have no faith in our government anymore doesn't matter which party is in
My clam was filed March 20, 2020. A few days later it pended for â€œsix time testâ€•and has not changed since. I called
and was able to get through. The rep said that I messed my claim up and she was sending it to a supervisor. Itâ€™s been a
05/14/2020 Unique Lacks
couple of weeks and still no change. I personally know someone that applied and was approved and received their funds
the next week.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am a contract worker and work two part time jobs. The last day I worked was March 6th. My employers, a college and
university, could not tell me if I would be paid my full contracts. Neither of them told me anything until April. I applied for
unemployment benefits on April 4th, after I received a letter from the university that my contract was voided and I would
not be paid going forward. This employer was the one from whom I received the majority of my pay, as with the other I
was only contracted for seven hours per week. I had not heard from this employer at all regarding continued payment and
thought is necessary to file the claim. Even if I was paid my contracted amount, it would be substantially less than I usually
received per month. It took four weeks for my claim to be rejected. The reason given was that I was still employed by one
school and I would be paid my contracted amount until the end of April, again, seven hours per week. My claim was
05/14/2020 Mrs. Stefanie Wortham
rejected because I was to be paid for seven hours per week. I want to emphasize that someone considered that full
employment and rejected my claim. I appealed that decision immediately and have yet to receive one correspondence
regarding my appeal. It is impossible to get any one on the phone, so I gave up on that hope. Today is May 14th, almost six
weeks since I filed my first claim. I am now officially unemployed and not being paid at all. I applied for pandemic relief
close to two weeks ago. I have heard nothing regarding that claim. The website is confusing, in that it makes reference that
you apply at the same time for state benefits and the federal benefit, so I did not apply for the federal pandemic relief right
away because I thought I was applying for both with the same application. The website also reads "if you have lost your
job, or have had your hours reduced", you can apply. I had proof through signed contracts and a letter of contract
amendment that my hours were reduced to seven per week and was still denied. I would appreciate adjudication of my
claim. I am not working and not being paid. Unfortunately I still have bills arriving in the mail. I have never applied for
unemployment in my life, until last month.

Like many, I was furloughed April 1 due to COVID-19. As a full time employee for a local company, I was eligible to file
unemployment, which I did that week. I am also a 20 year Air Force veteran receiving retirement pension. I provided all of
the necessary information and uploaded verifying documents for the claim. However, it has been over one month and a
half, and I still have not received ANY unemployment benefits from the state of NC.

05/14/2020 Tash Beverly The message that is posted in my online account states "Pending Issue/Retirement-Pension". I have literally called over 50
times to try and get this issue resolved, or at least get a voice to provide answers; to no avail.

While I am receiving, at least, some income to sustain myself through my retirement funds, it is not enough, thus the
reason for working full time post military retirement. Colleagues that work for the same local company have been getting
their weekly benefits for several weeks, so the issue is definitely related to my military retirement pension. Even with the
number of unemployed claims the state is processing, I do not understand why it is taking over 6 weeks to resolve the
"pending" issue, or at least receive some type of communication. Last week, I also contacted my state representative. His
office has also tried to intervene and assist by sending this information/my complaint to the commerce department.
However, it has been a week and DES still has not responded. This is totally unacceptable and I would even say negligible.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed for unemployment on March 22. I had never filed before and questioned wether I had done it right, so starting
March 23 I tried contacting unemployment via their phone number. Over the next several weeks, I tried several hundred
times to no avail. I woke up to call at 8am almost everyday. I never got to the point where I was even put on hold. It was
05/14/2020 Mr Andrew Riffle
such a helpless feeling for weeks. I finally was told by someone to reach out to my senator. If not for that, I may still be
without receiving unemployment. Something in this process has to be fixed. Filing is very confusing and there is no one to
help.

I originally filed for unemployment on 27 March 2020, when my company laid me off due to COVID-19. I filled via the
website. In the status, it says pending and has remained in the pending status ever since. I have been submitting my
weekly filing, stating I have not worked that previous week. I have called close to every day with the longest wait time of 8
hours and no one ever answers. On one occasion, I was able to speak to a physical unemployment employee that was able
05/14/2020 Mr Korey Zawadzki to validate my status was pending and said they needed to transfer me to another department for resolution. Once
transferred, the phone hung up. I was my families primary source of income and this has created a significant financial
strain. I am unable to pay my mortgage, car payments etc. As of today, I have not received any correspondence regarding
my claim and I am not sure if it is held up due to my filing, my previous employer or just in a wait queue. I completely
understand that these are unprecedented times, however, this is completely unacceptable and not taking care of those
who have paid their entire lives into the system.

05/14/2020 Unemployment issues Javon Brannon I have done my weekly claims but is yet to receive payment. It says issue delaying payment being distance to work relating
to my job at Professional Party Rentals. Iâ€™m not at professional party rentals because of covid-19.

DES must be run by the idiots in the White House, it is a complete disaster. I filed for UI on March 29. It was pending
forever so I started calling the 888 number, about a thousand times, everyday until I reached someone. I was told twice a
supervisor would call me within 72 hours, that was 3 weeks ago. Then I filed the PUA and it has been pending so I called
again. The first time I was on hold for 2.5 hours and told a supervisor would call me back within 72 hours, LOL, the second
05/14/2020 Christine Fogleman
time I was on hold for 6 hours and told there is nothing wrong with my filing and it should have been approved
immediately so she would send it to her supervisor for immediate approval and I would see the approved claim when I
logged in within 48 hours. Well today was 48 hours so I guess I am back to dialing continuously and sitting on hold for
another 6 hours to see what happened. I have no money, no work, a pending claim for no reason, and no answers. This
situation is a complete disgrace as is this country.

I have been out of work for 7 weeks with absolutely no income due to being laid off from my job. As well as school closures
and having to care for my autistic son. I understand DES is overwhelmed with claims right now but this is ridiculous. There
05/14/2020 Mrs. Ashley Petisce was not suppose to be a waiting period, we are all starving out here. No one is hiring people because of everything going
on. We are struggling to keep our heads above water all because DES is overwhelmed. This is unacceptable and needs to be
fixed. People can not continue to live like this. It should not take this long for people to get the help they need considering
this was out of our control. We deserve better than this.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed an the effective date is 04/05/2020. I have tried over an over to contact the unemployment office a number of times
on the filed claim. I always get a recording about they were busy with record claims an to go online to get your answers.
Then the recording said call at a later time. There was a delay an my determination history an the decision was allow
04/22/2020. I myself may be part of the delay as I put on my confirmation history that I was a disabled veteran an did not
get a check. I tried to change it but thatâ€™s impossible. I do have a VA rating an draw a disability payment. I emailed that
05/14/2020 Mr Robert Wheeler statement to lex.janes@nccommerce.com as instructed to do so, by my congressman, so my mistake could be corrected. If
there is a defense on why I said I didnâ€™t have a rating is that the VA itself told me never to disclose my rating to anyone.
I get a email every Friday on how to fill out my certification every Sunday an have always wondered why they couldnâ€™t
email me if there is a problem
I have had no communication with the unemployment office At all, just my congressman. At this point I donâ€™t know if I
will get a check or not an no way to find out.
RLW

Getting through to customer call center hasn't been an issue recently, however getting through so someone who can
actually make decisions or assist in anything other than telling me what I can see on the website has been the problem. I
05/14/2020 Adrienne Clyne
understand the call volume has been overwhelming but not being able to pay Bill's and worrying whether or not I will be
able to make rent or be homeless is my concern if this delay in payment continues any longer. It would help if emails were
answered by DES. I have sent multiple emails to them and none have been answered.
At first i could not activate my account with the link given. Seemed as though it was an internal problem with the website.
05/14/2020 Flora Butler And then it looked as though i was filing for both a reduction of hours and as a freelance - that was a mistake. I am no
longer an independent contractor.
Out of work, due to COVID19, since 3/20. Had an exhausted claim, as of 3/15. Was told to wait for PUA & file PUA, did that
05/14/2020 Jennifer Dansby
4/24. No movement; no calls; 100â€™s of calls & attempts to chat; no answers.

I am the owner of a small catering company in Watauga County. As of March 2nd, 2020 I became unemployed due to
covid-19. I began filing for unemployment as directed by ncworks and the CARES act on March 27th. My initial clam was
denied for being self-employed. I continued to file the weekly certifications only to be repeatedly denied benefits. I have
spent well over 100 hours on hold and the website has not been sufficient in solving my issue. My initial online claim took
nearly 8 hours to complete due to glitches and crashes. I understand that there is an unprecedented amount of claimants
attempting to file for benefits due to the pandemic. However, it is also my understanding that the CARES act provided
05/14/2020 DES customer service Edward Winebarger
funding to state and local governments to restart the unemployment system in NC. On April 24th, 2020 I was instructed to
re-apply for PUA benefits. Again the system kept crashing and did not accept all of my information. I tried over and over to
call DES with no result. I stayed on hold between six and eight hours a day, five days a week. I requested a callback through
the website multiple times which never occurred. I have contacted my local representatives concerning the issue and they
have both attempted to fix the problem. My first unemployment benefit payment came through around March 9th. To
this date no one has returned my call request and I have not received retroactive benefits. I strongly feel that this system
has failed many unemployed workers including myself. My account is still showing unresolved issues. Thank you for
allowing me to explain my situation.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My experience with contacting NC DES was exhausting and troubling. After repeated efforts on my part in an attempt to
file with DES I finally resorted to contacting my local state representative by text but met with a basic brush off. I
continued to reach out to other elected officials and ended up with Senator Berger's staff. It was at this point that the
pressure for direct contact with DES was accelerated by his staff. There was a constant flow of emails which finally reached
Taylor Lockhart, Assistant Director of The NC Department of Commerce/Employment Security Division. In the meantime I
was daily calling DES and getting disconnects and being put on hold and then getting disconnected. During this time period
the DES web site crashed and the phone banks.
After diligent efforts by Senator Berger's staff being in contact with Mr. Lockhart I was at last contacted direct by DES with
05/14/2020 Mr. Jack Willard 2 direct phone calls in one day. Had I not reached out to Senator Berger and his staff I may be be stuck in limbo as many
still are at this late date. My general reaction after not having to file a claim in over 35 years is that NC DES was not
adequately prepared for the flood of claims and made a mostly bad showing. As a proud citizen of North Carolina it is a real
shame that I had to reach out to our elected officials to get a simple DES claim processed.
I speak for thousands of others who suffered for weeks on end to be met with a broken DES system and no resolve in
sight. I understand more staff is being added now but should have been there weeks ago. I am at a loss at how slow the
State was to ramp up and deal with issue head on. To add insult to injury I had to go through the aforementioned process
to get my wife's claim processed which was resolved through Berger's staff. In conclusion I want to say there are still
people trying to file claims and have not gotten resolve. I know we as a State are experiencing a medical meltdown and
uncertain about the coming months but we will eventually come through this crisis.
I certainly hope that NC DES will be better prepared in the future should another crisis arises. My thanks again goes out to
Senator Berger and staff for making the effort to help a couple from Washington NC!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

1)It should not require intervention from my State Representative's Office to be able to get a response from ESC
2)The State and the agency must be mindful that when a person is applying for benefits, they are in desperate need of
funds.
3) In a digital era, no more than 72 hours should be allowed for employer verification response. Any errors can be
corrected later.
4) The lack of live person contact is shameful and abusive. Chat options are no better. ESC should have trained new
personnel for lower rank positions while elevating existing employees to the areas of greater need for claimant contact.
05/14/2020 MaryAnn Whalen 5) My experience took more than 4 weeks to correct errors by ESC and have my claim approved. This should not have
happened; ESC has had more than 2 months to improve the system
6) The opportunity for employers to hold up a claim (non COVID UI benefit) by way of protest or disagreement should be
completely abolished. If the record exists, and the questions are clearly set forth, no opportunity for the employer to hold
up a claimant's livelihood should be permitted. Those matters, if they are valid, can be addressed after the claim is
approved and funds can be recouped by the ESC by way of tax lien on the claimant. Too often an employer will use their
ability to protest the claim as a financial tool or vindictive effort.
My experience with a COVID claim was one where some of my income was derived from w-2 and some through 1099; ESC
representatives should be fully trained in the reality that not everyone is solely a w-2 worker.

Thank you
MaryAnn Whalen

I filed for UI and was denied March 23rd because my income is showing $0 for Q2, Q3, and Q4 of 2019. This is an error as I
have worked for my employer since 2017. I uploaded my 2019 tax return and 2 most recent paystubs on March 25th and
05/14/2020 chaia warrington
filed an appeal. As of May 14th nothing has changed on my claim. I have been without an income since my last day of work
on March 19th. My employer says this is DES' fault and DES is saying it is my employer's fault. All approximately 30
employees at my work location are facing the exact same issue.
05/14/2020 Nancy Mclamb Stressful. It took almost eight weeks to get my unemployment.

I filled on March 26th.
Couple weeks later I spoke with a customer service representative and was told I'd know something within a week.
Couple weeks later I got an email from Ms. Middleton requesting more information. I sent the information and she
confirmed receiving information.
05/14/2020 DANA GADDIS
Sent numerous emails no numerous people with no help.
I did email Ms. Middleton again and she know says she cannot find my claim.
My boss has yet to receive a request for information of employment.
When I filed my claim I had to reinstate an old claim. I thought that was the reason I wasn't getting benefits.
Then one week another link appeared and I filled that out as well.
I NEED HELP
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Claimant ID [REDACTED]. I was able to file my unemployment claim, but have some questions. I believe the start date of
my claim should have been March 22, 2020 instead of April 5, 2020. I was furloughed on March 19, 2020, but received one
05/14/2020 Mrs. Anne P. Hinson more paycheck on March 24 that was for paid time off earned before the furlough. I uploaded pictures of the my last
regular paycheck plus the PTO check. I believe that according to Executive Order 134, I was not to be penalized for the
paid time off. I have called numerous times and always receive the message that the queue is full. Spent 2 1/2 waiting on
chat May
Let me 12 off
start onlybytosaying
be cutoff
I amagain. I have
originally gone
from back and
Boston to work andtodoNorth
moved not have timefor
Carolina repeatedly
to better call the ESC.
opportunities down here and
furthering my education. Being â€œdisappointedâ€•would not do justice to how I feel about currently living in Raleigh,
North Carolina. In Boston, we donâ€™t sugar coat things, so let that be a warning for what I am about to say; itâ€™s going
to get blunt.

Upon Governor Cooper stating that all bars and restaurants were closed for dine-in, my hours were significantly reduced,
as of March 17, 2019. My initial claim I was denied because my wages were not enough for the 2019 year. Mind you, this
restaurant was brand new so it was struggling to get on it's feet, but I was making decent tip wages (all reported on my
paychecks for this exact reason; tragically ironic). For the first quarter of 2020, my wages increased from tips and amazingly
enough, I was promoted to manager.

On April 24th, 2020, I filed a new unemployment claim as the website allowed me to due to the PUA. I filled out
everything, provided information regarding my 1099 in South Carolina in 2019 and my new wages for the first quarter of
2020. I also included a letter from the General Manager of the bar as well as my most recent paystub. I have filed weekly
05/14/2020 Brianna Stoney certifications faithfully and on time.

It's just shy of three weeks since my (second) claim has been pending, and NINE weeks since my first claim. That means 15
hours a week of work compared to my at minimum of 40 hours for NINE WEEKS. This has been the longest two months of
my life and been a rollercoaster of emotions and anxiety.

I am on the verge of a mental breakdown. I am in Nursing School at ECPI and my bi-weekly pay is nothing close to what I
was making before the pandemic and closing of bars and restaurants. I have tried to get a grocery store job, Amazon job,
etc., all failing. As of this Friday, my May rent will finally be paid, only to have June due in two weeks. I have used every last
penny in my savings account since moving here. I am struggling financially, emotionally, and mentally.

As I sit here and type this out, I am in tears. I fear for the unknown: how will I pay rent making $250 every two weeks on a
bartender salary? When will things be open again? When will I be able to work to pay for the things I need? And when bars
are able to open again, how will I know I will earn enough to pay my bills, since I will be behind on them? WHEN WILL I
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

While the employees of DES have been nothing but courteous, patient, and helpful. I found myself waiting nearly 9 weeks
to receive unemployment benefits. It was harrowing, to say the least, to be unable to work, wondering if I would be able to
pay my bills and keep my house with no reassurance that assistance was on it's way. I have since been granted my
unemployment benefits and am grateful to the workers I did manage to speak to during the whole ordeal. I will admit I was
frustrated when 6 weeks into my application I was unable to contact anyone regarding my claim, neither by phone nor by
email, and I understand that there are people across the United States facing the same issue. However, it is disheartening
05/14/2020 Ms Cassie Russell
to say the least when you feel ignored, even abandoned, especially when several of your peers who apply after you receive
benefits before you. I was pleased that when I reached out to Senator Ballard, Mr. Verbiest did his best to assist me, and
connected me with a DES employee. It was then that I waited another two weeks before reaching out again to DES. this
time reaching someone on the pandemic assistance line and the issue, at last, has been resolved. I felt as though I had to
fight for assistance, and the raw relief from finally receiving my benefits is a testament to the tension built up over the past
two months wondering if help would arrive. I applaud the workers involved for their patience, they were nothing but kind
even amongst my frustration, and I don't fault them for it. It is unfortunate, still, that I and many others have to feel so
helpless from obstacles such as this whilst also facing the threat of the pandemic. I wish I knew what it would take to
improve the situation, because many, like me, can and will slip through the cracks of recognition.

I was laid off from a part time job on March 16 when the business closed due to Covid 19 ( I have two part time positions
that allow me to cover my expenses, barely). My second position allows work from home with reduced hours.
05/14/2020 Teresa Johnson
I was able to apply successfully on 3/29. I have heard absolutely nothing despite emails and calls. Iâ€™m desperate at this
point as my rent and other bills are past due.
Filed nearly a month ago and have been pending for PUA ever since. Calling is practically useless, even if you can get
through, which is rarely. And when you do, you are on hold for two hours at a minimum.

Iâ€™m frustrated and suffering financially.
05/14/2020 Shit Show Adam Matza
People who have filed after me are getting paid. There is no logic to any of it.

This is a nightmare and, quite frankly, a massive shit show.
My experience has been terrible called many times. On the web site it just shuts down ... I do have a claim but who knows
05/14/2020 Hairstylist Michelle Hughes
if anything will ever come of it. I called the governess office , I emailed them.

I was layed off March 18. My hours were reduced to 19 hours. We were told to leave because of covaid-19 virus. We were
being paid but no work was being performed. April 24, we were told not to enter anymore time. I submitted my
05/14/2020 Supervisor US Census april strickland unemployment claim but it was denied until April 26. The only help I could get was from a lady in Wilkesboro NC Works.
Susie. Not only did I have no pay but nobody to help me with this issue. As a single mom, I have barely keep food on my
table and my electric on. The system has failed me tremendously.
April Strickland
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My original claim which I filed the day I was laid off came back as ineligible due to not making enough. I had been working
for the same company full time for almost 2 years so it did not make sense to me. It took me over two weeks to get
someone on the phone and it was discovered that because I got married and changed my last night in the middle of the
year they only counted my pay with my new last name Wilson not my pay with my maiden name Keen. It didnâ€™t make
sense since my social security number and address was still the same. The lady could not help me and said she would add
05/14/2020 Paige Wilson
me to a list to have a supervisor call me. I never got a call. I went ahead and refilled and uploaded my W2, ID and marriage
license. My 2nd claim got accepted after an email to my state senator. I believe my pay is still wrong as there was only an
amount listed for the 3rd and 4th quarter of last year so I feel like I should have been approved for the full $350 a week. I
finally started getting paid but I have not been back paid for the 5 weeks I went without getting anything even though I
filled out the weekly certifications. Iâ€™m just happy Iâ€™m getting something so I havenâ€™t attempted to call again
since itâ€™s so hard to get through.

First the system is not set up for self-employed or small business! It was very frustrating to file when the questions did not
match our services! Mistakes were made and impossible to correct online! I waited 1000s of hours on hold or just calling
and calling for weeks. On the few times I actually talked with someone they had to transfer me and I got cut off (but let me
stress EVERYONE was always very professional and nice!!) they just didnâ€™t have answers! This money was allotted for
us, the self employed! All my information was faxed I.e 1099, license - but there was nowhere online to note my
05/14/2020 LMBT Mari lynn Sain information was faxed and not downloaded, so I had to continually call to make sure they received all information.
The most frustrating part for me was the fact IF I had owed this money, everyone would already know my previous tax
returns, license number, address, name and phone number already in a computer base somewhere!!
I finally did get the PUA and pandemic pkg after 5 weeks! But I know many who still have not, my co-worker had to sell her
car for money to pay her bills and still waiting.....
I hope this information helps, which Iâ€™m sure itâ€™s the same complaint as most everyone else! But at least going
forward UI can be better prepared for another emergency such as this! I pray this never happens again BUT who
knows...be prepared and learn from our mistakes!
Thanks for your time!

I have been waiting since March 29 for Unemployment benefits through the PUA. All you can get is someone on the phone
05/14/2020 Mr Jonathan Steelman to take a new claim and no one to help with existing ones. I waited for 2 1/2 hours for the chat customer service on Sunday
and was told that there was nothing that could be done about my claim by the representative. I do not understand what
the problem is. I qualified and I should be receiving my benefits. My employer has even indicated it.
I have not received any unemployment benefits due to a mistake with my jobs. Some of the paperwork is stating that I quit
my full time teaching job which is not the case. The only job I quit was my part time job I had for two months last year. I
05/14/2020 Mrs. Nelisa Wuilliez
have tried calling, uploading information and even sent a certified letter. My employer has also tried to help but it is
â€œstill pendingâ€• . I need help please.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I have called repeatedly also been on the des website. I've been unemployed since March 25th I've still not received
05/14/2020 Cosmetologist Amanda Herring unemployment benefits I'm at wits end with the whole process. My home is just like everyone else's WE NEED TWO
INCOMES COMING IN we r barely hanging on. We haven't even received our stimulus money tried to go on IRS website
can't get threw on it either . I am asking PLEASE HELP US this system needs more guidance

My last day of work was March 20th. I applied for unemployment on March 29th, I have been in pending status since then.
My claimant ID is [REDACTED]. I have spoken with several agents and have received a different answer from each one. Im
told the wages department just needs to input an amount. I've also been told I'll never qualify here and i should file in a
state I lived in 9 months ago. Some say there is nothing i can do but wait. Recently I was told I should have just been denied
so I could apply for PUA and when I asked if that could be done they said this mysterious wages department would have to
05/14/2020 Struggling Motger Angela Kimbrough do it because maybe i could qualify because of my 1st quarter wages. There is no number listed for that department so
everyday I call in hopes I happen to connect with someone that can help. Recently 3rd party operators have been getting to
the line quicker but all they can do is put me in the back of the cue line, that they took me out of further delaying me from
getting the help I need. Most days i stay on hold until the operator informs me that no one is coming and i need to try
again the next day, my record hold time being 10 hours and 13 minutes. While many businesses are reopening the hotel
industry probably won't return to work for another 2 months. As a single mother of 2 this is hard. I realize a lot hit the
system at the same time but I don't understand how people that filed in April have been approved disapproved or have
begun appeals when I, who filed in March can't get any answers.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Hi,

My name is Belinda Dixon-Dawson Claimant Number [REDACTED]

I applied for unemployment February 9th, 2020. Comfirmation number [REDACTED] forÂ Methodist Home for Children.
My mother unexpectedly died February 4th (right after a company meeting) found dead in her bed. AfterÂ being put under
investigation by the company without my knowledge for false accusations against me...I immediately told my employer
that I was submitting a 2 week notice of resignation. Two days later I recieve a call saying that I was being terminated
immediately. So, I was fired after submitting a resignation statement
05/14/2020 Mrs. Belinda Dixon Dawson

I was then hired at Sanderson Farm on March 12th, 2020. I was given only 3 days to provide proof of eligibility to work in
the US. I tried desperately to obtain a SOCIAL SECURITY CARD, but because of COVID 19... the Social Security offices were
closed. I asked employer for more time to get another form of Identification and was told NO!

I've never received unemployment and I don't mind working. I just need some help getting back on my feet. I have 3
children (one is a minor that I provide for).

I'm in dire need of funds for survival.

Belinda Dixon-Dawson
[REDACTED]

I filed my original claim on April 4th. I did not hear from DES for 4 weeks. During my 5th week of employment is when I
begin calling the number provided on the website as well as sending emails daily. For 2 weeks straight I would be on hold
for 4 to 5 hours.. when I was able to speak to a representative they were not able to provide me with any details about my
05/14/2020 Elizabeth Stinson claim and said they would have to transfer me to a DES employee (which is who I thought I had called after hours on hold).
After transferring me my call would drop. This happened multiple times. I finally had to resort to sending unfriendly emails
multiple times a day to all DES employees as well as state representatives in order for anyone to give me any attention.
After 6 weeks my claim was finally approved and money was deposited. I had to go 6 weeks without income, help or any
feedback from DES.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Towards the end of March my hours were reduced from full-time to part-time due to Covid-19. I first applied for UI
benefits on March 24. I received a WAGE TRANSCRIPT AND MONETARY DETERMINATION the following week. My
employer also received a phone call and confirmed that I, along with one other employee were able to draw
unemployment. As of 5/15/2020, I have still not received funds after certifying each week since March 25th. However, the
other employee is receiving UI benefits.
The online website in my account shows "ISSUES DELAYING PAYMENT - EMPLOYED/UNEMPLOYED/PART-TIME.
05/14/2020 ISSUES DELAYING PAYMENT Sheila McLaughlin COMPLETED BY: PENDING RESOLUTION ".
I have been unable to reach anyone by telephone even though I call at 8am and all throughout the day. The hold queue is
ALWAYS full, even at 8am.
On April 10th, I was laid-off from all work and to this date, I'm still unsure if or when I will be rehired.
There is absolutely nowhere on the website to find out what I may need to do to process payments.
The website definitely needs more directions on how to resolve any and all issues that could keep payments from being
processed.
Actually I lost my job in November.I received the usual 12 weeks at 118.00 after taxes. My benefits expired on March 1 at
the beginning of the Covid issue. So when they extended benefits with the PEUC I attempted to sign in to see what I
needed to do.
My account was locked because I had exhausted my benefits but still had benefit year left. So after weeks of calling,
emailing, and contact forms. I finally received an email from Lockhart Taylor. I was able to get into my account after that
and file weekly certifications for when the PEUC became available. Then DES sent me the link to file for PUA. I filed and
finally after writing several senators, contact forms, etc. 4.5 weeks later. Only after Senator Horners office contacted DES,
they reviewed the claim and determined I was ineligible for PUA. They have yet to implement the PEUC for those of us
who were caught in the middle with no options. I was told by Mr Taylor weeks ago they would soon be implementing the
PEUC and the website still state's the same as it did from day one. Still no assistance on that. I called DES for over 5 weeks
daily and never got an answer on any phone line or reply to any contact form. It was very nerve wracking and a major joke
to even try not to mention very poorly handled. I contacted the N&O to see if they had any updates as well.

05/14/2020 Ms Emma Temple So basically I have been since March 1, without any income except for the stimulas ck. Thank God for that.

It seems to me since UI is a database they should be able to query it for the specific dates and in acting the PEUC should
have been a simple enactment. But took this day it's still not even mentioned.

I know there are others in worse shape than I and I have exhausted my savings and stimulas just to keep necessities.

DES is poorly run and very inefficient, not to mention the lowest paid and barely enough to eat off of let alone pay bills
and survive.

What happens now, who knows if I will ever get the PEUC. I am eligible but DES is not at all concerned about those of us
without. It a disgrace.

Thank you for listening.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

We had to close our salon May 25th so I filed after that date! I did called multiple times and talked to a lady who I thought
05/14/2020 Mrs Kelly Horsley got my pandemic unemployment straightened out but Iâ€™ve been 7 weeks without any money! We rent a building and all
our bills have been due!

05/14/2020 Mrs JoAnne Conway Still waiting to resolve a yellow triangle issue. Called numerous times and each person agreed itâ€™s a simple fix but they
can not help me. Why bother having a CS person answer a call and not being able to help?

The inability to speak to anyone for 3 weeks. Noted the unprecedented spike in demand, if there was just temporary help
that could answer and get a message to a full time DES representative.
05/14/2020 Melvin Godwin
Really was shocked that temp help could not be acquired to provide a receiver on the other end. understand while this
was a sudden burden, it was not overnight. When things started shutting down in early March the wave should have been
expected. It was evident in other countries as were our forecasters in the public health arena in this country.

Hello , from the week I was furloughed which was the week of March 17th I filed my initial claim . It wasnâ€™t until the
middle of April that my claim finally went through . After that point I reached out to the state to see what was going on . I
05/14/2020 Ms. Kayla Lacombe
was then told that I could not get back pay ? Even though I filed weeks before . Iâ€™m not sure why itâ€™s my fault that it
took that long to go through and un able to receive what was supposed to be awarded in my financial situation. I hope that
this situation can be worked out to fix this so missed compensation can be recouped .

I applied on 03/29 and did not get anything until now (05/15/20). Tried for (4) weeks (after the initial 2 weeks after
05/14/2020 Dr. Radu Coman
submitting my application) to call 2x / day with no success. I also tried to get updates via e-mail and the DES web site with
no success. I guess there is a glitch in the computer system that prevented my application to be processed.

I have never filed for unemployment benefits before and found the experience extremely stressful. The questions had no
explanation, and there was no way to clarify what the questions meant. causing a pending resolution if you answered the
question wrong.
After asking for help from my senators office I finally got the pending resolution removed without ever knowing what the
problem was. Three weeks later while certifying I decided I needed to enter yes to the question were there any changes in
05/14/2020 Mrs. Holly Arbogast
your retirement or annuity from the last time you certified. I answered the question yes because I received my net annuity
of $15.24. It was the first time I received it since I had started receiving benefits. No where in the questions was there an
explanation that you only have to answer if your retirement benefits are with the employer you are collecting
unemployment benefits from. So, back into pending resolution again. So no payment that week. I sent an email to my
local representative and her legal aid connected me with a Des employee who cleared it up. I hope I never need to deal
with this again. It was a horrible experience.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Iâ€™m a barber and was displaced due to Covid-19 on March 21st. My initial claim was filed on or about 4/04/2020 which
included my â€œself employmentâ€ . To be â€œineligibleâ€. When PUA and the CARES Act was implemented, I applied
again that day over the phone with the â€œcall centerâ€• . After a few days, I dug into the claim in which the call center had
completed and noticed an error. Called back to the â€œcall centerâ€•numerous times and got a different answer
regarding the problem and was advised to call DES. At which time, there were not taking calls. I called the â€œnewâ€•DES
number well over 200 times to constantly hear the recording â€œqueue is full, please try again laterâ€• . I would start the
dialing process at 7:57am daily and hit redial hoping to speak with someone...anyone! To NO avail ! Called back to the
â€œcall centerâ€several times to do a â€œcall back formâ€to receive a â€œcall back within 72 hoursâ€ . No such luck!!
Also, during one of the calls with the call center, she stated she could â€œfix the errorâ€•but ended up doing an additional
claim. Potentially causing me more delays in benefits.
05/14/2020 Deborah Sethna
At this time, we are now entering the end of April and still no resolution and NO unemployment benefits. Keep in mind,
my bills are still existing, my rent, groceries!! Feeling stressed, frustrated, losing sleep, crying and wondering why this was
happening to me! While my coworker, who filed after myself, was already into week two or three of receiving benefits. I
was beginning to fear that I would never receive any help as promised!
After many failed attempts, I felt my only option at this point, was to send emails to our local government officials, our
senators, our local news channels and even President Trump. Thankfully, I FINALLY received benefits on May 11th. Six
weeks with NO income!
I know that Iâ€™m not the only one that has encountered these delays, frustrations, stress and sleepless nights! The
system isn't proficient and obviously failing the people of NC. Adequate staffing, possibly consider shifts to provide for
extended hours (for claims and DES calls) and proper training.
There are individuals, families and single parents wondering how theyâ€™re going to provide for their children and their
families because our system is so broken! I truly hope this gets corrected soon. For everyoneâ€™s sake! I worry about that
mother or father looking at their child or children and feeling like they have failed them when our system has failed them!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am a 20 year old college student who lives in the eastern part of the state. I work two part time jobs supporting myself as
I get my Degree. One of my jobs is seasonal and one is year round but they are both restaurants so I am completely out of
work. I spent so many days calling only to have the phone line cut out, or have a screeching sound come across the line, or
have my name taken to never receive a call from anyone. No help. I was finally able to speak with a kind woman named
Rose who helped free up some errors on my claim so I could continue to receive a check for only a short period of time.
Unfortunately the income showing on my file is my seasonal income and doesnâ€™t show my year round income from my
other job. Miss Rose explained that I needed to speak with someone higher up to address this but she explained it was
05/14/2020 â€œCustomer Serviceâ€•Avery Krivanec pretty much impossible to get on the phone with one of those people. She shared she would send an email to her boss and
have someone reach out. Iâ€™m really hoping this is the last form I have to fill out explaining how Iâ€™ve been pretty
much screwed over. Iâ€™ve been paying into the system since I was old enough to start. If it wasnâ€™t for this virus I
would be working and sitting comfortably financially enjoying my first summer in 2 years that I wouldn't be enrolled full
time in college classes. Now my days are being spent sitting on the phone hoping and praying that call number 125 will be
the one I need. Then just to find out itâ€™s not only to have a full on break down because I donâ€™t have a flow of
income. Iâ€™ve been put on the so called â€œlistâ€to receive a call back every bit of 7 times now and Iâ€™ve not received
a call. In a time of need like this I would expect my state programs to provide like they are supposed to. I donâ€™t feel as
though my elected officials are really working for the good of all the people in North Carolina. I just want to be able to pay
my bills and buy groceries. Nothing more or less. I canâ€™t go much longer without having a normal income while Iâ€™m
temporarily out of work. Please help me find a solution.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I had an unemployment claim that was open and exhausted the first week of April. I contacted my local NC works office
and was put on a list to be notified as what to do when they got info. In the meantime I tried to contact an unemployment
agent for the next 3 weeks. I spent hours trying to call only to get a busy signal or to hear the recording the que is full and
to be hung up on. Repeatedly hitting redial until my battery was dead. Recharge the phone and start all over with no one
ever answering the line. After a little over 2 weeks I tried calling right before they opened and got into the que. I waited
on hold for over 2 hours to finally talk to an agent to get some answers only to be told she knew nothing. I asked her
multiple questions and her answer was I donâ€™t know. After getting nowhere I asked to talk to a supervisor. She
explained she could not transfer me and no one at any level knew anything. This blew my mind that the governor had
shut down all restaurants I was unable to return to work and the money set aside by the federal government was being
held up from getting to the people of NC because the unemployment office just didnâ€™t know anything. I kept calling the
governors office who the people answering the phones were upset because anyone with an unemployment problem was
calling them and just expected them to fix it. Lots of attitude and no answers. They would transfer you to a message
05/14/2020 Horrible experience Steven Wroten service for a â€œStephanie Beccaâ€•the spelling may be wrong. I left over 40 messages and not one was returned . I talked
to other des personnel and repeatedly told I donâ€™t know, keep filing, things will work out. I donâ€™t know how long
N.C. thought was ok to hold up payments why they try to figure things out. I contacted senator Steinberg office in hopes to
get to the someone with some answers. Ed sent something emails for some to reach out to me. The first time no result.
Second time no result. The third time an agent called say the were told to call me. Said my claim was denied as I didnâ€™t
qualify for pua and wait foe PEUC to be rolled out in 3 more weeks. I again talked with Ed and he sent another email.
Followed up with another call a few days later informing him no change still pending. The next day my claim was open and
payments issued. Ed was the shining light in my whole experience he acknowledged the problems and worked to help me.
I feel extremely lucky I some whole got my payments started. The rest of my coworkers are still battling to find that
someone who can help them. I waited 5 weeks and spent hundreds of hours on the phone. My coworkers have done the
same and still being told 3 more weeks keep filing things will work out. This whole experience has left me feeling like NC
cares nothing for its residents and basically thinks of helping us as a nuisance. I hope someone reads this email and
reaches out to help the rest of the people still struggling to get through this ordeal. I know I was blessed to finally get some
money to just buy groceries. Please help my coworkers who are still waiting.
Yes I started my claim March 27 and have been filing weekly . Was denied then applied for the PUA April25 and it has been
pending since . Some days I called over 100 For which a PUA assistances answer and they canâ€™t help so they send me to
a DES and after holding for 4 hrs they hang up on me . Been out of work for 7 weeks with no pay and if I donâ€™t receive
05/14/2020 Debra Kidd
any
Money by June I will have to permanently close my hair salon . I have worked for 32 years and have never not worked and
have filed taxes since I was 16 .please help .. thanks for looking into this .
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My salon was closed by the Governor at 5pm on Wednesday March 25. On Thursday March 26 (very late at night) I logged
into the NC unemployment system to get my information in the system. The questions were very hard to answer, as I am
self employed. I answered to the best of my ability, and the wait began. On the following Sunday, I filed again, as I received
an email I should do this every Sunday. Again the next Sunday. My claim was denied. I heard through the grapevine self
employed people had to re-file, beginning April 24. I did so. I have logged my information into the system every Sunday
that I have been out of work. My claims going back to April 24 state they are "pending". As of today, May 14, 2020, I have
05/14/2020 Mrs Jaquetta George received nothing. I have called the number, only to be on hold for hours upon hours, or disconnected. I finally got through
yesterday and was told I needed to speak with another person so that they could deny all my claims so it would be possible
for me to file for PUA. When the person who told me this tried to connect me to the right person, I was disconnected.
There has been absolutely no guidance. Again, to this date, my salon has been closed, through no fault of my own for 7
weeks. I have received ZERO dollars from any unemployment, state or federal. The rent and utilities are still having to be
paid. The small, locally owned business I have had for 16 years is sinking quickly. I have been, and am, trying to be patient.
I realized the first several weeks, that things were crazy busy for everyone trying to handle situations such as this. I'm lucky
we have a small savings we can use but it is not fair to my family for me to use this when my source of income was ripped
from me with little more than 48 hours notice. Please help me.

My biggest concern on reaching out to my senator was a few of my employees not receiving unemployment. We reduced
hours around March 20th but kept staff on payroll and then furloughed staff on 4/2. We sent all information to payroll
company on 4/2 that would help expedite unemployment for all staff. We sent the same information for everyone. At the
05/14/2020 Mark Leary beginning of May I still had 3 employees who had not received unemployment benefits. Finally 2 of the 3 received benefits
the week of 5/11 and sadly the administrator/manager for my business who helped multiple other's file has yet to receive
a benefit from unemployment. As an owner I was under the impression that we would be able to at least receive the
federal benefit even if not eligible for the state benefit - have not seen anything change in my personal status from
ineligible.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
My Claimant ID # is: [REDACTED]. I have been on unpaid furlough since April 10th due to Covid-19. I've been at my job at
Kayser-Roth Corporation for 38 years. I filed for unemployment on April 13th and received notice on April 21st that I was
NOT disqualified for benefits. Also on the same day, the DES website on my Claimant Determination Page said that my
claim was made on 4/12 that due to Lack of Work due to Coronavirus by my employer, KAYSER-ROTH CORPORATION, that
the determination was made on 4/21 that my claim would be allowed. When I first went to work for my company, we had
a pension plan rather than a 401K. I was vested in that pension program which was later discontinued because the
company moved to the 401K program. When I turned 65, I had to start taking that pension. It is $66.65 per month which
comes to $15.38 per week. DES asked for my 1099-R that I filed on my taxes to prove the amount of pension I'm getting. I
sent that in immediately. My Claimant page now says Pension/Retirement Plan Correspondence completed on 4/13.
Everyone I work with received their 4th payment this week. I have received nothing. I'm a widow. My husband died in
2011 of cancer. I've done all my weekly check in's on time. I've called DES numerous times. I've been told that my
account is in perfect order and that there is no reason I'm not getting my payments. When I ask them if they can take care
of it for me, I get the same answer ....that no ...their department can't fix but will transfer me to a department that can.
I've been forwarded several different times to several different numbers and everytime I get a recorded message that due
05/14/2020 Mrs. Vicki Reece to the high number of calls due to Covid-19, that number is no longer taking calls. I've tried to get through on the chat line
several times. I finally got through to chat today. I was 153rd in the queue. I waited patiently until it was my turn 1 hour
45 minutes. When the person finally came on to help me ....her name was Jessica .... she wouldn't even look up my
paperwork. She said it wasn't necesssary ....her exact words to me were ....."You have to understand as the world is going
through a unfortunate time right now". I copied that exactly off of the chat because I saved it. I asked her what I could do.
She said that all I could do would be to keep calling the number. I told her that every time that I was transferred to a
number where I was told I could get help, there was a recording that the number wasn't taking calls. She went on to say
that yes they knew that was happening but that I had to realize the number of calls they were getting were so many that
they just aren't able to answer them so they have put that recording on them. Last Sunday when I did my certification, I
saw that they had added a Sunday phone number to call for questions regarding the pandemic. You could call from 12 -
5pm. I started calling at 12:05pm. Everytime my call was answered, the message said that I had reached them after hours
and I would need to call back on Monday - Friday. I continued calling and finally got a real person around 3:15pm. She was
nice ....said she was looking at my paperwork and that everything was in order. I asked her if she could make sure my
payments started. She said no, that that was a different department but they were open on Sunday and she would transfer

Faced 3 letters called 1000000 times their mail is post dated 4/27 stated it was mailed 4/3..no response from employer was
05/14/2020 No response Erica Thomas
to be assigned to investigate after 10 days was mailed 3 /30 still not assigned have 2 month old baby no money and no
response prior to covid 19 so it's just not covid they didn't do their job beforw
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Since my job at a Charlotte daycare center was shut down due to COVID19 on March 24th, my UI status said "pending for
lack of work resolution". Every one of my coworkers have been receiving their benefits with no issues and I've tried to call
repeatedly, every day to only be told that the hold que was full. I called at 8:00am and 4 seconds and got the same
response. Almost 500 phone calls gave me the same message or just blatantly disconnected. I waited on hold with the new
online chat feature only to have the rep read exactly what I could already see on my claim and told to call the DES number
05/14/2020 Tanya
because she couldn't do anything. I called the PUA line and was told to call the DES number (although that line was very
quick). I was finally able to get on hold at 7:59am on May 11th and after being on hold for 2 hours and 45 minutes, I was
told he didn't understand why but would send a message to the correct department to lift the lack of work restriction since
my job already sent the information in. It is now Friday, May 15th and my case still says "pending-lack of work due to
coronavirus". Seven weeks without a paycheck and absolutely no communication is very frustrating. The agent answering
the phone should be able to make any corrections necessary right there and chat lines being offered should be able to
assist instead of telling people to call the number.
I have been filing since the end of March and have not received any payment yet. It still shows "ISSUES DELAYING
PAYMENT" but there is nothing for me to click on and submit. And I have heard that calling is a gigantic time investment if
you even get through so I haven't tried it. There is no information listed about WHAT the issue is and I have not received
05/14/2020 Anne Marie Kirkland
any payment. My homepage shows my "weekly benefit amount" so it has progressed to that stage but no payments
received as of May 14th. Extremely disappointing. I have been working part time but my hours have been cut. The whole
process is frustrating.

I filed for unemployment on April 14th. Iâ€™ve been at my job for 3 1/2 years and have been working remote since the
beginning of March but on April 14th they let us all go and eliminated our positions and our departments because of
covid19. I filed for unemployment the morning of April 14th. My employer approved it on April 16th. Still to this day I
havenâ€™t seen a dime of unemployment. To date I have completed 4 weekly certifications without seeing any amount of
money. At this rate I will find another job before I see anything from unemployment. Iâ€™m the only one in my entire
department that hasnâ€™t gotten any benefits. Every co worker of mine has received at least 2 unemployment benefits
checks and Iâ€™ve still seen none. I have never not worked or not had a job. You would think this being the first time in my
life that I need to use it that it would be available but it isnâ€™t. I have called the DES line and DES call center Line For
05/14/2020 Mrs. Rachel Ratledge
weeks just to be told that my claim looks correct and has no errors and itâ€™s just a waiting game for someone to approve
it. Even my employer RE submitted my approval on their end again on April 30th to try to move it along but itâ€™s stayed
in â€œpendingâ€status since the day I filed and hasnâ€™t moved at all. My family is living off of our savings account until
we can see some sort of benefits. Iâ€™m applying for several jobs daily (more than 10 daily) but I hope unemployment
picks up soon so I can have something in the meantime and find a position that uses my experience on my resume. I hope
someone can help me. Iâ€™ve emailed and called NC senators and heard nothing back from anyone. Iâ€™ve also
submitted help requests and questions on the DES website and heard nothing back. Iâ€™m very disappointed in how this
has been handled And hope my unemployment goes through soon otherwise I donâ€™t know what Iâ€™m going to do.
This is hard to find places hiring during this time so at this point Iâ€™ll take anything to take care of my family but I Hope
unemployment benefits pick me up soon. I made over 37,000 last year and worked 40 hours a week every week for a year.
There is no reason Iâ€™m still in pending status.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

1. Takes well beyond to get Unemployment Benefits as stated in Message stated by Automated System along with if one
has issues is flawed and takes too long.
2. Have to constantly update personal Information in Webite for direct deposit; does not have abilities to save
information.
3. The phone number the Website gives to call for help; never get thru for assistance. This is a virtual nightmare! The
lights are on; however, no one is home. We have a automated computer system and computerized Website that we are
entangled into.
4. Have had to redo necessary paperwork mailed us to complete and return to DES in Raleigh twice.
1st time: Completed and Faxed paper to fax number listed in the instructions. Did received confirmation fax was received.
2nd time: received same paperwork again with no explanation to do so again.
Noted the PO Box in the instructions and PO Box on the envelope do not match. Two different P0 Box numbers.
Had to go to the Post Office to have the correct PO Box to return required forms to DES in Raleigh, NC. The required
paperwork required to be completed to retire to DES in Raleigh has some serious errors.
05/14/2020 Mr. Bennie Harden Sent 1st Set to Paperwork to fax number: 919 857 1296 DES. 4/30/2020

Sent 2nd set of Paperwork to DES PO Box 25903 Raleigh , NC 27611-5903.

Please review Website and update DES point of contacts listed to e mail for help are useless.

Phone number to call for help: 1888 737 0259 is useless to call.

As if this date: May 14,2020, I have no clue when my situation is going to be resolved. I am a victim of a broken mess.

Thank you

Bennie Harden Jr

Claim been pending since 3-15-2020 no issues , Over 179 emails, over 269 calls to unemployment to be disconnected,
Iâ€™m a Single Parent with no resources with medical needs that require co pay with insurance, Who losing all faith in our
05/14/2020 Pending/No issue Quincy Hicks State that suppose to aiding citizens to get through this Covid 19 crisis with the funding that was provided by the
government for those that meet the criteria but instead our citizens are suffering and being denied payments or
application being lost in the system So many of are disgusted I vote but I never thought To be let down doing a major crisis
and not protected. This is a Test if another crisis who can better aid our citizens Definitely feel let down
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Pending Unemployment Benefit Payments: I realize that you have very imperative issues to deal with during this
unprecedented COVID-19 Pandemic, but Iâ€™m at my wit's end and donâ€™t where else to turn. My situation is that I
filed a claim for unemployment benefits on March 18, 2020, as a result of COVID-19 layoff and have been determined
qualified to receive benefits. I have not received any payment as of date. There seems to a pending issue to verify that I
receive a monthly/not weekly retirement pension as a retiree from Winston Salem State University payment received by
the State of North Carolina Retirement System. I have uploaded several documents on the DES website requesting a
resolution but to no avail. I have even contacted the NCRetirement System to seek assistance and was told that they
would be happy to verify retirement benefits if I were to provide them with contact information for DES; however, since
05/14/2020 Ms. JoAnn Hairston
Iâ€™m unable to contact DES by telephone due to the volume of calls and being disconnected each and every time I call,
they are unable to help me. I have also sent a customer-contact form expressing my concerns, with no results.

This situation is having a financial hardship on me and my family, as I am sure it is for many North Carolinians; therefore, I
appeal to you, if you could possibly assist me in this matter.

Thanking you in advance for your prompt attention to this delicate matter.
Sincerely,
JoAnn Hairston
Unemployment Claimant #[REDACTED]

Hello,

I hope this message finds you well. Will you please help me with an unemployment claim issue? I have been laid off from
the Greater Jacksonville Onslow Chamber of Commerce as of March 29, 2020, and have already been approved for
unemployment. I have received unemployment benefits beginning April 14, 2020.

When I did my weekly certification, I accidentally checked yes for refused work. This is not true. I have not refused work
05/14/2020 Cocheta Cavers and am still in the lay off status. I have called numerous times and can't get through. I have used the chat feature, who said
they can't help me and to call. I tried calling between 7:50 and 8:00 am and still couldn't get through.

I have not been paid this week due to the error. Will you please help me fix this issue and restore my payment/benefits?
Thank you so much for what you do and for being here for us!

R/s

Cocheta Lashea Cavers
Claimant ID [REDACTED]
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Last day of employment was 4/10/20. Filed for unemployment on 4/11/20. Two other co-workers that were laid off the
same week have been approved & already receiving unemployment. Iâ€™m still showing pending. Have been doing the
weekly certifications.

05/14/2020 Ms Christine Franke Wish it showed you exactly on the website how much unemployment you will receive & for any many weeks. Canâ€™t
found that answer anywhere. Have tried calling customer service, but itâ€™s always a long wait. Hate being in this position.
Had a job with a company that I loved & was good at.

Thanks

The general information about how to apply started out confused and still is unchecked, the system was never designed for
the self-employed and you as the state did not get out in front of that basic issue, so we (the self-employed along with
others) broke your website.Â Â

However, when you tried to fix it those in charge did not purge it to remove all the self-employed people in order to reset
it for the PUA. I must believe because I am trapped between two status findings pending one for UI the other for PUA with
no cure in sight, no money, no human to check behind the machines, No one to call, no ability to leave a message, no
place to go, no backup email account to write. So, we sit and wait.Â

05/14/2020 Olen Bruner
Â

I am an Uber driver in the system I have uploaded my 2019 tax information I am 64 years old with medical problems and
have uploaded a letter from my doctor's office the issue still pending resolution was I laid off due to lack of work from the
corona virus?Â

If I was asked what else could I say the only word that comes to mind has four letters HELP! Do you have someone,
somewhere that can look inside and purge the old UI information and release the PUA federal funds. Thank youÂ
I filed my claim on April 20th. Which was for the week of April 12th thru April 18th. I worked 18 hours. When it came up
05/14/2020 Sr. Workflow Controller Joyce Turner for me to do my weekly certification. It had the wrong date in there and wouldn't let me change it. I've been trying to get it
corrected for a month and it still isn't corrected. Please help!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I first filed a claim on March 29th that claim went to in eligible. So I filed again on April 5 that claim has been pending then
until now. I have tried calling NCDES several times and every time I call it doesnâ€™t matter what time it always says the
05/14/2020 Mrs Jennifer LaBelle queue line is full. I am told that the second claim needs to go to ineligible so that I can file for a PUA because I am self-
employed but again I can never get through to NCDES. I have called the PUA line and I get through to them but no one can
help me they say I need to get an NCDES agent to look at that claim. So no matter what number I call I am either on hold
for hours and then hung up on or I cannot get through because the queue line is full or no one can ever help may situation.
So I am going on seven weeks with no income coming in. My claim number is 11724980. Thank you for your time.

There have been nothing but problems with the online system and with trying to get to speak to an employee of DES. Calls
are dropped. The chat room feature is a joke too. The website is so inefficient and inept. No one answers emails. No one
calls back, when you are told to press 1 for a call back. I have had a problem with weekly certification for three and a half
weeks. And since I can't certify my weeks, I can't receive payment. I have contacted my NC rep office and senator office
and they said they would help but I have had no follow up from those efforts. I sat on hold over 10 hours one day. No
results. The next day was six hours, only to be disconnected each of the three times I actually got through to someone that
said they were an answering service and they could not help me. I know of people that have been without income since
05/14/2020 Tamara Hardee
March 25 as that is when personal care people were told we couldn't work. Yet we couldn't even file til April 24. No body
cares. NC government doesn't care what is happening to the citizens of this state that are self=employed. Election day is
coming. We are all taking notes! Enough is enough. Get us the help we need. Open up the hours to get help, real help, not
an answering service, to 24 hours a day so that we can all get our benefits. I have spent so much time trying to get this
mess straightened out it has become my new full time job. Endless hours making phone calls, writing emails, faxing and
snail mailing documents. More phone calls. Digging online to see how I can get this mess cleared up so I can get my
payments. Who cares? It feels like no one in NC government does. Cooper should keep us on lockdown any longer. Let us
go back to work. The numbers are not present to keep us at home. Cooper needs to stop pushing the democratic agenda
on our state.

I am still without UI, have emailed, faxed, called and waited on hold for many many hours....at least 15 I can count off the
05/14/2020 Apryl Weaver top of my head. I honestly feel like no one is even trying to fix mine. Nobody that you can actually speak to has the
authority or knows how to progress your claim any further. Mine was filed under a wrong employer and now is sent back
to be refiled....still nothing! Is the most degrading and cruel experience in the time we are in!!! Shame

I got through on the Pandemic phone line which was different than the number we had been given but no one could help.
Spent quite a while on hold for her to say she would transfer me over. If they canâ€™t help with the Pandemic
Unemployment then put them on a phone line to help hurry the other process up. Finally got through to the hold que
05/14/2020 Unemployment Gerri Webster which I waited 4 hours and 41 minutes. Iâ€™m not sure if people were out of work today but that was s absolutely
ridiculous. I have a friend right now still waiting on hers to go through, she has to work a part time job to make ends meet
and it has messed up claim. So she definitely needs someone to help get that fixed but she has small children so she
canâ€™t just sit and call 200 times. I know these are unusual circumstances but we work paycheck to paycheck and when
that stops itâ€™s hard to explain to little kids why they have to go to bed hungry.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I started my claim on 3/21/2020, the last day I worked. I was unable to log in because of a claims years ago, I didnâ€™t
have that password. I had to wait till Monday 3/24 to call. When I finally got thru to the line and was put on hold I was
on the line for 4 hours and 42 minutes, the person who did answer was mostly helpful. However for the next 3 weeks I
could not get back to a real person. The phone wouldnâ€™t even let you get in line to talk to someone. No emails was
05/14/2020 Ken White answered. No phone calls were returned. I started emailing anyone in Raleigh with a public email. Most were ignored.
Whoever Larry Parker is at Commerce is the only person who answered an email and was helpful. He really should receive
a reward, I was not happy and I gave his email to a lot of people. I knew what day my work sent in the my papers but
Unemployment kept saying they didnâ€™t have them, my work knew they did. You couldnâ€™t get thru to talk with
anyone. And the website was useless because it told you to call and the phone said all the answers were on the website.
Right now everything seems to be going well except now I probably going to have to go back to work with hardly any hours
but I loose my job and would not qualify for Unemployment anymore.

I have been denied unemployment insurance from my filings which I started right after my business ( gym) was mandated
05/14/2020 Ms April Arney
to shut down due to covid 19. I also put in for the SBA grant to help keep my business afloat with no up to date info
On that as well.

I am in a unique situation where I have a small part-time job, but most of my income comes from my self-employment as a
freelance graphic designer. I collected UI for 2 weeks, then my employer received a PPP loan so they were able to pay me.
05/14/2020 Mrs Sue Madison However, I can't get an answer on how/when I will be able to apply for PUA. It is just crazy that the phone lines are already
jammed at 8:01 and you are not allowed to hold. I have gotten through 7 or 8 times, only to be disconnected in the
transfer. My husband lost his job in December before all this mess began and it's hard to live on $120 a week. I'm just
hoping now that I can somehow receive back pay - I've given up on trying the phone line for now.

The UI process is not only difficult but frustrating. After being laid off March 29th and applying for UI a couple days later, I
never thought I would be sitting here still unemployed and not receiving my UI. Itâ€™s been a whole month and a few days
as of today, May 14th and I still havenâ€™t been able to contact anyone. I was approved for UI but because of pending
issues on my claim my payments are being withheld . So until these issues are resolved I will not be receiving UI. Itâ€™s
05/14/2020 UI Pending Solutions Javon Hargraves
upsetting knowing that people who applied after me received their UI already. Itâ€™s discouraging because I was once a
provider for my family now I feel useless, and no longer like man. Not being able to get in touch with anyone during this
stressful and troubling time is disappointing. Itâ€™s also sad knowing the place you lived all your life has leaders that
donâ€™t even care or have been taking this pandemic serious . At this point Iâ€™m praying for better days and everyone
including myself struggling with UI.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Beginning the end of May. I tried at least 17 different times to file for unemployment. The first 6 or 7 times the session
would time out. And I couldnâ€™t event begin to put my information in. Then I began trying late at night. The first time I
tried the site was shut down until 2 am for maintenance. So I waited till after 2 and tried again. I finally gave up went to
bed at 4:15. The next night tried from 12:00 till 12:30 and it timed out again. So I got up the next am and started trying
around 5:00 am. I finally got on! But it was very slow and again timed out several times. I waited till business hours and
probably called for assistance at least 30 times that day. The message would come on and say call back at a later time. The
05/14/2020 Ms Lisa Stanley
next several days finally made it to the site, would begin entering my information and would time out or when it didnâ€™t
time out it was so slow it took a oVer and hour just to get my info into the system. Then it would only let me get so far and
it was like a road block it would not let you go any further. I began hearing on the news that they were implementing
something new for self employed people. Waited and began trying again with not even being able to get into the site. I was
at my with end! And totally out of character for me. Posted something on face book about my struggles. And old high
school friend sent me a message and told me of a dear friend at her church worked for the unemployment office and they
would help me. She put me in contact with her friend and over the phone I gave them the information and they input
everything in for me. Then I uploaded my documents. And finally after 7 weeks with not a dime of income. Was approved
last week. I truly feel like I would still be trying if it had not been for Someone inside with access to the system helping me.
With the senates help they were able to help my get my claim resolved. I had been waiting since March 21, 2020 on
05/14/2020 Brittany Jones
unemployment and it jsut got taken care of on may 24, 2020 because senator Vickie sawyers office.

I honestly donâ€™t even know how to start. I finally received my Unemployment this week. I have been waiting since 3/20.
It was very painstaking and frustrating experience to get through. The website is obsolete. A five year old could do better.
Several times I would sign in and get a screen of html. Someone could totally hack the site very easily if they wanted too. It
really is dumb founding. I have been to the point. Where I ask my self. Why do I pay taxes into a system that is broken like
this. I realize that the system was completely bombarded by this pandemic. But to have people spend up 2 months with no
answer. Or any idea to make sense of it. I submitted my info twice as requested. I was able to figure out how to get a
person on the phone. Thank god- Houston Bell created a Facebook page for Covid UE. Everyone has been very helpful with
each other. Since the system we pay into would not really help us figure out what we have to do to get our bills paid. As for
05/14/2020 Mr Aaron Thompson
the representatives on the phone they were very helpful. The problem being is trying to get through Unemployment Phone
Firewall system. I called every day while I waited the 2 months. And finally figured to bombard the system 10 minutes
before the lines open to get through. It would take about 35 times calling in a row. As for receiving payment. Thatâ€™s
great. No complaints. I just donâ€™t understand why there isnâ€™t any information on how they got the figure. Things l
would like to know. Like how much taxes are taken out? How many weeks were given? Just giving a number seems to be a
little shady to me. So there you have it my experience. I would rate it a 3 out of 10. This system needs to overhauled and
fixed for the people that pay for it. NC Taxpayers.

Sincerely,
Aaron M Thompson
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Applied March 20, 2020; the day I was laid off from my job at GKN thru Manpower. I did my weekly certification and never
05/14/2020 Mr. Steven Parker received any money. Never had phone calls or emails responded to neither from Unemployment office. Said I was elgible
for $350 weekly plus federal assistance, and never saw it. In a tough place worried about losing home we rent and only car.
Started a job this week but it will be 2 weeks before I even see a check which could be too late. I need help!

I applied for unemployment on April 3rd, 2020 and was approved on April 4th, 2020. I have been submitting all of my
weekly certifications on time and checking the website daily. I have called DES numerous times and have never been able
to get in touch with anyone. I have talked to the PUA people on the phone and online chat (the one that is on the DES
05/14/2020 Unemployment insurance Zachary Nelson
website) and they have told me they cannot help me and to call DES. I told them I have and they said that they were
instructed to tell me to call DES and they couldnâ€™t help. I still havenâ€™t heard anything about receiving unemployment
and itâ€™s been 6 weeks since I applied and was approved. My fiancÃ© and I are both out of jobs and need to pay our
bills. She is having problems with her unemployment too so we have had no income, except the stimulus check.
This has been a pure nightmare. I keep getting no help. Seems like my claim keeps showing the wrong information. I
didnâ€™t ask to be put out of work. Having high risk parents I understand the need but I can not afford to stay out of work.
05/14/2020 Mrs. Lenora Jones Iâ€™m only expecting what was promised so we could stop the spread. Spending hours on end trying to get through to DES
is so difficult. I feel like we are left behind. My claim actually started March 22nd according to the first DES agent I spoke
with. Iâ€™ve received nothing.

I had a claim that was on hold due to questions. I was one of the lucky ones. After trying for two weeks to get through on
the phone, I finally set aside a day for trying to get through. After being in the queue for four hours (all agents were busy
05/14/2020 Ms Gaye Neighbors
assisting other clients), I had someone answer the phone. As soon as I explained the problem (my fault because I had given
my income as the way I receive it-monthly, not weekly, she knew exactly how to correct it and did so while on the phone
with me. I received benefits within two days.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

It was a very frustrating experience. I am self employed and the process was not at all user friendly. Initially self employed
individuals were told to go ahead and apply for benefits and we would be denied but that it would make the process easier
when the system was ready .That was not true it actually made the process drag out according to a DES employee who told
me that the ineligible status had to be removed before I could get approved for the PUA, only to be told by another DES
employee the next day that the information I was given was incorrect. I attempted to login 53 times and was only able to
get through the process 2 times during my initial application process. I assure you that I spent over 15 hours cumulative on
the phone either on hold or talking to someone. I even talked to a young lady that was hired to basically answer the
phones, she stated that she was waiting tables a couple weeks earlier and was thrown into her position with little to no
05/14/2020 Mr Byron Sackett
training. She apologized for not being able to help me and stated that she would need to transfer me to a DES employee
but most likely I would just be disconnected, well she was correct and after calling back and getting the same response
from several other people that I would have to be transferred I was disconnected every time! Staff was super friendly and
apologized every time I called for the lack of help and inability to have access to more than basic information. My
suggestion would have been that the ability to chat with an actual DES employee option could have been set up earlier and
helped tremendously. Also I think that there should have been a separate portal at the home page that you could have
clicked on to redirect you to a form and application process that was specifically for self employed. I understand why some
people have not been able to receive their payments yet as I am sure that many folks are overwhelmed by the application
process. in closing I would like to thank everyone and I do appreciate everything that the State House and Senate have
done for the citizens of North Carolina and hopefully we all will learn from this and be stronger as we rise together to
rebuild our economy.

Called Govenor's office who then gave me a number to talk to in the Legislator. Both were extremely helpful and kind.
They helped me catch up on recertifications. When I did my first one alone, I was rejected. After calling g again, the person
05/14/2020 Donns Mayo419
was very kind and helpful. So, when I did it on my own, my answers were accepted. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS I'VE NEVER
RECEIVED AN UNEMPLOYMENT CHECK NOR THE $600, if I'm due. Please contact me to let me know what I need to do. I'm
retired, a teacher, and on Social Security. Thank you very much.
Well I got denied after waiting 7 weeks for an answer. Now I'm waiting to see if I get the pandemic funds. Have a job but it
05/14/2020 Danyella Black
went from April 13th to May 18th now June 29th due to covid-19.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Let me start by saying I am grateful that my benefits are now in place and as well thankful Iâ€™m receiving benefits due to
my job being shut down as a hairdresser however getting them started was a nightmare. I applied March 27. I tried
numerous times and could never get through but finally did, only to have my claim to sit pending for 4 weeks. After 4
weeks when we were told it was our turn I was up at 4:30 am to try and get my claim once again started only to find the
process very confusing and time consuming. It took me approximately 2 hours to complete the application. I started trying
05/15/2020 Mrs Joanie White
to call the help line at precisely 8am on the day we were told benefits would open up for us. Phone lines were already
backed up and wait times were hours. After finally getting through to a human being I was told I needed to be forwarded
to another dept only to be disconnected after being forwarded and being on such a long wait time. VERY FRUSTRATING!
VERY CONFUSING! VERY DISHEARTENING not to be able to get help at one of the most desperate times in my life. Iâ€™ve
been receiving my benefit for 3 weeks now but I still have friends who havenâ€™t been about to get through on phone
lines and canâ€™t make anything happen online. There needs to be something done for sure about this awful process of
filing for unemployment. I donâ€™t know what the answer is but there definitely needs to be some correction somewhere.

Filed initially on the week of March 19th. Didn't receive my initial amount of 202.00 dollars until Roughly 2 weeks later,
however although the DES system said I had been paid I never received the initial 202. The following 2 weeks I received 0
05/15/2020 Zachary Wilkes
dollars even though my hours had been cut drastically due to covid. On the 4th week I finally received 202 plus the 600
granted by the state or whatever. Missing out on 3-4 weeks of unemployment was very bad though and I'm not sure as to
why it happened nor have I received an answer back regarding my situation.

I filed my unemployment claim on 3/29/2020. I work in the live music industry and was laid off due to COVID-19. My claim
has been "pending resolution" since that time. I have tried calling DES multiple times a day sometimes for the past 5 weeks
just to find out what needs to be done on my part to move my claim forward as I have bills looming and no idea when I will
be able to return to work. I have been unable to find other work. I have not been able to get through to anyone except
05/15/2020 Charlotte Fonseca for to be put on hold or transferred and then have my call dropped. After emailing multiple DES employees and state
representatives, I was finally able to get my claim flagged and finally received a phone call from a DES employee who told
me she was fixing my claim. This was on 5/8/2020. I am still waiting to see anything change on my claim as far as the issue
regarding "pending resolution" . I am hoping to resolve this issue as I have been advised by my employer that I have paid
into and am eligible for unemployment insurance. This entire process has been very frustrating and drawn out. I feel
largely let down by the system in place.

First let me say, I know you were overwhelmed with the large task. I personally was very frustrated because I could not
submit my claim with out being kicked out of the website, everytime I tried to file my claim. I also submitted my name and
05/15/2020 Julie Lehman # to attempt to reach anyone after having submitted my Claim. It was only after I reached out to Senator Berger that I
finally got results. The Unemployment agent I spoke with was very helpful. I am grateful for each of you. Thankfully I will be
going back to work soon. As a 64 yr old citizen who has never had to receive unemployment in my 40+ years of working. It
was a very scary time that I hope will soon be over. Thank you for your tireless effort to help us.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
1. Takes to too long to get Unemployment Benefits with or without some issues. The Right to Work law is seriously flawed
and does violate a person's civil and legal rights.
At any time , whether right or wrong people do loose their jobs. There are many of us out of work because one can be
terminated for any reason. You protect the employers; however, the rest of us are unprotected, even with legal recourse;
most of us are faced with unfair issues with employers.
DES does mail paperwork to be completed and mailed or faxed.
I have had to redo paperwork mailed to me twice.
1st set of paperwork was completed and faxed to fax number 919 857 1296 on 04/30/2020 at 10:33am. Did get
confirmation fax was accepted.
2nd time: Did receive the same paperwork again from DES without any explanation to complete and return; completed
again. Did notice two different PO Boxes to mail
Paperwork back to.
One one the envelope and one printed on the instructions.
Did go to the Post Office to have the correct PO Box mailing address verified. Mailed the paperwork the second time to
05/15/2020 Mr. Bennie Harden DES PO Box 25903 Raleigh, NC
27611-5903.
3. Website needs to be updated constantly for direct deposit information. Its every time.
4. The phone number Website indicates to call for help or assistance ( 1 888 737 0259), cannot get thru at all. It is useless
to call this number.
4. There are others e mail to try to get help. No one does respond to e emails sent by you requesting help or assistance.
5. As of this date; 05/15/2020
I do not have my situation resolved regarding when Unemployment Benefits will be deposited.
6. Due to the Corvid 19 virus, many Government agencies are closed, curfews are still in place
And many places are closing early and still not open. I have been severely impacted financially, it's going to take much
longer to find a job as well. I have been beset with a system is badly broken, no resources for help with finding a job at my
age; will be 65 this month.

The attitude I have received is the lights are on; but, no one is home.
Hello! I am Crystal, a mother of 3 and a Hairstylist that was mandatory Shutdown due to Covid 19. I applied for UI and
once eligible I applied for PUA.
05/15/2020 My UI and PUA experience Crystal Hilbert I have received $132 through PUA. That was once, 3 weeks ago. I should be receiving $600 back pay from March 25th. I
was told by fellow hairstylist that have been receiving those benefits. I have called everyday for the past 3 weeks and
nothing is being done to fix this, and I am still not receiving any benefits or help.
05/15/2020 Get back to work.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
It was my understanding that anyone during this crisis was eligible for unemployment. Including people who are
independent contractors. On March 29, 2020 I decided to follow through on this. Not only did I have to file as an employee
but also had to file as the employer. The system is not user friendly. Trying to figure out how to navigate to set up the
account as the employer took me two days. Two weeks later I received a Separation of Employment letter at my office did I
realize that the maze that DES had me in was a never ending loop. This letter is a generic response for people who are
getting caught in this problem. The letter it's self has a ID number (EAN) that is used when DES doesn't really want anyone
to follow up on trying to get any assistance. I tried calling the DES office and when I finally got through and told the person
my problem. Which was about the employer side and the letter she said that I needed to file a claim and put me in the cue
to file a claim. She didn't even try to understand what I was asking her for. Which was an explanation on how to handle the
claim from the employers side and what to do about this letter that I got. I got frustrated and contacted Vickie Adamson
about the letter, the phone call and my general anger towards it all. She has been so helpful, she put me in touch with Joey
Stansbury. He helped me get answers, but even together there have been road blocks. DES wasn't as forthcoming with
information to help me understand and figure out what I needed to do. I did finally find out that I was not actually eligible
for regular unemployment (unlike what the media suggested) but PUA. Which after a couple of days the media finally
05/15/2020 Mrs Sheryl Vogt-Lamancusa started picking up stories about the difference between state and federal unemployment. Or maybe I was just beginning to
understand it better. Everyone has been thrown into a state of limbo and it's hard to wrap my brain around what was going
on and how I should deal with it.
Which leads me to right now, I have YET to see a dime of the PUA, and I'm sure that I am not the only one. I uploaded all
of the information asked of me in order to get some relief from being out of work since March 19th. I even called DES
Again and spoke with someone who walked me through filing for PUA on April 29, 2020 so I thought I was finally set with
this. BUT, LIKE so many who are in the same predicament we are running low on money or completely out of money, but
we still have bills to pay, we have families to feed and we are scared and angry. I am not submitting this just for me as even
though this process is mine. I'm quite sure that there are many who have hit the same walls. I just got angry and started
looking for help.
Today is May 15, 2020 when I look at my claim I see that there is money that should be released to me. I have seen this
amount staring me in the face every time I file. BUT, I have yet to see any money hit my bank account. I started filing March
29, 2020. Frankly, I see how the government has dangled the "carrot" in front of hard working people who right new can't
work because of COVID 19 but the department put in charge of who gets the money, holds all the keys. and Nobody wants
I filed March 20th, was denied & immediately appealed TWICE! Refiled April 3rd and have been pending since then. I've
emailed numerous people and forwarded the same email days later and have yet to get responses or calls. I've called the
05/15/2020 Unemployment Diana Garcia customer service line & the hold queue is FULL at 0800. Ive used the customer box they recommend and I've gotten a plain
answer as my claim is pending. No one is actual helping. Its been since March, it is now May.. going on 90 days of no
unemployment.
I have tried to get ahold of DES on multiple occasions to ask about my claim and why it is still pending resolution after
05/15/2020 Lindsey Timmons uploading all documents and filling out several customer service requests. Yesterday I sat on hold for 7.5 hours only to be
disconnected. It is extremely discouraging the way the process works.
I have tried to get ahold of DES on multiple occasions to ask about my claim and why it is still pending resolution after
05/15/2020 Lindsey Timmons uploading all documents and filling out several customer service requests. Yesterday I sat on hold for 7.5 hours only to be
disconnected. It is extremely discouraging the way the process works.
My claim has been in Pending Resolution since 3/26. I been in a chat conversation with unemployment and no one can tell
05/15/2020 Mr Richard D Hall
me when my claim will be processed
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My claim has been in Pending Resolution since 3/26. I been in a chat conversation with unemployment and no one can tell
05/15/2020 Mr Richard D Hall
me when my claim will be processed

I was furloughed from my position as a pastry chef the first week of the stay at home. I filed for unemployment that same
week. That was eight weeks ago and I have yet to receive any compensation.

Over the last eight weeks I have probably called the main number 500 times. 497 of those times I could not get through -
you get a message telling you the hold que/ line is too full and you have to call back. On three occasions I was able to get
through and speak to someone -on all 3 of those occasions I was on hold over two hours.

Twice I reached someone and explained my situation. Twice I was told I would have to speak to a supervisor. I explained
05/15/2020 Mr Patrick Dezii
to them how long I have been waiting but was told that was what I had to do. I was promised a supervisor would call me
within 72 hours. That was six weeks ago Iâ€™ve never heard from anyone. One of the times I got through and spoke to
someone explained my entire situation, again after being on hold for two hours, she told me I would need to speak to a
supervisor and then disconnected me.

I am sure I know what the holdup is but no one will listen to me. We moved to North Carolina from Florida at the end of
2019. I have wages in Florida and in North Carolina. When I originally filed I sent in my W-2 from Florida showing my
income as well as information on my North Carolina employer. Because my unemployment has been in a â€œpending
resolutionâ€œ status for two months I have faxed over the same documentation, as required, on two more occasions. To
date nothing has happened. I appreciate any help I can get, getting my compensation for the previous two months.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I tried to fill an unemployment insurance claim for weeks until I gave up. I will try again when things slow down, hoping
there is still money. I sympathize with the difficulties and realize everyone is trying their best.
1. During working hours the website would not work because so many people were applying. So I got up at 3 or 4 am for
three straight days. Yes, the site would work; but since the site is designed for W-2 hourly workers, the questions were not
relevant to a self-employed GIG workers (rideshare). ( I have been a principal & teacher, but in semi-retirement, I just do
rideshare.) NC has a help page that just addresses the first and last questions, leaving out how to answer the 12 or so
questions that were relevant to W-2 workers, but not self-employed workers.
05/15/2020 Thomas Wilmoth In my humble opinion, they should have developed a completely different site for GIG workers.

2. I also uploaded over 30 documents proving annual & monthly income with two companies with the promise that they
would be saved so I could come back later. They were NOT available when I logged in again.

3. The phone help line was useless. They would basically say, "We are very busy because of all the applications; call back
another time. Goodbye. CLICK." (LOL, the CLICK seemed to sum up the experience, like a slap in the face.) When it finally
let me be placed on hold, I waited in linefor 3 hours. It would update every 2 minutes to let me know my position in line. It
started at over 300. So I was 295 . . . 293. . . etc. I was OK with waiting since I was desperate to talk to someone. When I
got to # 4 in line, it quit updating. Just quit. I waited and waited and waited . . . another 45 minutes at number 4 just to
make sure it wasn't frozen. But it WAS frozen. All together, I waited almost 4 hours - no contact & no questions answered.
That is when I decided to take a break from applying.
I haven't heard anything from unemployment and I filed on April 14,2020...I call the hotline number and always get
05/15/2020 Pending resolution Charneice Franklin recordings. Never get to a actual person. My bills are piling up and I don't know what else to do. Can you please give me
some answers.
Addendum. In my previous submittal, I miss read the phrase "between March 17 and May 18th" to read "between March
17 and March 18." I thought it was odd that you were asking about only 2 days, but I continued and gave my comments.
05/15/2020 Thomas Wilmoth
So the answer should have been, "YES, I did TRY to apply between March 17 and May 18th." However, I was not
successful, as my previous comments explain.

I filed for unemployment, I was denied because of monetary wages. My current employer pays cash under the table. So I
appealed, was denied at appeal also. I filed again april 5, my case is still pending. I cant file for pua because I have a pending
case I've wrote them I've called to be hung up on every time after holding for literally hours. I've submitted proof of
working for the company I'm a single mom I cannot help how my employer pays jobs are hard to come by I had to take
05/15/2020 Mrs. Carly Oquinn what was available in my area but I feel I'm being punished because of their choice on how they pay me. Please help me
I'm about to loose everything I own. Thank you for your time

Carly Oquinn
[REDACTED]
Claim # [REDACTED]
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I have been our of work since the first week of March due to COVID 19 and having a serve upper respiratory infection. I
05/15/2020 Shywanna Tyson
finally got into the UI system last month. Nothing but problems and nobody to talk to. I see an amount for my funds but no
deposits and the site shows I supposed to gotten paid 6 days ago. I need my funds who can help me?

It was horrible. There was no information given to us. We would wait on the phone for hours to be told the building was
being evacuated, and then hung up on. You have to call for hours just to get into queue. Reps would tell you things like,
05/15/2020 Robert Hembree when we get a boat load of money, we will send you some. If they didnt want to answer the phones and work, why do it?
Also, a few times we called, the person barely spoke English. No one wants to be unemployed right now. Being treated like
we are lazy and not wanting to work is demeaning. You can read everyones concerns in NC, here
https://www.facebook.com/groups/524019628295657/?ref=share

I did not have the proper PPE to do my job and filed the next morning on 03/30/2020. My file has been pending since. I had
05/15/2020 Delaina Davis to buy groceries and pay my bills and was forced to go back to my job after a month due to never getting unemployment.
Iâ€™m a worker and have never asked the government for anything, even after being a single Mom for 5 years when I was
younger until now. I just want to get paid for the weeks I couldnâ€™t work.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Thank you for taking the time to reach out. The biggest issue is lack of REAL communication. Thousands of us have tried
calling at 8 am and told the lines were full and call another time or sat in the que for phone help for 4 -5 hours at the
suggested number, only to be disconnected, unable to answer or get someone who can help. I believe if we are given valid
updates on our claims/questions we all wouldn't call, email, and obsess every day about getting money to help with our
bills. We all paid into the system, as did our employers and the way it is being handled right now is shameful. Please take a
minute or two and have someone in your office join the facebook group called
" NC unemployment, stimulus, and NC Covid-19 updates " I have provide the link at the bottom of the page.
This is group where people try to help people and give answers to situations they have already been through. We
understand this is unprecedented territory but feel there was a much better solution than the quagmire we were forced
into. I am to understand that people out of this state were hired to be "call center" staff, and have BASIC canned answers
05/15/2020 MR John Winnie to our issues. Wondering why they couldn't have hired those in our own state to handle these basic calls.
Many of the stories on the FaceBook page have varying degrees of issues. Mine is virtually impossible to explain on an
"interview" form and would require a person to talk with to explain.

When we email our senators we get a notice to fill out the Survey Monkey and it will be sent to someone at U.I. I have
done this weeks ago, and because of non communication have no idea if it was even read. Again, somehow, something
needs to keep us updated on our status, beside having a "Pending Resolution" with a caution ! sitting on our accounts for
weeks on end. Please feel free to contact me again ,if I can help. Please join the FACEBOOK page and I assure you just
reading the peoples questions will help you to understand where the issues lie.

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=NC%20unemployment%2C%20stimulus%2C%20and%20NC%20Covid-
19%20updates&epa=SEARCH_BOX

I don't mind my comments being used, please keep my name as JMW

I would like to thank Rebekah LaHay for her help. After having to close my salon with no income for five weeks was soo
05/15/2020 Stephanie Pratt
frustrating. I was getting nowhere with the unemployment office. I called everyday, just be put on hold for hours and
then hung up on after transferring me. With her help I was approved within three days.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

On April 30th I was laid off from my position due to a corporate acquisition. On May 1st I applied for Unemployment
Insurance online.
The online process was very inefficient, confusing and inaccurate for my situation.

1. I was remotely employed by a company based out of Florida with no physical address in NC. No matter how I filled out
the online document, even putting my home address as the NC physical business address, it would not acknowledge my
employment in NC. I attached my pay stubs (showing my state taxes taken out) and termination letter to support my
application.
2. My UI Status was changed to Ineligible within 2 days and I received a "WAGE TRANSCRIPT AND MONETARY
DETERMINATION" Document which stated "Benefit year not established. You did not earn wages totaling at least six times
the average weekly insured wage in at least two quarters of the base period."
05/15/2020 Mr Zev Kaminetsky 3. I attempted to file my protest online at des.nc.gov per the document's instructions, yet I was unable to find where such
a protest must be filed on said website. I did mail my protest as well but have yet to hear any response.
4. Also, I was not laid off due to the virus, yet no matter how I entered my info it forced me to fill out the document for
PUA. In order not to look as if I was falsifying my application I was forced to put "It was not a direct result of COVID-19" in
the question of "Please explain how your unemployment was a direct result of the COVID-19"
5. Ironically my PUA is listed as Pending, though I am not eligible for this, yet my UI is listed as Ineligible.
6. Though I am ineligible, I have registered with NC Works and continue to complete my weekly certifications.

After all of these issues, in all honesty, I became so frustrated with the system and lack of ability to contact anyone, I had
stopped seeking my UI until my State Senator reached out to me. The system is horrible, extremely generic, and not
sufficient for an employment situation such as mine.
I was and again I am currently a resident and taxpaying contributor to the State for the years of 2005 thru 2016 and 2018
thru the present and have never needed any assistance prior, but now that I am in need, it seems as if the process is
designed to be too difficult to complete.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Greetings this is my story, I am a self employed massage therapist in Dare County NC. I filed for unemployment the first
time on March 31st when the system wasn't quite ready to accept the self employed. Once it was, on April 28th, I reached
out via phone lines to update my situation and sat on hold for 3 and a half hours but was able to get through that ONE
TIME. I went through the questionnaire with the lady and asked if there was any information that I was missing and would
need to upload to ensure that things were processed. She replied, "no you just have to wait." So here I am close to three
05/15/2020 Mrs. Jamie Presgrave weeks later with no update in my situation. I am a single mother of a 2 year old and have sat on hold for 3-4 hours multiple
times only to be hung up on or transferred to another line who's queue was full. That's if the phone system is operating
correctly, a lot of times when going through the phone selection after selecting an option it would buzz and crackle before
hanging up. I was lucky enough to receive a stimulus but that has come and gone. The only response I have received
regarding my situation was from Senator Steinberg's office when I emailed them my plight. I am hoping that something
processes soon as I know that people who filed after me have already been receiving benefits. One even filed a week after
myself and has already received retroactive payments dating back to March 16th. Thank you for taking the time to listen
to my story, I am not alone.

I applied for unemployment 7 weeks ago and still have not received payment. I have called almost every day several times
a day for at least 3 weeks and canâ€™t get through to talk to anyone. I have emailed almost every email I can find and
canâ€™t get any help! When filling out my application it said to click the answer closest to your situation and none of the
options were ( my employer did not give me a reason for letting me go the HR director just called and said management
decided to let me go I tried calling and texting and emailing management and didnâ€™t receive a response) so I picked
fired after giving notice and it let me fix it on the next screen and give more detail. But my case has had â€œissue delaying
paymentâ€ever since! It says my case is open and I have talked to people on the hotline but they canâ€™t help me I have
05/15/2020 Unemployment Christina Moore
to talk to DES and when they send me over it doesnâ€™t even give me a chance to get in que! My boyfriend is a self
employed contractor and he applied 3 weeks after me and in 2 and a half weeks began receiving payment! Why would he
get paid before me? Why wouldnâ€™t they take care of the people who have been waiting all this time first? Why canâ€™t
I get through to anyone to help me get my case cleared up so I can either appeal or reapply if I need too? This is extremely
frustrating when I have waited so long and tried everything I can to help get it taken care of! This past week when I did my
weekly certification it said something about being the end of the benefits and would be the time I would file an extension
but I havenâ€™t gotten anything yet for it to be the end!! I am just praying that I can get through to someone to fix it for
me before my rent is due and I lose my home because they are too busy adding new eligibility and taking care of those
people than to take care of the ones who applied first! Please give them more people to handle the older claims and the
claims prior to the newly implemented qualifications for approval! Thank you and God Bless
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I was furloughed from my company Dillards at the end of March.
I filed for unemployment on April 1st.
My claimant ID on des is [REDACTED].
My claim status has said it was pending from day one. My initial confirmation number is 2417128. I have filed a weekly
claim ever since and have received a confirmation number for each of those weeks. On 4-24-2020 i received this Alert
Message : Your claim is currently in Pending status. We are continuing to review your eligibility for state unemployment
benefits.

I have been very patient. Coworkers who were furloughed after me have been receiving their unemployment benefits
05/15/2020 Mr. William Rhinier
already. While I am still waiting.

I have attempted numerous times and have wasted many hours trying to reach a human at des to discuss this matter to no
avail. I was lucky enough to get thru one time and to be placed in the hold queue only to have them hang up on me after
an hour and half. You can call at 8am on the dot when they open and you will receive the message that the hold queue is
full try again later. You will get that message all day.

I have contacted my employer and they have assured me that it is not on their end and that they have not even been
contacted about my claim.

I filed on March 22. I did not receive any payment until May. I called daily the call center was unable to help as they said I
needed to speak to someone from DES. So the call center being paid with tax payer monies is unable to help. DES you could
05/15/2020 Ms. Deana Trenchard not reach. The entire way the system was handle was not productive. I began calling Governor's Coopers office daily and
emailing Vickie Swayer getting others involved in order to get the process moving. 7 weeks is a long time to go without pay.
If I did not produce results in my job I wouldn't have had a job for 7 weeks. This needs to be addressed as to why we the
tax payers pay for a call center that cannot help.

Starting April 4, 2020 the company I work for decreased the hours of operation at all offices from 9-4:30 to 10-3. We were
told not to clock in before 10 am and not to clock out after 3pm. I immediately began the process of applying for
Unemployment due to a reduction in hours (which was due to Covid-19). I began the process online. There were many
problems. The pages loaded really slowly, I kept getting an error message telling me to call the DES number for help. Every
time I attempted to call I was told the que of people waiting to speak to a representative was full and that I needed to call
back later. I kept going back to the website and was finally able to complete the online application around 4/12. And I
05/15/2020 Mrs Debra Heath waited and tried to call and checked online. I also contacted Senator Perryâ€™s office on April 9. His Legislative Assistant
was very helpful to me and suggested I do a survey that would put me in a spreadsheet and this would organize the
information of those having issues. I however thought I had taken care of the issues when the DES page finally allowed me
to submit my application on the 12th of April. About the 29th of April Leigh Ann contacted me to see if I had had any
success. When I told her I was still waiting she encouraged me again to fill out the Survey. I filled out the Survey and by
about May 4 I had my first Unemployment payment. I have also told my coworkers about the Survey and many of them
have had success as well. Although, I still have one friend in Wake County Senate District 17 that is still waiting. Many of
us who were frustrated by the situation have seen a much better situation. Thank you to all those who have worked to
make this process a better experience.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed my claim on 3/15. The claim is pending because of my military retirement. I have called, and called and called for
05/15/2020 Ms Tracy Froidcoeur
assistance to no avail. I have written to no avail. My co-workers have receieved their money, but I have not and would
really like assistance with determine why and what I need to do to get financial help.

Before this pandemic I work two jobs to support my family. I have a full time job, as well as a gig. Between the two I was
able to provide everything my boys and I need. I worked about 65 hours a week. Since the end of March my full-time job
05/15/2020 Akira Hemingway
has cut my hours and my gig work is lacking. My income has been cut by 60%. I am eligible for UI but because my income is
over $58 I cannot receive benefits. I am faced with the reality that I work but still cannot support my family. While Iâ€™m
blessed to have employment I need help during this time and cannot get it. I am scared and alone.

I made a mistake entering my social security number, it took me two weeks to get through on the phone to get it changed,
in which I waited on hold for three hours. It was NOT changed I called over 200 times before I got placed on hold again.
05/15/2020 Miss Ashley Nelson They changed my social but told me I had to refile. They refiled my claim. I then asked if that meant I wouldnâ€™t be
receiving my UI from 4/1 when I first filed through 4/26. They advised me that I would. Iâ€™ve since then received my first
two deposits but I have yet to receive my back â€œpayâ€• . I called again and waited for over 4 hours and was told they
should have back dated my claim. It is supposed to be done within the next three days. Hopefully it is.

I applied for unemployment on March 25 due to the governor shutting down salons. It has been a nightmare to say the
least. I could not get in touch with anyone from DES until April 27 and that was only after talking via email with Christopher
Stock (Senator Jacksons aide). On April 30th ,I talked with another person about my claim and she helped me with my PUA
05/15/2020 Mrs Michelle Spell claim. I received my first PUA payment on May 3rd. I have not received any retro pay. I am still trying to remedy that. In the
7 weeks that I have been closed down, I have only received 2 weeks of PUA. I understand self employed do not qualify for
normal unemployment insurance,however my business was shut down thru no fault of my own. Why under these
circumstances didn't the governor issue an executive order allowing payment or the legislature pass a law allowing that.
My PUA payment is 134.00 per week. If it wasn't for the federal money(600.00) per week, I would be struggling more than I
am. If anyone can help with the retro pay problem I would greatly appreciate it.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I have lived and worked in NC for most of my life. I relocated from to Northern Virginia/DC Metro area in August 2019 to
attend graduate school in Arlington. Within a month of living in Virginia, I began working part-time until I was put out of
work due to COVID-19. My last day I worked was March 20, 2020. I had never received or applied for unemployment and
was very unfamiliar with it. I didnâ€™t think I was applicable because I was a part-time employee. After some
encouragement from my family, I applied for unemployment in Virginia but received a letter denying my benefits because I
had not EARNED wages in two quarters. I had worked the third and fourth quarters in Virginia, but my first paycheck was
received in the fourth quarter which made me ineligible. Virginia suggested I apply in North Carolina where most of my
2019 wages were.

I applied for unemployment in North Carolina in April and requested back pay. I wish I would have applied sooner as soon
05/15/2020 Ms. Taylor Porter as I lost my job, but I did not understand the process or how it works. Shortly after applying to unemployment in North
Carolina, I received a letter from Virginia saying that I had been approved to receive $70 a week. In Virginia, it is not
allowed to receive benefits in two states. I have tried to call Virginia to cancel my claim, but I have been unsuccessful. I
have not accepted any money or filed any certifications in Virginia.

My current unemployment application in North Carolina is still pending. I have been unable to speak to anyone at the
unemployment office for guidance. I have been without income since March. This area I live in has a high cost of living (a
basic one-bedroom apartment in a bad neighborhood costs $1,500 a month). I cannot afford to live without income. I have
pulled out the last of my savings just to pay my bills to have a roof over my head. It is disheartening to me that I have
always worked hard. I began working at 15 years old. Throughout college, I juggled working and going to school full time.
At one point, I was even working two jobs as a full-time student.

For the first time in my life, I need help with bringing in some income so that I can live. Where is North Carolina during my
crisis???? Someone please help me.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

On the 24th of April I was informed that due to the Corna-Vid19 virus I was laid off, that Saturday, April 25th I attempted to
file my claim on the DES website. I encountered a road block while completing the application: I was informed that the
system could not verify my identity and I would be required to submit evidence which was to include a drivers license or
passport along with a copy of my Social Security card, once that was received it would be reviewed and I would upon
approval be able to complete my application.

This surprised me because I had just recently applied for and received a passport and a new "Real ID Drivers License" from
the State of North Carolina, I attempted to call DES on several occasions but the lines were full as well as the holding que, I
also applied for a replacement card from Social Security, now they stated a card is not necessary as government entities
have access to this information and a person should not carry the card with them. They also informed me that due to the
Corona Virus it could be the end of the month before I receive the replacement. I did complete the process to acquire a
05/15/2020 Gregory Silliman replacement and continued to attempt the completion of the application online, but each time received notification that
my identity could not be verified, I also continued to attempted to contact DES by phone but that became fruitless. On
April 30th I contacted Representative Debra Conrad's office and shared my experience with her office. They informed me
that they would reach out and see if help could be found, on May 5th I again contacted her office and indicated that I had
not as of this date been contacted by any one. On May 8th I again called DES and was put into the holding que, I remained
on hold for almost 2 hours before I was able to talk to a person. This person was very courteous and helpful and was able
to complete my application over the phone. I informed Rep. Debra Conrad's office by email that my application had been
completed, this was done by email and her office contacted on Tuesday, May 12th at which time I also shared the same
information.

I have not experienced any additional set backs at this time.

Sincerely,
Gregory H Silliman

I filed a claim in april There was a mistake on my claim Ihave been trying to get it fixed I have been on the phone for many
05/15/2020 Garney Hembree
days and hours been hung up on every time but one but they could not help me I was laid off due to the virus I sent my
documents still no help I dont no what to do anymore and I can't find a job Iam older so it is very hard.
Our company had work , but we were on an as needed basis due to something like a system hack, therefore we couldn't do
05/15/2020 Inspector Susan Thompson any work until the system was up and running. I emailed unemployment and within that week received my check. I never
received the $600.00 benefit.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I dealt with this professionally, and personally. I am only 1 of 4 in my immediate family not to lose their job due to this.
My mother and sister are able to draw, but my son isn't, nor did he get a stimulus check, as he's a PT student and works PT.
It's shameful that he was left out of this, as he's in that middle group where he's not fully able to support himself, but too
old to be claimed. Just wrong. He's a PT student because he had a 5 lb tumor removed and lost ground while recovering
from a 14 inch scar on his stomach, but he's left out.
SO other issues.
1 - NC DES is antiquated, and Cooper knew about this enough ahead of time to address, but did nothing. Let's not pretend
NC DES wasn't bad before, but there was known issue with this, Cooper did not ramp up staffing nor do anything
preemptive to address volume he knew was coming.
2 - NC DES support is embarrassing and again back to Cooper, if you're not going to fix the issues, then at least increase call
support, as for many trying to file, a voice of support would have went a long way at stress reduction, but nope...My
mother and daughter got the automated message, where at the end they got disconnected with no ability to leave a
message. And even worse, they are directed to the Online system that we know was broke. Roy knew this, did nothing.
05/15/2020 Mr Jerry Campbell 3 - I know many people that still work their low paying job, some my son's age, some older. Those my son's age got and
get NOTHING, already noted frustrations there. Those older that are employed got the stimulus $1200, but that's it, while
many that were laid off continue to draw 2 to 3 times what they were making while employed. How is that right for those
that didn't lose their jobs? Literally we have people sitting at home making money, while those that work still struggle to
pay bills. Please don't hear me saying those laid off didn't merit something, or even more, but how on earth did NC not
think about this as many of those that were making minimum wage before have not had a pay increase and were struggling
just as much as those laid off. Something should have been done to address this,
4 - I know this one is being looked at, but NC DES debit cards are not acceptable to Insta-Cart, which means the most
vulnerable that lost their jobs have to still go to grocery stores. Again, in another forum this is being looked at and
addressed, but this should have never been an issue. Heard that NC is addressing the EBT stuff but what about the Debit
card group?

Thanks and glad General Assembly is finally being able to work, hopefully it doesn't continue to fall on death ears like
budget did

It should not have required me to contact my state senator to receive benefits that have been previously approved. Once
the realization was made of the volume of need, and the inability to address each case individually, I believe the system
05/15/2020 Patrick Carbone should have been put on a default mode to approve. Then special cases could have been looked at separately and adjusted
accordingly. Instead there was / is a complete stop bottleneck that caused significant hardship to alot of people. By not
being able to address individual cases in a timely manner, the system really did not serve as it was intended. Sometimes it
seems like the legislature is acting like the state expenditures is money coming out of their own pockets. It doesn't.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I have had the worst experience trying to file. I have tried filing online but was always kicked off the system. So I called
every day and finally got through on may 5, but the lady that helped me on the phone did all my information wrong. I
told her I was self employed and owned my own salon. But when I went online to find out if I was approved it said
information incomplete. She filed me for regular unemployment. So I finally got back in touch with them again on may 14,
and the lady I was talking to couldn't help me so she transferred me and instead of me being able to speak to someone it
05/15/2020 April Jackson
hung up.. this also happened the first time I applied. So now my paper work still isn't filed because I haven't been able to
get back through. This has been a living nightmare! I am single I don't have a husband or boyfriend to help me pay my bills.
I'm thankful for my children that have helped me during this time. I have never had to file for unemployment I have always
had a job and worked all my life and supported myself, and now I cant I cant even begin to Express the stress I have felt
during all this since they shut the doors on the salons march 25, and not being able to get through to the unemployment
office has been by far the worst . I pray I never have to go through this again. Hopefully I will soon be able to speak to
someone that can fix my paperwork so I can start getting my money..

On April 17, I was laid off due to COVID-19 and immediately registered for unemployment on the NCDES website. What
followed was delay, confusion, and poor communication as my application languished for weeks. At one point I received a
voicemail from someone at NCDES who said he was calling with a question about my application, but rather than leave a
number for me to call back he simply said he would try me again by the close of the next business day; the call never came.
I called several times to the main number, never getting through to a live operator despite staying on hold for hours. I saw
a local news story about a gentleman in a similar situation who ended up contacting his state representative to finally get
traction on his application, and I did the same, contacting my NC Senator and Representative. Their offices were incredibly
05/15/2020 David Menzies
sympathetic and helpful; finally, I did receive some payment in the days that followed. However, in logging into my NCDES
account, I noticed that the employer and income information they used to determine my payment amount was incorrect. I
tried to upload new information via instructions on the website, but received multiple error messages and was unable to
correct the information. I then re-read the notice regarding the determination of my benefit amount, and saw that there
was a fax number for submitting information. I immediately faxed a letter, with tax records and paystubs, cc:ing my State
Rep's and Senator's offices. At the time of this writing, I have received zero contact back from NCDES, and my online portal
reflects no changes. In closing, I would expect more from my home state, even in a time of overwhelming need. I'm sure
there are many individuals out there in similar circumstances, but who may not have internet access to file with the NCDES
online system and may be stuck trying to gain assistance via phone where they are likely stuck on hold with no resolution.
These are the most vulnerable among us, and it is our duty to ensure they do not fall through the cracks.

I own a business and, without the help of the legistlature, would not have been able to respond to the unemployment
claim filed by an employee that quit. The website referred me to a phone number to obtain the necessary numbers to log
05/15/2020 Kevin Berger
in and the number referred me to a website. The inadequate information on the web site had nothing to do with the virus.
In addition, there are very few options for responses on some questions. Employers need to be able to respond to what
occurred and not have a requirement of responding with one of 10 answers.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Thank you for this opportunity.
I know that the COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating to the world, the US, N.C. and our local communities. NO ONE
could ever imagine this happening or much less planning for it. One life is TOO MUCH to loose!!
I tend to be positive rather than negative, so I would like to say that I UNDERSTAND the pressure our government systems
were under during the beginning and during the peak of this pandemic.
What could we do better for our generation and future generations? There are many questions to ask and how to find
answers to vital medical/pandemic solutions. It would be interesting to be involved in that process, but due to my lack of
medical education, probably not. I'll leave to the experts and support their research and intelligence.
I do appreciate the QUICK response I got from all of our local politicians that I contacted!! That was impressive!!
I'm 66 years old and have worked since I was 15 years old (52 years) and have my paid taxes. I have never asked anything
financial of our government system and this time I asked it due to being self furloughed for the survival of our company
05/15/2020 Mr. Bill Sigmon and it's employees. Though I pray that this NEVER happens again, I am appreciative of the help and support I received and
the ramped up action that was taken to make the system better for our community. I'll not complain about my troubles
about our North Carolina Hurricane season again!!!!
Closing... it would be smart of us to PLAN, SAVE and coordinate for the possibility our this type of event happening again in
our future or that of future generations to come. It can be done and done right!!
I want to say that the SICKNESSES and DEATHS related to the COVID-19 pandemic are not and never should be POLITICAL!!
SHAME on either political party for taking it there!!
Thank you and thanks for all that you do to make our lives and community better each day!!
Sincerely,
Bill Sigmon, Jr. (William)
610 Hertford Street
Raleigh, NC 27609
919-601-5740
bsigmon@kennedyoffice.com
This has been undoubtedly the most unorganized, inefficient process I have ever dealt with-- and it is STILL not resolved. I
have called the unemployment helpline over 300 times since my original claim filing date of 3/17. Each time I call, I am told
05/15/2020 Ms. Mary George
that everything is "pending" and to continue being patient, however 2 months later, still no progress. Extremely frustrated,
and still need help.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My claim has been in pending for over 2 weeks with no explanation. I wanted to speak with someone to make sure all my
information had been received and nothing else was needed from me. I could not get an answer when I call the number
given to me from the official site. I finally decided to start calling at 8:00, as soon as the office opened. The immediate
05/15/2020 Kathy Lucas message was all agents are busy helping others and the â€œQâ€•is full and to call back later. I called from 8:00 to 7:00 with
the same message. It seems to me that at some point during the day that someone would hang up and I could at least get
in line. I wondered if something is wrong with the phone lines or connection. The options I was choosing was â€œ2â€•
questions about your claim then â€œ4â€•questions on an existing claim. The reply was always the same. I called this
number over 200 times . I stated the next morning promptly at 8:00 as soon as the office opened, and received the same
recording. How could I not at least get in line as soon as the office opened? I would like you to be aware of the situation.

I understand these are challenging times, but I am still waiting for unemployment help. I have been shut down since March
17 and I did not apply for PPP because of unemployment being offered to the self employed. No phone calls are
05/15/2020 Jeffrey Davis
answered at DES, no live chat, no emails and no correspondence through the DES website. I have no idea if I have applied
for unemployment correctly or not. It's frustrating because I have been shut down because of state government and
offered help from government, but only the shut down part has happened. 8 weeks with out pay!

I filed for unemployment due to covid 19 on March 25th. I have filed weekly certifications every single week. I have
uploaded photos, sent emails, went into the office and filled out the form so someone would call me (no one ever did),
05/15/2020 Unemployment troubles Angelina Garner Iâ€™ve called the numbers to reach someone for help. I did get in touch with someone one time but they told me that the
unemployment office would get in touch with me when they needed me and was ready. I have received reminders to
certify in my email and I have received correspondence in my mail box stating the new regulations regarding
unemployment. My hope is that sharing this experience will help me and my family with this unemployment crisis.

On March 29th I filed for unemployment as a self-employed. The system denied my application because I was a self
employed. I made an appeal and later was approved. The issue was that the system's rules had not been updated for the
allowance of self employed (retail gift shop closed by the Governor) as a qualifying applicant. As I understand this issue was
05/15/2020 Mr Grier Fleischhauer
resolved late April, but it would have been better to have at least notified the self employed that later this issue would be
resolved. Maybe I would not have had to write an appeal?
As an employer, I have 5 that are still not approved or even a determination letter sent. Some have been waiting about a
month for a determination. All paperwork from us have been completed.

Hello. I filed for unemployment on March 17th and was determined to be ineligible due to a DES error. I was advised to
05/15/2020 No backpay Tyler Howard refile on April 26 and I was approved. I finally received one payment on 5/3/2020. However, I have now started back to
work and have still received no backpay from 3/17/20-5/3/20. This is almost 2 months with no income whatsoever. I have
been unable to reach anyone at DES due to â€œhigh call volumeâ€•and have spent over 30 hours on hold with no results.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

the entire process was totally confusing and I am still confused. the spread sheets are very hard to understand, and the
document page also, and I don't understand what the documents are telling me. I have never spoken a person- that might
05/15/2020 Robyn Josephs
be helpful, tho everyone I do talk to has been told something different the anyone else. The website was at first impossible
to access, and now hard to navigate and understand. they spotless creates a lot of stress, I can't imagine if english was not
my language how anyone could navigate it.

Hello my name is Rachel. I first filed my unemployment claim on 4/11/2020 do to COVID-19 . I had to take unpaid medical
leave from the nursing home I work for because of a pre-existing medical condition. I have had the hardest time trying to
get through to a agent for help when my claim was flagged for a issue. It has been 6week every number that I would call
was an automated system message stating that they were to busy and to please call back then disconnected the call .
However it didnâ€™t matter what time you called. You couldnâ€™t get through. So I contacted my state senator who with
05/15/2020 Mrs Rachel Mooney the help of a gentleman in his office name Edward styles I finally as of yesterday May 14, 2020 got through to an actual
agent who is capable of fixing my claim status and I should be receiving my unemployment funds within the next 24 to 36
hours I understand that this time is very hard And many people are out of work but now the phase 1 has been put into
affect it shouldnâ€™t be that hard to get through to a person for help. The unemployment system needs to be updated so
it is capable of handling such a crisis and I think the people working for the agency need crisis training to be better
equipped to handle a pandemic therefore people are not being penalized by a system error. thank you for allowing me the
time to share my experience and my thoughts about this situation and for consideration that my opinion just might help
improve the system in the future.. Thank you again
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I work for the Biltmore Company, and my last day of work was March 16. My employer told me that we were being
furloughed, and that they didnâ€™t know when work would be available again.
At Biltmoreâ€™s encouragement, I filed for unemployment on March 21/22 (it took an extra day to gather the necessary
information). My claim went through, but it immediately went into a â€œpending reviewâ€•status. It has remained in this
â€œpendingâ€•status since. I have been diligent in completing my weekly certifications (my weekly requirements), but the
state has been horrible at completing its job or even reviewing or updating customers.
On May 1st, I finally figured that DES wasnâ€™t going to uphold its part of communication, so I started calling the hot line.
Over that week, I made over 150 call attempts, at all hours of the day, and not once did I successfully connect. In fact, all
150+ calls resulted in the DES call center disconnecting me with no resolution or answers. To paraphrase, it said: weâ€™re
busy, call back when weâ€™re not, goodbye.
Saturday, May 16, 2020 is two months since I last worked. I would desperately love to get some help from the system that
Iâ€™ve paid into for decades, but Iâ€™d settle for a measly little response or update on my status if thatâ€™s too much to
05/15/2020 Mr David Foster ask for.
I understand that the DES is overwhelmed, but I also have expectations that a professional organization will pull itself
together to meet that task for which they are being paid. Imagine if this happened in the private sector. A business would
immediately be out of business, if their â€œhotlineâ€•solution was to merely disconnect customers.
One other thought that Iâ€™d like an answer on: itâ€™s disappointing that W2 employees who are legally qualified for
unemployment are being shafted, even though they followed the prescribed protocols, while 1099 and others (self
employed) who were not initially qualified, are now receiving benefits in front of them. In addition to not being fair, I feel
that it is a dereliction of duty by state officials that should be dealt with. There should never be a scenario where you shaft
qualified customers to serve those who you had to alter the rules for.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide some feedback, Iâ€™d be happy to drive to Raleigh on Monday and speak in
person. After all, Iâ€™m not doing anything anyway.

Sincerely,
David Foster

I am still having issues with getting my unemployment benefits. I have not received a payment for 4 weeks now. I had an
existing claim when this pandemic began and my benefits exhausted at the beginning of April. With the PEUC program my
benefits should have been extended for 13 months but (after many attempted but failed calls and emails that were not
responded to) when I finally was able to get in touch with someone at the NC DES they didn't even know what this program
was much less know when it would start and if I would be eligible for it. I was also informed that I should not have applied
05/15/2020 Mr Thomas Wolterman
for the PUA program and that they would cancel my application. Over a 2 weeks later my status for my PUA application
stills reads Pending. I feel that nothing has been accomplished toward my claim even though I waited on hold for 4 1/2
hours. Now I cannot get through again to even be put on hold.
I've emailed NC DES about this again and haven't heard back from anyone.
Can you please help me with this?
Having no funds coming in for a month now is making me scrape the bottom of the barrel to get by.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
I work for Chartwells at Louisburg College through Compass Group. We are the dining services provider. When I filed my
claim; COVID - 19 and/or the Coronavirus designation were not reasons I could choose to file my claim: I was furlough for
that reason. The site only allowed to choose lack of work or lay off. **This is important as it affected my claim for the next
month**.

As the pandemic unfolded, I too was never able to get anyone at the call center. My claim is as listed as â€œpendingâ€•
.
There was a news conference late March where Mr: Taylor said on TV that â€œall claims had been pad through March 20
file dateâ€•
. This was not true as I was waiting to get mine processed.

I emailed Mr. Taylor using his time mail on the site: NEVER received any acknowledgment or reply. He was quoted in an
WRAL online article as saying at a congressional meeting â€œits bad business to hang up on folksâ€•
. Is it not bad business
and not reply to them either?

DES never took action on my claim until April 14. This is important because of how that happened: earlier in the month, I
05/15/2020 Alex Cheek contacted Sen: Tillis office and they referred me to Sen. Alexanderâ€•s office. Jessica Walls is the one who has helped me.
She is AWESOME.

When I worked with her, I had a call from Darrell Walters (DES) within two days. However, itâ€™s important to note, the
first time I spoke with him, I asked if I could call him back directly if I had any issues. He said yes and gave me his direct
number.

I had an issue and followed the instruction, no call back and I tried twice. So back to Jessica I went. And once again, he
called back within two days.

My claim was adjudicated finally 4/14. Mr. Walters did it himself.

I understand that the department has had an unprecedented amount of claims. I understand that they needed to hire
staff. Itâ€™s really bad business to not follow through on what you say you will do. That is what I want to highlight. Mr.
Applied my last work week was March 28th have only received 1 payment. Wondering why I'm not getting payments to
05/15/2020 Mrs Angela Darstein support My family. My weekly certification questions have changed not sure why. I've faxed NCDL copy of SSC and told
multiple times things fixed still only 1 payment.
05/15/2020 Unemployment issues Annamaria Stephens
I worked on my unemployment and had issues with the phone lines being busy and continuously hanging up on me
05/15/2020 sue Smolka
Despite hearing in public addresses and news articles, the telephone lines are always busy and impossible to get help.
It has been over a month that I first filed for unemployment. I am a self employed hairstylist and cannot work do to
Coronavirus. My first claim was denied so I filed again.... it has been pending since the beginning of April. Now that the PUA
05/15/2020 Mrs Sarah Brown is set up I am not able to apply because my account is stuck at pending. I cannot get a hold of a single person in order to
have my claim denied so I can apply for the proper program. Please help me get this resolved as my family heavily depends
on my income.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed my claim back at the end of March and haven't received any payments or a verdict to my pending resolution. I work
two part time jobs so when I file my claim and say I worked some hours it make my claim status as pending/resolution each
05/15/2020 Carl Shepherd week but I have yet to get a response. I have received the paperwork for what I'm possibly able to get each week but that's
it. I call the number to talk to someone daily and the line is always full and the hold queue is always full and can never get
through regardless what time of day I call. The times I did get through while on hold for an agent the line just disconnected.
I've contacted a state Senator to fill out a special form to possibly help get some help as well.

I began filing March 24th and despite hundreds of phone calls and weekly certifications I could not reach anyone by phone
to get an answer. I got through to the call center 6 out of 100+ attempts and each time they tried to connect me, the call
was disconnected. Through conversations, it was happening to nearly everyone the call center attempted to connect.
My frustration after nearly 7 weeks of this lead me to write emails and make phone calls to my legislators. Through many
05/15/2020 Mr. Curtis Burk
emails and calls, Rep Horn office notified me that they had made a call on my behalf and the following monday I recieved a
direct call from DES to help certify me for the PUA program. I have since recieved benefits but sadly, I don't feel it reflects
anywhere close to the amount of business I have lost.
If it were not for the persistent emails to my legislators I don't think I would have ever got through to DES with the failure
of a system they had in place.

I was permanently, full-time employed by ERI (Electronic Recyclers Inc,) in Badin, NC, until March 24, 2020, when the
entire plant shut down because of covid-19. I filed for unemployment, beginning on March 25, 2020. Since that time I have
received nothing ($0.00). I have continued to file weekly certifications as required. I have talked to our local representative
in Albemarle, Mr. Eric Cook, who told me that upon review of my information, he could not understand why I have not
received unemployment funding. He encouraged me to go to the chat help area, which I did and was told to write a review
of my information and fax it to the employment commission, which I have done and was to receive a phone call within a
05/15/2020 Johnathan Bunn week, regarding the matter. I have called over 100 times, attempting to talk with a representative, unsuccessfully. I have
bills that are past due, along with health insurance premiums and my co-pay for my insulin, as being diabetic. I finally got to
talk with a representative at 7:52 pm about a week ago, who said she would transfer me to someone who could help me.
Upon transfer, I was immediately disconnected and could not get any response by the 8:00 pm closing time. My claim was
filed appropriately and was moved to pending, with no further action, which has resulted in me receiving absolutely
nothing. I have spent more than 20 hours total trying to get in contact with someone to help me with funding,
unsuccessfully.

Any help that you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Good morning
I am a substitute teacher, and have worked several part time jobs. I filled a claim for ui after my job ended as a direct
result of covid 19. My claim has been pending every sense. It shows me the UI benefit available to me. However, it has
never been released. I have called Des., i have been on phone calls with Tom Tillis, this is how i finally was referred to you.
05/15/2020 MS Jacqueline Rosa
During a time such as this my hopes and prayers are that someone can mandate, that no ui Benefits be withheld from the
American people for any reason. This an unforeseen circumstance we are all in! I need my unemployment please make
some changes to to the qualifications requirements because of civid 19. No American at this time should be with held or
denied any financial help that could be privided at a time such as this.

Thank you in advance for a listening ear and an open heart! Please help me!

I did not file between those days because, well let's not sugar coat anything. Your phone lines were always tied up, as they
still are. The hold quee on those phone lines were and still are always full so you are always told to try your call again at a
later time. If you are lucky enough to live in an area where the internet actually works all the time I guess you might could
have filed online at that time, however I live in a location where no one really gives a "well you know" if the public has
internet or even land line service. I mean we report outages and are told maybe in a month it will be fixed. Oh wait we are
talking about unemployment, right. Yes I finally got a good enough connection around the end of April to file online, only I
messed up, because I didnt choose COVID-19 as my reason for being out of work so I still havent received a check. You see I
05/15/2020 Brandy Hooper am immunocompromised, yes should have clicked COVID-19. But when COVID-19 began I technically was not working,
had not worked since Jan 17,2020. Was looking for a job that would not put me around the general public as much as my
past job did. I worked as a Convenience store manager for 5 years, hardley ever missing work will battling 4 auto immune
diseases, staying sick, getting weaker every day, but I kept working until my body couldn't take it any longer. So while
looking for something else to work at to support my family along came COVID-19 and my doctor had me sign paper work
stating I understood how dangerous it would be for me to work currently. Only way to help my family was to apply for
unemployment which I messed up because I was raised to tell the truth, oh I tried to call all your 800 phone numbers to fix
it but of course they are all still busy so I still cant get anything done. What am I suppose to do to help support my family, I
already can not stand staying home, it makes me feel useless and now this. Answers would be great. Also no where in your
little FAQ LIST was there anything about immunocompromised people signing up that was looking for work but currently
not working, why is that?
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
I want to begin with I did start receiving benefits at the end of April. With that being said the amount of anxiety, stress, and
frustration that began on March 25 was greatly due to the process of filing unemployment. You see I do not want to be on
unemployment. I have worked hard to build my business and earn a living on my own merit. I have three children who are
or have served in our Armed Forces. I have a high school senior who will soon be off to college and will most likely serve as
well as she plans to join the ROTC program at UNC Charlotte.

As the CAREAct was being negotiated my husband and I followed the negotiations up until the signing of the bill. The State
of North Carolina was not ready for this. It is not one individuals fault, but the computer system was not set up to handle
the numbers coming in nor was it ready to allow self-employed individuals the ability to apply. While no one could
anticipate the technology requirements for a pandemic, communication is an area where the government has failed to
support the citizens of North Carolina.

1. Communication is the number one failure to the workers and in my case self employed individuals of North Carolina. It
appears as if our government (governor, senators, representatives) are afraid to talk to us about the real issues. When the
05/15/2020 Mrs. Susan Haley CARESACT was being developed and eventually signed many of us fled to unemployment only find an archaic system that
had no instructions for how a self-employed person should file. None. It only said you may be eligible to file. I cannot
remember the number of NC task Force briefings that took place before Roy Cooper mentioned unemployment for self-
employed North Carolinians. How does this happen? The government forces our businesses to close yet had not put a
plan in place to support us. I can say if the State of North Carolina wants me to pay a bill it has the most streamlined easy
process to pay that a child can navigate it. I cannot say the same when it's citizens went looking for relief. The door was
locked with multiple deadbolts and when you open the door you found yet another door to go through.

On April 25 when I could actually File for PUA (One month after the executive order closed my business) I navigated the
framework and my claim went through. Trying to answer everything I completed my weekly certifications that night for
the previous weeks. Luckily I filled those certifications out correctly except one. I will further explain that later in my
comments. The day after we were allowed to file I received an email from the department of commerce with
instructions for filing a weekly certification for PUA. This was completely unacceptable. Here I am not panicking again that
I failed to file my weekly certification jeopardizing my claim.
05/15/2020 Jeanne Soriano Applied April 19th. It has been almost a month and still no payment. Pending resolution.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I started trying to "get into the DES" system around March 15. Each day, I would get a "call back later" answer. After some
10 days of calling 4-5 times a day, I did send a FAX as the system indicated. The answering machine put me on hold, telling
me I was 65th in line. When someone finally gets on the line, she tells me to call back again! As no one ever responded to
assist with my personal application problem, or was able to respond as the system due to the number of applicants, even
the answering system did not tell me to leave a call-back telephone number. I thus contacted out state Senator in the
05/15/2020 Nick Wilson Boone/Banner Elk area. In early May, I decided to awake and be "the first to call each day"; alas, "we are busy, call back
later" was still the answering telephone answer from the DES. Then, one day, after the 8am try to reach out to the DES, I
did surprisingly receive a personal telephone answer around 10am from "Ms. Battle (sic) . This wonderful woman spent
easily over an hour uncovering my unemployment application, changing a mistake I made on it, and finalized my
certification. I am a bit upset that the DES does not have a follow-up to her conversation, so that I could give a
recommendation to her supervisor on the knowledge and patience Mrs. Battle (sic) had with me. I became unemployed
February 27. It was around May 3rd that I finally re-completed the application with Mrs. Battle (sic). I am still not so sure
why it took so long to resolve my unemployment application with the DES system.

To Whom It May Concern:
I first filed for unemployment on April 12, 2020. I had not filed before, because I thought we would be out of work for a
couple of weeks. As the Governor continued to forbid us to return to work and life I realized I would have to file. I am a
hair stylist, and the salon where I booth rent is still requiring me to pay rent even though I am not allowed to work.
Therefore, I felt it was time to file for unemployment, not to mention that it was having an impact on our family's financial
resources. I also filed for PUA the beginning of May. I have yet to receive one cent from unemployment or PUA, it is now
May 15th. I have made calls daily to ncdes to only be hung up on every single time. You can never get through, so I have
called the PUA line to beg for help and some answers. They have recently said I should be receiving money soon, we shall
see.

For the record, I would like "all the powers" that be to know I am 44 years old and I have NEVER in my life had to file for
05/15/2020 Mrs. Tamara Parker
unemployment. I started out babysitting before I could legally work. Since that time I have always had a job, at times I
have worked 2 jobs to pay my bills. When our first son was born and we decided I would quit my job to stay home and
raise him, my husband and I adjusted our budget. I have always been a financially responsible American who was raised
and taught to save for a rainy day... and by God I am glad I have. Through this entire process I have told everyone that has
asked that I can't imagine being dependent on the government to pay my bills. I cannot imagine if this was my sole source
of income and I had no savings, I would probably be out on the street.

In closing, I never thought I would see the day that my constitutional rights, along with so many other Americans, would
be so violated that I would not be allowed to work and provide for my family.

Regards,

Tamara Ehret Parker
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
Good Afternoon and thank you for hearing my ordeal of applying for unemployment. I am a uber/lyft driver and when the
virus hit and Charlotte was put on lock down my ability to earn any money disappeared. Airport runs and taking people to
work made up 90% of the rides I would get. My last day of driving was March 23rd, my wife has auto immune issues and I
couldn't take the risk of bringing something home to her. On March 27th I filed an unemployment claim due to the shut
down for the corona virus, I included all of my weekly pay summaries from Uber/Lyft and then waited. Each week I would
file my certifications and wait, I understood that there were going to be a lot of claims and it may take a couple of weeks to
process. I checked my case everyday multiple times hoping for an update and day when my money would start. After 3
weeks and may case still in pending status I started looking for answers, I called the number listed to talk with an agent and
after several prompts it went to a recording saying all agents were busy and the hold que was full. I tried calling first thing
in the morning, late afternoons and right up till 8pm only to be met with the exact same recording every time. It started to
become very frustrating that I couldn't speak with anyone to find out if I did something wrong or if they needed more info.
I then saw some information that gig workers and self employed were not going to be able to file until April 25th and that
payment would be made up for all of the past weeks that you filed. It indicated that a regular Unemployment claim would
be denied and you would then have to apply for the PUA assistance. So I waited to be declined and to re apply after the
05/15/2020 Mr. Michael Simpson 25th but my claim stayed in pending status. So I called the PUA assistance line and was finally able to speak with a live
person who looked at my claim and said that I should have had a result by now and was going to transfer me to an agent
which got me really excited to finally be able to get a resolution. But my hopes were short lived as I sat on hold for 3 hours
and never got to speak to a live person again. So I tried the next day and the next only to hear the same message "all
agents are helping other customers and the hold que is full" call back later. So I tried the PUA assistance line again, and
again was able to speak with a very nice person who said the same thing - not sure why you are still pending but you need
to speak to an agent. I asked is there anyway they can assure me to be contacted to someone but they said all they can do
is transfer me, I asked if they have heard of anyone actually getting through and she said only 2. I joked I had a better
chance to win the lottery and she laughed and said I agree. On May 7th I reached out to my local congressman for
assistance, they indicated that they would send my information on to be contacted by someone. The next day my case
went from pending to ineligible so I took that as a good sign but there was no where to file for the PUA so I called the PUA
line again and they didn't know why but again I had to speak to an agent, I laughed and asked what other options do I have
since no one ever gets through so she sent me a contact form to fill out and have an agent get back to me so I went that
route. On Saturday the 9th I got a call from a very nice lady named Angela who looked through my case and said she see's

I am a self employed hairstylist in Garner NC. I filed for unemployment on March 23rd 2020 due to all salons being shut
down because of the Covid-19 Pandemic . I have been pending resolution for 8 weeks now. I haven't been able to get thru
to them for the past three weeks. even the chat line is full. I have gotten thru to the asst line one time and was told that
everything is correct and that they will get to me soon. I did the separation information and was on hold for three and a
05/15/2020 Faye Lilly half hours. I have co-workers who filed before and after me that are receiving there unemployment. I try every morning to
get thru and the cue line is full. I know that it's extremely busy but my main concern is I am self payed medical insurance
that has to be payed on time or I will lose it and if I reapply for insurance it will be unaffordable. I am 55yrs old and need
my insurance. I would prefer to work. but I'm not allowed to at this time. This is very stressful for a lot of people and an
the ones working on the unemployment. the system is broken and the right hand don't know what the left hand is doing
someone need to fix this.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
CLAIMANT ID: [REDACTED], filed April 15, 2020. Claimant Joan C. Blackwell. Today is May 15, 2020; I still do not have an
approved determination response or any alerts on the DES website. I called the DES phone number repeatedly, and I could
not get through to speak to a person. The recorded message says something like this, "we are busy and call back later."
My claim was flagged with "pending resolution" until two days ago and still no phone call, letter, or alert response. DES
website does not allow a claimant to change the payment method from debit cards to direct deposition. DES does not
enable a claimant to make a change in the weekly job report after posted, and I need to make a change to one report
submitted due to my bad eyesight and small print on the website.
I am 73 and have worked the majority of my life as a law-abiding citizen. I was a Department of Defense contractor for
many years with a secret clearance. My son is an Army aviator pilot with 33 years of service. My daughter is doing well
also. Between them, I have nine grandchildren and five grandchildren. I have been in school for the past six years and
graduated on December 7, 2019, with a Masters in Art teaching from UNCP. I did student teaching and was the Visual Art
teacher at a local school, Sandy Grove Middle School, at the beginning of 2019-2020. Unfortunately, this turned out to be
an unsafe working condition due to the following reasons, as stated in letters posted on the DES website. Issues included:
harassment, hazardous working conditions, theft of personal and school supplies, destruction of personal items and
05/15/2020 Ms Joan Blackwell students' art projects, bullying from the principal, and being put on probation because of false statements from several
students. These students were troublesome in class and continually disrupted the course. I felt I had no choice but to quit
would be fired.

Thom Jacobs, the principal, undermined my expertise during a staff meeting in the first month of employment. He made
the comment he thought I was teaching college students and needed to "dummy down my lesson plans." I told him I had
faith in my student's ability to learn and was teaching at NC Standards based on grade levels and UNCP approval my lesson
plans. He said, "You talk too much' on several occasions. However, all students completed all assignments and received an
A for the semester. There were good moments, and I worked very hard to understand why students act out and talked
with teachers for solutions. In the end, Jacobs said I needed to handle the problems in the classroom.

A two-week notice was submitted, the last day of employment was on January 17, 2020. Anyone that knows me can
testify I am a good Christian Lady. Jacobs referred to students as his "babies." He does not have any children. His decision
left me feeling mentally and emotionally exhausted. However, I had to stay at school until I graduated in December to

Hello. Thank you for taking time to review my case. Claim #[REDACTED]. I filed for unemployment in the beginning of our
COVID-19 crisis, on March 20. There was a request for a copy of my drivers license and SSI card which I uploaded. Also
faxed copies. I saw that there was an issue delaying payment stating pending resolution employed/unemployed
05/15/2020 Mrs. Karen Reitmeyer questionable identity. I have worked for Brian T. Seese D.M.D, P.A. for the past six years. (TIN [REDACTED]) I faxed copies
of my 2018 and 2019 W2â€™s and a paystub from 2020. After still no change to my claim, I mailed a certified letter along
with all copies I mentioned. The letter was picked up on Tuesday, April 14th. I also attempted numerous calls throughout
this time with no success. My claim originally should up to my employer, but since disappeared. I started to reach out to
my representatives for guidance. I appreciate you reaching out and attempting to resolve my claim. Thank you
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I was a permanent, full-time employee of Electronic Recyclers, Inc., in Badin, NC, until March 24, 2020, when the entire
plant closed due to covid-19. I immediately filed for unemployment as of March 25, 2020, and have since continued to filed
weekly certification, as required. Since March 25, 2020, I have received nothing ($0.00). I have tried over 100 times to talk
with a representative about my case. I have talked with the local representative, Mr. Eric Cook, in Albemarle, who
05/15/2020 Mr. Johnathan Bunn reviewed my situation on-line and indicated that he did not understand why I was not receiving unemployment funds. He
encouraged me to use the chat help, which I did and was to fax my information to the commission, which I did and was
told that I would receive a contact within a week regarding the matter. That was approximately two weeks ago. I have had
no income since my employment ended and have over due bill, along with health insurance premiums and my co-pay for
my insulin, as I am diabetic. I have tried every avenue that I know to try to get unemployment funds.

Any help that you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

It took until April 9th to even get onto the site because there were so many trying it kept crashing/unavailable. I filed on
4/9 and noticed they were pulling Blythe Gallery as the employer. I was filing as self-employed and removed Blythe and
entered my company information MABB Consulting LLC. I am in the travel industry, travel manager and our industry is
pretty much non-existent now. I have had clients cancel contracted meetings and events, convention centers are turning
05/15/2020 Margaret Bruce
into hospitals, my clients are not traveling, this is my livelihood and loss revenue to my bottom line. In reviewing the
monetary determination, UI selected Blythe to pull from and said I was ineligible. Blythe was a small part-time fun
Saturday job, again not my livelihood. I mailed a certified letter on April 15th along with my 1099 of my wages I earned in
2019, per the appeal process they indicated on the letter I received. I also disagreed with the wages they were pulling from
Blythe online and also uploaded the documentation as proof. To this date, my claim is still in pending resolution status and
I have received no unemployment money. This has been very disappointing!
Correction to my previous response. Read question as â€œDid you file for unemployment insurance between March 17
05/15/2020 Mrs Karen Reitmeyer and MARCH 18. â€œ since I filed March 22, I said no. Realized my mistake after I submitted. Please see my other request
for details of my claim. Again, thank you.
05/15/2020 Ms Grace Gryglewicz Iâ€™m looking forward to it.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed for unemployment on 3/30/20. I have still not received a penny from DES. My status remains at "Pending Wages".
DES had my incorrect wages in the system for 2019. I'm assuming that was due to me not filing taxes until later in April
2020. So as a result of those incorrect wages, I was denied unemployment. I then appealed on 4/1/20. I have provided all
necessary documents to DES to prove my wages for 2019.

When I filed for unemployment I was asked to provide all wages from the last quarter of 2018 and all of 2019. I did live in
South Carolina from April - October of 2018. So I did add South Carolina in the mix as October is in the last quarter of 2018.
This might be another issue that held up my claim.

I contacted the office of Senator Kathy Harrington on 4/30/20. They reached out to DES for me. I was then called by
Darren from DES on 5/2/20. He went through my information with me and then said he had to send an email to Georgia to
verify if my wages were reported there or in NC instead. You see the company I work for is based in Georgia. I work
remotely. I never heard anything back from Darren. Can't DES see where I filed my taxes by using my Social Security
05/15/2020 Mr. Adam Little number?

On 5/8/20, I got a document from DES that said "South Carolina has informed us that no wages have been reported for
your social security number from January 1,2019 to December 31, 2019, the base period of your claim. If you disagree
with this information, contact the Division of Employment Security at 1.888.737.0259 within ten (10) days from the date
above mail date." That is clearly because I didn't work in South Carolina in 2019 at all. As I stated before, I worked in South
Carolina from April - October of 2018.

I don't know what is going on with DES. They are clearly confused about my situation (even though I have clearly
explained it to them). You can also tell that most of the workers have no idea what is going on. However, it is
unacceptable that no one at the DES even cares enough to help get my situation fixed. It has been more than 45 days
without a resolution and that is just absurd. Do you know what the difference between having a Division of Employment
Security for NC or not having a Division of Employment Security for NC is? To me the answer is... there is no difference.
They are useless. Can any of you help get my situation resolved? I am in dire need of money.

System is confusing complex and misleading. All contact info is useless. Claimants turning to each other on social media
05/15/2020 Ms Candice Joyce for help. Who receives benefits and when they are approved and issued is nonsensical. I am self employed independent
contractor stuck in "pending resolution" status for 21 days. Many others waiting for months. Spending hours and hours on
hold with no results, no one answering , no one knowledgeable. Inspector General needed!!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Yes, there was frustration related to filing unemployment, but this is an unprecedented time, which requires understanding
and grace. So, I've copy and pasted a FB post that I made regarding my experience. See below.

During this pandemic, one thing I have become all too familiar with is unemployment. I know the unemployment website
like the back of my hand and could probably become a consultant if I needed to. Iâ€™m familiar with the website crashing
05/15/2020 Mrs. Melissa Bender
and the inability to get through on the phone. I estimate that I have been on hold for a total of 12 hours with DES. Around
week four of this nightmare, I was fortunate enough to get put on hold for four hours only to find out they had transferred
me to the wrong department. I have to admit, I threw an adult temper tantrum and then I took a nap. I woke up, pulled
myself together and remembered an article that April Aycock had posted. That article led to me contacting Senator Harry
Browns office. Within one minute of sending that email I was contacted by a sweet lady, Lorie Byrd, from Senator Browns
office. We have communicated consistently over the past few weeks. She has connected me with their liaison at DES and
she is always prompt and compassionate. Iâ€™m sure I will never meet Lorie, but I wanted to publicly recognize her. She
has truly been a blessing these past few weeks to myself and our employees.
Still have not received any kind of payment and can not get through I'm 3wks behind on rent and car payment please i
05/15/2020 Kenneth Dotson
need help before i lose everything

I am a furloughed worker getting minimal money each week from my employer to cover my benefits while NOT working.
There was nothing clear about this in the line that says receiving severance, etc, in the Weekly Filing so at first I entered
05/15/2020 Mrs Randy Novia wages and was inelligibile since my wages took me over the weekly allowance. After 2 weeks I realized I was not working
for wages and filled in that I was not working but received severance, etc and got a check. I cannot get through to the DES
office to correct my first weeks certifications. The chat feature on the DES site takes you 1-2 hours if you get through and
then they tell you that you need to call. You cannot call and get through- I have spent hours per day to no avail. Tom
McInnis has been wonderful getting back to me and checking to see that I am getting a UI payment- THANK YOU TOM!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed for unemployment insurance on or around March 29, 2020 as a result of a reduction in hours from the impact of
Covid-19. My hours were reduced for the weeks beginning March 29 and April 5. I filed my weekly work certification for
each week. I uploaded requested necessary documents and information to the DES website. I was granted approval of my
claim on or around April 22 per a letter I received in the mail thereafter. But I have yet to see any funds disbursed from
DES, nearly 7 weeks after I filed the initial application for my UI claim.
05/15/2020 Andrew Hogan
My concerns are in a lack of communication from DES and effectively no means of communicating with DES. There was no
way for me as a claimant to communicate regarding my claim other than to upload documents to the non-interactive UI
website. I attempted to call in to DES regarding my claim, and after I worked through the phone tree to attempt to speak
with someone, the recording said that because of high call volume that I could not speak with anyone at that time and
disconnected my call. There is no email contact on the UI website. I felt like I was communicating into darkness.

I say the above as someone who is fortunate in that I did not lose my job and my hours have since been restored to full
time. For others who have been terminated from jobs as a result of the government response to the virus, my hope is my
experience with the claim process hasnâ€™t been shared too often by others.

I lost my job due to COVID-19 on March 30. On March 31, I could not login to the DES website. I had established an account
with DES in the fall of 2019, but was fortunate not to file a claim as I found a new job Dec. 2019. This was the job that I lost
after only 4 months of work. In the process my name, S.S.N. and email with my account were all in the DES system. All
the prompts for changing name, resetting a PIN or password were unsuccessful. After the fact, my problem was a wrong
username, something that cannot be corrected through automation. I was unsuccessful in reaching anyone by phone at
the 888-737-0259 number to provide assistance. All options lead to the message that points one to the website, but says
05/15/2020 Tim Haas
all lines are currently busy, then gives instruction to call back at another time. I made 2 visits to the office on Wade Ave, to
fill out a paper request form requesting someone call me to give assistance. The security officer informed me that the box
was checked 4 or 5 times daily. Someone with the DES did reach out to me on April 19 to inform me of the incorrect
USERNAME, and assisted me to log in to begin my claim. While I cannot be certain, I believe the only reason I was
contacted was because I reached out to Senator Ballard, who connected me with Senator Berger's office, who in turn must
have reached out on my behalf. As I continue to submit weekly certifications and look for work, the information exchange
continues to delay as "fact finding" must be completed in order to move the claim out of "pending resolution". I continue
to have questions with my claim, and am unable to get resolution. I just want to find a job and go back to work.
Thanks for taking my comments.

As HR Director, I am submitting on behalf of employees of our company. The two biggest issues is receiving benefits for
05/15/2020 Mrs Marta Truitt the first weeks. They were not able to file the weekly certification, thus not receiving benefits for those weeks. They were
told to call and it would be paid but they still can't get through on the phone number. The other big issue is claims sitting
with "pending" and not moving or getting any response.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Under the "category" section of this form I'm asked if I filed a claim for unemployment insurance payment. I had to
answer NO . Why you may ask. The answer is simple. Every morning since the first of March I call the telephone number I
was given and I get the same recorded answer "because of the heavy volume of calls the wait time could be long etc..etc".
I have waited for hours for an answer. Every morning the same thing happens, I also try going on line..I'm told to give my
05/15/2020 Mr Ted Wainer
user name and password. I have no password so I'm told to enter my password to get a password. In desperation I called
my state senator's office for help and two or three days later I get an e-mail letter giving me a link to use for some help.
Again I'm asked for a user name and password. I GIVE UP!!. The state can keep my money and use it to help fund
something else. I suggest hiring people who know how to pick up a telephone and calling me to offer some real help. For
me the system is broken and useless. HAVE A NICE DAY
05/15/2020 Unemployment Robert Dyer Thank You , I am very satisfied with the help that I received

The process appears to be haphazard. In groups on platforms such as Facebook, it appears that some people will receive
benefits within a week with just a basic filing, while others spend more then 40 hours a week calling, emailing, faxing, and
mailing info for over a month to no avail. There was a clear lack of communication and messaging between the State and
claimants seeking results.
For myself, I should have been a person that issues with receiving UI could have been easily resolved with a direct contact.
05/15/2020 Mr. Derrick Casto
I was laid off at Living Arts College due to COIVD-19. However, as I have not lived in the state of North Carolina long
enough, I did earn enough last year to collect from the state, at the same time my previous job in Colorado was as an
independent contractor so therefore I did not qualify in that state to collect UI. I could see online everyday that the early
determination was clearly stating this but somehow my case was still pending. My case should have been closed with
contact by the department stating to wait until PUA became available. Instead, here I am unable to apply for PUA as my
case remains pending with the department deciding if I should collect UI from the state.

CLAIMANT ID: [REDACTED] NC DES
I have received no income from my business starting in March 2020. All money I received, have paid for business
expenses.
I began trying to file as soon as the Corona Virus shut down began. First successfully filed March 15 2020. My business is a
service to the restaurant industry and was shut down from the beginning. Attempting to contact NCDES for help during the
05/15/2020 Mr Steve Bowen next the next thirty to forty days was a nightmare. Each phone call no matter the time of day, was greeted with a recorded
message and then it would hang up. After contacting Thom Tillis' office in Greenville, I received an email dated April 23
2020 from James Alexander. A direct deposit from NC DES of $119. occurred on 4/30/2020, for the week of 3/21/2020. I
have been filling for PUI each week since and received nothing further. I have never received a stimulus check, I draw Social
Security. I have not seen the $600.00 federal unemployment.
I was told yesterday from NC DES all my paper work had been answered correctly, and maybe they would eventually catch
up.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My process began March 24th,upon going on website ,setting up password etc.,my account showed Claimant HOLD,from
that day forward,hundreds of calls to the DES with no response,always busy and always saying easiest way to file was go on
line,thatâ€™s great except there is no option if something goes wrong no pathway to follow if your Claim is placedon HOLD
and no explaination as to why.sent a least 4emails to theDES site with no response,sent 1 to the Governors office with no
05/15/2020 Cynthia McLaurin
response,finally called Vicki Sawyers office where her assistant placed me on a list that was sent to DES voicing my
concerns,also called Iredell Co Employment Work site where they had been contacted by the state to assist by placing me
on a list with assurance I should receive a call.Start of the fourth week received a call from Darien Waters with the
DES.Another week and another call to VIcki Sawyers office Darien Waters calls back and my account had been rectified and
was able to file.First time ever to file,know stressful time for all,but nothing about the process was user friendly,nor was
any response on the customer call #888 737 0259 was helpful .Hope process in future will be updated.

I filed on March 22. My claim was not put through until May 5th and i am currently not getting the amount of money I was
told that I would receive. I was laid off from a restaurant job but had only worked there 4 months so my prior job factored
into my UI benefits. My prior job was considered seasonal so my status sat pending for 7 weeks. I spent over 40 hours on
hold calling to try to resolve the issue. Was hung up on twice. I finally received a phone call from a UI claims rep on May
05/15/2020 Stephanie Inness
5th who told me I would receive 209 per week plus the federal 600 for a total of 809. I am only receiving 649 per week but
there is no point in even trying to go through a process of finding out why. My claim shows that I was denied wages by the
seasonal employment on May 5 with no appeal.
I have never received a letter that I was denied nor a an opportunity to appeal. As far as I can tell someone denied the
benefits from the seasonal job just to get my claim to go through so I could at least receive something. But overall it took 7
weeks and the end result is not what was quoted to me but at least I have gotten something.
Itâ€™s been Around 5 weeks since I applied for benefits and my status is pending I am not able to get through to talk to a
representative to ensure for what reason it is pending for so long? Did I fill the form out incorrectly? Are they waiting for
05/15/2020 Michael Causby more information before the approval? I have not worked since February 17th and canâ€™t find a job and need help. I am
having to move the end of this month because I donâ€™t have the rent money. Trying to find family to stay with for now.
Thanks God Bless

I have been registered for unemployment benefits for 8 weeks and have not received any benefits. I did receive a
determination letter that I was qualified due to Corvid 19 but after almost 2 months of trying to contact someone at DES
for answers on my claim, I have decided not to waste my time getting a response from them concerning my benefits. I have
called on many occasions thinking that I would get an answer on my claim only to have waited and waited on line only to
get dropped. I tried to Chat with an agent only to wait thru 140 que positions only to get a response directing me back to
05/15/2020 MS Teddie Walker
the contact number. When I do get a live person, they transfer me back to the original call line and I start all over only to be
cut off because the call log is full. They may have hired additional people to answer the calls but they do not have the
information or authority to answer questions about claims. I have been very patient but my patience has run out. It is
now just a luck game. I may or may never receive any benefits but I will not waste my days trying to reach the DES. The
government of NC has really dropped the ball on this and should be ashamed that after 2 months, I still have had no
answer on my claim and no hope of getting any resolution.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am a self employed single mom who has been able to work due to Covid-19. I filed my original claim on April 15 and was
deemed ineligible, then was told by a fellow self employed friend to file for the PUA on April 25th. I did file on April 26th
05/15/2020 Sherrie Bowling and it still says Pending. I have tried to call the 800 number on the website to see if there is anything else that they need
from me just to get a recording saying that the lines are busy, the wait que is full, to call back at a later time and then it
hangs up. Without unemployment my bills have fallen behind and after being out of work for two months when I do start
I ownI awill
back notbusiness,
small be able toand
catch
payup. There
myself forshould
some be a call
of the back system
services for the provides
my company Unemployment line.UI taxes are paid to the
via payroll.
state every quarter. I also employ a number of 1099 contractors. Providing a product for the elective surgery industry,
COVID-19 temporarily stopped all of the work my company provided. I laid myself off on March 27th. My company filled
out the necessary separation file online - which took all day due to web page crashes. Calling resulted in being
disconnected every time. As an employee, it took me 5 days to just set up an account due to crashes - and of course no one
on the line when I called repeatedly. I did finally get an account, but it took all week to get through answering the
numerous screens of questions - most of which didn't apply to the COVID-19 situation. I didn't even see a box to check that
this was the reason for my temporary separation - even though the instructions at the top of the screen indicated that box
should be checked. Eventually, I felt I had uploaded all of the information needed. The next week I saw a statement had
been uploaded to me stating I was ineligible to receive UI. No explanation other than a link for ISSUES DELAYING
PAYMENT. When I clicked there, it was a blank page. For the next 5 weeks, I tried that link (same result), uploaded
additional documents asking why I was denied, mailed a letter to DES with documentation that my company had paid UI,
emailed my Senator/Representative/Governor. The Senator's office sent me another form to fill out - which I did twice.
Nothing changed. The Governor's office sent a form email instructing me to call DES or visit the website (which was
05/15/2020 Mrs April Davis fruitless). The Representative's office took my information and indicated someone would contact me. Nothing happened.
From the beginning, I did start receiving a link on my "DES homepage" to certify every week - which I did faithfully. I kept
up my daily ritual of calling the DES phone line (I even tried Spanish) multiple times a day, as well as checking both the
Employee and Employer websites for any change. I saw a link for PUA not long ago - but I wasn't sure if I was supposed to
try that route. I didn't want to look like I was trying to double-dip. Then 2 days ago - someone answered the phone when I
called DES late in the evening! She was very nice, took my information and signed me up for PUA (Why was I not instructed
to do that earlier?). I guess I am at the bottom of that list now! I know the system was overwhelmed, but I would have
thought the State could have prepared a little better for the influx of claims being filed. There was no practical information
that matched the reality of "filing"- and no one to ask. The website was not altered for this situation (I even have to lie and
say I looked for work), the many screens of questions were not applicable - especially when every entry or page submission
seemed to crash, and there was no way to "protest" or get any information about why my claim was denied. Most other
resources send me back to the Loop to Nowhere - website or call DES. In my case - I received no helpful instructions, no
answers, no information online and nothing but a dial-tone as I got cut off on the phone. I do hope that this is a lesson
learned. I know a little about website usability - and the DES website on both Employer and Employee sides in very user
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am a Registered Nurse, employed by a hospital, but my position is a student based health center nurse at a local high
school. Due to COVID-19 and the closure of public schools, I resolved to apply for unemployment. Initially, I attempted to
apply for unemployment online but after multiple attempts I was unsuccessful. The system would say my social security
number was already in use in the system. I have never in my life applied for unemployment. I then began trying to reach
someone by the telephone number and email listed on the DES website for the next 2 weeks with no reply. A friend then
informed me of a way to reach out to my local state representative for help. I completed an online survey regarding
05/15/2020 Melissa Dail difficulties in filing for unemployment that was provided by my state representative. The next day I received an email from
one of his colleagues, requesting further info. I replied to the email and he responded that I would receive assistance with
this matter soon. The next day I received a phone call from a DES supervisor and we remained in contact with each other
over the course of the next 2 weeks until my issue was resolved. Apparently someone had fictitiously attempted to use my
social security number to apply for unemployment several years ago so DES had put a block on my social security number.
I finally received my first unemployment payment last week. If it had not been for the help of my local representative, I
might still be waiting for a response from DES just to get the process started. I am very thankful for their assistance. Now
Iâ€™m facing the issue of trying to receive back pay. DES began payment from the time my issue was resolved, not from
the date I first attempted to apply for unemployment which was March 16th. Once again, I have emailed multiple times
and havenâ€™t received a response.

I filed my claim due to Covid-19; I still have no payment, nor does it look like one is coming. I have a message on my
homepage stating Issues Processing payment with an explanation point. I have send 2019 W-2 and my last check stub. My
banking information is correct. My employer has been in touch and information is there. My family needs payments, it has
05/15/2020 Mr. Jason Turnmire been 7 weeks this week. 5/15/2020. I have called hundreds of times to Raleigh, with no availability to even state my
problems or ask what is needed, I cannot get through, trying daily, multiple times per day. I have sent emails and got a
confirmation a few times now, with no resolution. If something is needed, I do not know of it. I have done my
certifications every Sunday. My livelihood is at a standstill but my bills remain. Please help myself and my family.
Blessings. JT
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
I filed almost 7 weeks ago.

My claim remains marked â€œprocessingâ€• , and despite numerous & varied attempts, I have yet to talk to a single human.
I have called, emailed, and sent paper correspondence.

You, the government, have declared the state of emergency that has caused me to lose my job, and our system is failing to
provide to me the benefits that are, by obligation, those of the government to provide, due to the fact that their action
resulted in my being unemployed.

Believe me, I understand that the system is overwhelmed, but when I personally know MANY people that filed after me
are receiving benefits, while I am being forced to burn through my savings in order to make ends meet, there is something
very, very wrong.

Why is this happening?
05/15/2020 Itâ€™s been almost 7 weeks. George Waters How is it that people that filed after me are receiving benefits before me?
Why canâ€™t I speak to a human?
Why do I get hung up on every time I call DES?
Why has no one bothered to respond to even one of my numerous emails?

I donâ€™t want to hear any more pontification about how â€œweâ€™re all in this togetherâ€ . We are not, in fact, â€œin
this togetherâ€•
. You are still collecting a paycheck. You are still going to work every day. The business for which you work
(government) is never going out of business.
Donâ€™t pretend to understand.
Fix it.

You need to have the difficult public policy conversations that so many of you seem to be unwilling to have. Youâ€™re so
concerned with maintaining your seat of power, that your inaction is going to cause voters to turn out, en masse, just to
fire you.

When I first applied on March 5th I was ineligible due to the fact that I worked most of last year in Florida. Now that they
05/15/2020 Pending claim Manuel Byers have accepted the out of state employment along with my present employment I am eligible. My claim is listed as open
and it now has a dollar amount on my claim, however my claim is still pending and I haven't received a dime of much
needed assistance. My wife and I would really appreciate any assistance we can get during this trying time.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
I earn a decent living. I make $25.00/hour. I have worked hard to get to that salary. I live within my means and don't have
a huge amount of debt. The company I work for furloughed all of the admin staff (to reduced hours) due to Covid 19 and
our lack of work for our field crews (they could not travel to many other states). I have been working 20 hour work weeks
from home since 4/13 and will continue to do so through 6/5. I filed my initial claim on 4/19 and subsequent weekly
certifications on 4/26, 5/3, 5/10 and will continue doing so through 6/7. When I filed my initial claim I immediately
received a Pending Resolution warning flag. I tried to call about 50 times on 4/20 & 4/21. Even after receiving my
determination letter, my account still showed a Pending Resolution flag. I earn $500.00 per week for 20 hours. My net
weekly income for 20 hours after taxes and insurance is $327.00. The unemployment earnings limit is $420.00. If you
earn $420 then you receive no benefits from the state. However it was my understanding that I would still receive the
$600 federal benefit. Trying to confirm this, I have called DES over 400 times. Many days I called at exactly 8:00 a.m. to
get a recording that all agents were busy and the queue was full. I have sent 5 emails through the Contact Form on the
website with no response. I attempted the chat feature that was added the week of 5/4. On the first chat attempt, I
connected at 8:30 a.m. on 5/6 and started as #157 in the queue. Every few minutes (2-5 minutes) the chat would update
with my location in the queue. At 11:30 a.m. I was # 7 and at 2:10 p.m. I was still #7. I closed out because I believe(d)
05/15/2020 Sarah Gilliam that they simply walked away for the day and left the chat open. On my second chat attempt, I connected at 8:03 a.m. on
5/7. I was # 18 in the queue. I connected with an agent within about 30 minutes. I explained my claim and my questions.
He literally repeated back to me everything I told him and basically told me I needed to call the 800 number. I wasted
another hour for no answers.
In an attempt to see if anyone else in my situation had any answers I reached out and posted my questions on Facebook.
What I learned from others responding is that if you earn more than $420.00/week you get neither the state weekly
benefit or the federal benefit. I still haven't been able to confirm this with DES. At this point, I have filed for 4 weeks and
have received nothing.
Let me give you an example of what else I have learned. If you earn $12.00/hour and your work hours get reduced to 20
hours per week, here is what you get:
$12.00/hour x 20 = $240.00 from your employer
There is a $70 earnings allowance through unemployment so everything you earn over $70 is reduced dollar for dollar
$240 - $70 = $170
$350 unemployment benefit - $170 earnings = $150
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
I feel a personal responsibility on behalf of myself and my salon to do everything in my power to keep the stylist at Salon
Autumn a place to work. I opened in 2014 and have 7 stylist who are all self employed. The executive order to close my
salon has been a huge financial burden on my family and business as I have still been required to pay my rent and utilities
on a salon that I am not allowed to conduct business in.

On 3/27/2020, two days after my salon was forced to close due to the stay at home order, I filed for unemployment with
the NC Department of Commerce Employment Security. I have filed my weekly certifications each week. I was instructed
on week 3 of my certifications to apply for a new claim for my unemployment. I called 100 of times to see if I should file a
new claim in which I never was able to get through to talk to anyone at DES to see what I should do. I filed a new claim on
4/17/2020 which has been in the â€œpending statusâ€•since 4/17/2020. I was then made aware the PUA went into effect
on 4/25 and all self employed claims would then be eligible for unemployment and we could apply for the PUA with our
existing claim. Since my current claim is still in the pending status no one can seem to help me to fix this issue I havenâ€™t
been able to go forward with my unemployment claim. I was told it was a easy fix and it just required someone fixing the
pending status but I have yet to talk to anyone who can help me resolve this. I have not been able to apply for the PUA at
05/15/2020 Unemployment issues Autumn Bost all so far. I have called DES close to 500 times and sent over 300 emails since 4/24/2020 with no help from anyone
regarding this issue. With my current $0 income I feel very defeated as what to do. With the unknown of when we will be
able to reopen Salon Autumn I am trying to find every resource possible to get some type of assistance so I can keep my
salon open during these uncertain times. I would be so grateful if you had any information or anyone I could contact to
help with my unemployment issues. Thank you for your time and I appreciate all you do.

This is the email I sent every DES agent (around 250) on Tuesday 5/12/2020. Some of the agents were very aggravated
that I reached out to them because this â€œwasnâ€™t their department or issue to fixâ€•which they stated in their reply
back to me. I donâ€™t know who was able to help but on Tuesday evening the pending status was fixed, I applied for the
PUA and as of this morning (Friday 5/15) I did have the funds deposited into my account. I literally sent 250 emails
Tuesday because it is absolutely impossible to talk to anyone who can help on any of the DES phone numbers! I know I
called since 4/24 over 500 times to only feel defeated! I literally was hung up on hundreds of times, each and every time
they would transfer my call the line would cut me off. This needs to be fixed! There are still 2 stylist that work at my salon
that have received $0. We did not choose to close or stop working- we were forced by the executive order to shut down

I'm one of the 3,000 individuals unemployed in North Carolina before coronavirus 19, then the President signed the initial
stimulus for those unemployed. My benefits were exhausted 4/6/20. I got the $600 stimulus 4/19/20. I have been filing
05/15/2020 Mr. Paul Johnson since after the 19th but have not received any of the PUA to date. My question to you is will I be eligible to receive PUA
benefits from 4/19 to the present time? If so, about when can I expect it? Please advise.
Thank you for including me in this meeting.
PAUL Johnson Claimant ID [REDACTED].
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Many issues!!! Too, I currently am in appeal status. Problems from beginning with UI app. not taking employer OR!!!
address. App. not explanatory enough . For example,(ex.) what is TRA?...never heard of it. I too do not know what
number a rep. from state UI would call me back to discuss many!! issues. Would they not call by 800 or SET!!!! number (1
877 0r 1 866 for ex.)?? I(we) do not know. I can explain more. Gov. Cooper says employers CAN help in filing for UI, many
do not. Standards need to change in that. I have suggestions!! Does too partial unemployment exist anymore?
Generally, most people do not know there are set qualifications that should be met to get UI. In some cases too, seasonal
or part time employees not allowed to work many times as they would request/need. PAST!!! awful experiences with NC
05/15/2020 Mr. Robert Russell Hoke Career Works in High Point. I can tell more about that too if given the chance. (Some reps would not help with computer
formats/questions. Some reps are very negative about that thinking we all should know basic computer
programming.....(microsoft, excel, power point for example.) I have college degree and still do not know exactly!!! how to
do all these things. UI (duh...Unemployment Insurance) needs AGAIN a recognized number that phone recipient knows!!!
IS them. Please too higher up, law makers, HR company staff managers and CEOs understand UI process very involved and
emotional!!! Applicants with special needs...(too, the elder market) often affected even more with higher stress levels.
And if we are turned down for lack of prior knowledge of not gaining enough work hours or work not offered/being
available within qualifying time, PLEASE!!! do not negate us by refusing UI benefits. This is a pandemic!!!! not usual!!
circumstances Thank you for looking at my comments and I trust giving me so much necessary help that most likely is still
needed.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
I have reached out to the offices of Representative Jake Jackson and Senator Ralph Hise (phone & email) in an attempt to
end the eight week (8 week) delay in receiving unemployment.

My part time position in at the Esmeralda Inn in Chimney Rock, NC ended the middle of March due to a temporary shut
down resulting from the Covid 19 pandemic. I filed my first claim for Unemployment ID [REDACTED] (now at eight weeks)
March 22.

I have called several times a day Monday thru Friday to the NC Unemployment office, 818.737.0259, always the same
recording, (my tally of calls as of this morning is 1,464 times). Yesterday I finally got through to the number.

My call was answered by "RJ" in Raleigh. He was pleasant and understanding and shared he could only answer the phone
as a temporary, (recently out of work himself). He actually took 15 minutes to look through my case history which I
appreciated. He asked me if I had received eirher a call or letter from a NC DES official to follow-up about my monthly
pension. I told him there has never been contact by NC DES regarding my pension. RJ did share that there appeared to be
05/15/2020 Waiting 8 weeks for unemp Lindsey Moore no "red flags", my case file is still "open", " no claims issues", "good", and "in process."

The only correspondance from the NC Dept. of Commerce, Unemployment Insurance, Determination: decision date of
April 10, mail date April 13 states Determination by Adjudicator: "Claimant is eligible for benefits".

When I sign in to the NC.GOV unemployment site it shows under Issues Delaying Payment the note "Pension/Retirement
Pay, pending resolution".

I receive a very small pension (US Airways of $499. net) which is only paid at the 1st or 2nd of the month. I indicated this
when I completed the on line filing on March 22. To date I have only received one pension deposit of $499. since I filed.
How does this small pension have anybearing on my eligible Weekly Benefit Amount of $141. with a maximum benefit of
$1,692. for just 12 weeks. Nowhere in the application does it state that a pension would effect unemployment support.

It has now been over two months without either NC weekly unemployment benefits or the additional $600. assistance

Hello my name is Ethan Confer, and I have been experiencing issues with my unemployment benefits since I filed my claim
05/15/2020 Mr. Ethan Confer
back on March 19th. Each time I log in to my account homepage it says â€œPending Resolutionâ€•under the issues section.
I have yet to receive any payments, or any direction regarding how to resolve this issue.

I would like to compliment the UI system on handling my claim inquiry pretty well. I've never filed before (have never been
eligible). The 'pre-filing' instructions helped me get the necessary documents together so my online claim went fairly well.
05/15/2020 Stacey Agnes
I did have to follow up by phone and while I did have to call multiple times, a very informed staff person assisted me on a
Saturday. My funds arrived within 10 days and retroactive to my claim date. Seemed like NC handled the new federal
system requirements
I am a veteran much better
and independent than other
contractor states sotraining
providing I'm a satisfied
supportcustomer. Hope
to US military I never need
personnel in thetoFayetteville
file again though!
area. I
have done this work for 8 years and have derived much satisfaction seeing young military members excel as they develop
new skills.
I completed a short training support engagement on March 13, 2020, my last work day, shortly before the US Department
of Defense put all training and non-essential travel on hold due to the spreading COVID19 Pandemic.
On April 23-24 I applied for unemployment benefits authorized by the CARES Act online at the DES website. As a
contractor, I expected a menu of application questions unique to contractors, but did not see such a menu, so I used the
list of qualifying questions I saw on the websiteâ€™s application. This list, as it turns out, is for applicants whose former
employers paid unemployment insurance (UI) into the North Carolina DES fund for UI payouts.
During that period, the DES benefits application system experienced heavy usage resulting in system application crashes
and security interruptions. While online, my data input sometimes went into my application and sometimes it did not
before the system either crashed or locked up. During one such system failure my unemployment application was
submitted without including the detailed salary data needed for a correct Determination. The payment "awarded" resulted
in a $132 weekly payment. I had expected to receive a weekly benefit of $600 as planned by the CARES Act for contractors
05/15/2020 Mr. Gary Marlar and others such as myself.
I attempted contact many times with help desk personnel between April 24 and May 1, 2020 without success. On May 1, I
contacted Senator Rick Hornerâ€™s office staff for assistance and advice.
On May 7, 2020 with the 10-day appeal period deadline approaching and no contact with help desk personnel achieved, I
decided to process an appeal online. With each attempt to do this, I received a system error â€“ an â€œExceptionâ€•with
instructions to contact a â€œsupport team member,â€•but was not given a telephone number. So I attempted to reach a
support team member through the help desk without success. The appeal period deadline was two days away, so I sent
hard copies of my appeal by FAX to DES and then contacted State Senator Hornerâ€™s office staff to provide an update.
My voice communications that day with a member of the Senatorâ€™s staff, Ms. Regina Irwin, was polite, productive, and
encouraging. My background is in Information Systems management and application development. I expressed to Ms.
Irwin that my strongest belief was that my concerns could be resolved in less than 5 minutes if we could just connect me by
telephone with the â€œrightâ€•person at DES. Well, that person called me on the afternoon of May 8, 2020. After receiving
my answers to 3 or 4 questions, the DES person had the information needed to process my unemployment benefits
application. And it was done in less than 5 minutes. She was very competent, polite, professional, and focused on solving
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I applied for unemployment on March 20, 2020 and am currently writing this on May 15, 2020 because I still have not
received any money. I have called DES multiple times and have gotten through sometimes, just to be transferred to
"someone else who can help me" and then wait on hold for 4-5 hours just for the call to end. One day I called 647 times
05/15/2020 Bailey Barnes and never once even got on the waiting list. I have also sent numerous customer contact forms and have not received a
response. I emailed all 54 senators and some were very happy to try and help and I have seemed to receive the most
correspondence from doing this. I have been approved for unemployment and the pandemic unemployment assistance for
weeks but have had the issue delaying payment "seasonal wages" and that is why I have not received any money. I have
submitted
My last day9ofweeks
workofwas
weekly certifications
4-18-2020. now and
I was placed have been
on furlough bystruggling to make
my employer ends
and as meet.filed for unemployment on
a result,
line on 4-20-2020.

The website would not allow me to input accurate data. Numerous attempts to go back and correct it were unsuccessful.
A phone number for tech support was provided, but I was unable to get through. As such, I was then notified by mail sent
on 4-21-2020 that my claim had been denied as ineligible. Again I tried to correct it online and it would not allow me to do
so. I then faxed the protest information requested on 4-30-2020 for clarification and provided verification with attached
requested documents. Due to no response, I once again spent numerous phone calls and hours waiting to get through to
follow up on my claim protest only to encounter a dropped phone call, then, after more phone calls and waiting, finally
made contact with an employee who reported to me that the system on her end would not allow her to access my
information due to tech issues. In turn, she provided me with two email addresses for further help and assistance. These
addresses were Linda.B.Burton@NCcommerce.com and
HTTPS://www.surveymonkey.com/r/unemployment_help_nc_senate. I emailed both of them explaining my situation. In
the meantime, I once again called DES and after prolonged waiting connected with an employee who was able to access
05/15/2020 Gary Shipman my information along with my requested documents that had been faxed. She apparently corrected? my data which
changed my status from ineligible to pending, although as to the date of this document I have not seen any changes to my
determination history. I then received this resource, so once again I am hoping that someone will review my case with all
supporting documents to change my status from pending to approved. As a note, I have faithfully completed my weekly
certification as required since applying for unemployment.

On a personal level, I am approaching 57 years of age on 06-01-2020. I have never been unemployed in my entire life up to
this point. Due to the nature of my employment and the medical status of my spouse (she is disabled and not able to
work), we are not people of means. I have bills to pay and the responsibility to provide for my spouses needs and well
being. I understand that I am not alone in this plight and that others, unfortunately, are in more dire situations and
circumstances than we are. Having said that, I am beyond frustrated with the process of filing (although I believe I have
given allowance for the unprecedented nature of COVID-19) for unemployment. I have paid into the system since I could
legally work, have never utilized it (I have always pulled my own weight) and now am unable to receive what I am
legitimately entitled to in a timely manner in my time of need.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
Hello. I hope this finds whomever reads this in good health and strength. Now to start: I dont know whether to hit YES or
NO for the question "did you file a claim for unemployment insurance between March 17-18th" bc my claim was in before
then. Im going to answer YES for the sake that I did file a claim for that week, weeks before that and weeks after. Im just
stuck still Pending. I had sent several emails and was finally able to get an email from Leg. Assistant Tim Moreland who for
one, appeared kind and empathetic to my situation and advised they had forwarded my info to their contact at DES. I
spoke with a DES rep on March 11th who put a claim in for PUA on my behalf that went into affect as of 3/15/2020
according to my claim. I have been waiting on State extended benefits to kick in since the week of January 25th [according
to Chapter 96 and some of the laws pursuant to Unemployment they were to kick in], but was told the State opted out of
State extended benefits in order to receive full federally funded benefits to replace its program (they have, or had over 3
million sitting waiting to be used so what happened to that I wonder). After calling over 163 times (yes 1-6-3), calling them
everyday from 2/19/2020 until 3/11/2020, I finally got a gentleman on the line who explained to me why State Extended
benefits hadn't kicked and why I would qualify for benefits under PUA. After he put the claim in initially, I had 2 PUA
claims, one with a status of pending and one with a status of Incomplete . Eventually (4 weeks later), the PUA claim that
was Incomplete was taken off and now I have the pending PUA claim sitting in idle as it has been since then [Mar 11,2020].
05/15/2020 Tiffany Garner NC Dept of Commerce then went on their Facebook post on MAY 8 and said for people under my circumstance who have
exhausted benefits, we are not going to get approved for PUA, and now we have to wait for PEUC to take affect, which
they do not have a date for it at this time. I AM LIIIIVVIIIDDD to say the least and very very very very very disappointed in
the State of NC and how they have treated their own citizens during this Pandemic. As I have stated many times, 95% of
the people claiming unemployment are doing so through no fault of their own. You're punishing the people and not the
employers that fire their employees for no reason. For Instance, I lost my job from Spectrum/Charter, formally TWC bc I
have LUPUS and my FMLA had run out, but I kept getting sick. They tried to get me to resign but I wouldn't, so they fired
me. I had to fight to win rights to claim my unemployment even though they fired me, which I did, but I only got benefits
for 12 weeks ($204 before taxes, $180.00 after taxes). When my benefits ran out on 1/20/2020 I asked to apply for EB
(extended benefits) and was told at that time that there were no State Benefits in place because we were not at a certain
percentage to have it put into place. They told me I needed to contact my local government, which I did and never got a
response. Then I had a potential job through Williams -Sonoma at the end of Feb 2020 but that's when the Pandemic
started and they stopped hiring saying the job was no longer available at this time.
I hope my experience is enough to paint the picture of how sad, bad, eerie, and plain DISHEARTENING this process of

I filed my claim on 4-24-20. During the process of submitting my claim on-line I picked the wrong statement by mistake
from the drop down list for being out of work. When I finished, this put an alert on my claim "Issues Delaying Payment." I
then went through the interview and fact finding session on line and answered all of the questions. I then get a statement
05/15/2020 Mr. Ricky Tucker saying "Separation Reason Confirmed" but then when I hit the submit button I get a SCUBI error and the form will not go
through. I call multiple times per day and at and at all times of the day trying to get an agent on the line. I cannot get
through. I went through the chat forum waiting for over two hours only for the agent on the chat to tell me I must call the
888-737-0259 number and talk to an agent to correct this problem. This of course is the number that you cannot get
through on.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed a state unemployment insurance claim on April 12, 2020 and was found ineligible due to being self employed. I then
filed a Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Claim on April 25, 2020, which is still in pending status due to an "unresolved
issue" of being self employed based on what information I can get online. I have been completely unable to speak to
anyone at DES who can assist with my claim. I have gotten through on phone twice to agents on the Pandemic
Unemployment Assistance line who can only tell me that they can't help. I have also gotten through twice via a "chat"
05/15/2020 Dr. Amy Hawkins session, again with two supposed DES agents who only told me they can't help and gave me the office hours and phone
number for DES. All four times I have communicated with DES, I have been told that I need to speak with a eligibility
determination agent and that I need to call back during business hours. However, it is impossible to get through to anyone
on the DES call line because calls are immediately disconnected due to "high call volume." I have had severely reduced
income since March 16 and have been unable to access any of the unemployment/reduced employment benefits that I
believe I should be receiving. In contrast, my friends and family who are W-2 employees have been receiving
unemployment benefits since mid-March, both state and federal. Those of us who are self-employed are not getting our
claims processed and are not getting the benefits we so desperately need.

Been pended nine weeks. Doing weekly certification. Hundreds of calls to be hung up on. Finally, hold for hours to be told
05/15/2020 Ms Jeannie Heath
they can't help, transfered call to be hung up on. Reach one, sending email to her supervisor. Going on two weeks. Another
today after holding over two hours. Look at claim and send to his supervisor.....

I'm appreciative of the vast numbers of people you are dealing with.
My experience is that the online system is unclear to what and how decisions are made and the mean to remedy said
decisions. That is exasperated by the nearly complete inability to ever reach anyone by phone, and probably for many
applicants a total lack of ability to use technology even when it does work properly.
05/15/2020 Rev JD Smith
We've in interesting, and for many people, desperate times.
I feel primarily bad for those who live lives paycheck to paycheck and who have their dignity further diminished by fighting
through dysfunctional systems to get help for their family.
We pray for you the wisdom and insight of God as you serve many without neglecting the mission focus of your
assignments.

I filed April 5th 2020. But I am self employed. My claim must be "denied" or "disapproved" so I can apply for Cares Act
Covid-19 PUA Benefits for the Self Employed. I have called NC-DES and the PUA Hotline every day. I have sent dozens of
05/15/2020 Mr Kenneth Raifsnider "contact requests" via the NC-DES web page. I have contacted my State Senator and State House Representatives
countless times seeking help. All I need is to be able to apply for PUA Benefits, no one has been able to help me. 45 days
and counting. I have not worked since March 3rd. I need my unemployment claim denied so I can move forward.
Is this really the best effort a citizen and constituent can expect from their state government?
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I was layed off in January 2, 2020 and have been collecting and actively looking for employment since. Once the pandemic
hit, my job seeking experience plummeted. I kept getting emails from employers stating the position was removed or there
was a job freeze till further notice. In April I began receiving the 600 extra unemployment funds and I kept on claiming my
weeks as usual. From my understanding unemployment was going to be extended and the 600 was going to continue to be
provided until July 25th. My unemployment benefits along with the 600 extra has stopped. From my claimant homepage it
states the UE was exhausted, it says nothing about the extra 600. I have been calling nonstop to a number where NO ONE
05/15/2020 Liliana Castro
EVER picks up and even chatted with a representative online that had no idea how to answer my inquiry. I filled out a PUA
form online that really did not pertain to me? I was not furloughed due to the pandemic, however, I have been unable to
get a job due to the pandemic and the now millions of folks looking for a job as well. The market as you know has tanked
and it is inundated with people in my same situation. My husband, Edgar Castro, was furloughed and his unemployment
kicked in this week after having filled in March. The UE process has been a nightmare. I need to know how to extend my
benefits and why was the extra benefit of 600 taken away? I think that once the regular UE was exhausted and stopped it
just removed all funds allowed to me. Please fix the system with more representatives and with people that can actually
help!!!!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
I appreciate this opportunity to share my story with the NC Senate Commerce and Insurance Committee regarding my
failure to secure Unemployment Insurance payments despite being unemployed for over 8 weeks.
On March 19th I was laid off from my position as Assistant General Manager for SB&J Enterprises at Charlotte Douglas
Airport due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. This is a small business with seven retail stores, two of which I was responsible for.
I filed for Unemployment Compensation the following week and began certifying weekly. I had moved from Mesa, Arizona
on December 8, 2019 after a marital breakup and was living temporarily with my youngest son, his fiancÃ©e and their four
children in Lincolnton, NC since I had no reserves to pay for an apartment after my move. Once I was laid off, it was
untenable to continue to live with them as he struggled to feed six mouths so could not also support me. On March 30, I
moved to Clemmons to live with my father who is 79 and my stepmother who is 69. They live on Social Security and were
already supporting my stepbrother who had been laid off as of 3/17/2020 for the same reason. We both believed that we
would receive unemployment so could help with the additional food and utility costs. My brother began receiving benefits
one month after his layoff but I still have not received anything.
On April 16, my stepmother contacted Senator Krawiecâ€™s office about the fact that I had not been able to ascertain the
status of my claim and had received no money either from unemployment or the stimulus. Her office responded
05/15/2020 Mrs Sharon Bogan-Benberry immediately with some direction which I followed. On April 22 we again followed up and that same day heard from
Alexander Janes of NC Commerce who said that DES would call within 2-4 days. I finally heard from DES on May 5 and
the person I spoke to indicated that there were two issues to correct, that I was eligible and that I should see something
â€œnext weekâ€ . On May 14, I wrote to Senator Krawiecâ€™s office again and received a follow-up from
Rebekah.LaHay@ncleg.gov asking me to submit this public comment. I finally got my $1,200 stimulus last week but no
unemployment yet and my screen still says â€œPendingâ€• .
I am 54 years old, recently separated from my husband and since I had no support system there, I moved to NC to be
nearer to my aging father and son. I have worked hard all my life to raise and support my children and grandchildren and
am humiliated by my current choices: to live with my laborer son and his family of six in their small townhouse or to live
with my father who has Alzheimerâ€™s, kidney disease, diabetes and high blood pressure and my step-mother who has
chronic lung disease and who live on Social Security and one small pension.
I know that the state employees are working as hard as they can to process an unprecedented number of claims and I am
grateful to even have these choices. I know that there are millions out of work who may have NO safety net so it is
important that the legislature and public understand that a significant number of people are still without the basic funds to
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
This has been a more than exhausting process. I was laid off on March 30 due to the Governor's orders. I filed online
starting on 03/31/20 and it wasn't until 04/01/20 that I was able to complete the application because the site would
continually crash. FIrst my earnings were not showing in the system except for the 4th quarter of 2019 . The system was
saying that I had insufficient wages, but I have worked at the same employer since 03/2015. I uploaded my 2019 W2 and
had the employer go online to submit additional quarters of earnings. Then after several days of trying to call in to get
help, I got through after being on hold for 5 hours. I was told to upload my Drivers license to verify my last name because it
is hypenated. So I uploaded my driver's license, my eligibility review notice and the wage transcript with questions on it
regarding my wages, which inquired about the "active issue" that the site said was preventing me from qualifying. After
uploading these documents, nothing changed on my profile. Therefore, I began call the 888 number again everyday and I
filled out the "need help" form every day because the lady I had spoken to on 04/03 said that if I filled that out, someone
would contact me. NO ONE ever contacted me from the "need help" form. I emailed the email on the Contact Us page
every day and NO ONE ever contacted me from that either. Having EXHAUSTED my options, I contacted the local
Unemployment office in Mt. Airy a couple of times. This local office told me to call the "888" number. After leaving a voice
message to the Unempolyment Office in Mt. Airy, the person who returned my phone call gave me their supervisor's
05/15/2020 Mrs. Jeannie Schierer email. I emailed their supervisor several times and never heard anything back from them- not even an auto-reply.
Frustrated and completely out of options, I contacted Joseph Stansbury who works for Sen. Todd Johnson. He sent me a
form to fill out that they would send to a specific person at DES who would look into my case. As of the date that I
sumbited this form, there has yet to be a resolution. I have also mailed several physical letters to the DES PO boxes in
Raleigh with no repsonse and had my employer faxing in the same letter to the fax number on the DES website every day
for 1 week. I emailed about 70 people who were listed on the DES website in the directory. Everyone replied back "Call
the number on the website" except for 1 person, Nancy Broman. She is the only person who emailed back with an
alternate phone number to call, which put me through to a new call center. She said she could see my claim but she could
not do anything to change it. After giving me the new number, she told me that if I did not have success to call, then I
should email her again. I called the new call center number and was eventually able to get through to someone who filed a
PUA claim for me on 05/09. By this time, my employer had re-opened and I had returned to work. However, I still needed
my UI for the month of April. On 05/12, someone from DES actually called me! He was verifying my last name- even
though the driver's license was uploaded on the website and then said that I should be expecting backpay in a couple of
days. As of today, 05/15 I have recieved nothing STILL and the website says the claim he approved was for the first week of
I was denied several times. They said that I didn't have enough working hours. The problem was that they were missing 8
months of my employment history. Which I submitted several times. Finally I was approved just this week. How can they
miss 8 months of my employment history? I was making $18.79 an hour. My IncomeTax proves what I'm saying since I
05/15/2020 Edgar Castro
provided W2s and a 1099. My weekly unemployment will pay only $132 a week...is that correct? They just back-paid me.
I'm glad I was finally approved.
Thanks

I have spent hours trying to call and the 1 time I managed to get through she couldnâ€™t help me and transferred me to
05/15/2020 Mrs Kathy Trantham
another number. Only to be told the que was full, call back later. Been emailing NUMEROUS people daily and nothing. No
answers to questions and certainly no payments. The N.C. DES is a disaster.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Like so many, this was my first experience ever having to file for unemployment, due to greatly reduced income as a result
of pandemic. While I am grateful to be working, my income has been slashed due to having to furlough many of my direct
reports. I am a commission based sales manager.
While parts of the process/website were well spelled out and somewhat easy to navigate, where I got very frustrated, and
am still somewhat frustrated, is the lack of ability to easily find a way to submit a question or reach anyone. There could
be a much more robust FAQ, especially for first time filers.
Tech support would also be great. in trying to complete the forms, I kept running into technical issues where it would not
accept the information I was submitting. Honestly, I left it alone for over a week - as I could not get anyone on the phone
or any response from my state senators supposed contact - His LA was great and responsive, just crickets from their
05/15/2020 Emily Walser
contact at DES - when I finally went back in, I was able to complete the PUA form (one I was having trouble with).
there is still a lack of detail on what the various updates/status' mean, so I have no idea whether or not I will actually be
receiving unemployment or not. it appears I may be, but who knows.
there is also a need for more information about how to report wages earned, especially when we are working, just for
greatly reduced pay - since I am a commission based employee, what I technically earn in any given week, is not paid out
for almost a month, so it is unclear if I should be reporting what is on my pay stub or what I actually earned, and will be
paid for later this year. submitted a question in chat box today - that feature is new, thank you. however I am something
like number 69 for response. no idea when I will hear back.
thank you for asking for feedback. I very much realize this is an unprecedented situation that the system may not have
been prepared for, however there is a lot of room for improvement in terms of information available and it should be
much easier to reach someone or to submit questions.

I had a claim that exhausted back in March, right before COVID. I have been attempting to get in contact with
unemployment and went 5 weeks without hearing from anyone and being able to get through. I then reached out to the
05/15/2020 Diandra Coleman state representatives of where I previously lived, Gaston County. I did receive further information, as well as information
from the Senator's office. I have been waiting for the 13 week extension, and am still waiting. Today I filed for PUA - which I
am not sure I was supposed to do, but I have been waiting too long - it's been almost two months. And I still cannot reach
anyone at unemployment by phone or contact form or the new chat. This was my best option at this time.

I have yet to see any change on my claim and I have bills that keep piling up and 2 kids to provide for since being out of
work since March. My status has said pending for weeks now, since March! I have called and called and canâ€™t get
through to anyone after being on hold for 5+ hours multiple time. If I do get someone to answer, they are rude and Hang
up on me after they tell me they canâ€™t help me. I did get a hold of a guy last week finally and he said there are no issues
at all with my claim and there is nothing else needed, so he didnâ€™t understand why have I been waiting all these weeks
05/15/2020 Kaila Greer
and it still isnâ€™t processed? Then he also told me unfortunately he couldnâ€™t do anything so he transferred me and
again I sat on hold for almost 3 hours for it to tell me they had to many callers and to call back later. This is absolutely
ridiculous! All of my bills just keep piling up because the little bit of money I do have I canâ€™t pay bills I have been having
to use for necessities for me and children. Please figure all this out. We are citizens who go to work everyday to provide
for our families but canâ€™t because of this pandemic and now we canâ€™t even get help to pay our bills from money we
earned because the system is failing!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

As a self employed business owner ordered to close I was told by every government agency I was able to apply for
unemployment. So I did. No one instructed on the steps beyond 'apply at DES online.' This would have been VERY helpful. I
have spent more time in 9 weeks on this than anything else. Not knowing I needed to be denied a claim, any claim, and
then wait was never divulged. Because I was denied on a claim against a 2 day job I had last year I thought it was a mistake,
as you don't request or get UI benefits from a job you know is a temp, I filed a claim using my own business as it's my sole
income source. It has taken 9 weeks for ANYONE to resolve the pending status so I could move on to apply for PUA. A few
people toward the beginning gallantly stepped forward on my behalf, but once it arrived with someone at DES it stalled. So
I called.
DES: We can't fix your claim, you must contact the PUA helpline.
05/15/2020 PUA: We can't fix your claim, you must contact the DES helpline.
DES: We can't fix your claim, you must contact the PUA helpline.
PUA: I can't fix your claim, let me transfer you to a mainline agent......line disconnected. This happened 3 times.
After waiting hours on the queue, I had conversations with 2 online chat agents. (one day last week I both called AND tried
online at exactly 8 am and was connected to neither because the queues were already full. The first online chat person I
connected with urgently told me "Please call the PUA helpline ASAP!" The second said she was not in charge of UI, I had to
contact DES. (Um, I thought the chat on the DES webpage WAS someone at the DES unemployment help desk. )
I have finally been contacted by an agent at the DES who resolved my pending issue within minutes. However, answering
the questions for the PUA application it is now claiming my answers for my employer are wrong and need to be corrected.
Not wanting to completely badger the one person who was able to help with a myriad of other questions since resolving
the original pending status, I called the PUA helpline. She offered to transfer me to someone who might help, and I was
immediately disconnected. I understand there are a great number of people requesting help, so I have remained patient
and have been polite to everyone who has attempted to help me, but in 9 weeks I would have hoped everyone in the
customer service department would have been trained enough to assist us.

Was laid off due to Virus on March 24th. Attempted to file unemployment for nearly a month and could not get through.
Finally got filed, but still have not gotten a check. I am out of money. My parents have been helping me with my insurance
05/15/2020 Mr Donald Yarbrough
and medication, but they are on a fixed income and can only help so much. I was able to get through to DES last week and
was told there was some issue with my employer that had to be straightened out. I contacted the employer and they have
no clue what they are talking about. I have talked to other co-workers and they are getting their checks. I am desperate.
Filed for my son, Noah B. Seay. The website redundantly asked the same questions, required certification for COVID -19,
05/15/2020 Mr Barry Seay
and the questionnaire was excessive.
Filed for my son, Noah B. Seay. The website redundantly asked the same questions, required certification for COVID -19,
05/15/2020 Mr Barry Seay
and the questionnaire was excessive.
I completed my application on April 3rd. We are now half way through May and my claim is still pending. I have recieved no
05/15/2020 Mr Tyler Stitt communication from DES in any form at all. I have been unable to call in to ask why my claim is taking so long. My family
will soon be homeless while the state DES sits idle.
05/15/2020 Hairstylist Tiffany Turner I applied on 4/3/20 I am currently still pending and not able to apply for PUA!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I applied on March 18. Last contact from DES was on March 31. I contacted Sen. Steinburg's office on April 17. Finally had
contact with Customer Service, via chat and toll-free number on May 14. Chat said everything I needed to do had been
05/15/2020 Denise Stallings done; Customer Service call center said they couldn't resolve my issue, I needed to speak directly to DES agent/employee.
They transferred my call which only resulted in the message that said high call volume so check FAQ online. I can not reach
anyone to resolve my issue. It will be nine weeks on Wednesday, May 20. While I appreciate the efforts of Sen. Steinburg's
office, I am beyond frustrated with the process. I am a retired school teacher and can not fathom the lack of response.
Self employed filed on Apr 4. It is still pending and I have been trying to call for many weeks. All they need to do is change
05/15/2020 Mr David Crews the status from pending to ineligible so I can apply for PUA. Been out of work since Mar 26 And havenâ€™t seen any funds
yet. Please help !

I am a real estate agent paid strictly by commission on closed sales. I receive a 1099. Not qualified for UI, and waited the 3-
4 weeks it took for the unemployment website to be able to process 1099 workers for the PUA for which we are eligible. I
filed at 6 am on April 24. My claim is still pending. Was told during a chat session on the website that processing time is up
05/15/2020 Susan Mathers
to 5 weeks. It took 2 hours to get that answer. No information on why it hasnâ€™t been processed and no issues she
could see with the claim. Fortunately we have savings, but I have had no one interested in buying a house in the middle of
this crisis. I have never made any claim on any unemployment insurance ever, but feel certain this is not how it should be
going.
I filed for unemployment due to COVID 19 for my second job. I make a lot of money in my second job and it fills in the
05/15/2020 Susan Hunt holes from my teacher salary and helps me save money for summer. I have not received any benefits. It says pending. I
really need the money as I will not have enough money this summer.

This has been such a difficult process. It took me about a week to submit my initial claim to which I donâ€™t even think I
was able to submit the supporting documents due to system errors. Was denied unemployment. Applied a second time,
05/15/2020 Lindsay Cutting Ryals
immediately denied but was approved for pandemic assistance. Received money from pandemic and then became eligible
for regular unemployment. Received notification that I was overpaid. Such a terrible process and experience to go through.
I understand that there is an overload but I tried to contact through chat system and received no help to my questions.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I was originally unemployed in December 2019. After the waiting period and collecting for a while the virus hit making what
was hard to find a job impossible. My unemployment ran out 4/20/20. The DES home page said that I (everyone collecting)
was eligible for a 13 weeks extension. There was no information on what to do, except for a bubble below the 3 different
types of unemployment saying if you filed, you didn;t need to file again. I continued to submit my weekly certification.
After not hearing anything for weeks, I called. And called, And called. Over 100 times. Different times of day too. Just today
I called and was going through the prompt at 759 to be on the call at 8. When I get through it says the same thing it has
said every other time. All agent are busy and the hold cue is full, good bye. Then I see a chat. took me 3 different days to
get through as they say they are busy as well. Finally get through and the person says I cannot speak on your claim. WHAT?
05/15/2020 Mr. Richard Ferro
They were able to tell me that I needed to file for PUA (?) Even though PUA says it is for people who weren't able to
normally get unemployment and are not working due to the virus, neither of which is my case. I filled it out anyway. My
claim now says pending but I'm not sure if it was submitted right, if any additional info is needed, if it's the right thing to
do, or if I will even get any benefits. Since they are approving everyone, even those that never paid into it, why wouldn't
they just roll an existing claim over and let it continue? What is the purpose of the chat? Chat again with a different topic
and they were able to tell me my claim was pending. I just want to know if there is anything else that needs to be done to
get these benefits as I am not able to pay my bills. If the information and exactly what should be done in each situation is
on the information page they can greatly reduce the call volume. The info on the page has been the same since this
started. Except they added the useless chat. Her is the page I am referring to. https://des.nc.gov/need-help/covid-19-
information/covid-19-information-individuals.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I have had an unemployement case (forced resignation) that has gone unresolved and unaddressed since early March
2020. Just prior to March 17. I lost my job in mid-late February 2020. I was not laid off due to COVID19, but the flood of
applicants during this time, and the lack of job availability since that time has led me to be without income or
unemployment insurance for three months now.

The monetary determination form sent from the state inaccurately listed my recent income as $0.00 and my employer
account number as 0000000. This determination arrived to me via USPS mail in mid-March, just two or three days prior to
the shutdown. This determination and employer account number is not accurate, so I marked my protest of the $0.00
determination through the website's online portal. This portal has been down often, but when I was able to get through, I
05/15/2020 Mr. Craig Dixon
attempted to attach my w2 forms on this protest page-- I was unable to determine if these forms ever reached the eyes of
anyone at Division of Employment Security I also attempted to mail these forms to the office but in either case I heard
nothing back and I have been unable to speak to anyone at the Division on the phone about this. The listed a cut off date
for filing protests has now long since passed.

After speaking with a very helpful Legislative Assistant at Senator Andy Well's office and sending an e-mail to an NCDES
address given to me by his office, I did have one missed call from NCDES. Unfortunately, that missed call's voicemail simply
referred me back to the NCDES main phone line. That phone line has been hanging up on me due to call volume since the
lock down started in March. I feel like I am running around in an infinite loop and suspect that this is happening to many
other citizens in my situation who had unemployment cases needing to be addressed just prior to the lockdown.

If needed I can provide papers and information as requested to verify my employment and income history.

I have applied for unemployment. And then the Pua came out and I applied for it being that I'm self-employed. Some of my
05/15/2020 Self-employed hair stylis Cassandra Miller/Hathcock co-workers already getting checks and some of my friends that are hair stylist and nail techs are not. I have called multiple
times to see if I have done anything wrong to check on my status and I can't get any help when I call. my other hairstylist
friends and nail techs have been calling as well and doing the live chat online. Only to be told there's nothing they can do.

I have filed for unemployment because my hours have been reduced due to COVID. I have received various forms of
05/15/2020 Mrs April Howard communication from DES advising me that I am eligible to file for unemployment. However, every time I file, my claim is
being denied. I spent 4 hours on hold only to be told that I make too much on a weekly basis, and to further the insult, I
was told that I do not qualify for the PUA because I do not qualify for unemployment.

I filed a claim on 4/20 for having my employer reduce my full time working hours by 50%. I have completed the weekly
certifications and as of today 5/15 my information is still showing â€œpending resolution.â€•This week will by my fourth
week to certify and I still have not received any form of payment. I have called and called, but to no luck the â€œqueue line
05/15/2020 Mr Miguel Rodriguez
is fullâ€•and I get cut off. I have tried to chat online however, the claim status option is shadowed out and not available
while the other options are. The system states that after 10 days the system automatically adjudicate my claim, but still no
response from that either. I am getting frustrated that it is 2020 and we have this type of problem when everything is
supposed to be automatic.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My claim was denied even though I paid into unemployment as i was told i don't meet criteria for being unemployed B.C.
I'm not actively trying to find work. Well thats a lie as I am trying to find work but was told by my doctors and the state
human health to stay home as i have chronic health issues and will definitely die if I get covid. So how long is a tax paying
05/15/2020 Bad experience Matthew Harris
citizen supposed to survive off nothing? I've already had my vehicle repossessed and I'm a stone's throw from being
homeless as I have nine cents to my name and no assets. Yet the government still taxes us in everything. When did the
constitution become the right for the government to rule the people? It was supposed to be for protecting the people from
undain taxes and a corrupt government that in turn it created.
I filed for unemployment on 3.23.20 and my claim has been in "Pending Resolution" status for almost 2 months. I have
tried numerous times to reach someone at DES to no avail. I have sent emails and made phone calls daily only to get
05/15/2020 Horrific Nightmare Marshall Woodard-Drez
disconnected due to high volume. I have a screenshot of a call to DES that I made where I was on hold for over 8 hours and
no one ever picked up.

I first applied for unemployment towards the end of March, however as a self employed worker the state unemployment
05/15/2020 Salon Owner Jessica Batkoski
system was not setup yet to handle the scenario and I was denied immediately. After NC declared self employed workers
could apply, I applied again mid-April and my application is still sitting in â€œpendingâ€•status over a month later.
I am still pending approval 5/15/20. I originally filed in March and then when the 1099/self employed option came
05/15/2020 Leigh Smoak
available I filed for the PUA. It is still under review...

I'm a self-employed artist living on the Outer Banks. I have filed 8 weeks for unemployment benefits and have received
05/15/2020 Artist Kimberly Mosher
nothing. We live a seasonal lifestyle out here totally dependent on tourism. COVID-19 HAS COMPLETELY WIPED OUT MY
WAY A LIVING AND ECONOMY. Please help me and others that are having difficulty in buying food. Thank you.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Good afternoon. My name is Tamarkus Brown and I am U.S. CITIZEN who was greatly affected by the pandemic/natural
disaster covid 19 coronavirus. I was laid off due to lack of work and had my hours at work reduced. I currently live at an
extended stay hotel where programs have helped certain people who cannot pay but things have gotten worse. The hotel
is threatening to evict those who cannot pay any longer with everything that's going on. They stopped giving us tissue,
towels, or anything that involves cleaning our rooms. I filed an unemployment claim on 03/29/20. I was approved for
benefits on 04/02/20. It has been a complete disaster trying to contact DES. I was told that I had an overpayment due to
not reporting going to back to work last year. So DES penalized me for 1 year. Stating that I couldnt benefits due to that. I
have set on the phone for weeks hours upon hours trying to resolve this issue because I was also affected by the pandemic.
05/15/2020 Care And Compassion Tamarkus Brown
I was under the impression that when I left my job last year that they would notify DES of my termination. It is not fair! I
have learned from my mistakes as far as not communicating that to DES. I have been hung up on. I have sat on the phone
for 7 hours someone picked up the phone and was extremely rude and told me they couldnt do anything for me. I've cried
and need help. I wish the unemployment office would care for citizens a lot more than they do. I understand 1 million
North Carolinians filed and I get that it's a lot to handle. But people really need help right now. If I can be a voice of
reason then I will because I know I'm not the only one. If the Governor could pass a law to waive penalties due to covid 19
I think that would help a lot of people have have waited 2 months to be told NO. THATS HURTFUL. WHO CAN I TURN TOO
AS an AMERICAN??? Someone PLEASE HELP ME! I've filed my weekly certifications FAITHFULLY FOR 8 WEEKS STRAIGHT.
I am at a crossroads in my life due to the pandemic. My number is 9806669036 if anyone could reach and help me help
others shed some light. North Carolina has to do better. We do not know how long this will last. So what am I to do?
Please help me!!!! Thank you!
It was impossible to get thru on computer, it kept directing me to call a number that was never available,late night or
early morn. so finally I just gave up and did not try after countless attempts....after one month ,I finally got a letter in mail
05/15/2020 Mr. David Jordan
stating that I did not qualify for unemployment checks,but I did not question it, because that will make me have to try
again in the system.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Other than the fact that it took over 5 weeks to get anything resolved with my unemployment claim, I was not able to get
through on the phone because the automated system told me that all representatives were busy and the hold que was
full....and then I was told to call back. Then, when I was informed that there was a new 'chat' feature on the site, all but 2
of the options showed 'offline' and when I used one of the 2 available options to communicate with someone, I was shown
that I was number XX in the que and then after an hour (tried 3 times), I was cut off - no response from anyone. I was
given an email to a Senator's office to reach out for assistance. I emailed and received a fairly quick response letting me
know that I needed to complete a survey and someone would reach out to me within 3 days. (This is the information
05/15/2020 Stephanie Baldwin
contained in that email: "After completing this form, you should receive an email or phone call from DES within 3 business
days. If you do not, please let me know and I will follow-up to make sure you are helped. Again, I am sorry to hear that you
are dealing with these issues during this already difficult time. Please let me know if you have additional questions or
concerns. Someone from DES will be in touch with you as soon as possible."
I emailed and received that response on a Tuesday. I completed the survey *that day* and let the Senator's office know
the information had been completed as requested. No response received - from anyone. I sent a follow up email on Friday
of that week since it had been 3 business days. No response. I sent another follow up email on Monday of this week. No
response - but I did receive an automated email from DES letting me know that I had correspondence in my file. Upon
review of the correspondence, I learned that my claim had been approved. Great! But that in no way excuses the extreme
lack of customer service with both DES and the Senator's office.

I filed my claim on April 12th, 2020. It took several attempts to complete each page because the DES website kept
"crashing". It would say "site cannot be reached" It took 2 or 3 times to complete each page. After I was able to submit my
claim, I went to my claimant homepage and under "Issues Delaying Payment" it said Employed/Unemployed Part-Time
Pending Resolution. It also said "Separation Pay" which was where I drew two weeks of PTO. I tried contacting DES on April
13th to no avail. I tried calling them several times over the next few days and was cut off every time. I kept getting the
message "all of our agents are busy assisting other people and our hold queue is full".In a nutshell, I called DES over 1400
05/15/2020 Mr. Ricky Nance times and was lucky enough to get through one time and the person I spoke to was unable to resolve my issue(I don't
remember the actual date that I was able to get through). She said that an analyst would have to take care of it. She said, "I
can put you on the call list or put you back in the hold queue". I asked her "what if I get cut off, is there a number I can
directly call back, she said no. I was finally contacted by an analyst three days later on a Saturday. During this time, I had
already contacted the office of Deanna Ballard. William Verbiest responded to me and said he "flagged my name". The
analyst fixed the issue with the "employed/unemployed part-time pending resolution. Somehow I must have listed my part-
time job as my last employer. Long story short, up until 2 or 3 days ago, my pending resolution stayed the same. It changed
to "lack of work due to coronavirus". I still haven't received any UI benefits yet. Had I been able to get through to the DES
at an earlier date, I would not still be waiting today to receive UI benefits.

I have been attempting to file for unemployment since I was unable to work due to covid. I am self employed (artist as
05/15/2020 Sean Saladin
well as Uber for cash) I was unable to make any money due to the nature of my self employment however unemployment
has simply not allowed me to file. It has been an awful 2 1/2 months attempting to get by during this.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

As a small business owner and veteran, I was shit down by Governor Coopers orders. My wife and I have 5 children and
they depend on my income for support. I have made over 100â€™s pf phones and emails and havenâ€™t gotten any
05/15/2020 Mr Steven Morrison
answers. Iâ€™m still without unemployment and the only thing I hear from Governor Cooper is crickets. The DES has hired
more people, but those people can not help you besides you at your claim, which I can do online myself. So they people
they have hired means nothing. This is how veterans and business owners are treated, very unacceptable.

I have 2 issues:
1 My employer did not correctly report my earned wages and therefore the amount of unemployment I received was
05/15/2020 Rachel Jones
greatly reduced, I have sent in contact forms emailed DES and cannot get any help.
2 My claim has exhausted and I have been 5 weeks without any money coming in. When is the PEUC program going to be
implemented. I have lost job interview due to Covid 19 and as I continue to look for a job it is very frustrating. Please help.

I have filed a claim for unemployment insurance and started receiving distributions on March 23, 2020. Currently, I am still
receiving my regular unemployment, but the 12-week claim is about to expire, and I have been unable to reach the office
due to the high volume of calls. I need to know what to do to get an extension if I am still not able to find employment. I
am not sure if the system will automatically activate the extension or do I have to apply. In which, I have not been able to
05/15/2020 Deborah Dutch
get any information. I have tried to contact the office on numerous occasions, but have not been able to connect with a
live person. I have tried dialing as soon as the call center opens, ie, immediately at 8amEST on the nose, and the system will
still say, "the cue is full," which I do understand that announcement every morning at 8amEST on the nose. I have called for
one week straight, then other times. I have called early morning, midday, and late evening. Also, the DES site does not have
any information for the claimant regarding extension (what to do after 12 weeks) as well. I am at a standstill on what to
do if I do not find a job, and my 12 weeks are up in 2 weeks. What steps must the claimant take to get an extension?
The unemployment office worked extremely well and stayed in contact with me and answered all my questions in a timely
05/15/2020 Stephen Wood
manner. Outstanding service
I filed three weeks ago, and am still waiting for my check. The DES system states that I am eligible to receive
05/15/2020 Melissa Edwards
unemployment, but havenâ€™t received. I need the money to live.

The question regarding "is this CONVID19 related Yes or No" is to ambiguous and confusing to some. Would you click Yes
05/15/2020 Mr. Christopher Baker
due to CONVID19 from a medical standpoint because someone is sick/taking care of a sick person or also Yes to CONVID19
because a company that is laying off staff due to revenue shortages caused by CONVID19.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Filing for unemployment was an absolute nightmare. Trying to login to the site was next to impossible. Filling out the
application was confusing and not user friendly. It almost appeared as if it was intentionally designed so the applicant
would not get approved. If you tried to call, you got a voicemail and then the phone hung up on you.
Iâ€™m a manager for Lifetouch and I had roughly 65 employees report to me. My supervisors and photographers all had
similar issues. Many were actually denied. It took several team calls with my team on what we needed to do for accuracy
05/15/2020 Filing Unemployment Exper James Williams
on applying.
This entire process created a huge amount of anxiety for my team. Many of those who worked for me are single moms
and live paycheck to paycheck.
I understand the system being overwhelmed and the challenges on logging in . The application process has to be
revamped and more user friendly. There also needs to be a better resource to answer questions. What is offered now can
be just as confusing.
Havent gotten unemployment due to a pension/retirement pay claim that was debunked by my employer (I thought I was
05/15/2020 9 Weeks Later Abdullah Mansaray to receive pension during the virus, I was wrong) Now I've been sitting here "pending resolution" for weeks now. This is
insane
My claim has been pending from the day I filed.It is impossible to get someone on the phone and if you do you are
05/15/2020 KEVIN FORREST transferred until the system ends your call.I have started calling at 0800 and by 0802 the system is saying that the que is full
and again the system ends the call.
I was laid off from work March 24th due to coronavirus and lack of work.
I started filing a claim March 29th. At first I could not access the online system nor could I call in the call center because
phone lines were jammed.
05/15/2020 Mr. Kevin McAllister
I never did get through to the call center but managed to complete my claim about 10 days later. I received a determinate
dated April 21, 2020 received a notice from DES my claim had been allowed. Had a great deal of trouble with an
unresponsive online system, but fortunately it worked out for me.

Tryed to file starting 04/23/2020
finally got thru on 05/07/2020
Spent at least 20 hrs on computer and 2 twice as many on phone I understand they are VERY busy but to spend 2 plus
05/15/2020 Gary Targosky
weeks on the phone only to hear all agents are busy and cue is full try again later is very sad way to run the government if
this was a private business it would go out of business because people would not tolerate it some one needs to step in take
control and get the system working . Iâ€™ve been out of work since March 16 and still have not received anything from
unemployment truly sad thank you Gary Targosky

When trying to submit claim the questions on list did not pertain to my situation. A place for explanation would be helpful.
Also it seems that when you were 80+ % finished it would glitch out several times. Also I did not get any feedback on that
05/15/2020 Lanny Barnes
my confirmation of updates to certify each week made in the system. Please any help is grateful. I have been working for
39 years and this is the first time I have tried to sign up and could not. I made contact with Ryan Allen and he got me a 1
week check card for $350.00 that is all. Scene that time I have been unable to get back in system at DES Thanks to all
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My worked closed on 15th of March and called on the 20th and I can't talked to anyone like anybody else called the Local
office in Wilmington and told me that they will put me on a call list since they don't have an access like in the Raleigh office.
Tried to call and reach them in different time and dates from March 23 to April to and those 2 diffren't dates I spoke with
somebody to help me to recover my password and ID since it was forgotten. Finally, 4th of April Saturday got thru in the
05/15/2020 Ms. Laylany Rivera
website cause it kept crashing for hours to get trough and got my first payment on April 17 th. I understand how hard it is
swarm by millions of applications and add to that the system need to upgrade so bad and since Florence they did not
update their system or Upgrade for millions of people will apply in the near future because of this or Natural disasters.
Thank you though for the hard work of the people behind the DES and I know its not them it's the people has the power to
make decisions to Upgrade such technology . Just thankful that I got my Stimulus and it helps me before I got my UI . But
honestly they should do BETTER! Bills can't wait and we rely on UI to buy food and medicine.

It has been 53 days since our Gov shut my work down. I am having to chose between eating or paying bills because I have
received zero dollars from unemployment. I was told I'm ineligible for UI but there is some kind of hold up on paying me
05/15/2020 Melanie Knisely
from PUA. I've checked the website for DES but all it says is "Issue Delaying Payment." After many, MANY calls to the "help
line" and being hung up on, I still have no answers, nor any money to feed myself on. I have only left my apartment 4 times
in 53 days bc I have a weakened immune system. HELP US.

System is slow and trying to get someone on the phone is impossible.
No customer service at all as taxpayers and for those who have worked and have paid into it get nowhere.
You make one simple mistake and you can not simply change it but rather wait for a correspondence which takes weeks
and then when itâ€™s rectified you start the process all over again.
NC is the 5th largest state and why is our NCDES rank last?
People need to be held accountable for their jobs and also Iâ€™m pretty sure the state does not have an up to date
information system that is user friendly on both ends being the employee and the clients.
No family or individuals should wait more than two weeks to receive benefits. We are talking lives, family and economic
stability in a trying and unprecedented time. Sadly itâ€™s more like 30 plus days when anyone sees such relief and that can
05/15/2020 ICRW President Leisa Rowe
be devastating to a good percentage of individuals and families.
The state should of been prepared for this. We have been speaking something of this magnitude could happen for
sometime now. How I know this, I work in healthcare as a medical professional for over 30 years We were a sleeping giant
in most instances.
I hope we can find the means and place people in this agency that are accountable for their job duties and for the welfare
of others.

Thank You,
Leisa Rowe
Iredell County
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Sorry, do not want to give my name and address. I am temporary laid off until we get back to work. Meager state benefits
is no help, especially in this type of situation when you cannot find any other job because of health issues or a pandemic
situation . The extra federal money is real help. Please increase NC state benefits, especially in these type of situations,
Most of the state owned software and system is old so obviously it was not capable of that much load in a short time but
still they did a good job of upgrading. I personally was not able to get someone on telephone line but I could file my
05/15/2020 Mr un employed
unemployment online and it took some efforts and tries . I think until mid of April online filing was slow, after upgrading it
was much smoother. I am talking about my online experience around Raleigh area. Areas with slow internet speed
obviously would face issues. Thanks to Governor Cooper for making things smoother and faster. I am not a Democrat.
Republicans should not place hurdles when it comes to helping the poor and those affected. If someone is getting a little
more money/help in shape of Federal unemployment assistance, what goes from your pocket. You are anyway making
more money and getting benefits and not delivering worth it.
My account is in Claimant Accound Hold and has been since the last week of March. I have not gotten it fixed or my first
05/15/2020 Ms Jonna Anthony check yet! I am in need of expedited help to file so I can pay my bills. I have not had a pay check since March 18th. Could
someone please help me!

I and a RN, mother of 4, married, and my husband is a small business owner of less than 4 years. I work 2 jobs as a nurse
with my main job in a Medical Spa that was shut down in March. My other job is per diem at a hospital, which I also have
lost significant hours from due to COVID19. I filed with NC Unemployment online on March 22, 2020. I uploaded all
needed forms, documents, ID's ,etc. As of April 1, 2020, my employers had also done their part and received confirmation.
I have done evey weekly certification as needed. I say all this because I have not received any funds WHATSOEVER AT THE
TIME I WRITE THIS, TODAY, May 25, 2020. I have called NC Unemployment probably 10+ times DAILY, to be disconnected.
I have emailed. I have tried to recently buse the chat feature and usually after about an hour I am kicked off the system.
ONE TIME in early May I was able to speak with someone about my claim who knew what she was doing (after a 68 minute
hold, which was fine because it was the first time I had ever been able to even get on hold!). She said she could find
05/15/2020 Mrs Katherine Roland NOTHING that was missing with my claim to hold up payment, but could only email a supervisor to help, and they should
get back with me within a week. It has now been over 9 more days. I was forced out of my job, my claim isn't going
through, there is absolutely no one to help me. I haven't had a paycheck since mid-March. And I am what most would
consider "someone who has it easy right now"....a NURSE WITH 2 JOBS AND A HUSBAND WHO OWNS A BUSINESS. BUT, in
reality, we are struggling the most. We have 4 children who we are NOW homeschooling, I have been begging for hours at
the hospital, and hardly any are available to a per diem nurse because even our full-time staff isn't getting hours these
days, and my husband is working 18+ hours a day to TRY to keep his business from sinking. I can only pray and hope that
someday, someone will call and help with my claim. The NC system is broken, and it is hurting it's people. I am hurting.
The emotional strain from the financial stress my family is going through is almost unbearable. And, I'm just going to
throw this out there also....the few days (4 to be exact) I was ABLE to pick-up at my hospital in the last 7+ weeks, half of
those were with a COVID19 patient. PLEASE HELP ME TAKE CARE OF MY FAMILY BY FIXING THE UNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM.

Thank you for listening to my story.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Filed for unemployment April 2, 2020. Still haven't heard if my claim has been approved. Still out of work because of
05/15/2020 Mr. Thomas Diamond pandemic . No check yet ! Web site for unemployment slow ! No one answers phone call !! When try to instant chat placed
98 in query !!! Entire system deplorable and unacceptable !

After working in North Carolina since 1989, I lost my job due to a false accusation that resulted in an arrest that ended my
employment in May 2019. Note that I did not break the law. I was incarcerated for six months because I was unable to
bond out. Finally, in November of 2019, my lawyer had the opportunity to present a brief snapshot of the evidence that
proved I was innocent of the false accusations. I was granted a substantial bond reduction and allowed house arrest. The
state returned the case to the Garner PD, no doubt because it was obvious I was innocent and the state had no case. The
investigation supported my claim of innocence. As a result, I was offered the chance to plead to a misdemeanor. Although
05/15/2020 Mr Brad Mauro
I did not break the law, I agreed to this just to get this behind me. Because I am no longer looking at the charges I was
arrested for, I have started to pursue employment, right in the middle of the C19 pandemic. I first went to the employer I
worked for at the time of my arrest with no response, and have since begun looking for suitable employment. As things
stand, I am surviving on $11K a year. I have applied for food stamps. For the first time since I have lived in North Carolina,
I am looking for help. I have worked my entire life paying taxes to support every sort of program imaginable and not asked
for a dime. The one time in my life I have needed help, and I have been told I don't qualify. I sincerely doubt taxpayers
would be supportive of the state's refusal to help me in the one time I have asked for help, especially if they knew I have
devoted the last fifteen years of my life in service as an educator with North Carolina Public Schools, helping others, taking
money off my dinner table and time from my personal life to help others in need.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am a mother of four currently homeschooled children and the main breadwinner for the family. My husband left his job in
November to help us get ready to sell our home this March. We were planning on moving inland as the insurance for
coastal living is untenable. Between diversifying our income streams from Short Term vacation rental, and long term
rentals and working full time. I thought we would be bulletproof. The travel industry tanked and we lost all of our yearly
income in less than 3 weeks with mandatory 100% refunds from online travel platforms such as VRBO and AirBnB. Since we
were moving and the rental insurance rates had gone up 90% this year we let all our tenants know that we would be selling
the rentals and not renewing their leases in January and listing them for sale in March. In March, they shut down Dare
County to non-locals. We couldn't sell our house, no one could come in and everyone was afraid to go out and look, our
tenants were moving out in March, our short term rentals had been refunded and we couldn't move.

That's when the client that I had been working for for the last 7 years used COVID as an excuse to outsource my job to
India. 95% of my income was gone with 2 hours notice. Four revenue streams to 0. Meanwhile, the insurance bills roll in. I
05/15/2020 Mrs. Lauren Van Riper tried for 2 weeks to apply and finally got into the system after 2 weeks and almost 3 days, 8 hours of clicking and getting
booted out. I got my denial letter a month later and still no determination. I can't fight the appeal as the appeal tab
doesn't show on the website. I have called every day this week and get booted from the system as the call center is
overwhelmed. The online chat is overwhelmed and the prompts push you back to the website for more help. So I have
spent my entire week trying to appeal and I can't reach anyone.

So no stimulus check, my business isn't large enough to qualify for the PPP or EDIL. I don't qualify for UI and still waiting
for PUA. My income in the last two months $0. Bills $10,000+.

I feel bad as we are all in uncharted waters. I am embarrassed to ask for help or apply for unemployment as I have been
supporting my family since we moved here 8 years ago.

I pay more tax as a self-employed person and fall neatly through these politically created cracks and still don't count as a
'real employee'.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

So no stimulus check, my business isn't large enough to qualify for the PPP or EDIL. I don't qualify for UI and still waiting
for PUA. My income in the last two months $0. Bills $10,000+.

I feel bad as we are all in uncharted waters. I am embarrassed to ask for help or apply for unemployment as I have been
supporting my family since we moved here 8 years ago.

I pay more tax as a self-employed person and fall neatly through these politically created cracks and still don't count as a
'real employee'.

I lost my job unexpectedly without notice. One day I was working and on my day off, I received a call that my job
assignment would end immediately. I had been with company a month shy of two years. I immediately applied for
unemployment benefits because I am a single mom living paycheck to paycheck like most Americans. Immediately the
05/15/2020 Mrs. Nakitta Long
system accepted my claim, but gave me an error message saying there was an issue with my account. I called for two
weeks straights and the system would give me a generic error message and it hung up every time. I called at least 20 times
each day but couldnâ€™t get access to anyone to help resolve the issue. After almost three weeks of waiting and
uncertainty, the issue was resolved and my claim was pushed forward.

Applied March 24th and i have only received one updated since then. I have not been able to contact anyone by phone,
email or letters. There have been no updates made to my account nor any requests for other documents. When i finally did
05/15/2020 Untimely/No updates Peyton Woods
reach someone they were only able to give minimal help and told me that i was making too much to be paid
unemployment during COVID-19. I went from 40 hours a week to 10 during a good week. It is very frustrating and starting
to make me concerned for my future living, eating and daily life situations.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

What a joke! UI benefits for self employed! I was told even tho my jobs and hours were reduced due to Covid19 I was still
making some money and therefore was not eligible. I know many self employed folks that got 0.
These govt officials that just skim the top with big headlines that says, self employed are eligible. They need to explain the
05/15/2020 Mr. Don Stec
fine print that NOT everyone is eligible. NC 90% decline rate is terrible. Iâ€™m a true sm bus and I pay so much tax in NC
quarterly it isnâ€™t funny.
This State talks out of both sides of their mouths. Govt is never gonna help a sm bus. !
Thank you N.C. for NOTHIN !!
i have received a response and it been 1 month
05/15/2020 Donna Wylie
The phone lines are always busy and when I call the PUA # they are of no help

I filed for unemployment in 3/27/20, as I was laid off that morning for 90 days at least. I put in the claim and then did my
certifications each week. But after about the 4th week without payment I sent in the contact form. Then the next week I
contacted The Wilkes office and was told everything looked good and should receive payment any day. The next week I
called both the Wilkes office with no response I called the Surry office and explained my issue of no payment and even
talked to a supervisor. She tried to tell me to apply for food stamps and I explained that wasnâ€™t an option because they
05/15/2020 Self Owen Robida go by the last 6 month income. I tried calling the Raleigh Des office got someone to answer then transferred me and got
disconnected. This occurred like 4 times. I began sending in the contact forms every day. No response. Still no payment. I
had my mother in law to send in a email to Sarah Stevens office and Phil Bergerâ€™s office on 5/7/20. Got a phone call
from NC Works on 5/12/20 and they didnâ€™t have access to fix the problem. Told me to call the Raleigh number. I told
them I had and no way of getting thru. They said to send in another contact form. I tried the live chat But again was told
they didnâ€™t have access. Why even have live chats? I then was told to send in by fax a cover sheet and an issue sheet. I
did. On Wednesday, 5/13, I received funds.
I started the filing process in April. I still do not have anything resolved. Iâ€™ve called and called the regular DES number as
that is the only way to get my issue resolved. Iâ€™ve never called that the recording call back later was not played. Iâ€™ve
05/15/2020 Christina Craig
tried the chat and the pandemic line. No one can help. 6 weeks in and NO progress. I have two children to provide for and
bills that need to be paid.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
The reason for my unemployment claim is that I am an out of work Independent Contractor applying for Federal PUA and
COVID-19 benefits under the CARES Act. My physician has advised me to no longer work during the COVID-19 outbreak.
I have not worked since March 26, 2020, because of following State and Federal Government "shelter in place orders". I
filed an unemployment claim on 4/6/2020 after my first week of no work. My claimant ID # is [REDACTED]. I'm not eligible
for unemployment benefits in the NC State UI system because I am an independent contractor. I've written that I don't
expect NC State Unemployment payments but do want Federal Unemployment payments. After the Federal PUA benefit
was announced on April 3,2020 I was told to file an Unemployment Claim in the NC DES system. PUA instructions were to
follow later. When I filed my original UI claim, I did specify that the reason for my request was layoff/no work because of
Coronavirus. The system didn't allow any other explanatory statements.
I checked on my status almost every day since I filed. My claim payment is being held up because of an issue delaying
payment. In my claimant home page, it lists the reason for the delay is: lack of work due to coronavirus and Pending
Approval.
My employer, Executive Car Service, received a written inquiry from NC DES about my status but he can't log in to his
employer account because he forgot his PIN and therefore can't answer your questions. He was told to call 888 737 0259
05/15/2020 Mr. RAYMOND MARES (the individual helpline) to get his PIN changed but that number is always busy and hangs up on the caller. He has been
unable to answer DES questions.
I submitted my 2019 1099-Misc IRS Form and an explanation of the reason for my benefit request. I uploaded it to the My
Document page of my original UI application in the DES system.
Allegedly, DES changed the filing system for PUA applications around April 24, 2020. I tried to get into my claimant ID#
[REDACTED] account to follow DES' written instructions for filing for PUA benefits but the system does not allow me to file
a PUA claim. It also will not allow me to file a new PUA claim because my SS# is in use in the UI claim. I don't want to
cancel my original claim because it contains a record of the original filing date and consecutive weekly udates.
I am eligible for PUA benefits (and my status should be changed from UI to PUA). I need help to file a PUA claim. The DES
department headed by Lockhart Taylor, doesn't have sufficient people to answer phone calls, reply to contact emails, reply
to regualr emails to their department email address or even provide answers to resolve a problem like mine at the PUA
helpline. Just the other day I made a PUA helpline call answered and learned that the person I talked with was located in
Iowa. Apparently, NC DES has contracted with other state Unemployment Agencies to answer NC resident's help phone
calls. The person I talked with (in Iowa) was able to look up the reason I had a problem in the NC DES system but couldn't
This has been a very hard stressful road!! I have called hundreds of times with no response! I have sent emails with no
response! When I finally get a response on the phone, I was told that they could not help me! The website is not clear on
05/15/2020 Tanya Wright filing and I had questions! My claim is still in pending after several of weeks now and no one to help or talk too about it!! I
am very devastated and wondering how in the world I am going to make it! Please help me if you can! I would truly
appreciate it! Thank you so much!
And its may 15th and my claim is still pending. My full time admin job eas shut doen on march 17th at drive shack by gov
05/15/2020 Mr JOHN HUGHES
coopers executive order
05/15/2020 Pending Resolution Alex Springs Still havenâ€™t seen progress still pending
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am very frustrated as I was laid off due to Coronavirus, as were so many, and have done everything I know to do to
receive unemployment benefits. I am a senior and extremely patient, but this process has caused me anxiety and I am
quickly becoming depressed. My last day of employment was April 15. It has been exactly 1 month, and I have not received
benefits due to "pending resolution" which I have tried to resolve through every means possible. I have called almost daily
(including weekends) and have been on hold for hours with no luck of speaking to someone that can help. I have been told
a supervisor will call me...this has not happened. I have gone on the chat discussion and, after two hours, the chat ended. I
05/15/2020 Cindy Bartlett
have sat patiently in ques of over 200, no help given. After numerous tries, when I was able to have someone respond in
the chat, they were frustrated and were a bit rude. I have contacted my employer for help, and they became just as
frustrated trying to get through to someone. My employer even tried to file an attached claim for me. I have contacted my
district representative, my senator, and governor and I still do not have this resolved. Apparently, the more I try for
resolution, the more complex this becomes. I do not receive updates online or via email. At minimum, an update showing
progress would put my mind at ease. I am living off my credit card. I feel frustrated and hopeless. My claimant ID number is
[REDACTED] if anyone reading this can help me. I do not like going public with my remarks, but this is my last hope. Thank
you!
Unemployment, retail store closed due to COVID-19. Had no issues, filled late because did not realize permanent part-time
05/15/2020 Sherry Bailey
could file. Rec'd funds within two weeks.

I initially filed for unemployment on 3/30/2020 for 2 part-time jobs. One job my hours were cut and the other we were laid
off. The job that my hours were cut unemployment picked that up online when I filed. My second job is a 1099 job. At that
time I did not know it should have been done separately and I shouldnâ€™t have done it until the end of April. After several
05/15/2020 Ms Julianna Young
weeks of trying to call unemployment and emailing a few people I finally got paid for the job that my hours were cut but I
canâ€™t get anyone to help me fix my claim for my second job. I have been out of work now for both jobs. Iâ€™m not sure
if I even qualify for anything else but I canâ€™t get any answers or help by phone. Calling several times a week, being
placed on hold, and even being hung on. Thank you.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I appreciate the chance to voice my problems I have had with the DES unemployment system. First was sign up in March
when my salon was ordered shutdown by Governor Cooper on March 25, 2020. They knew this outdated system would
not work for the self-employed. I was found ineligible as many of the self-employed were. Then we were suppose to be
sent a link for the PUA, which several people did not get including myself. So if you could get thru to anyone it was just call
center workers. This is how my PUA was filled out by one who I am certain did not know what she was doing. So
inadvertently mine was done twice. I was never sent the link for PUA. Each time I could talk to a call center worker they
05/15/2020 Tianna Norris would say oh that is fine it is just pending, don't see any red flags! Until this day it is still pending. I have been shut down
since March 25, 2020 with no funds from PUA or any unemployment ! You can not get thru to an actual AGENT. If that was
possible people could get the funds. I also was told it is just luck if you get one that will help it is according to how they feel
if you ever are lucky enough to talk to an AGENT. My case for PUA should be one of the easiest ones to do. SALON SHUT
DOWN DUE to COVID-19. All documents they needed were uploaded by me...2019 taxes, salon license, my personal
license, bill from salon, etc. It is as easy as clicking a computer button to approve my claim and others. So here I still sit
with no income since March 25, 2020. Imagine how you would handle this with your income and business taken away in
the blink of an eye. And all promises for help are not there. Please the self employed need help to get this done! Tianna
Dancy Norris

I am a self employed hairstylist. I also attended NCSU and ASU. I had to help nearly every single coworker complete their
claim, including my 74 year old aunt who works in the same salon. This system is useless to people who donâ€™t have the
computer skills to upload documents and the self help videos donâ€™t help them. The online system is riddled with
glitches. I was able to identify some of them from helping so many people file. My Aunt still hasnâ€™t received benefits
05/15/2020 Hairstylist April Surratt although her online account says to allow benefits. It says pending issues even though I have provided everything
requested. I spoke to another co worker today who only received two weeks of pay with no option to file for back
payment. Her claim was filed via telephone with the assistance of DES.
After waiting hours on hold over phone or chat, youâ€™re often met with a DES employee telling you youâ€™ll have to call
back or theyâ€™ll theyâ€™ll transfer you because they donâ€™t have the knowledge or capability to help.
Understanding the system is overwhelmed, it is greatly flawed in an era of technological advances and should be much
more user friendly.
I filed 3/20 I just got my money this week and it was only dated back to 4/19.i was told by 3 people I would receive all back
05/15/2020 Back pay Tina Jones
pay but didnt..my number is [REDACTED]..thank u so much..be safe
It has been pending resolution since I applied. Have tried calling daily and have faxed 3 times. The help line is no help and
05/15/2020 David Bias
the chat does not take pending cases. Someone should be resolving pending cases
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

As soon as hours were cut due to COVID19, I filed for my unemployment. I have worked most all of my adult life, and now
my part time job as a waitress was cut completely and my full time job cut hours. I was informed, once i finally reached
someone weeks later, that I had not earned enough to be eligible for benefits. Thats BS. I can pay taxes and work todeath,
05/15/2020 We need HELP Jill Cruz
but Im not eligible for benefits. Once the 600.00 bonus was isuued, I recieved that twice. There is NO RHYME NOR
REASON to this process. There needs to be some type of standard that guarantees benefits and a set amount and it should
be where everyone can understand it. There is NO REASON that the lower income working class has to suffer. Everyone
that had to struggle to get thru should recieve some form of substantial retro payment. Our system in NC needs complete
restructure. I suppose that once in poverty, alwsys in poverty is the way our representatives wish to keep it.

My name is Sherrie Bailey, I am disabled and drive for Uber part time to compensate my Disability income. My last day
working was March 15th. The following week I began filing my unemployment claim. It wasn't until I contacted Destin Hall
and Senator Warren Daniel that I was able to receive any benefits. My disabilities are COPD, Psoriasis ( which is a
05/15/2020 Sherrie Bailey autoimmune disease; in which I have to administer an injection of Humeria biweekly, that weakens my immune system), I
have high blood pressure and I am 50 years old. I am going to be one of the last to be able to return to work during phase
3. My fiance Rodney Dillion filed for his unemployment claims the same days as I, and has yet to receive ANY benefits!
Every attempt from both of us to reach a live representative has been futile. What is Govenor Cooper doing?! NOTHING!
Why does Caldwell County not have a brick and mortar location to speak with a representative from the ESC?
I filed my initial claim on 4/17/20. The last thing I heard from DES was denial for my claim and the reason stated was
"insufficient wages in the base period". The base period was 4/1/19 thru 3/31/20. I received that on 4/23/20. I
understand that all they saw was my W-2 and I guess that was not sufficient however I did have another$1822 in tip
income which I reported on my Federal Tax Return and I faxed a copy of my 1040 and IRS Form 4137 to DES on 4/26/20
verifying this. I know they received it as it is posted on my Claimant web page. As of today 5/15/20 I have not heard a
05/15/2020 Mr. TERRENCE GANSE
word from DES. Please help!!
My Claimant # is [REDACTED]
Thank you.
Respectfully,
Terrence L. Ganse

Hello,
I filed for unemployment on March 27, 2020, and I've certified for six weeks so far. My case remains open with medical
and health reasons pending. Per Dr.'s recommendation with a note, due to health issues, I resigned from my job. Each
05/15/2020 cathy shabazz time I called unemployment, I'm told that I can't be helped because I didn't file under "Pandemic". In addition, I can never
get through to regular customer service. When will my case be resolved? It's not fair that I have been penalized for not
filing under "pandemic" criteria. Can someone assist me?
Sincerely,
Cathy Shabazz
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Lost my job due to COVID19. Filed twice. Denied twice. Finally got that overturned and only got a payment starting after 4
weeks and was never retroâ€™d to the initial application date. Have made multiple more attempts to protest the amount
because they still didnâ€™t get all my earned wages to qualify for what I should have qualified for. So basically, I get
$20/day of each missed work day. Thatâ€™s it. Honestly tho, only after contacting Sen Browns office did I even get any
help. Still cannot speak to a living person and the person assigned to Sen Browns office stopped responding to my emails
that it was still not correct.
Phones never work. Go thru the whole â€œpress 1 for so and so, press 2 for a representative, etc.â€•Then a long
05/15/2020 Still Awaiting UI benefit Jennifer Thompson
explanation about how my call will be answered, onto hold, then click the system hangs up on me.
Btw, I also had to get online on multiple nights at 2-4am and the system was still crashing just like it did in the day. It does
seem to be working better now. The customer service reps there, not so much. Hired an extra 350 ppl to answer calls???
Answered calls never happened.
My wish, just read the documents that I sent, in multiple ways and on multiple occasions that were uploaded into my
documents on the website. Finally, I give up. Totally worn out with this situation. Terrible service. But Iâ€™m not surprised,
bc every single time I have had a need to speak with a state/municipal service - none of the employees treat you like a
customer. Stakeholders (ie taxpaying residents) are customers and should be getting the very best service. No matter what.
My case still states â€œpendingâ€•on the website, and I still cannot get through to anyone on the phone. Every day I try 5-
05/15/2020 Mrs Melissa Jones 10 times at different times of day and all the hold spots are always full.
I have received no benefits to date.

I filed for unemployment on 2/7/2020 I had an appeal hearing on 4/4/2020 and revived notification I was approved
4/13/2020. I have continued to file and look for work for 15 weeks. I call over 100 times a day and can never get through to
unemployment I held one day for 7 hours to only be disconnected at closing. I logged into chat again the next day and
05/15/2020 Wendy Norkett
after 3 hours was able to chat with someone who advised me they canâ€™t assist me. They stated I had no issues and my
claim was processing for payment. This was two weeks ago and no payment. I am losing my car as I have been unable to
make payments My credit will be damaged due to the slow processing for my claim. I have emailed the governor , the
appeal office and also sent over 10 contact forms a day and have not received even one response from anyone. I have zero
money in my account and am in desperate need The whole process has been very frustrating and depressing.

The process was awful. I spent 5.5 hours on hold one day just to get dropped while I was talking to the rep. Another time I
spent 2.5 hours in the virtural queue(website) only to be told that there were no reps available. So many options of the
phone queue would say, "you can get more help online" but I was calling since I couldn't get the answers on the website.
05/15/2020 David Higham
My staff would call and complain that somone who applied for unemployment a week or two after them got approved and
they didn't.

I was also disappointed that the call center was outsourced to staff not in NC when people here needed the work.

I filed online on 04/19/2020. I have yet to receive a payment. Fortunately for me, I receive a pension from a previous
05/15/2020 Ms Kathryn StClair
employer and only was only working part-time prior to the pandemic, when I was laid off. I have tried calling 59 times
(documented in my phone) at different times of the day, but â€œall agents are busy and the queue is fullâ€• .
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I applied for unemployment benefits on 02/13/2020 after losing my job on 02/01/2020. My status has been Pending
resolution ever since. I have emailed and attempted to call DES without any response or resolution. I was without any
05/15/2020 James Kralik
source of income for 12+ weeks. I have taken employment as of 05/05/2020, but my bills are well behind due to the lack
of approval of my claim. Claimant ID #[REDACTED]
I was approved for unemployment for $50.00. The other RNs in the same position and are pay were approved for 350.00 a
week. I believe mine was messed up due to looking into what I made this quarter last year which is when I was on
05/15/2020 Rn Jamie Miller
maternity leave. I have tried countless times to get in touch for over a month and nothing has been fixed and no contact.
Please help.

Ms.Myra Beatte was so helpful and instrumental in my application process. I had issues navigating the site on my own, at
05/15/2020 Definitely a process Carl Watkins 5am she was willing to talk me through the application process and making sure I was in the correct area of the site to
proceed. I had made several attempts prior to speaking with her but unsuccessful in getting my application submitted.
Once I had her assistance I was able to successfully submit. Thank you Ms.Beatte I could not have done it without you.

I have had the absolute worst experience of my life trying to navigate this system. For one, I can try calling over 200 times a
week and never get a human. Once I finally get someone, I get put on a call back list for a supervisor to call me. Iâ€™ve
been on that list since the 2nd week of April. I am in a unique position where I need my unemployment claim closed out so
05/15/2020 Susannah Baird
I can file for PUA, however no one will help me. And I mean no one. I have had my state senator reach out on my behalf, as
well as my representative. I have gone since March 4 without any income, and thereâ€™s really no hope in sight. I am
behind on my power bill by about $450 because bills spiked since the stay at home order began. I have no idea how I will
pay any of my bills.
I filed 3-15-20....the restaurant I was working closed due to Corona. I receive a retirement from NCDPS of 610.00 per
month. Because of this my claim is pending. I have sent verificaton letter from NC Retirement....still waiting. This is my only
05/15/2020 Deborah Carroll
income, I have a mortage, car payment, utilities and food...not making it. I am single with no outside help. Now...what to
do?
I have tried to call numerous times about my back payment. Canâ€™t even get in the hold section. The one time I did get
05/15/2020 Mrs Jessica Laws
through they needed to transfer my call and it was dropped.

My name is Christina Lorentz, I have been a Registered nurse in Wake County for three years. Before the Corona virus I had
recently started working at a MedSpa and I was laid off. I also kept my job at WakeMed hospital on an as needed basis. My
05/15/2020 Christina Lorentz unit at the hospital has been shut down due to the pandemic and the hospital has not needed my help. They have had a
very low census of patients. I applied for unemployment benefits about 7 weeks ago and have not received any payments. I
have only been able to speak with a few people from unemployment, no one can give me an answer as to why Iâ€™m not
receiving payments. I have had no source of income during this time.

I first filed in late March due to being diagnosed with COVID19 and hospitalized and unable to work. They said I was
ineligible on the first claim so I filed again. The claim is still pending as of May 15, 2020. They have my documentation
05/15/2020 Mr. Jeff Alexander
from the hospital. People should not have to wait more than a month to start receiving benefits. The number of days
employers have to respond should be cut from 10 to five. Positive note: I was able to connect with someone through
online chat. The wait time was 1.5 hours. This was quicker than waiting on the phone to speak to a representative.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am a sole proprietor and a Licensed Massage Therapist. I applied for unemployment on 3/29. For over 4 weeks my case
sat in "pending resolution" status. I was closed by executive order of the Governor. I was also self employed. What was
there to resolve? My status should have been clear. I called the DES over 100 times to see why they wouldn't resolve my
claim so I could apply for PUA. The computer hung up on me over 90% of the time because all operators were busy and the
hold queue was full. When I did get a person, they usually transferred the call to the same line and I was, once again, hung
up on by the computer. I waited on the computer chat one day for 2.5 hours. After getting from being #144 to #40, the
chat line hung up on me "due to inactivity" - waiting, is by it's very nature "inactive", right? I did someone on the chat line
once that offered me this hopeful tidbit of information - I can't help you now, no one can." So very helpful. I made the
mistake of starting another claim on 5/1 out of frustration. This time, the portal would not let me get past the area where I
needed to add myself as a business. All fields were filled out and I was familiar with the form. I would hit enter and it would
just have a note "*All fields required". All required fields had been fully filled out. For 2 weeks, every time I got a human
05/15/2020 Mr Roy Alderman being on the line they either said there was nothing that could be done on their end or they transferred me back to the
phone tree to get hung up on again. I finally got a human being on the line on 5/8 that helped me finish the second claim.
The next day it was denied and I could then file for PUA. The 1st claim was the same as the 2nd, yet it couldn't be resolved
for 4+ weeks. The 2nd claim was resolved almost immediately to my astonishment. I called and emailed my local Govt
representatives to no avail. No response. No one cared. No one helped. I am grateful to have received the PUA money, but
I am filled with anger and disdain for our system and local Government. I understand these are not ordinary circumstances
(I'm in my 7th week of being closed without revenue) but the treatment they I and other self-employed people I know
received during this pandemic has been atrocious and apathetic in the extreme. I believe in the stay at home order from
the Governor and believe that it saves lives. Every day now it seems like extremists are arming themselves to illegally re-
open businesses across the country. They do not represent me, but they are an accurate depiction of my anger from how I
have been treated by our government. Order people into isolation, order their businesses shuttered and take away their
income and then give them no voice by having computers hang up on them over and over again. I am disgusted with our
Government right now. Regardless of party affiliation, I will be voting AGAINST every public official I contacted over this
matter that summarily chose to ignore me.

I filled a claim on April 14th. My last day at work was April 13th. I work at croasdaile village in dinning. Due to the nursing
home outbreaks and someone working with me was working at a correctional facility that had a servere outbreak, I was
scared because my daughter has a very weak immune system. So I took proper protocol so I can still come back to my job
when everything dies down. So I called her doctor and ask them to give me a note so I can have it on file with my job so
05/15/2020 Unemployment claim Nateesha Hall while I'm out I can get unemployment. My daughter has sickle cell anemia. So I got the note gave it to my boss. She told me
to go ahead a file for unemployment and take care of myself and when I'm ready I can come back. So from April 14th til
now May 15th I still haven't heard anything about my unemployment. It just says pending!!!! I just want to get my
unemployment so while I'm out I can continue to take care of my three kids and not have to worry about being able to take
care of them. So I'm asking for help to figure out what's taking my claim so long and why haven't they said anything about
it. Funds getting low and it hurts not to be able to take care of your kids.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I have tried to call about a grant The YMCA in New Bern received I worked 1 hour a week 15 an hour. I was laid off from full
time job as a nurse. When the Y called about the grant I was told they would pay us reg pay for maybe 12 weeks foe me
every 2 weeks afte taxes 28 dollars. There is no where on the site to let let this be known
I can not tell you how many times I have called being prompted ? Many times to# I should press and get automatic Due to
Covid 19 our lines are extremely busy and the que is full
05/15/2020 Anne Rivett
Please try your call again.. Personally no one is taking any calls . I have tried a so many times as soon as they are supposed
to open all thru the day. I just want an answer to my ? Above. On the site if you look at way to email. For contact us it
swings you to that # .. Good luck and thanks

ONCE I SUBMITTED AT THE END OF MARCH MY CLAIM HAD TWO PENDING RESOLUTIONS. ONE SAID THE SYSTEM DID NOT
05/15/2020 John Elks RECOGNIZE ME, AND THE OTHER SAID LAID OFF/LACK OF WORK! SEVERAL DAYS LATER THE DID NOT RECOGNIZE WAS
RESOLVED BUT THE LAID OFF/LACK OF WORK STAYED ON UNTIL THE END OF APRIL. I RECEIVED MY FIRST PAYMENT AT
THE END OF APRIL, NEVER HAVE BEEN PAID FOR THE FIRST THREE WEEKS I WAS OUT OF WORK!!

05/15/2020 Help Greg Nance Iâ€™ve been trying to get thru on the phone line since March 25. No luck. The website is very confusing and hard to
understand. Can somebody please help me. It says I was approved over month ago but have not got anything.
05/15/2020 Mr. Otis James I was furloughed from my job, Kroehler Furniture, on March 24, 2020. I subm
Call. Yes we can help you. Will need to transfer your call. Wait. Then cut off. This has happened for 3 weeks. Sometimes I
05/15/2020 Umemployed Clinton F. Koontz
get a live person who tells me they can help, but cannot for some reason.
Call. Yes we can help you. Will need to transfer your call. Wait. Then cut off. This has happened for 3 weeks. Sometimes I
05/15/2020 Umemployed Clinton F. Koontz
get a live person who tells me they can help, but cannot for some reason.
I filed back on March 29th. The website was barely working when I filed and as a 20 year old filing for unemployment for
the first time, I had no idea what I was doing. I filled it out and still, on May 15th, I am in the pending process. I understand
05/15/2020 Lauren Kalo
being backlogged but being unable to reach anyone on the phone and having no idea whatâ€™s going on really sucks.
Especially when people have bills to pay.

I filed my first claim on 3/20, did my weekly certifications, it showed pending. 4/16 i received an email saying i needed to
reply so I did and continue to do my weekly certification. i have 2 claims that say pending resolution. My boss is no help
and says she received a letter but doesn't know what to do. i wake up and start calling every day at 7:55 am for 4-5 hours
never getting to talk to anyone or leave a message. I called the PUA line on 5/3 and im told i have to file for PUA so she
05/15/2020 Regina Tomassetti takes all my information. 3 claims no money. I call PUA again they say I will mave money in a day or 2 and it will be
retroactive back to 3/23. I didnt receive anything so I call PUA again the woman is rude told me i called the wrong line
wont let me speak and hangs up. So I call again this woman in Iowa tells me im not approved for PUA and doesnt know
why I was told I was and says i need to call the DES line. I call the DES line 50-60 times a day and get nowhere. I finally
received some money on 5/11 but not what I was told I would. I call the PUA line and they cant help me. No one can help
and there is no way of getting any information. My 4 adult children all applied weeks after me and received their money
in less then a week. why are they not going in order as to when claims were filed?
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I'll try to keep it brief. Summed up in 4 words... Unemployment for me=nightmare. As of today, May 15, I have received
ZERO dollars. My salon was closed 5pm on March 25 through no fault of my own. I immediately went online and filed for
unemployment, just to make certain my information was in the system. I realize these are different times and I have tried
very hard to be patient and understanding. I would simply go online, on Sundays, and file for the previous week, as
instructed. My first several claims were denied. Claims since April 24 are "pending." I've been told that until that pending
05/15/2020 Mrs Jaquetta George status is removed, I cannot file for PUA. Call success to the unemployment office to try to get that status removed has
been a failure, but calls have been answered in a more timely manner since late April; although no one who answers the
phone can answer my questions as to what the hold up is with my claim. They tell me it is "pending." I can see that myself
on the unemployment website. When they try to transfer me to someone who *may* be able to help, I get disconnected,
sometimes even after a 4 hour hold time! There has been no guidance from anyone and I can find no guidance anywhere,
online or otherwise. Questions on the unemployment website do not make sense for people in my situation. The stress
and frustration is overwhelming. I needed help a month ago. Now, I am nearing the end of month 2.
Actually, I'll sum it up in two words...STRESSFUL NIGHTMARE.

I filed for PUA and supposedly have been accepted as of 4/27 but the system still says pending and no payments have been
received. There is no way to check on whether my understanding is correct or when the payments will be received since
the online chat cannot help with anything other than general questions and the DES customer service line (phone) is always
05/15/2020 Mrs. Sarah Slater inundated with callers to a point that the waiting queue is full and I must call back at another time, which inevitably has the
same response.

It would be nice to be able to verify the status of the unemployment claim and payments or have a better explanation of
the different statuses so that I can better prepare myself for what to expect as it relates to my unemployment claim.

I found that when able to reach a representative, that staff were incredibly polite, understanding, and willing to help.
However, my frustration with the system lies with a lack of definitions or parameters for some questions, which led to me
05/15/2020 Zach Odachowski being incorrectly flagged. Furthermore, there was no explanation of how the flags on my account could be removed (either
through further information being provided or reaching out to my employer), and I had to go to other statesâ€™
unemployment sites to get those definitions. Overall, the system requires an overhaul that allows applicants to fully
understand their situational status, especially if they are unable to reach a representative to walk through those issues.

I was laid off my part time job on the 17 and my full time job at salons by JC was ended on the 17 due to covid 19, I filled
The next week, I thought I had to wait for my last check from my part time job, which included 2 days sick pay, an option
05/15/2020 Selina Stephenson our owner offered us. At the time the option of pay check protection was not offered. My application has been pending for
almost 2 months. Iâ€™ve called to no avail, I sent a fax, I have spent 2 hours waiting for some one on the chat line who
could only tell me my application is still pending. This has been very frustrating, financially ruining me, unpleasant
miserable situation. Iâ€™ve be come quite depressed and anxious over this lack of financing.

05/15/2020 Unemployment claim Tonya Drollinger I filed my unemployment claim on April 5th and it is still pending. It states it is unable to verify my identity and lack of work.
I have tried to call dozens of times and am unable to even get on hold. Even at 8am when they open, the hold queue is full.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Site was very hard to use at the beginning. Still hard to file weekly certification on Sunday but much better than it was.
05/15/2020 danny mcfarland
Unfortunately, I have gone back to work so no more unemployment for me. I say unfortunately because I was making
about three times my regular salary while on unemployment insurance.
It has been 6 weeks and nothing. I received a call regarding benefits for an independent contractor, in which I am not, only
to find out after 5 weeks there was an error no one informed me of. Error was corrected and still no form of
05/15/2020 Tammy Saunders
communication have I received about my claim. This has been a nightmare. Agents are unable to assist if you do happen to
get through.

Try to apply on March 17 received error message for a week . Took me Contacting my state representative To receive a
return call, I called hundreds of times with no luck. I finally was able to apply online, Somehow emploment security
commission use my employment information from a previous employer which Iâ€™m retired from that I did not even
05/15/2020 Ray Speas submit unemployment for that, Iâ€™m an Uber driver submitted all my Uber information. for a month they continue to say
Iâ€™m pending. I have emailed and told them it was wrong employment information somehow, still with no response!
Contact the state representative again last week explain situation I have not received my return call back from them to this
point ? Itâ€™s been two months and this is very unacceptable, I know Gov Cooper states that theyâ€™re overwhelmed but
two months !
Simple stated: I filed on March 22.
05/15/2020 Mr Maurice Jenkins
My case is still pending at 45 days. I have sent two emails, called and all went unanswered.
Simple stated: I filed on March 22.
05/15/2020 Mr Maurice Jenkins
My case is still pending at 45 days. I have sent two emails, called and all went unanswered.

Hi! My experience consisted of the ui agent disconnecting the phone. when I would get in touch the agent would
05/15/2020 Mr Lee Lavender constantly say my case in particular is out of his/her jurisdiction
and would say let me transfer you to the correct person and then the phone would hang up... this was the pattern every
time I called between march and may... so as of today I have no clue what phase of ui my case is in.
6 weeks now and nothing and I was found eligible about 3 weeks ago. File my certification each week as required. Tried
multiple times. Currently as of 144pm 15 May I have been on hold for 3hrs12min55sec on phone #?(919) 707-1268? trying
05/15/2020 Mr Russell Scott to speak to a military advisor because I am retired military.
Complete utter BS and this agency has completely dropped the ball and has failed the state of NC. In private business the
leader would be fired.
I applied on April 5th. Itâ€™s still pending and I am still out of work. I am sure I could find a different job but I want to go
05/15/2020 Tabitha Glenn
back to my employer when this is over.

05/15/2020 Ms. Shonte Knight I am a struggling self employed single parent of four and I have yet to receive any update from unemployment. Itâ€™s
been extremely hard to work because of the pandemic and I am completely out of funds.
Having submitted my verification every week during this mess, I have yet to receive a penny. Didn't really expect the State
05/15/2020 Mr Albert Hartkopf
to work for me though.
I have yet to receive anything at all. I applied in March a a result of covid 19, and also for PUA on 04.19.2020(when
05/15/2020 Joshua McMillan
cumberland county became available for PUA).
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Filed initial on March 13 but had to re-file again on April 24 due to lack of response from DES and the inability to reach
05/15/2020 anyone on the phone. When I was finally able to reach someone, they were unable to provide any details nor any time
frame on a resolution. This is unacceptable and unprofessional to say the least. I am supremely disappointed. What is
being done to fix this? I am in limbo if and when someone at DES decides to check my claim.

Filed April 24th for the PUA. ITS BEEN PENDING SINCE. Iâ€™ve tried multiple days and Multiple routes To talk to someone
with no luck. Iâ€™ve called. Been told pua canâ€™t tell me my it says pending resolution. They transfer me to Des. Hold
queues full. I call the second things open in the morning. Hold queues full. Iâ€™ve tried the chat system. Starter in 127th in
05/15/2020 PUA unemployment Cathy Bumann
line. Got down to 60th in line and boom! I get kicked out. Tried again twice. Same thing. Get to about 60-65th in line for
chat and kicked out! Tried middle of the day to call. End of the day. No luck. I sent the email form last week inquiring on
this and no reply! I havenâ€™t been paid yet. I havenâ€™t brought in money since March 16 and i have 130 Dollars left to
my name! The system is no good.

I was furloughed from my position at a nurse practitioner. I filed for unemployment a week after my furlough. I had done
some research and was prepared with social security card, passport and my letter of furlough. Those items were scanned in
my initial application. The website was very hard to access and the pages were slow in updating. I (with the help of my
husband) worked through each form one Sunday morning. The process took 2 hours. The forms are not straight forward
and the process is not clearly defined.
05/15/2020 Mrs Jennifer Daniels Once my information was entered, it took about a week for my information to be confirmed. I received notification to do
weekly certification and worked through that process 2 times. The questions for weekly certification are confusing. My
husband and I are both college educated and we had to look at the instructions along with watch 2 U-tube videos.
I was unfurloughed after 2 weeks and have not been back to the system.
2 recommendations
- The website needs to be faster. No excuses for this in the 21st century.
- The instructions need to be clear and concise. Structure these in such a way that anyone can know what information is
needed and exactly what they have to do to input into the system.
I had a really good experience.
05/15/2020 Edith Thompson I had thought I wasnâ€™t eligible. I submitted all my information and had benefits within two weeks. The website was very
easy to use.

I understand that the current system is not set up to handle the immense load of claims that have been filed over the last
05/15/2020 Mr. Harrison Foster two months. But I must say, it is very frustrating to file in March and still have your claim in a pending status in the middle
of May. I am desperate to get some relief but no-one I've spoken with at the unemployment office can do anything for me
except advise that it's still pending, almost two months later. :(
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I retired 3 years ago because my job was being terminated. Almost immediately after retiring I began tutoring and subbing
in a public school system to supplement my retirement. Due to COVID-19 when I left school on Friday, March 13, I had no
idea that my part-time employment would could come to a halt. I make most of my supplemental income from March -
June. Not only have I tutored kids for their EOGs I also administered the tests. To make matters worse my husband was
05/15/2020 Elaine Vaughan injured on his job on Monday, March 16th. He is still out of work. Although he does receive workers comp it is not his
normal income this time of year. He works in the agricultural business. I filed for unemployment on March 20. I have yet to
receive any benefits. It looks like everything has been completed and approved pending a retirement/pension proof. I have
sent the proof of my retirement to them numerous times in my online account. My husband has sat on the couch and
called them at least a thousand times, only to be cut off or no one is answering. I have chatted online for help, after
holding 5 hours, only to be told by claim is open and will be processed. I sent in the online contact form numerous times at
first and then they also stopped taking them. So.... I sit and wait this is week 8 with NO help.

My last work day was 3/17/20. I filed an initial claim on 3/26 with weekly claims every week since that time. I initially did
not qualify due to wage history under the UI program. On 4/25 i filed under PUA and online access indicated I did qualify
under the PUA program. To date I have not received any payments. After numerous call attempts I finally got through and
05/15/2020 Dennis Hall was told all looked good and there was no additional information I needed to provide. That was 2 weeks ago but still no
progress. My experience is that if/when you get through via voice or chat line the call center cannot offer any more
information than is provided on the web site. While I understand the backlog there does not appear to be any information
as to where a claim is in the queue. Very frustrating and total chaos at DES. Seems like a lot of effort in to answering call to
the call center either with a live person or Chat but these folks do not appear to have any authority to resolve issues and
move a claim along. They should be adding resources to process claims ASAP.

I helped my sister file...I am a disabled American veteran...I noticed with all my complaints to the Governor, they now have
a chat you can use since they didn't want any emails and the phones were all backed up. As my sister says, it is confusing.
She was told to put terminated and all the information was negative but they didn't fit. Then she was told to put lay-off and
that was pending for 2 weeks. When calling, getting that there are too many callers and to call back later really doesn't
05/15/2020 MR John Schnell
help. The last time I called, I was on hold for about an hour (after calling about 10 times only to get told to call again)...My
cell phone was on one bar but I plugged it in and finally someone answered and we got help. My sister updated her phone
numbers but they never were updated (to my knowledge). You may want to day that I didn't file (thankfully after helping
my sister, I don't have to) but I was the one on the computer doing everything including telling her old boss that what they
wanted didn't fit.

This is quite the upsetting system! I filed mid April and it still shows pending. Most of my friends who filed after have had a
very quick turnaround. Even though my situation is different as I am trying to apply for PUA as a gig worker, I still feel like
05/15/2020 Lamar Dade
the process shouldnâ€™t take nearly as long. Iâ€™ve yet been able to talk to anyone or get through the phone queue and
when I did get in the queue, I was in it for 3 hours before getting disconnected. Iâ€™ve used the chat function but itâ€™s
getting me nowhere. I look forward to a more clean cut system thatâ€™s user friendly.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed for unemployment the end of March and I have yet to receive any payment. I updated my application when the
â€œself employedâ€•status became available and I still have received nothing. No one can be reached on the phone when
you call And wait times can take hours. This is ridiculous. Itâ€™s been almost 2 months since I submitted my application.
05/15/2020 Self Employed Melissa Lowery
This system has to do better. Iâ€™m a self employed business owner and I sell my product to retail stores that have been
closed since the end of March and many may not reopen for many months to come (if ever!). I understand the
unemployment system is under extreme stress but so are the people of this state. People filing for unemployment really
need assistance now!

This is the worst excuse for help I have ever even a part of. I was given ONE payment over 3 weeks ago and nothing since.
05/15/2020 Lisa Norris
It is impossible to reach an actual PERSON at any number and we cannot go in person. I guess I am just suppose to figure
out how to feed my children off of NOTHING and go homeless. This has been a nightmare and I see no end in sight.

05/15/2020 Mr Leonel Nino I was furloughed from my work from April 12-18 and had a smooth registration, certification and payment experience. It
seems that my fellow coworkers are seeing longer delays in the processing of the claim and the payment of the claim.

I was laid off on March 17th. I was unable to log onto DES that date due to problems with the website. I filled on March
18th. I have worked full time for the same hotel company as a manager for the past 3 years. Part of 2019 in Florida and
part in NC. My status changed to ineligible that week because my wages did not come through. I called and talked to James
who said he needed to request my wages and changed my status to pending wages. This continued for weeks with no
updates and then my status changed again to ineligible with no updates or communication. I have uploaded my W2s, my
pay stubs, lay off letter and completed a wage protest. Automatically a PUA was started for me. I am going on 9 weeks of
no answers and no pay. My UI claim still says ineligible and my PUA claim is still pending. I have provided the
05/15/2020 Still waiting - 9 weeks
documentation required for both and should be eligible for both. I have called multiple times. If I am lucky to get in a hold
que, I typically wait about 3 hours to speak to someone. Each time I speak to someone they cannot help me. My claim has
been expedited to a supervisor multiple times. Apparently only a supervisor can help resolve these issues. I have left voice
messages for supervisors (Samantha Johnson). I was told multiple times I would get a call back. No one has ever called me
back. I have sent several emails and have tweeted with no response. The live chat and PUA line say they cannot help and
just tell me to call the main number. I set my alarm every morning at 7:45am and start calling hoping to get in the hold que.
I have not had any success lately. I call about 50 times per day. Going on 9 weeks with no income. Bills are adding up and I
am expecting. I even applied to work at the office with hopes of getting answers. Please have more people answer the
phones and please have people that can actually assist. I need help! Still waiting ....
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

The state needs to do something. I was laid off from my job April 1st. Applied for benefits like I was told to do. I am still
waiting for anything from my claim. I have tried calling only to either get hung up on or a message saying that all agents
are busy and que is full. I even tried the chat that they have and all I get there is please wait a little longer or call the office
cause they are not authorized to dig further into my claim, you call the other line that they have set up and they transfer
05/15/2020 Mrs Theresa South
you to the line that is consistently busy. What are we supposed to do? I have had no money since April 1st can't buy food
for my kids, can't pay my bills and it's going on 2 months now how am I going to catch up on 2 months of bills. Something
needs to be done and it needs to get done quickly. I emailed the assistant secretary of commerce and no response. I am
struggling no money, can't work what am I supposed to do. I would not be in this position and it is not my fault I was laid
off. Who is going to help me?????

I filed an unemployment claim back in Oct 2019. Never collected UI since I found work mid November . The October claim
05/15/2020 Ms Jo Ann Mitidieri remains in pending resolution status. I fell ill to the flu in Dec 2019 and had to leave my job due to complications. I was in
the midst interviewing for a position just prior to Covid and a hiring freeze. I filed another UI claim which is also in pending
resolution status. I canâ€™t get a human being on the phone and have not had any income since December. Please help!

I originally tried to apply for unemployment March 20th, the system wouldn't let me input my employer name, so on
March 23rd I was able to speak with someone at the call center. March 30th I tried uploading the form that was sent to me
and all information that was requested, the system wouldn't let me so I tried again on April 1st, at this point I realized that
the employer information was entered wrong and I began calling several times a day with no success to get it corrected,
05/15/2020 Ms Crystal Goins
spoke with 2 agents that told me they couldn't change it only a Ms. Green and they would transfer me to her, only to be
hung up on. After not being able to speak with her, I emailed every employee on the Commerce directory with the last
name Green, still no success. I waited a couple of days the called again, and was told I was being transferred but really was
hung up on, but this agent did let me know he was not trained in processing federal claims. I have used the contact form
and live chat several times and still haven't received any feedback. I contacted my job which gave me a sf8 form to upload
to my claim to help process it quicker and still nothing. Its been 8 weeks.
I submitted my claim on April 6th. I did 4 certifications. I have a small pension of 491.00 per month . Every time I access the
05/15/2020 RN Janet Bradham website it says pension pending . I sent in proof of pension statements. I have not received any money. I have not been
disqualified so why is it taking so long ?

05/15/2020 Rebecca Clayton I began trying to log on when Dillardâ€™s closed on March 24 but was unable to gain access until April 12th. I received my
acceptance letter on April 14th and my case is still pending and no payment has been received! Please help!!!!!!!
March 25 was my last day of work. The Governor shut down my shop and I have yet to receive unemployment. I have over
05/15/2020 Barber Michael Vestal 1 thousand phone calls and several emails and nothing. Iâ€™m 2 months in this covid shut down and unable to get any
assistance. Iâ€™m self employed Barbershop owner.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

The guidance on the website is very vague. My state insurance was exhausted as of May 4 and I currently have no idea
where my claim stands with the PEUC. It took me 5 days to finally speak with someone and still got no clear answer of
05/15/2020 Mr Phillip Amodeo what I needed to do. All they said was that I needed to apply for PUA but I am not a self employed person. Did I lose my job
due to Covid, no. But my ability to find another job has been seriously impacted by Covid. Even though you no longer are
required to actively search for work, I do because I want to work. I am not one that just wants to sit at home and collect a
check. I want health insurance, to build my 401k and my career. Thank you.

I exhausted my UI benefits in August of 2019. I still had an existing claim that expired on 5/2/2020. I became unemployed
as of 3/17/2020. I called unemployment customer service everyday since 3/17/2020 without getting through because I was
unable to file anything online. I was finally able to file a PUA claim after weeks of not being able to get through to customer
service on 4/23/2020. My claim expired on 5/2/2020. They told me to file a new claim because I didnâ€™t have an existing
05/15/2020 Ms. Monique Saunders claim on file. I filed that claim and the PUA claim is still pending from 3/16/2020. I was told to call customer service on
5/15/2020 to have my claim escalated to a supervisor because my claim is 2 months old. I havenâ€™t been able to contact
them at all after being on hold for 3 hours today. I also saw a tweet that said that my claim needs to be switched from PUA
to PEUC which can only be done by a customer service representative. They still donâ€™t have options for people eligible
for PEUC to even file yet. My claim is now 9 weeks old and still pending with no benefits paid as of yet. Iâ€™m on the verge
of losing my apartment, car insurance and my car at this point. Me and my son went weeks starving until I just received
food stamp assistance a few weeks ago. No one should be waiting almost 10 weeks to receive unemployment benefits!

I had problems accessing the NCDES website initially, but those issues have since been resolved. I understand the
05/15/2020 Leigh Crabtree complexity of the problems the state's IT professionals faced, and I appreciate their effort and perseverance. I am also
deeply grateful to the Federal Government for the additional funding, because the amount the state provides is inadequate
to cover my monthly bills. North Carolina can, and should, address and and rectify this issue immediately.
I filed a claim and it is currently showing "Pending" I have called many times with only having my call answered twice.
05/15/2020 Mr. William Flowers
Neither person could tell me definitively why it showed pending.

The system is very messed up. I applied in March. Stayed pending. Iâ€™m self employeed. But I could never reach anyone. I
couldnâ€™t even get into cue to wait. So frustrating. Then I found out I needed to reapply in April, so I did. I just got a
payment this week. Many people donâ€™t know they have to reapply In April if they are self employed. The website tells
you nothing. I called every single day and could never get into cue to talk to someone. I called 231 times one day. Never
05/15/2020 Mr Wayne Peede
felt so abandoned in my life. You tell me I canâ€™t work, yet give me no help and no one yo talk to. Please tell me why
local offices werenâ€™t open or answering phone calls? You dem banks open, post offices open, restaurants open, yet the
people we need most you close. This is a messed up system. I should be able to go stand in a line at 8 am and wait to get
help, yet I couldnâ€™t. I could not call anyone, email any with any response. You tell me, do you think Raleigh did a good
job.
At the time I filed it was 230 am in the morning ,Was able to complete and submit claim very fast
05/15/2020 Ms carmen oneal
.Then was approved in April I had no issue s
Horrible, never could get through no matter when I called, queue was always full, then phone line would drop. Once and a
05/15/2020 Mrs Cindy Rice while I would get through to someone, they never knew what they were talking about, never could even answer basic
questions.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I applied March 23 and didn't hear anything till April 25th. I was approved 2 times since and only when I worked less than
05/15/2020 Ms Katherine Taylor 20 hours. Even 10 hours reduction hurts my family of 5. Why is it half of your normal hours. A reduction should be anything
less that your normal hours.

My experience was very smooth had no hiccups whatsoever. I was one of the lucky ones. I claimed for 6 weeks, I did get
called back to my job at reduced hours from 40 to 28 but because my weekly pay will be slightly higher than the $350
weekly UIF I donâ€™t qualify for any further assistance so I will be making a lot less than I was working 40. Where is the
help for reduced hours. Iâ€™m sure a lot of people will agree that the extra $600 stimulus should apply to anyone who has
either been furloughed or laid off. We are out there working risking our lives and not seeing a penny from UIF. This
05/15/2020 Mrs Nicolette Winterholler
probably isnâ€™t the place to complain about that but Iâ€™m not sure where or who to ask.
An exception shouldâ€™ve been made during this pandemic to help all who are impacted by this virus. I certainly didnâ€™t
ask for reduced hours not sure how Iâ€™m going to cope with less hours at work.

Regards
Was never able to complete the application. The online system is horrible. I gave up and went and got a job at an
05/15/2020 Tonya Byrum
"essssssssssantiallll business" making pennies on the dollar if what I was making. Great job NC.

I applied April 5th and my claim is still pending. Iâ€™ve called multiple times and waited for hours just to get someone to
05/15/2020 Needs serious improvement Benjamin Rodriguez
hang up on me or transfer me to be hung up on. The call center rep has also sent a message for someone to call me and I
still havenâ€™t received a call back. I am very disappointed with N.C. my bills cannot wait.
05/15/2020 Ms Lisa Edwards I filed March 29, 2020. I have not received any payments.
I filed UI claims for weeks 3-22, 3-29,4-5 and 4-12. I have 2 jobs. On my determination page I only see info from one
employer which is my part time job. There is no info on my full time employer which is where I had the reduced hours. I
05/15/2020 Waiting Tara T Chavis Bullard
called and spoke with a representative and I think she was confused as to what i was calling for. She transferred me but
then call was dropped.
I have not receive my PUA money and it has been pending for a while . I canâ€™t get through to talk to anyone, the lines
05/15/2020 UI /PUA Pamela Cannon
stay full and cannot be put on hold and it then hangs up
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Terrible! I filed first of March, I attached my 1099 when I first filed.
I was sent a wage determination form, it was dated April 6, but received in my mailbox on May 11th?

I have USPS confirmation showing the expected delivery date on mail. There is no way they mailed it on April 6!

I had two weeks to respond by the date of the letter.

05/15/2020 Ms Melinda Deigan I went ahead and sent them a copy of my 1099â€™s as requested, as well as proof from the USPS of the date it was
received.

But, what are they asking me for information that was already supplied?
They should not date letters with incorrect dates of the time they are being mailed.

This is in hopes people will not respond.

Melinda

I applied in late March and have still not received benefits. I am self employed and my claim has been deemed ineligible for
reasons I do not know. I've tried to call. but can never connect with anybody. I've been able to chat to times, but each time
05/15/2020 Michelle Tilley the person tells me I need to call to get this resolved (which goes back that I can't get through when calling). I think the
problem for me getting approved is the manner in which I get paid; I charge $125 and hour for in-school field trips, but I
only made a total of ~$17,000 last year. I have a lot of preparation that goes into each field trip. So my end pay is closer to
$9 an hour when spread out. I think the system is balking on this situation, but I can't get anybody to help me.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

They system has made it nearly impossible to get in contact with and NCDES employee directly. For myself, my
unemployment benefits were delayed for nearly a month. Prior to losing my job, I had no debt. However, because the
unemployment benefits were delayed for me, I now have to deal with the repercussions of interest on my credit cards. I
am upset, angry, and have totally lost faith in the state of North Carolina.

In addition, my mother, who is a Wake County teacherâ€™s assistant, does not make enough money solely with this
jobâ€” she also works a part-time job in retail.
Income from her part-time job was affected due to the layoffs with corona virus.
She attempted to file for unemployment, but the (recommended) NCDES website is inoperable, or difficult to understand.
The only way to correct her application is to SPEAK WITH an NCDES employee, which, as I have already stated, is
05/15/2020 System was inaccurate. Jane Doe impossible to do at this time. My mother is struggling during these times, so this has also had a great impact on myself.
How does the state of North Carolina feel OK with allowing the educators of our future leaders to suffer financially?

In conclusion, it is extremely bothersome that the state is unable to financially help the educators of our nation, let alone,
the every-day working force.

I ask that you share this experience, and to provide a response. Many other North Carolinians are in a similar struggle, and
WE want ANSWERS.
I wish to remain anonymous.

Thank you,

Jane Doe.
05/15/2020 Caroline Stancil
I applied for unemployment 5 weeks ago. I still haven't been approved, and when I call they say there's nothing I can do.
I filed unemployment the first week of April and haven't heard anything from them. I call daily trying to get through and no
05/15/2020 Mr Shoronmu crawford
response. I have a family to feed and its frustrating that there is nothing i can do..

05/15/2020 Mrs Christa Briggs My husband filed for unemployment due to reduced hours because of COVID-19. He has received payment and nothing
stated his claim was denied. His pay and hours have been cut in half. We just want to know where we stand.

Filed on 4/4/2020 as yet to receive payment. Received determination stating issue delaying payments pending resolution
05/15/2020 Ms Crystal Chu
and case open. Can't get any help online or phone call. It's ridiculous! I know it's a bad time for everyone but I need some
answers. It's been more than 5 weeks ! Thank you kindly in advance for your attention to this matter.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I had an existing claim that was not exhausted. The website would not allow me to do anything but re open that claim. I did
this on March 20. I tried and tried to call after waiting 2 weeks and 4 times after I was able to get thru was told I would be
put on a list to be called back and was never called. After talking to several people who were never able to help being on
05/15/2020 Inger Siddle
hold for more than 4 hours at a time I finally got someone to help on May 7 and received a back payment which did not
include the first week with the comment being "hold week" which I thought was waived and with the amount of taxes
taken out not matching the money I actually received. It took 7 weeks!!!! In 2 weeks my UI claim will be exhausted and will
have to wait again for the PEUC to start which I have been told will be July, The call center and the chat line are mostly no
help and it seems everything has to go thru the original people that worked there to begin with.
This has come to point of enough already proceed forward with my approval so I can handle what needs to keep my
05/15/2020 Push The Button Already! Tracie Strongs household afloat. I had to leave my job because of the pandemic and my children school being closed. I just want to recieve
my assistance I have no savings to last after this week.
Received notice that I am allowed benefits but also states â€œpending resolution â€œ
Sent 3 emails-no response
Talked to several staff at call center- Was told he was putting notes on my claim to send to DES
Sent an email to Senator Michael Garrett as he requested from his appearance on Channel 8 about a month ago- no
05/15/2020 Mrs Renee Dixon
response
I believe my claim has either been lost or in the shuffle of claims - maybe no one wants to take the time to resolve my
claim
Thank you for this opportunity to express my frustrations and fear that I may not ever receive my benefits.
Received notice that I am allowed benefits but also states â€œpending resolution â€œ
Sent 3 emails-no response
Talked to several staff at call center- Was told he was putting notes on my claim to send to DES
Sent an email to Senator Michael Garrett as he requested from his appearance on Channel 8 about a month ago- no
05/15/2020 Mrs Renee Dixon
response
I believe my claim has either been lost or in the shuffle of claims - maybe no one wants to take the time to resolve my
claim
Thank you for this opportunity to express my frustrations and fear that I may not ever receive my benefits.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed a claim on 4/17/20. I filled out the forms but I accidently put under the reason for living as Due to Distance to Work.
However I had made that response for the wrong employer. When I tried to change the reason for leaving, the system
wouldn't let me make the change. The system prompted me to address the issue of distance to work, so I completed the
section and submitted the claim. The system accepted the changes and said it was in the pending resolution phase. That
was a month ago and I still haven't received a check. I have also tried calling everyday to speak to a NC DES representative,
05/15/2020 Mrs Diana Hendrix however I have had no luck in reaching an employee. On Wednesday 4/13/20, I called and hit the change your
information/pin selection in the queue and I finally got to speak to someone. However the phone was having issues with us
talking, so the staff member advised she would place me on hold to see if another operator had a better phone reception.
After another hour and 15 mins on the phone waiting for another operator, I gave up. It has now been a month that I have
been out of work. I am the bread winner in the family and having no income has placed us in a severe hardship. Please help
us resolve this. We need the money for our mortgage payment and for groceries until I can go back to work. Thanks.
Respectfully,
Diana Hendrix

It's been almost two months since I applied for unemployment insurance benefits... I am still waiting to find out if I am goin
to b approved and start receiving payment.. I have been calling every number I have to talk to an actual person at the DES
05/15/2020 Heather Holland
center and cannot through.. I have also been hung up a number of times when calling the PUA line... I have a three year old
child and no money.. I am getting very irritated, worried, and stressed waiting to find out what is going on.. I need to get in
touch with someone who can tell me what the delay is on my application and claims.

Filed for shortened hours (down 20%) due to COVID-19 and told that I still make too much to qualify. Meanwhile I am
05/15/2020 Bruce Sundberg hearing from friends that with the $600 boost they are making more than they originally made in a week and are making
more than I am with the reduced hours and more than if I was working a full 40 hour week. They are making that while
sitting at home making more than I am while working my reduced hours. I am failing to see how that is justifiable.
May 5th 2020 and still no determination. Our company filed our claims for us and we just have to go in and certify each
05/15/2020 Mr Barry Wallace
week. Hardly anyone at our plant has received checks. Today is May 15 2020

I work for STA transporting kids for WCSS .the last day i worked was march 13 . STA told us to file because we would be
out of work , I filled on April 9. its may 15 ,No unemployment ,I call every day stay on cell all day cant get threw when i do
05/15/2020 Mr Michael Satterfield
know one seems to have any answers , Im just asking for help to pay my bills until we get back to work ,its been over 5
weeks nothing ,just pending ,pending wont pay bills .im told a computer has to decide if i can get unemployment ,I worked
30 years paid in the system so i could use it ,And cant get help,

I have been waiting for unemployment assistance for 6 weeks. I am furloughed due to Covid 19. I have been struggling to
05/15/2020 Ms Bridget Boone
get in contact with unemployment support after being told by them when I did finally get through there was an error on
my account. I am now stuck with financial struggles and still trying to get in touch with unemployment after 2 months.
05/15/2020 March 20th Hunter Altman Iâ€™ve yet to receive benefits and have been pending since March 20th
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I truly understand the system overwhelmed because of Covid-19 but I received e-mail of my approval on 05-04-20 but my
05/15/2020 Reginald McCullers
benefits are being with held and every time I spoke to someone concerning the matter they transfer me to adjudicators
office and thatâ€™s it I canâ€™t get an answer why Iâ€™m not receiving my benefits this is very frustrating

On April 3,2020, I started to try to apply for unemployment insurance. For the past several years, I have worked a full-time
job at Smartkids and a part-time job at Panera Bread here in Mooresville. Since the conorivirus outbreak, my full-time job
05/15/2020 Ms. Tina Cummo went from 40 plus hours to approximately 25 hours. I was also laid off from Panera Bread as well. After dozen of attempts
and phone calls, I have yet to been approved or received anything from the unemployment office. In the meantime, I
picked up a part-time job at Lowes Foods where my husband works to help pay the bills. We are not asking for a handout,
just a little bit of help. I would also include the only real help we have received to this date is from Mayor Miles Atkins and
state Senator Vickie Sawyer and would like to say thank you to them both! Sincerely, Sam and Tina Cummo.
It took 13 days to get through and speak to someone to file my claim. The past 3 weeks I wasn't able to file weekly as it said
my claim was still pending..and my account was revoked due to someone in Charlotte using my ss# previously and I've
never filr before. Long story short, I need more information to place a claim through Attorney General's office and haven't
05/15/2020 Ms Sherry Davis
been able to speak with anyone to discuss it and when I finally do get someone, I get transferred and it hangs up due to tge
unusually high call volume. This has been going on since March 27. Some help would be nice as I've not had ANY income
whatsoever.

Applied for unemployment insurance on March 15th 2020. Wasn't approved for almost 9 weeks. Has to call my state
senator to get my application pushed through.

After being approved I had to wait an extra week for the debit card to arrive, opted in for the debit card because the it said
05/15/2020 Timothy Richards
my routing number didn't exist.

All in all I spent over 6 hours in the phone, called over 100 times, there definitely needd to be an overall on the system.

If I didn't live with my partner, I wouldn't have been able to pay rent or any other expenses.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I was recently laid off of my job due to COVID-19. I filed for unemployment and have received unemployment benefits for
about 4 weeks. However, this past Sunday when I went to file my weekly certification I was advised that my benefit year
had ended. Iâ€™m guessing that this was due to my filing for benefits last May 2019 and this May makes that a 1 year
period. Last May it took over a month to get anything approved so I had found a new job before I got any benefits last year.
Later in July 2019 I was laid off again and received 4 weeks of benefits. The only thing I knew to do Sunday was file a new
claim. Iâ€™m hoping that is all I had to do to continue to receive unemployment benefits.

I tried calling on Monday but was given the automated recording that due to high volume of calls I needed to call back at
another time. I then tried to call Tuesday. After waiting for 30 minutes, the person I spoke with told me he didnâ€™t know
what I was supposed to do and that I needed to speak with a supervisor. He then put me on hold. I held 2.5 hours but only
to no avail as I was unable to ever get anyone to answer.
05/15/2020 Mr. Jerry Banks
I was hoping that I would hear something by the middle of the week but unfortunately I have not and am very concerned. I
tried calling them again on Thursday and Friday. On BOTH occasions I was once more given the automated recording that
the call volume was so high that I needed to call back at another time.

Nothing has changed with my employment situation. I also uploaded a copy of the employment termination COVID-19
letter for my claim that I received from my staffing service to the Dept. Of Commerce site, along with a letter regarding my
new claim filed. It is now the weekend and I have still heard nothing from them regarding my claim.

This is an extremely discouraging ordeal and I am very concerned at this point and wondering if I'm ever going to receive
any benefits again. I appreciate your taking the time to read my frustrating experience and I pray that something will break
through soon, not only for the financial support of myself, but also for my wife and child as well. Stay safe and be blessed!

Jerry Banks
05/15/2020 Katie Strickland Was a long process (about 3 weeks to start the payments) but was painless and there were no issues.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

When I originally filed for benefits March 18th I spoke to DES because I had a claim open from the previous year and it was
going to expire April 5, 2020. I was told I had to reactivate my old claim and when it expired I would file a new claim and
since my situation was due to COVID 19 there would be no issues. Well they were wrong. I refiled April the 5, 2020 and
have yet to receive payment. It clearly shows on my determination page for claim date 04-05-2020 thru 04-03-2021,
employer Mama Zoe's determination allowed due to COVID 19. I have called hundreds of times, usually not getting
through to anyone. However when I was able to actually get a person on the line they would look at my case and tell me
just to wait it will work out and I would get back pay. I explained this was not helping me now. Last week I was told they
05/15/2020 Ms. Sherri Bukas
were waiting on something from my employer (who is closed to COVID 19) I ask what exactly it was, the response was once
again they didn't know. I explained that I could see that my employer had already approved my claim dated 04-05-2020
thru 04-03-2021 however they really didn't have a clue. I am a single mother who was working on a waitress salary with a
mortgage and bills and absolutely no income. It has been almost 7 weeks since I have had income and it is killing me
financially and mentally! What kind of mother am I if I cannot care for my child? I also take care of my elderly mother and
eldest daughter who is now expecting herself so both are high risk. I am literally at the end of my rope and do not feel like
the DES really cares. I understand the volume of unemployment in this state however since I did receive payment for the
first 3 weeks of my old claim I do not understand to issue with the new claim which is actually all the same COVID 19.
Please help. My claim ID [REDACTED]. I can be reached at [REDACTED] if there are any questions or if anyone has any
answers. Thank you for looking into these issues and concerns for me. Sherri Bukas
I filed 3/22 a regular UIB claim not aware self-employed had to wait until 4/24. My claim was denied due to ineligible
however under issues delaying payment it says â€œPending self-employmentâ€• . I cannot file a new claim until that
pending Is released. I have called every single day at least 10 times at several numbers to only hear same recording of
currently busy and our Que is full. I reached out to the Governor and basically got response of â€œOur office has nothing
05/15/2020 Cheryl Monette to do with UIB.â€•I sent email and no response. I tried the chat line and was 127 in que for over 6 hours and site shut
down at 4:00 and
Disconnected me. Contacted a liaison and was told I would have to wait until either everyone Goes back to work or UIB
offices open and
Accept people to walk in.

I set up my account March 30, but was kicked offline before I could activate account. It took 2 weeks to activate the
account online because I continued to get kicked out of the system. I then applied, having lost 2 weeks. Now NC
05/15/2020 Ms Faith Langley
Retirement System and the school system are showing â€œPending Resolution â€œ for over a month on my homepage. I
took early retirement and understood that retirement was not a factor in unemployment benefits that were related to
COVID-19. I have called many, many times, but the system disconnects me due to the volume of calls.
It took me from March 16th until May 10 to get someone on the phone. I would call every day, multiple times a day and
05/15/2020 Julie Jacobs would but put on hold or hung I on. My account is still locked online. As of today, I still have to call and can not get a
person on the phone.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I applied for benefits on March 15th. I was deemed ineligible because they advised I had no work history. Once they posted
that in the portal, I not only supplied my W-2 for last year as well as copies of my work schedule for this year and all
paychecks deposited in my account. I attempted for over a week to fax the information and all lines were constantly busy, I
then signed up for a continuous online fax service and faxed the info to them to finally be received several days later, and
not updated to my account for another week. I also mailed them a copy of the appeal, with tracking that I show they
received however it has not been updated on my account. Thru all of this, I have called and spent numerous hours on hold
05/15/2020 Christopher Medina to never get thru to an agent. No appeal has been opened on my account even though I have sent three requests. It also
stated even though ineligible there was a concern as to availability as I entered that I am a student. I am a student in my
first year of college and have been employed at the restaurant that I worked at for over a year and even as a senior in high
school worked full time hours until business slowed and then we were finally closed as to the current situation. I have been
trying for 2 months to get unemployment approved and it has not been. As I am still a teenager, I turned 18 in January of
this year My parents claimed me for the 2019 taxes as I was 17, neither I or they received any money for me for the
stimulus. Because I work as a server I have not had any income since the middle of March and can no longer support
myself.
They have done a great job upgrading the system since my wife applied in March. I did not experience any difficulties on
05/15/2020 Ralph Berg
the web-site when I applied in May.

I know the system was not prepared for this but the pure frustration of not being able to talk to someone is horrible. I have
been pending for 6 weeks and I have tried the 888-737-0259 which never picks up. I have done the chat which says they
canâ€™t help me Iâ€™ll have to talk to another they number. I call that number and the first 4 people that answered said
05/15/2020 Cindy Bryson they would transfer me to where I needed to be only to disconnect me. I did get one nice lady who told me no one at that
number could help to call the 888-737-0259. Well thatâ€™s a joke. I did the 1111 when the line picked up and got a person
who said Iâ€™ll transfer you and sent me to the same place that gives you the message to call back later. These people are
at least getting paid. Iâ€™m running out of food and my bank doesnâ€™t care why I canâ€™t pay my mortgage payment.
We need help

I have spent over 1000 hours sent multiple emails said a supervisor would call me been placed on the des analysts call back
spreadsheet and still nothing. I am self employed and work in NC. This is a very trying time. Itâ€™s just hard seeing people
05/15/2020 Miss Haley Ledford
apply recently approved before those of us who applied months ago. I applied initially March 27th had to then reapply for
PUA when it became available and Iâ€™m still pending. I am being patient and am thankful for the hard work everyone is
doing even with the problems I face. God bless
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I guess I have to count myself lucky that I may have been one of the first group of filers, and it only took me 2 days of
fighting a website that crashed constantly before I finished my application. Everything else ran on a timeline I expected,
and I had my first payment about 3 weeks later. But many of my friends contacted me asking questions after this. From
05/15/2020 Brenda Farnham
their questions, this was the biggest problem they encountered:
If they had filed for unemployment in the past, the system wanted their old login information, and if they didn't know it,
they were asked to give an email address, but never received an email. Of course phone lines were backed up and no one
could get through to get an answer. I suggest you make it possible for people to just create a new account or have faster
access (such as a text message) to receive old login info.
The addition of a chat option was a great idea, but I have not tried to use it, so I'm not sure how well it works.

The application software asked me if I was already or would be receiving any type of retirement income. I stated yes.
Then a "fact finding" section wanted to know where retirement income came from (Duke Univ) and when I last worked
there (12/2006). The system would not accept this date and posted this message: Date '12/01/2006' is not in range
05/15/2020 Sylvia Hill '05/15/2010' through '05/15/2020'. I could not proceed with the application so I called the 888-737-0259 number and the
person who answered did not have enough knowledge of the system to assist me. She agreed this message made no
sense, and forwarded me to the line to reach a DES person. I had a hard time understanding the voice message that came
through, but it sounded like it was saying that call volume was too high and I would need to call back later. So I am stuck
right now until I can reach someone who knows enough about the system and how to do a workaround for this issue.

I FILED FOR UNEMPLOYMENT ON 3-22-2020 AND I HAVE NOT GOT A PAYMENT YET FOR EACH WEEK I CERTIFIED. I SENT
05/15/2020 BOOKER BROWN JR THE DOCUMENT PROOF OF INCOME NEEDED BY DES AND FAXED A COPY TOO HOPING THIS WILL FINALIZED MY CLAIM. I
HAVE CALLED DES CENTER A LOT I GOT OVERBUSY MESSAGE TOLD TO CALL AGAIN. I HAVE BEEN WAITING PATIENTLY
OVER A MONTH FOR A PAYMENT. HELP !!! MY UI CLAIM NUMBER IS 11703620 THANKS BOOKER T BROWN JR

I applied for unemployement on March 31st although I knew that my place of buisness did not pay unemployement taxes,
due to being a none profit childcare center. The first one i did went ineiligable pretty quick but i thought i did something
wrong so I reapplied before I knew the PUA was coming out. That 2nd claim has been pending since April 5th. Every time i
05/15/2020 Mrs Brandy Rogers call you can't get through to talk to someone and then if you do get through they give you the run around because they are
Trainee and have no clue what they are talking about. I just would love for my stuff to go through My husband is a City
employee and is the only one working at the time I haven't gone back to work although i could but i have to children one of
which i am trying to finish his schooling with and the second is not in school yet. And I honestly can't afford to put them
any where to go back to work.
05/15/2020 April Alexander I still have not received any payments. I filed 3/23/20. My claim states itâ€™s open, but pending solution.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed successfully on 5/8/2020 for the week of 4/20 - 4/24. However, I started filing on 5/1/2020. Granted I filed late, but
I didn't know there is only a 14 day window as I have never filed for unemployment before. Fortunately I filed within the
14 day window. I received the weekly certificate on 5/4/2020, however it was for the wrong week. I was not able to
manually change the dates on the weekly certificate. I called several times and got a message that que hold was full. The
chat feature started on 5/7/2020 I believe. I used the chat feature at 3:30pm and was number 150. I was on chat hold
05/15/2020 Ms Susan Williams
until 5:00pm and was still 47. I then used the chat feature on 5/8/2020 at 8:30am and was again number 150. I was able
to get through in about 2 hours and they said I had to call as the people on the chat line could not change the dates on the
weekly certificate. So then I called and found an option where the que hold was not full and was on hold for a couple of
hours and finally got a live person. And the live person was able to change the dates on the weekly certificate. I now have
a confirmation number but I have no idea how to find out the status of this confirmation number as far as when payment
will be expected. Thanks.

I was collecting unemployment , it took 10 weeks to get approved, I paid up all my past due Bills not knowing that a week
later the Covid mess would stop me from continuing to interview, I am 56 yrs old with asthma & High blood pressure, so
Iâ€™m at high risk.I only got $350 for 2 more weeks and exhausted my benefits on March 29th.
I was relieved to hear that the federal money would give me a 13 week extension of $600 a week, I am still waiting, have
05/15/2020 Ms Paula Horton
had no income for 8 weeks ??, I had already exhausted my 401k and borrowed from friends and relatives, and crappy
expensive payday loans to survive during the 10 weeks from December to March waiting fro regular unemployment, so
now things are really bad. Since they know we were already on unemployment, we should have been 1st no waiting for
employers to respond, no getting documents, since we were already approved for state UI,to get PEUC, I was told on
Wednesday they still donâ€™t have a date for my group, this is horrible..
Thanks for helping, someone needs to give answers
I filed three weeks ago and still nothing. It wasnâ€™t hard to file online but getting someone to answer on why itâ€™s
05/15/2020 Wendy Jacques taking so long is frustrating. I can not find out why itâ€™s been saying thereâ€™s one issue delaying payment for 3 weeks
now.

05/15/2020 Miss Jessica Neal I moved to NC for a job in September, laid off in March, terminated in May. I am getting unemployment but only qualify for
$1000 more due to my move from out of state. The extended benefits application has been inaccessible and still is to me.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I have an unemployment claim that was submitted over a month ago and is still pending. Itâ€™s virtually impossible to get
ahold of someone at the actual office. Most days that I get up early enough to get in the hold cue, I am dumped after 2-3
hours of holding. I was able to get help on some of the wrong lines. The pandemic program line was able to provide some
support, but couldnâ€™t fix everything because itâ€™s not the correct personnel for this issue. The chat is as full as the
05/15/2020 Carolyn Chafin phone lines. I know the people working on these claims are doing their best and the support I got via email about getting
logged into my account for the first time after weeks of not receiving any help did resolve the issue. But now I continue to
have a delay because I cannot get anyone on the line to review my claim. There ought to be a form that we can fill out with
a phone number and our issue to be called back as the customer support personnel can reply. The way the hold cues are
working now seems to have actually made it harder to get to the people that can help. Iâ€™ve been felt out to operators
that seem like their the contracted call center with limited access, then transfered to an already full hold cue more times
than I can count. Iâ€™m still languishing in this limbo between applied and reviewed with no indication of what to do next.
I was very pleased with my experience.
No problem on the website and I had my first payment on time with no problems.
05/15/2020 wholesale sales building Gloria Lewis
So itâ€™s not all bad!!!
Thx DES for making a tough situation a little better ...

I filed for unemployment on April 5th, and my case is still â€œpending.â€•I have tried calling the hotline but cannot get
through to anyone, even after over an hour of waiting! I understand the agency wasnâ€™t prepared for the influx, but this
05/15/2020 Samantha Pilkenton
should have been a top priority to beef up. We knew it was coming when the states hit hard first were having these issues.
Itâ€™s disappointing. I am lucky that I have been able to build up a reasonable savings before COVID-19, otherwise I would
be in a very poor position, as Iâ€™m sure many others are.

the waiting process is horrible. They say your employer has 10 days to respond and then it will automatically update if they
don't. My employer closed down permanently three weeks ago and I applied and nothing. No update, hasn't been
05/15/2020 Cynthia Wood processed. I got through on chat twice and the first one was rude and the second one told me to call. When I called I
waited 4 hours in queue to be hung up on instantly then called back and it said the queue was full!! Its very frustrating. I
have no income for the last three weeks and used the stimulus to pay my bills and now bills are due again and I don't have
any money to pay. I'm going to lose everything if I do not get some help!!!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Hi. I am a licensed cosmetologist and have a salon in Salisbury NC. On March 26th I applied for UI as instructed. Then we
were told that the self employed would need to wait to file for PUA on 4/25. By that time my UI claim had been found
ineligible, and I was able to start a new claim. Unfortunately, the system was not up and running properly, and there was
not a PUA link as they claimed there would be at the time. I was, however, at the end of the process of a second UI claim,
able to apply for PUA. My claim was open and I was paid retroactively one time on 4/27. Since then, I have not received
any payment. After logging 832 phone calls and speaking to 8 different people, I finally got someone who told me that
although I had been paid once, and all my weekly certifications were correct, that I had answered a question incorrectly on
my PUA application, therefore an adjudicator had found my claim ineligible once again and stopped payment. There was
05/15/2020 Robin Brown
nothing to do but appeal. Although direction was given to answer in the weekly certifications in the affirmative, 'yes', when
asked if we looked for work, no direction was given for the PUA application. The question I answered incorrectly was
"would you forego/give up your self employment to seek other employment." It was a question that, for someone who has
been self employed with their own business for 16 years, difficult to interpret. I switched my answer several times before
finally settling on 'no'. I have been out of work since 3/26 with one payment. That doesn't go far when you have bills. I
understand I answered the question wrong and the process, but when I have friends, family and co workers who have
answered the question the same as I, and they are steadily getting paid, it seems a bit strange as to why I am not. It took
me 832 calls over two weeks time and spending days on the phone (6+hours) to finally get to someone who could help. I
have appealed but have been told it will be a more lengthy than usual process due to Covid-19, and my email will and
appeal will be handled in the order it was received. My fear is I will be drowning in debt before that appeal ever (hopefully)
gets heard and a rule in my favor.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
Good Day,

As so many other North Carolinians and others in this country, I was furloughed at the end of March due to the covid-19
crisis.
My employer informed me that this was the best way to save everyone's jobs while also guaranteeing us continuous pay
of our benefits.
I was informed on March 27 and immediately tried to log in to file a claim to ensure that there is no gap in income to cover
the furlough.
It took me until April 4, 2020 to finally submit my unemployment claim. An entire week that apparently is not covered at
all, because they only consider the date the claim was submitted. I already heard about the horror stories about having to
wait for weeks to get approved. Considering these current circumstances I expected some delay. Considering the outdated
systems NC agencies are working with, I wasn't even too surprised that the phone lines and websites couldn't be accessed.
Cutting infrastructure funds and slapping a band-aid on important issues instead of updating/upgrading outdated systems
will eventually lead to a collapse when a crisis hits.
05/15/2020 Mr. Kenneth Mucha Regarding my claim, my employer provided me with a letter stating the reason for the furlough, i.e. covid-19 crisis. This
letter was uploaded along with all the other information required to successfully process a claim.
It is May 15, 2020. I have not received a single penny of unemployment benefits yet. I received a letter informing me about
my benefits along with a work search form. However, my account shows a "pending resolution" under the section "issues
delaying payment".
Since I have been furloughed I tried getting in touch with someone at the DES to assist me. To this day I have not spoken to
any representative, because right at 8am the lines are full and one is asked to try again later or to use the website and
complete a customer contact form or use the chat function.
No one answers the chat, and every week I have completed the customer contact form and have not received a single
answer.
There is no urgency to properly communicate the delays.
The DES facebook page explains the same information over and over again, and even said that a "pending resolution"
means that the employer has not reached out to the DES yet and that after so many days, the claim would be approved if
the employer doesn't respond.
Filed a claim on April 3rd. Still have â€œpending resolutionâ€as a reason why my payment is delayed. Canâ€™t get through
05/15/2020
to DES. Will probably have to withdraw my 401k to meet my bills this month.

It took a month to get approved mostly to the horrible wording and set up of the site. When filed there bottom section said
there was a problem holding payment. I answered the question and hit save. Back to the main screen and it didn't change.
Clicked and greeted with a different question. Answered and hit save. 3 more times the questions changed. Never indicated
05/15/2020 Donny Davis that the save function did not transmit the answers. Until I decided to risk hitting next did the answers get put through.
This is very poorly written script. If I hit save then go back to same link and it's a different question it leads me to assume
that the first answer was recorded and transmitted. Also Commission workers should not necessarily be lumped in with
Self employed. As a mechanic I am commission based income but work under a company. And get taxed the over time rate
if I am on the clock for more than the 50 hour cut off.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I started trying to apply for Covid19 UE benefits on the 15th via online but it took until about the 26th to get through to a
live person after the online kept crashing. I called every day about 60 times in a row and finally on or about the 26th I was
05/15/2020 Carolyn Davis
put on Real Time hold and waited on hold for 3 1/2 hours for a person to finally answer. The person was awesome and
helped me finish applying and certify for the weeks that were missed since first trying on March 15th. Super helpful and
understanding! No issues since then! Praise the Lord!

I actually applied on 3/15.... I was denied because I didnâ€™t work enough hours. I tried to appeal with no clear
understanding on the process. For over 30 days straight I called 10-15 times per day. I actually called the majority of time
exactly when the office was open but the messages said everyone was busy. I find that hard to believe. I have also emailed
10 times and never got a response from anyone! I finally reached someone on Sunday only after looking online to find out
they had Sunday hours. When I did reach someone I was told that I qualified for pua and was told that my claim would be
backdated from 3/15 when I applied for regular unemployment. I was thankful for the agent that did the process over the
phone as she was very patient with me. I was told that claims that started in mid March should be completed by 05/01 but
that has not happened at all. The process of not getting a clear understanding of the process and not expected date of
completion of a claim is frustrating. Extended hours should have been started as soon as the pandemic started. Itâ€™s
05/15/2020 Mr M Uzzell
unfair that someone has to call for weeks and not get a response. As of today 05/15 I have not gotten a clear information
on when Claim will be reviewed and approved. There are no updates online and thatâ€™s a major issue. We are asked to
go online and update your weekly certification.. if we are asked to complete a weekly certification then the unemployment
system should update our claim status weekly. Itâ€™s unfair and unjust for families that have lost there job to have to wait
for weeks without any information on when they could receive payment. NC unemployment should be able to handle the
amount of calls and emails no matter what the situation. If there have been new people hired and the start of March and
ongoing then there should be enough staff at this point that someone should be able to get a response from Nc
unemployment in a reasonable time frame. People are not able to pay there basic bills. Overall Iâ€™m extremely
disappointed with the entire process and as of today 5/15 I have not gotten any benefits from Nc unemployment and I
applied on 3/15! Forgive me if I have stated the same issues more than once. I along with all Nc citizens deserve better
from a state agency. Lack of preparation and planning by the agency should not be out fault and we deserve better. I need
help and assistance today and immediately in order to survive.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
Thank you for your time. Here are some the efforts I have made to date (opened claim week of 4/26/2020) with no
success:
â€¢
It took several days to file because the online system kept crashing.
â€¢
I have had issues getting a hold of someone at 888-737-0259 DES and have been trying since my claim to discuss this
but each time I am disconnected saying that all associates are currently busy and the hold queue is full, then hangs up. For
example I called 43 times on 5/15/2020 and the same thing happened each time.
â€¢
I have held for the chat line for hours and the chat team says the only way to correct this is to call the above number,
they are unable to help.
â€¢
I have also tried calling 888-372-3453 to but it says I am up to date on my weekly claims, it is machine operated.
â€¢
I have been following NC Department of Commerce on Facebook for information.
â€¢
In addition, I called the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance line at 866-847-7209 but they are unable to help and they
transfer me to DES which hangs up on me because the queue line is full.
â€¢
Contacted several NC Commerce employees directly, one did responded but cannot help and confirm I need my claim
backdated to 04/19/20 but that he did not have ability and to call 888-737-0259 DES, but this number continues to hang up
05/15/2020 Mrs. Sussan McLoughlin on me.
â€¢
Called 919-707-1268 directly â€“ ext 1 hung up on my due to the overwhelming number of calls, ext 2 was able to wait
on hold for 1 hour and 34 minutes and they werenâ€™t able to help, I needed to call DES #.

My issue I was on a temporary layoff April 19, 2020 through April 25, 2020 due to COVID-19. However, my benefit year in
the system shows it begins 4/26/2020. Everyone else in my company is going through the same one-week layoff and is
eligible and getting payment for the one week. I had no idea how the system worked and didn't realize 4/26/2020 needed
to be backdated. I have been given several different answers by everyone i have connected with on the above numbers I
was able to get through.

I received a Determination letter in my documents online from NC on 5/13/2020 confirming I am qualified:
â€œDETERMINATION: Claimant is not disqualified for benefits. Claimant last worked for EATON CORPORATION. Claimant
filed a claim effective 04/26/2020. REASONS: Claimant was discharged as a result of a lack of work due to COVID-19.â€•
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
I applied for Unemployment immediately following the Haywood County Shelter at home order that furloughed me from
both of my part time jobs. We moved to NC from South Dakota 7 months ago. I was employed by Mast General Store
and Twigs and Leaves Gallery in Waynesville, both in a part time capacity and have been furloughed from both positions
since March 17. About 2 weeks after applying, there was a warning symbol on my account that stated that my benefits
were being held and an interview needed. Understandably, things were very overwhelming for the DES offices, so I
didnâ€™t worry.

I received information that I was ineligible for UI in the state as I have not worked 6 quarters nor made the required
weekly amount for my employment with Mast, but nothing showed for wages for Twigs and Leaves Gallery. The owner of
the gallery was able to get through to the state and it appears that I did not put the correct DBA business name on the
original claim. The owner was not able to correct it for me as it didn't even show up as an existing business in the DES
system. So, I was caught in a loop in the system that could have in fact prevented me from being eligible for PUA Cares Act
funds for those ineligible for regular unemployment. I was stuck! To add more mess, I retired from my work in South
Dakota the end of June 2019 and did not work as we sold our house in SD and moved to NC. So, the question also became
05/15/2020 Heather Kuhlman apparent- was I eligible for UI from SD?

I tried for days to reach the DES through the phone line starting at 7:55 am- 5pm. One day alone, I called 37 times, only to
reach a recording that states that they are overwhelmed and the wait queue is full and then the call is disconnected. This
was frustrating - which I understand everyone was experiencing- but at the time I was running out of funds and worried
that I can find no way to â€˜fixâ€™ the business name (which still will not make me eligible for NC UI) but may take care of
the â€˜benefits being heldâ€™ warning that COULD prevent me from PUA funds, or get assistance with possible SD UI.
From the original application, I continued to fill out my weekly certification so that nothing would lapse.

After 6 weeks of unsuccessfully attempting to work through NC Works in Waynesville, attempting to email anyone at
NCDES (to no reply), calling the NCDES public number hourly for weeks, I reached out to my Republican Senators to see if
they could assist in ANY way. After working with Alexander Janes, the Legislative Affairs Director for the North Carolina
Department of Commerce for 2 weeks, I finally received a call from NC DES and the gentleman I spoke with was able to
correct my claim! I wish I knew his name, he was amazing. He guided me through the process, offered hope and was kind
I filed on 3/23/20. It took multiple attempts to get into the website. I received my first benefit on 4/17/20 so it took almost
a month to receive payment and it was retroactive. I think that 350.00 a week is too little. The unemployment policies have
become draconian under republican rule. North Carolinaâ€™s low ranks reflect extreme cuts. The legislation reduced the
maximum weekly benefit from $530 to $350 and changed the typical 26 weeks of eligibility to a sliding scale based on the
05/15/2020 dorothy Ives
unemployment rate that can go as low as 12 weeks. Meanwhile, qualifying for unemployment has been tightened to the
point that only 10 percent of the stateâ€™s unemployed people are eligible for the benefits, a rate that ranks 51st in the
nation.
The whole system needs to be overhauled and benefits increased.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I was laid off from my job as a daycare worker in Wilmington due to the Coronavirus. Despite immediately filing for
unemployment on March 31, I have now gone over 6 weeks with no benefits because, according to the website, there is an
â€œissue delaying my payment.â€•I have attempted to call a representative multiple times a day and cannot even be
placed on hold due to high call volume. It is getting to the point where I may soon be unable to pay rent and utilities. I
keep seeing reassurances in the newspaper and online that the state is adding workers at the call center and increasing
capacity for call volume, but I find it hard to believe this is the case as I continue to call multiple times a day, even during
05/15/2020 Susan Kaiser
the extended weekend hours, and havenâ€™t been able to be placed on hold. I just get a message saying â€œdue to the
high number of claims related to COVID-19 our phone lines are busier than usual. Weâ€™re sorry but all of our call center
agents are assisting other people right now and our hold queue is full. For immediate service, please visit our website. If
you need to speak to an agent, please call back at another time.â€•I know many people throughout the state are in the
same predicament as me. Please make it a priority for the state to quickly fix the issues with its unemployment system so
that people can talk to a live representative over the phone and receive the benefits they are entitled to, or even better
yet, reopen the local unemployment offices so that we can line up to speak to someone face to face (while practicing social
distancing measures). I believe that local unemployment offices are just as essential as grocery stores during this pandemic
and see no reason why they are closed. People canâ€™t purchase groceries if they donâ€™t have the money to do so.

Self-employed. Filed claim on 4/30/20 for PUA - took 12 hours to file claim. Have completed weekly certifications. Only
05/15/2020 D Waller info I have received back was that I was ineligible for something (never was explained to me). As to the PUA, STILL
PENDING. This is true incompetence at the highest levels of state govt. The news/media should be covering this story
every day and should be asking Gov Cooper everyday for updates.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
Dear Senators,

My name is Marla Amann, CMP. I am a self-employed consultant living (and until recently working) in Raleigh, NC still
waiting for UI payments from the federal government set for processing through NC DES.

Background: The source of my work is that I contract with companies who assemble teams of consultants to assist with
managing projects. My expertise is based upon delivery of project management skills connected with planning and hosting
small, medium and large audience meetings and conventions.

As a consultant the companies that hire and pay me to join their project management teams are defined as â€œmy
clientsâ€•
. My clients are contracted by larger companies who either do not have or do not wish to have in-house
employees to accomplish the management of their projects. These entities who hire my clients are best defined as â€œour
clientsâ€•
.

05/15/2020 Marla Amann Our clients pay my client who in turn pays me. I am responsible for all of my tax and insurance. Thatâ€™s relevant for the
current circumstance (filing for unemployment) because it explains how I (as a self-employed contractor) are never
considered as an employee of either my client or our clientâ€™s company.
I guess the first thing I wish to tell your committee is that although I have applied for benefits as of today there is no way
for me to discuss this with anyone at DES. Their insistence to have no human contact available does not allow me to do so.
I can tell you that walking through their application process still is skewed toward answering questions that do not apply to
my situation.

i.e. Who is your employer (the person who writes your check? I am my employer but my client issues my payment.

Week of March 23, 2020:
I began the process of applying for my federally legislated UI through the PUA portion of the 2020 Cares Act. Visiting the
des.nc.gov website I found it void of any information on how to file a claim that fit my circumstance. Instead - all that was
listed was how to apply for NC UI. Already knowing I did not qualify for NC UI (traditionally self-employed cannot claim for

I filed for unemployment orginally in December because I had pneumonia. My job was listed on an unemployment website
while I was out sick. I was denied. I have since applied again for PUA benefits, but they have just stayed in a pending status.
05/15/2020 Mrs Lisa Petrie
I'm unable to find employment because of the pandemic, but I have not been able to receive any assistance or guidance on
how to get assistance. I am not working solely because of the pandemic and being high risk of coronavirus complications. It
is very frustrating not being able to receive any help. I'm afraid I'm going to lose my house.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I responsibly closed my business more than a week before the Governor ordered us to close (I'm a massage therapist,
personal trainer and group exercise instructor). After filing for unemployment benefits, I waited over 7 weeks before
getting any benefits. In that time, I ran out of money and had to rely on friends and charity to afford food, bills, and an
emergency vet visit where my cat died. Almost 8 weeks of financial uncertainty was one of the most stressful things I've
05/15/2020 Mr. John Magers ever had to deal with. It is well-known that Republicans in our state legislature have worked tirelessly for a decade to gut
our unemployment system, and unemployment benefits, so it was not surprising to have had to deal with such a broken
system, but it did make it all the more frustrating. Almost everyone I know who is receiving benefits is not receiving state
benefits anywhere close to what we made while we were working. If it weren't for the Congress-provided Pandemic
Unemployment Assistance, most of us would have fallen into absolute financial ruin. We expect better from North
Carolina, and North Carolinians deserve better. It has been infuriating to be responsibly, yet forceably, closed down while
not receiving any help for months on end. We deserve better than what the Republican party has (not) done for us.

My unemployment claim was approved with a preliminary determination in April 29th. I was informed to verify my self
employed wages within 21 days by contacting DES Special Programs and speaking with a representative. I have tried
numerous time, all unsuccessfully since then. I have used the number provided in the letter to complete this verification.
Iâ€™ve never spoken with anyone by using the number they have indicated. Usually I would wait 20-30 minutes in the hold
05/15/2020 Michael Thrash queue before giving up and moving on to something else. On May 12th I dedicated 11 hours to sitting in the hold queue to
see if anyone would ever pick up; they did not. Since then I have attempted to use other numbers, sometimes even
speaking with a call center representative. Unfortunately they can not assist me, and I am always transferred, most often
getting disconnected or told the hold queue is full and to try calling later. On May 14 the recorded greeting for the Special
Prgrams number was hanged To indicate they are â€œno longer providing personal assistanceâ€• - which is in direct conflict
with my most recent letter dated May 12.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My disgust for them knows no bounds at this point due to the way they have handled my claim. They got payments to
every other employee where I worked at except me. Trying to call them on their number and speak to them on their
phony chat line has yielded nothing. They simply will not get me an agent who can help me find out why I'm not getting
payments yet. They also threw up a PUA thing on my webpage, thinking it was relevant to my regular claim I filled it out
only to find out later this was unnecessary. I was not self-employed or a contract worker. I was a regular full time
employee entitled to UI benefits. They had all this information on my regular claim. Now I have this PUA claim along with
my regular claim. I desperately have tried to contact them through that phone number, when I did get somebody they said
they had to transfer me, and then comes that obnoxious announcement that "due to the high volume of calls related to
05/15/2020 David Hamer
covid-19, we are unable to speak with you, please call back at another time", and then I'm hung up on. It's been that way
for the last two and a half weeks since I've been trying to find out why they left me in the lurch and put up this damn PUA
thing on my page. To think that I paid into this for 8 years on my job before getting furloughed from it due to covid-19 and
get this kind of inept treatment fills me with utter rage. They say they have hired extra people and put in this chat line to
help is total BS. These "extra people" and the stupid chat line are just people who help people get their claim filed.
Absolutely no line or access to actual DES agents who can straighten out problems with existing claims to get people their
money. I filed on April the 8th, and have gotten no correspondence from them or payout information, while every single
other employee is getting their money where I was at. So, in other words if you don't get a response and payment in a
couple of weeks after filing, you'll have a long sweaty grueling wait trying to get help. I am having financial difficulty now
due to this shoddy treatment. Their system is a total lie and a sham. They hide behind call center agents like some secret
society. There is no hope for me trying to get their help.
Applied on April 5th. Have not recieved any payment to date. My family, including myself and two minor children, are
05/15/2020 Cheryl Davis
facing serious housing eviction.

I filed unemployment on March 20th... my employer filled out the necessary paperwork and my act went to pending status
and stated that way for weeks. After days and says hours and hours of on hold and disconnected calls I would eventually
get a person who didn't know how to help or answer my questions. Now almost 8 weeks later I was denied unemployment
05/15/2020 Unemployment complaint Ashlynn Moore
so then had to file a PUA. Once again I'm right back in the same situation. I have called and called and all I can be told is it is
just waiting to be processed. I am not out of work by choice I'm out of work because the state shutdown and seems like it
will never open back up. I did not choose to not have a check coming in every week to help support my family that option
was taken away from me. I am overly frustrated and just plain fed up with the lack of effort that seems to be going on to
get deserving people money to support their families until our governor decides hes done letting our economy suffer!

I filed my claim on March 25. I have not received anything. I call 2 to 4 times weekly, if not to be hung up on due to phone
lines and call center being full. To wait for over 4 hours to speak to a representative who tells me 7-14 days. Still,no results.
05/15/2020 Mrs Amy Hare
I own my own buisness, forced to close,due to governors orders and still have received no assistance. This system is a
failure to our society and is in need of revisions. After 2 months,this is unacceptable. A higher standard of accountability
should be held to our people. Truly disappointed.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I was laid off shortly after the stay at home order was given. I filed and 2 weeks later received my 1st benefits shortly after.
I have however found that pnce my hisband filed his claim not long after has still been left waiting and with no movement
05/15/2020 Miss Patricia Smith on his claim... Its been weeks and though the benefits have been helping us keep up its just barely. Its a true hit for a
middle class family of 4 to both be laid off and your government when you need them most cant keep up. I unfortunately
know 1st hand what its like to go without and we are not the only family suffering. We need help. However the powers
that be decide we deserve it.

I responded to claims my employees had filed - I thought they might be able to receive partial unemployment benefits
because I had to reduce their hours due to closing for Corona virus restrictions. Despite calling numerous times a day, I
05/15/2020 Teresa Rasco was only able to get a person twice (I believe the total amount I spent on this was 4-5 weeks). While the 2 DES employees I
spoke with were helpful, I found the website very difficult to understand and navigate. Our employees never received any
benefits because they make too much to quality for the meager benefits allowed. Needless to say I not exactly pleased
with the process.

The experience was literally a pandemic in and of itself!! I understand the overwhelming nature and speed at which this all
took place, but for Cooper to stand up, proclaim and leave the impression that improvements with DES were "around the
corner" was grossly misleading. For me, the very, very poor instructions (or lacking instructions & definitions) led to system
errors creating incorrect eligibility status. I was impossible to speak to someone to understand what went wrong and how
to correct the misinformation showing on my home page on the website. As a result of people sharing information via
social media on how to get help for cases similar to mine, I wrote multiple emails over the course of then entire month of
April to the offices of Senator Todd Johnson, Representative John Faircloth and NC Commerce Secretary Taylor Lockhart.
They responded but with no commitment to arrange for someone from DES contact me to figure out what the problem
was with my filed claim. Eventually, a DES employee normally in the Password Reset department called to verify the
income amounts showing in DES' system. But that was it. Shortly thereafter, a benefit payment was issued but without
05/15/2020 Ms Oratai Wongsiri any explanation as to specifically what it covered: state unemployment benefit + $600 federal pandemic + any retroactive
amount could not be determined. Again, no information in my DES on line account. NOW-- today, 5/15, an option to "file a
claim for unemployment benefits" appears in my online account with no explanation on what to do. Is this for more
information? To correct the information DES already has? A renewal to continue benefits? UNKNOWN!! The claimant
online account system is an "abortion" -- clearly designed in the era when concept of "user experience" did not exist. Even
in normal times, it is blatantly obvious the designers of the system and leaders of the DES & Commerce Department
provided zero system design oversight to ensure users would understand and be able to use the system and that it would
process claims accurately. All these system challenges obviously led to surge in volume of users needing to speak with a
DES expert. So even today, it is impossible to access the "question about my account" option on the recently added chat
feature . All in all, a horrific experience which no one could have predicted and for which it is still impossible to
communicate with the DES. I hope your office will share the comments from this hearing and more importantly what
REAL ACTION STEPS will be taken as soon as possible.

y
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed 3-31-2020, confirmation #:[REDACTED]. I have filed and are up to date on my weekly certifications. Received a letter
4/24/2020 with a mail date of 4/02/2020. My claimant ID: [REDACTED]. I knew it would take two weeks before first
payment. I waited patiently. I called 5/4/2020 a total of 367 times and never through or even put on hold. I called
5/5/2020 and got to speak to a Janice, we worked on the claim and got everything straightened out and she informed me
they would expedite the release of funds and that I should see something 5/8/2020. Nothing came through. I called again
5/4/2020 for a total of 30 times. Initial people couldn't answer my questions and would transfer to DES agent but upon
05/15/2020 Mr. James Hunt
transfer it would disconnect. There were problems with the phone lines that day. I would get on hold and the call would
experience an error and hang up I have since emailed every Janice in the NC commerce employee directory on
5/12/2020. No response, other than from one Janice who informed me that she wasn't in that Dept. And gave me a form
letter that she was told to respond with for email correspondence. I filled out the online form on the NC DES website, no
response. Today is 5/15/2020 and I still haven't received anything. Please help. The lack of response is affecting my
relationships. My gf broke up with me. I snapped at my roommate simply because he was asking if I could pay rent
(currently owe him $2000 for current and back rent). I can't support local businesses with no money. I feel extremely
frustrated and defeated. I don't feel like getting out of bed. I don't communicate with anyone. Please help . . .
05/15/2020 Amber Frigoletti I had no trouble at all. It was a very easy process and everything went smoothly. No issues whatsoever.
I find the unemployment system in North Carolina to be deplorable. I have been waiting for months for some type of
communication and nothing. Phone lines and online systems are bogged down any time of day or night. It is an absolute
disgrace people are waiting for money to feed their families and no one is available to offer any type of support or
05/15/2020 Albert Labriola information. I was approved for benefits weeks ago and nothing. The state should be ashamed of how they are treating
the people that live here. All we ever hear from the news is how hard they are working to accommodate all the claims, yet
I don't know of a single person that has received benefits. We are tired of "lip service" from this state. Please take care of
your people!

I applied in March for unemployment and in April for PUA. My status is still pending. I have spent hours calling, emailing
and faxing. I read the instructions on filing, uploaded documents, registered with NC Works and completed weekly
certifications. Everyday I fill out the contact us form on the DES website and have never gotten a response. I've done the
online chat three times and all three times they can only tell me I have a pending status. My latest attempt to call in it took
41 tries to get on hold, then I was on hold for 8 hours and never got anyone. On the rare times I have gotten thru on the
05/15/2020 Lisa Davidson phone I've had someone brand new that couldn't help me. Imagine being on hold for multiple hours and you finally get
someone and they can't help you. I've emailed multiple people at DES asking if my claim was missing anything on my end,
never have gotten a response. My employer has filled out the necessary paperwork. I worked as a Listing and Marketing
Coordinator at a real estate team and have no idea if/when I'll go back to work. Meanwhile my daughter starts NC State in
August and I could really use these benefits. I know the college bills are coming soon. Please know that the current system
is not working. I understand that DES has never experienced anything like this before and the claims are staggering.
However they claim that they are making improvements, but I haven't noticed anything different since when I applied in
March. Thank you for reading!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My claim was filed in Nov of 2019 prior to the pandemic, due to a layoff in the Telecom sector. I waited for 7 weeks before
any payment was received. My benefits are now exhausted as of March. I have been sheltering in place and unable to find
05/15/2020 Jeff Harvell
any work. With so many people out of work and my savings running low, I need to know when PEUC will be available in
NC? This is the 13 week extension of UI benefits. I hope to be back to work soon but with the current situation of our state
and nation there is no way to know when this will happen. Thank you.

I am a NC Licensed Massage Therapist, self-employed for 15 years. Due to Covid-19 and Governor Cooper's Executive
Order #120, I had to stop working in mid-March. I immediately filed for unemployment even though I am a self-employed
person. When the CARES Relieve Pandemic Unemployment Assistance(PUA) benefit was approved, I filed for PUA on
4/24/20. I was approved and paid for several weeks of unemployment. However, on 5/3, when I completed my weekly
certification, I responded to one question incorrectly. As a result of the mistake, I have not been paid the
PUA/unemployment benefit in 2 weeks. I have called numerous times, but have been told by the phone Rep, that they do
NOT have the ability to correct a mistake on someone's questions and would have to send an e-mail to their supervisor. I
05/15/2020 Ms. Gail Russo have called 3 times, and 3 emails have been sent to a supervisor. I have asked my congresswoman for help with this
(Foushee), and she has forwarded my complaint to someone at DES. Today date, my issue is NOT corrected and I have not
been paid for several weeks. This is frustrating when you have business bills and personal bills to pay and you're not
getting the PUA money that you were approved for. I understand that hundreds of people have been hired by DES, but
that isn't helping those of us who have claim issues that we are told must be resolved by seasoned supervisors. There are
obviously not enough experienced, authorized personnel to handle the large number of claim issues that need resolution.
This is unacceptable. Instead of hiring all new bees, please add for experienced senior personnel to the backlog of fixing
"pending resolutions." I am very frustrated right now. I've spent a lot of hours waiting on hold to DES, only to find out that
I'm in the queue for my issue to be fixed, but they can't say when that will happen. Once again, this is UNACCEPTABLE. I
have business and personal bills that need to be paid now, and I have not been paid. PLEASE GET MORE EXPERIENCED
PEOPLE ON BOARD WHO CAN FIX THE "PENDING RESOLUTIONS. " Thanks for asking for feedback.

I am President of the NC State AFL-CIO. We have heard from union members around the state about the inadequacy of our
state's UI benefits--benefits which are some of the lowest in the nation. We need to raise the maximum amount, increase
05/15/2020 Ms. MaryBe McMillan the duration, and change the benefit formula to use the highest two quarters. UI benefits should be adequate enough to
help jobless workers weather this crisis or any other economic downturn. Putting money in workers' pockets means more
money they will spend at businesses and more tax revenue generated for government. In addition, we need to fund DES so
that they can upgrade their phone and computer systems and staff up to assist those who are filing claims.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I applied for unemployment around 3/29 and I still haven't gotten it. I called DES on 4/30 and was on hold for 3 hours 20
mins and when I talked to someone they put me on hold to transfer me to a claims specialist and then they hung up. I
couldn't get back through the claims line when I tried to call back. I called again on 5/1, and was on hold for 1 hour and 20
mins. I talked to someone and got hung up on AGAIN and I couldn't get back through the claims line. I called on 5/3 with an
hour wait and was told the person couldn't help me and the claims specialist wasn't available that day and he would send
an email to get me a call back within 24-48 hours. Of course, that didn't happen. On 5/6, I tried to call 48 times to DES and
could never get through to anyone. I called again, 5/7, and was told I needed to speak with a claims specialist, got
transferred and again got hung up on and couldn't get back through the line. On 5/7, I sent emails to all of NC's senators
and House members. Finally a senator called me back and was able to patch me through to DES and I spoke with a lady at
DES. She said my issue was fixed and I should receive payment within 3 business days. Well, here we are, 6 business days
05/15/2020 Mrs Susan Johnson
later and my unemployment status still sits at pending. I called the pandemic line on 5/12 to see if I could get an update
and was told they couldn't help me, and I had to speak to a claimâ€™s specialist. She did say she was new and that the only
thing she could see was that my PUA was stuck in pending and the state UI was Open and not denied as needed for the
pandemic to go through. She transferred me to the claims people, but I was hung up on which always happens in a
transfer. And of course, I tried to call back, but the call would not go through the claims line. On 5/13, I tried the chat
feature on the DES website and was finally able to get "in line" at 5:24 pm and I was number 126 in the queue. At 8:20 pm,
they disconnected me and turned off the chat feature. I was number 5 at that point and that was 3 hours wasted! On 5/14,
I started calling the DES number at 7:30 am just to make sure I could get in when the lines opened and called for 2 hours
straight and couldn't never get through. I seriously don't see how when the phones opened at 8 am, that they were already
full, I called non-stop! I called a total of 56 times that day and was never able to get through! I again did the chat feature
and waited for an hour to only be told they couldn't help me and I had to call the number. I told the chat lady that I
couldn't get through and she said sorry that is the only way. I have sent emails and filled out the contact me form on the
DES website with NO response. This system is completely broken!
Hello,

I applied for unemployment on March 27th and still have not received any benefits. I lost my full-time job but am still
employed by the National Guard one weekend a month that messed up my application. It was 5 weeks before I got
05/15/2020 Mr. Lindsey Perry through to a person on the phone, who told me that the claim had not even been sent to my previous employer, and it
would be at least 2 more weeks. I hit that two-week mark from that point yesterday and can once again not get through to
anyone on the phone.

Lindsey Perry

My husband and I are both self employed. We both applied late March, but the system wasnâ€™t set up for self employed.
We applied again 4/24. I received benefits starting 4/29 after several days of waiting on hold to talk to someone. My
05/15/2020 Ms Angie Patterson
husband still hasnâ€™t started receiving his benefits and he hasnâ€™t worked since 3/15. Weâ€™ve been told he should
have the green light to get paid from the PUA rep but the UI rep said all we can do now is wait. If we didnâ€™t have family
helping us through, this would be a disaster for us. We just got our stimulus payment 5/13.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed for unemployment -PUA for independent contractors and have yet to hear anything regarding my claim. Something
05/15/2020 Miss Tonya Turner that is supposed to take less than two weeks itâ€™s going on three weeks now and every time I called no one can give me
an update on my claim. It is very frustrating and aggravating.
I filed for unemployment -PUA for independent contractors and have yet to hear anything regarding my claim. Something
05/15/2020 Miss Tonya Turner that is supposed to take less than two weeks itâ€™s going on three weeks now and every time I called no one can give me
an update on my claim. It is very frustrating and aggravating.
I applied on 4/24 and as of 5/15 am still at pending status. I have spent hours upon hours on the phone to get answers and
05/15/2020 Dylan Kerns get the claim approved and have gotten no answers and gotten nowhere with the claim, so it has not been a good
experience thus far, with bills continuing to pile up.

I found the experience extremely stressful! I was a little taken back by the amount of time it took me to actually speak to
an individual. But once I did, I actually found the rep to be very kind and helpful. The information taken by (Amy), the rep
who assisted me with the claim was in my opinion thorough. Although once reviewing the claim, she didnâ€™t check off.
Regarding the reason for being out of work. Which was due to Covid 19. My claim was withdrawn, I know I qualify for
benefits, Iâ€™ve worked for my company almost 12 yrs.
Iâ€™ve called the call center everyday since March 15, only to either be routed to an out going message or being put on
hold for 3 or 4 hrs. Then after holding for that period of time, the call was disconnected.
I literally have bills going on three months (June), in arrears. Iâ€™m out of work for over two months, no funds. I
havenâ€™t even received my stimulus yet! I am desperate!!! I hope these comments donâ€™t fall on deaf ears and
05/15/2020 Ms Deborah Aljarboua someone please assist me.
I do understand that Iâ€™m probably not the only one that is going through this but, that doesnâ€™t take away the
anguish and hopelessness that Iâ€™m experiencing.

I do appreciate you reaching out in regards to
this matter... I will continue to try to get through to des while awaiting some sort of assistance from your division.
If you have any questions please contact me
at (757)5975345.
I am a Virginia transplant, almost 2 1/2 yrs now. Never changed phone number.

Thanking you in advance for your assistance in this matter.
Deborah Aljarboua
05/15/2020 raed d it took long in the beginning but the website is up to par now and fast and handling the traffic well!

I have had a difficult time getting my claim fixed. I misunderstood some of the questions and put the wrong date for my
last date worked. There is not any way to correct information once it has been submitted. And with the system so busy,
you can't contact anyone for help. I tried certified mail, the phone line, email via DES website and the chat online. As a last
05/15/2020 Larry Moore resort, I wrote an email to every address I could find at DES and emailed my state representatives. With the
representatives help I received a deposit last week. I still have not had my issue resolved for my first week missed. This has
been very frustrating; I cannot imagine if this was a matter of feeding my children and paying the rent. For those who are
worse off than me, I ask that we do better for the citizens of this great state. Thank you for allowing me to share my
experience and thoughts.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

"Senate Commerce and Insurance Committee will meet to discuss our stateâ€™s unemployment insurance customer
service..."

LOL, there is no "customer service"!

Impossible to access anyone by phone - often when placed in "the queue" you wait for hours and then the line simply goes
dead.
05/15/2020 Jeffrey Murphy The "chat" option is like the phone queue - wait for hours and then get booted off without ever "chatting" with anyone.
No one responds to emails.

The website interface is clunky, confusing, non-informative.

I have yet to receive any information that I consider informative, encouraging, pertinent or of any value to my
unemployment situation from NCDES.

My feeling is the entire system was hijacked, over the past few years, by the NCGOP and is purposefully a cluster-fu@k in
hopes that NC citizens will just give up on the benefits which they are entitled to by both State and Federal laws.
All DES employees I encountered were fantastic and made every effort to help. The largest issues were lack of staffing and
05/15/2020 9107250705 Steven Van Scoyoc
low capacity computer systems.

I am an independent contractor. I filed March 28, 2020. I was promptly denied as the system was not yet set up for
independent contractors and self employed individuals. I continued with weekly certifications as the DES website sent me
weekly reminders to do so. On April 24th, I applied for UI as the system was now set up for Independent contractors. This
week, I was adjudicated ineligible for UI and my PUA status remains on pending status. My last day working was March 12,
2020. I have been without income since then. I have since lost my car to repossession. I have attempted calling the DES
05/15/2020 Michael Rothacker phone numbers since April x30 - 45 daily every day the system accepts phone calls. I have been hung up on and have yet
been able to even enter the call hold queue. I have been in the chat queue waiting for upwards of 2.5 hours only to be
kicked off when I go from 135 in the queue to 10 in the wait queue. That has happened at least 3 times. It is impossible to
reach the DES agents via phone as I have been trying for nearly 2 months. I have offered to be hired and trained as a call
agent for DES as I am more than willing to work and help everyone with the process. I have also offered my fiance's
services for the same. It is hard to have faith in a system that is impossible to reach via phone. There are many UI/PUA
applicants that I know of personally that applied the same day as I did and were approved and receiving payment within 10
days. Why are some of us still pending after 9 weeks of waiting? Thank you.
I filed on March 26th, I have emailed, and called. I was even told that itâ€™s a waiting game and I just needed to wait. I
05/15/2020 Sybil Lucas
have submitted forms and still nothing. I am just overwhelmed at this point.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I have worked for Marriott International for 25 years and I have been furloughed since April 4th. It took me a full day to
complete my Unemployment Application online because the system kept shutting down and I had to complete the same
information over and over again. I then received a notice of some pending information needed the next day and I provided
as much detail as I could and waited. It is now 6 weeks later and I have called at least 5 times a day to have the system tell
me there is no one to take my call and to check online. I then decided to call today and press the option as if I was filing a
new claim. My goal was to get someone to take my call. I get a nice lady who just repeats the information that I saw
online that my case was waiting for information. She said she was going to transfer me to someone that could take a look
05/15/2020 Ms. Veronica Saunders closer at the specifics of my case. I then proceed to wait on hold for 4 hours and 32 minutes for a gentleman to get on the
phone to tell me that he could not provide me with any additional information and that the adjudication department can
take up to 7 weeks to get to my claim and tried to explain to me that there was a pandemic going on. I explained my
situation and I wanted to know what additional information was needed and he said I have tried to tell you that there is
nothing else I can tell you. He said my boss hasn't given me any additional information and I am just a call center person
and I have nothing else I can tell you. I tried to ask why do they provide a phone number to ask questions when there is no
one to provide any additional information. He then said I am not about to round and round with you on this phone. I said
hold on I am not being rude and I would appreciate it if you were not rude to me. He then hung up the phone. I totally
understand what is going on and I am being patient and I have gone without a full paycheck for 6 weeks now. Why have a
phone number to inquire about your claim when they don't tell you anything that you can't read on the website and there
is absolutely no follow up. These are extreme circumstances but this process is ridiculous.
I am a self employed hairstylist and my experience has been a frustrating nightmare. I applied almost two months ago and
have had no resolution as of this day. Even speaking to someone has been impossible. The automated system that is now
05/15/2020 Brandy Givens
in place is still not actually helping . No one can tell me anything about why my claim is not being worked on or if I need to
submit more information.
Finally after being approved, I received approval for $79 PUA and $132 PUA. I am a contract worker.....no idea why these
05/15/2020 Efthalia Barbee payments do not reflect the $600 PUA. Is it a partial? Also there was a $2712 direct deposit and the next day a $344. Was
there an error? No way to contact for clarity
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed for unemployment assistance in March and April when the PUA federal system was set up online.
I have submitted my tax records and 1099 statements. I call every day and get a recorded message stating due to high call
volume my call can not be answered & to call back at a later time. I try to call a minimum of 30 times a day and I never get
a live person.
My status states pending on the claimant page when I log in. . I am a small business owner and all my scheduled events
have been cancelled and rescheduled for next year.
05/15/2020 Miss Amanda Finch I have been waiting since 3/15 to hear back from or at least get through to have live assistance on the phone.
I understand that the infrastructure was not in place to handle the amount of applications, and I know they are trying to
train staff to process all the applications.
Itâ€™s hard to be patient since itâ€™s been 7 weeks.
I am relying on my retirement savings to get by until unemployment kicks in.
I feel sorry for the folks that do not have a savings and are struggling far more then I am.
Respectfully
Amanda Finch-
To whom it may concern, my inquiry is regarding individuals whoâ€™ve exhausted their UI Benefits from a previous
05/15/2020 Ashlee Ross employer and havenâ€™t been able to work due to covid. Basically are we going to be able to extend and where is the
option for that? Iâ€™ve written two emails with no response.

My wife and I are both self employed. We were extremely pleased when we learned the Pandemic Unemployment
Assistance program would cover us. We are house cleaners and have suffered greatly from the Coronvirus. We are unable
to work as no one wants anyone in their homes right now. On April 24th I signed up for UI and PUA on the NC DES website.
It was very complicated (way more so for the PUA) and a lot of the questions were either confusing or worded so as to
cause confusion. Many questions were repeated. After getting the Ineligible notice on the UI then the PUA application
opened up and I was able to complete it. It stayed Pending for 5 days, then went to "Open" and I did receive payment even
05/15/2020 Mr Joe Holmes back to the start of my unemployment. During all this though it was extremely difficult to get any assistance from DES.
Even though they increased staff the staff they had seemed to only be there for help with new claims. Any problems with
an existing claim always prompted the reply, "I need to transfer you over to DES" and then you'd get hung up. My wifes
claim was put in on April 24th for UI and PUA on April 25th. Today May 15th she is STILL in Pending status and has received
no payment at all. I have called repeatedly and chatted as well, even sent a fax. All agents say the same thing, "If its
pending you just have to wait" and if I ask for a timeframe I'm told there is no timeframe. I asked if the claim was filed
correctly and was told yes it looks okay but maybe DES needs something else. If so thats fine just me us know what. It is
frustrating as I have heard of people putting in claims on Friday and getting checks the following Monday and then people
like my wife who have waited for 3 weeks and still have nothing.
I filed as soon as it was possible for self-employed people. I still don't have any information on whether I'm getting it or
how much. It's understandable given the number of people doing this, but it's distressing. The original process was not
05/15/2020 Barbara McCullough
really tailored to self-employed and neither is the ongoing weekly certifications, but I'm answering the questions as best I
can.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My last day of work was 15Mar2020. I filed unemployment almost immediately thereafter. I have filed each weeks since
and my employment,Randolphs Bar and grill, is still closed as of 16May2020. Per Governor Cooper mandated orders. I have
05/15/2020 Rodney Dillion
been in contact with my local Rep Destin Hall, Sen Warren Daniels and DES employee Darian Waters on 02May2020 and
again on 15May2020. Yet my employment claim still says "pending resolution" . As of this day I have yet to receive any
monies. What more must I do or with whom do I speak?

While currently a resident of Virginia, My base eligibility is covered by my employment in NC for 2019. I was furloughed
due to Covid 19 on April 19, 2020, I filed on April 24, My status is still pending. I have never been able to reach anyone by
phone. I received an email at 2AM yesterday morning telling me that I have new correspondence regarding my claim,
05/15/2020 Unemployment Mark Emery
however I should expect to wait 24-48 hours just to view it. As of 5/15 @ 4:21 PM there is no new information posted. Not
hearing anything is especially troubling, there is no way to plan for what you don't know. My personal situation is nothing
compared to the stories I see on the FB page "North Carolina Unemployment", the suffering is tragic. We an do better than
this, and we must. Thank You.
I have not received any information on my unemployment accept itâ€™s open and pending. I also have been trying
05/15/2020 Scott Winowitz numerous times of day to call into Des and I have not been able to get thru in over 3 weeks. This is absolutely the worst
experience I have ever had
05/15/2020 Mr Orland Carra Extend unemployment benefits.
Been waiting since 3/29/20 for first payment. Tried calling multiple times and either no answer, disconnect or hold cue full.
Filed for PUA (3 weeks later). Finally got through on PUA line twice only to be told PUA claim pending, was transferred to
05/15/2020 Waiting James Blackwood someone who could help on state, but was disconnected. Spent 2.5 hrs waiting on computer cue to find out PUA claim
pending then told to contact state DES to get answers on state claim. I did receive Wage and Monetary Determination
mailed out on 3/30. Where is my payment?

I filed for unemployment at the beginning of April after being furloughed from my full-time job in mid-March. The office
where I work had to close temporarily due to Covid-19 and furloughed nearly all of its employees. My employer strongly
encouraged all of us to file for unemployment insurance. It has now been about a month and a half since I filed for
unemployment, and my status is still pending. The website is difficult to navigate, and when I filed my first claim, their
05/15/2020 Emily Andino
server kept crashing and making me start the application over. Furthermore, it is nearly impossible to get through to a
representative on the phone. After waiting on hold for an hour to inquire about further actions I may need to take, I spoke
to a representative for a minute before being hung up on. Although I can still work a few hours part time, I have been
making a fraction of my previous income due to my furloughed status. I need unemployment insurance to pay my rent,
utilities, and basic living expenses, but my status remains "pending" with no guidance about what action is needed and no
transparency about why I have not been able to receive the insurance.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I have been on lockdown since March 16, 2020. I went on line and thought that I had filed and found out weeks later that it
didnâ€™t happen but was not notified. Since then I went back and a customer service representative was somewhat able
to help but could not go back to March 16th. This happened in May and I still donâ€™t have any reply on my home page
that I am qualified for unemployment. Today, May 15th I got an email telling me that I need to file weekly but I called the
05/15/2020 Robert Murphy number to do it and it was a recording that said that all the people were tied up and call back later and hung up on me as it
has for over 2 months. I am 66 years old and a Diabetic. My Claimant ID # is [REDACTED]. I went on lockdown per our
Governor and our President Mr. Trump. My wife and I would love to get started on receiving my money back payed from
March 16, 2020. I can fill in anyone with more information if needed. Please call me anytime at [REDACTED] . We only have
been going out to get groceries about every 2 weeks. Thank you and Please, Please, Please, I would love to here from
someone. Thank you for taking the time to help . Very,very much appreciated.

Dear Committee, I am a preschool teacher at a church. Unfortunately, we are closed due to the coronavirus.
I originally filed a UI claim March 25th. Of course I was denied. I heard I would qualify for the PUA. When that came along,
I never saw a PUA link so I began another claim, not knowing I was not supposed to. I was told to complete that claim then
I could file for the PUA. This worked however, I have yet to receive retro pay from my original UI claim from March 25th. I
have completed every single weekly certification.

I am no more important than anyone else filing, however; I am appalled at how long it has taken DES to get assistance to
people. I know they are overwhelmed but something has to be done. A more effective system, trained DES agents who do
05/15/2020 Mrs. ASHLEY CLARY not need to transfer people because they can not assist them. After weeks and weeks( 7 long weeks) hours and hours upon
hours of calling, praying for a miracle, you get someone but they can't help. I feel defeated. I even heard a DES agent in the
background say they were told not to respond to emails. Another DES agent got upset at someone needing assistance
when the DES agent's baby started screaming so she hung up on the desperate person.

People do mean well but people get desperate when they're struggling to make ends meet, needing food on the table,
medicine to help keep them alive, to name a few.

I am asking for help. Help for everyone else who did not ask to be in this position.

Thank you for your time.

My claim has been "pending" since April 5th, I haven't gotten a penny of either State or Federal aid, and I have been unable
05/15/2020 Matthew Clinton to get through to DES by phone or email.

The handling of this unemployment crisis has been an embarassing disaster for the taxpayers and voters of North Carolina.
My on line profile posted two payments into my business checking account on May 8 and 10. However the payments never
05/15/2020 David LaCava showed up in my bank account. I was extremely diligent inputting the correct routing and account numbers into my profile.
I still havenâ€™t seen any benefits. Need help !!!

My experience was pretty pain less wth the exception of I would have appreciated a correspondence that said "approved."
But I know I'm in the far minority. I don't think I would have been able to complete the documentation if I hadn't done it
my last day at work overnight. When the hours of the website was cut due to high traffic, found myself puzzled. If everyone
05/15/2020 Zoe Eriksen is concentrated into 9-5 essentially how can you expect that to run smoother?? I also had trouble uploading documents. I
was trying to upload pay stubs and a letter from my employer to make the process faster and the website wouldn't take
them. I was actively confused.

Also "did you attend school" didn't leave room for online school.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Iâ€™ve been waiting for my unemployment money for almost 2 months. Iâ€™d filed at the beginning of April after my job
laid me off. The company that Iâ€™m renting from has filed court papers against me in spite of the pandemic. I have other
bill collectors calling me to receive a payment. I donâ€™t understand the hold up. All they have to do is just verify my
05/15/2020 Ms. Jessica Lee
information, license and social security card, that Iâ€™ve uploaded on the website so my claims can be processed. Iâ€™m
trying to feed my children and keep them safe from this virus. Please help to speed up the process so me and my children
wonâ€™t be homeless, my car wonâ€™t get repro, my utilities will stay on, me and children wonâ€™t be hungry, and
Iâ€™ll be able to keep my little family safe. Thanks Jessica Lee
I submitted my unemployment claim on March 27. It has been pending since then. I have submitted documentation to help
05/15/2020 James Bryan clear up the issues but they are still there. I have called countless times to only be hung up on. I have emailed countless
times with no response.
Claim has been pending over a month. Access to online services is off and on and does not get a response. Trying to call is
05/15/2020 Mr Rodney Davis impossible. There is something seriously wrong with this and is contributing to the stress of the times we are living. But
what can you do.

They let me go off my job for Covid 19 every since March 11 2020 and I have not receive any money from DES .My claim
is Pending for THREE MONTHs. With chat online they told me i had a problem with my Weekly Certification that my PUA is
going to UI .They say all my UI weekly Certification need to be under PUA. I ask for help and they sent me to a line with
only Recorded Messages.( I chat to them back ), They gave me a phone number That stay busy all day. I have called every
05/15/2020 William Mccoy
day and also email them. They have people working there ( DES )giving you the Run Around.I had Someone that told me
that no records found on my claim number. They are not fixing the issue and releasing unemployment benefits (Money).
The PUA is still Pending .IT seen like it has gotten worse because the people they hire can not help you. Also have many
other friends from jobs for PUA claims they are telling them the same thing TO keep filing weekly certification . But no
money (UNemployment Benefits). Have friends that stay in South Carolina that file PUA only take 2 or 3 days to receive
unemployment. P.S. If need help with PUA system need to ask SOUTH Carolina DES for help they right next door.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
As my first time ever having to ever file for unemployment my experience was absolutely horrible. and what I would
consider equal to some one spitting in my face .I work 2 jobs and have done so for years as it seems that's the only way you
will be able to make it in life but unfortunately my second job was shut down due to the executive order. Lets start with
the actually filing of my claim it took me hours to actually get threw the filing process. after being kicked out of the site
multiple times I managed to complete my UI. After completing my claim I waited for a response which never came I got as
letter in the mail which was just reprinted info form my account I already reviewed. everyday I rushed to the mail box to
see if there was some new response as to my case at this point as much as I was at the mail box I should have just got a job
with USPS or Amazon. So as I called everyday for assistance with my pending resolution back to back for hour everyday the
que some how was always full. Now after weeks of waiting for a response I got tired so i wrote a letter went to my local
office max and faxed the letter 8 times then i took that same letter and mailed 5 copies to there office and sent multiple
online inquiries .And after all that you know what came nothing not even a response. I called every number associated with
the agency and the only thing that happen was i would wait hours on hold only to be disconnected or hung up on or again
the que is yet again full. Even waking up a hour early to make sure i called that at 8:00:00 exactly. The only notification
that i got was the automated email about filing my weekly certifications which i was not even sure i was filing them
05/15/2020 MR ROBBY LANGLEY correctly because i could never speak to some one to get assistance. Mean while the bills are still rolling in. so i called the
PUA line but they could only answer general questions and only said i needed to speak to a actual DES agent as if i or
everyone else have not tried .Now yesterday i get a email stating that i had a update on my account .I quickly opened my
account online to see what the update was and guess what i was looking at a decision stating DENIED. Which i did not
understand being that my job was affected by the virus and i had to be laid off . So for almost 60 days calling hours on end
and checking my online account and mailing and faxing and sending online inquiries for assistance i finally was able to
speak to some one yes a actual DES agent. I explained to him that i needed help with my claim and that I was not sure as to
what to put on the weekly certifications so he takes my info and puts me on hold for 10 mins. Comes back again puts me
on another hold then comes back and says you don't qualify. And i ask why not my job was affected by the virus like most
peoples jobs were and the only thing he could say was you have a job , you have a job , you have a job . At this point i
explain yes i have a job but i lost a job the job which was affected by the order put in place. i don't work two jobs for fun i
work two jobs because 1 can never pay you enough . A job i have worked at since 2014 and i don't qualify because as his
words i was not affected by the virus because i still have a job at this point my patients is gone and it is not coming back.
from the months of march to april and now may that's $1100 each month that i will not have that's $ 3300 . to me that's

I filed for unemployment on 3/24/20. I had a pending resolution for separation pay sit on my claim for over three weeks.
You couldnâ€™t get through to an official DES rep unless you waited on hold for 4+ hours anddddd the extra people they
05/15/2020 Unemployment Experience Tijeana Lexine
added could only file new claims. The experience was very overwhelming, especially when you have your landlord, car loan
company etc asking for their money. In order for me to get my claim fixed, I had to reach out to my local senator and email
multiple people at DES. Thatâ€™s ridiculous.
I am Amanda Simmons. I apply for unemployment a month ago and still nothing. I have 6 kids and it's rough. Just wish they
05/15/2020 Unemployment Amanda Simmons
would review my claim so I can get the things my kids need and pay my bills.
05/15/2020 Mr Gaetano Calise
No unemployment no way to contact them called hundreds of time and the phone que is full. Started at 8:00am daily.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am still waiting to hear back as I am sure are others. I filed April 11,2020 and my claim has said pending since that time.
I've called a number times without avail.. Finally got through after over four hours om hold she said could take up to 5-6
05/15/2020 Wendy Roberts Koeck weeks well still nothing.. Meanwhile a coworker recieved word last Friday and payment Monday May 11, 2020 and he filed
a few days prior to me. This very frustrating not hearing anything about my claim. Can someone please resolve it?! Thank
you
What a disaster! What really makes it difficult is the lack of options and features available online. This makes you HAVE to
talk to someone even though that is near impossible. Even with the extended hours, finally, it is still very difficult and time
05/15/2020 richard peterson
consuming to reach anyone. If you are lucky enough to speak to someone, they usually just transfer you to someone else
and the whole thing starts again.

I filed for unemployment benefits on April 12th and still have not received them. Instead of choosing that I had been laid
05/15/2020 Benefits Pending Christopher Ratcliff
off I chose reduced hours because at the time I had been put on leave. I have since been completely laid off. I have been
unsuccessful in getting anyone on the phone to help me. I've made over 700 calls.

I actually filed a claim for UI insurance on March 20th 2020. I was laid off on March 19th 2020.
Initially, my UI benefits were delayed for issues I did not understand. I would like to thank the following individuals for
05/15/2020 Mr. George Spaulding their help clarifying and resolving my issues: Suzanne Weiss, Connor Villas, Rebekah LaHay, Lex Janes and Agent# 1379530.
Their commitment to North Carolinians and their professionalism is remarkable.
NCDES UI customer service is working efficiently as a result of employee teamwork. I am honored to give everyone
involved positive feedback.

I have operated at sole proprietor IT business in NC since 2013. I waited for the NC DES to implement the system changes
for processing the federal unemployment benefit program for self-employed, independent contractors and sole proprieter
business persons and I filed on April 24th, as soon as the system allowed. Unfortunately the system also matched my SSN
with W@ wage based employment that I engaged in prior to 2018. I did not want nor intend to file for regular
unemployment benefits but the system forced the creation of a regular, state unemployment application in addition to my
PUA federal benefit application. That would have been fine if they had not waterfalled the processing but it seems the
system will not process my federal benefit application until it finally chews through the unwanted and unnecessary state
claim.

05/15/2020 Mr Robert LaGarde I assisted another sole proprietor business person in my neighborhood at the same time I filed my application and he got
his PUA benefit in a timely manner. I've gotten nothing.

TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE: The DES hides away in a "secure facility" in accessible to tax paying citizens and has, for the
past week, blocked all phone calls to an actual DES agent. Outsourced call center agents have filed "call back requests" on
my behalf but they have failed to result in any actual contact.

The worst thing you can do to someone in crisis is to promise them help and then fail to deliver. Our Congress people
worked hard to secure this federal benefit for a vital element of the NC economy and but the DES is - at least in my case -
sabotaging the effectiveness of the program with their shoddy administration of claims and their in accessibility to tax
paying claimants.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am still waiting for ANY kind of answers concerning my filing. You can't call as the number IS ALWAYS BUSY and the que
05/15/2020 Greg Phillips
full no matter what time you try calling.

05/15/2020 Spencer Boop Last day of work was March 17th filed for benefits couldn't get anyone on the until last week...filled out application
wrong...still haven't received a check.Supposed to get one this week.I'll believe it when I see it!

I filed my claim at the beginning of March. There was some confusion regarding who my last employer was, so my claim
laid dormant in the system (pending resolution) until covid hit even though I had called and spoke with someone and
thought it was fixed before things went crazy. After Covid hit, I would try multiple times a day to call to be met with being
cut off via phone and no recourse, although I tried everything I could possibly think of. I uploaded documents to the clunky
website, (when it would work) practically begging for someone to help me, I emailed senators, representatives, the
governors office, etc.. Like so many thousands of other people I felt desperate and very afraid because I did not know how
I was going to pay my bills nor how I was going to be able to eat. For the first time ever in my life, and I'm 59 years old, I
05/15/2020 Ms. Bonita Harless applied for food stamps, which kept me from going hungry thankfully but I was not raised to expect or ask for handouts so
it was demoralizing to have to ask for help. It took almost 2 months for my claim to finally get resolved, and I had called
every day many times a day for weeks. I was incredibly stressed out from this experience and all the helplessness that I
felt. I cried tears of relief and hope when I finally reached someone on the phone, after holding for 2 1/2 hours and this
was the first time I had actually spoke to a real life person. I was terrified that I would be hung up on, disconnected or that
the person I spoke with would be unable to help me but thankfully they did help me and I received my benefits about 2
weeks later. For that I'm very grateful but I am now afraid for my future if I am unable to find a job. My state benefits
will expire in three weeks and what if I can't find employment, will unemployment be extended for me, will I have to go
through all that again if it is extended? Like so many others, this is a very stressful time and there are so many unanswered
questions and after my experience, I am finding it hard to have much faith in the institutions and people who we have
elected to serve and help us.

Applied for UI for Self Employed and PUA, have gotten payment on April 25, done the weekly check-in (they all say pending
resolution) and haven't gotten any other payments since. It is pointless to try to call or send a message on the system,
05/15/2020 Mrs Shannon Green
since it seems that no one is checking or following up to make sure pending payments are done. Calling results in being
hung up on multiple times, or being put on hold for hours just to be hung up on. And if you do get to speak to someone
they cant help you and have no idea about anything dealing with the system, PUA or self employed UI.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed my claim April 19th. I left my 4 year employment job because I was hired for a new job. I had started 11 hours of
preliminary training with my new employer. Unfortunately the business was closed due to covid so the owner did not have
time to file my new employment paperwork. When I filed for unemployment, the choice of not being able to start work
due to covid was not given on the application. I have made at least a dozen phone calls. Most of the time I could not get
through or I was waiting anywhere from 1 to 2 hours or I was disconnected. I called the PUA # and have gotten through to
05/15/2020 Dara Henderson
2 different Des agents. The first time the agent was unable to make adjustments to my claim because she couldn't access
my claim page. She asked me questions and said the answers were now on a spread sheet. Whatever that means. The
second time I got through to an agent she asked me questions that I had already answered via my claim page and the
previous agent. My husband has had the same problems and his claim was filed April 12th. I understand Des is
overwhelmed but there should be a way to for agents to assist claiments and communicate virtually once we have
established a personal claim page.

I filed for PUA on April 24. It's extremely confusing, I'm still not sure my paperwork is correct. I have tried to phone, chat,
and email and have been told in each instance I was either 125-150 in line for a chat or they were not taking phone calls at
this time.
My application is still "pending", but I don't know if my application is complete or is missing info. I keep checking, and it
keeps telling me pending. But I'd sure like to know if it really is pending or if they are waiting on more information that I
need to provide.
As a freelancer, I was told to list myself as the employer, which means I have received confusing letters addressed to me as
05/15/2020 debbie matthews
the employer. It told me to call the office, and you guessed it, they're not taking phone calls.
So, the money has been allocated for people like me, but I have no idea if I'll ever recieve it.
I'm surely not counting on it anymore, but the help would be nice, since I'm a food writer and all the restaurants are
closed, chefs are not in the mood for visits and interviews, and publications are trimmed to the bone and using very few
freelancers.
It would be awesome for the program to actually help.
Has anyone in NC begun receiving PUA?
Thanks.

Hello, I filed for unemployment on March 20, 2020 and have not gotten any assistance. I moved here in November 2019
after taking a new job and moving here with my two kids. The first claim I filed still says ineligible due to not having
established alternative base period, although my employer said everything is fine on their end and I have uploaded all
information possible from pay stubs from both this new job and my previous along with the letters for furlough. I have
05/15/2020 Single mother furloughed Chelsea Francis
tried calling so many times, I lost count. Each time I call there are no available representatives and the hold que is full. I
have tried emailing through the contact form and have yet to receive any response from that. I am a single mother with no
family in this state and no way to pay my bills because of this pandemic. The only reason why I was able to pay rent last
month was due to the stimulus and that barely covered it. For food my children and I are relying on the public schools for
help. We came to N.C. for a better life and this is not proving to be the case.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Filed on March 24th determination made on April 20th, today, May 15th I received the determination letter ( claimant not
disqualified for benefits ).
I have filed weekly certifications and will continue to do so. I have tried ( 61 times ) to reach the DES via phone, to no
05/15/2020 Frederick Smith
avail. I reached the chat site ( 2 hours 11 minutes ) yesterday May 14th and was told that I was denied benefits. The chat
agent told me that she could not look further into my claim that I needed to speak with a DES agent. As of today I have not
received any benefits, still unemployed.
When I would try to call you couldnâ€™t get through to anyone. Eventually I got my unemployment but I know a lot of
05/15/2020 Tracy West
people who hadnâ€™t.
I have been trying to help a 22 year old young man file for unemployment. After filing, he was rejected for some unknown
05/15/2020 Mr Steven Burns reason....he was laid off from two jobs because of the virus. Attempts to find out what the issue is and straighten out his
application have been impossible in spite of attempting to call daily.
I have been trying for weeks to complete my UI claim application. The restaurant was closed due to covid 19 and then my
former employer left the county. The W2 he finally provided me is incorrect. The business ID information is not coming up
in the system and I cannot complete my claim application. I have been given this info from my state senator's office and
was told this would be FINALLY addressed.
05/15/2020 Anthony Tenuto
I haven't worked since mid March. I am on partial disability and need assistance asap.
My disability only pays my rent and insurance.
I must supplement my income to survive.
I work in restaurants with no job to go back to.

I filed a PUA on 4/24/20, however, my claim shows a UI was filed instead and my PUA shows incomplete. I am self
employed and contract Audiological services to Cherokee Central Schools. I have been without income since the Governor
05/15/2020 Ms Jerelyn Dugan shut down schools. I know I donâ€™t qualify for a UI. The UI has been pending since 4/24/20. I just want to complete my
PUA. I have called everyday, several times a day, and cannot get through. I have used Medchat and as I get closer to next
available my queue stops. I submitted my documentation for PUA. Iâ€™m frustrated and nervous that I may never get this
resolved before I can go back to work in August.

I filed for unemployment on 3/26/20. I am self employed so i was advised to start filing weekly until the portal was open.
The portal finally opened on 4/24. I was unable to apply for PUA as I had a issue on my original UI claim that was pending
for 5 weeks. After calling for a week straight, being on hold for 3-6 hours each time, and talking to 5 different agents, I
05/15/2020 B Brannum
finally was able to apply for PUA. I am now still waiting to hear back regarding any payment. I have gone 7 weeks without
any income. I get into the hold queue at 8am and I wait until 1pm to speak to an agent. The entire process is way too
confusing, leaving too much margin for user error. To fix any slight problem, you must talk to a DES agent. Neither the PUA
line nor the chat feature are helpful. It is frustrating as I am unable to pay my bills. We just sit and hope for the best.

The entire unemployment system in the state of North Carolina is in need of serious overhaul. Just accessing the system
through the website can take hours. Information within the online portal is very limited and provides little answers.
05/15/2020 Mrs. Felicia Brown Attempts to reach the contact center result in disconnected calls after hours of waiting and add more frustration to an
already stressful time. I understand that the quarantine has placed an unprecedented strain upon the system but it is
important that we learn from the issues that we face so that we are better prepared the next time a large number of North
Carolinans are in need of what is supposed to be a vital state system.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Mine was a most frustrating experience and I have 3 pages of notes on calls dropped, or requests to call back later for 4
solid weeks. My original application was â€œincompleteâ€•and I was told in writing that I must call the des.nc number to
speak with an agent before the issue could be corrected. The Thursday of the 4th week of calling, I got a human being on
the phone and he said that he could not correct the issue and I would need to speak with a Federal Agent who would call
05/15/2020 Mrs. Gail Williams
me. I did not receive a call from a Federal Agent, I started calling again the start of week 5 and did speak with 2 different
des. nc agents, the first of whom sent me a link to change my password when I had asked for a link to set up a PIN so I
could start doing my Weekly Certifications since that link was not showing up on my des.nc HomePage. The 2nd gentleman
I spoke with that day, after holding for 3 hours said he could see my Weekly Certification link showing up on my
HomePage and he could see the back weeks ready to certify. Terrible process.
Filed around March 26. Self employed. Tried to respond to request for separation info. Could not get through on the
phone, so I emailed. Got a return email that I should email a different address. Did that, no reply. Then when it was
05/15/2020 Lesley Cannon opened up end of April for self employed I was told to reapply. Did, still not able to reach anyone to respond to request for
separation form. Finally just gave up. It is ridiculous that I almost 2 months have passed and I still can't talk to a live
person.
Horrible, applied in March and deemed ineligible due to glitches in system posting wrong info on my claim. Refiled with
agent for PUA, correcting info, but called back week,later and spoke to second PUA agent who still found info missing. Still
05/15/2020 Ms Jill Levin
application pending, uploaded all info required, tax return, voided check, proof of no work, statement of glitches in system
AND NOTHING. Two months now.
Horrible, applied in March and deemed ineligible due to glitches in system posting wrong info on my claim. Refiled with
agent for PUA, correcting info, but called back week,later and spoke to second PUA agent who still found info missing. Still
05/15/2020 Ms Jill Levin
application pending, uploaded all info required, tax return, voided check, proof of no work, statement of glitches in system
AND NOTHING. Two months now.

I am a resident of New Bern and North Carolina TAXPAYER and I was laid off from Hatteras Yachts on March 20, 2020
because of the COVID19 event. I immediately filed for unemployment. Apparently the Dept. did not process my
application properly even though I filled it out accurately. I therefore have not received any compensation since March 22.
I have tried to call their only number available EVERY DAY, several times, and have consistently encountered the message
05/15/2020 Mr. Richard Day
that they are unable to take my call. It is inexcusable that there is no one available to contact to make corrections or
process my application. In stark contrast, I have been able to contact my insurance companies, DMV and other large
organizations and have gotten results and actually talked to real people that helped me get things done. I especially hold
Governor Cooper responsible for his lack of leadership and work in this area, as well as his poor performance and stances
on other issues. It seems he's more interested in promoting progressive big government socialist ideas rather than caring
for the good people of his state. Another example of why big government is doesn't work. Thanks For Listening.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I was furloughed from my job as sports editor of the High Point Enterprise on April 13. When I logged on to try and file for
unemployment that day, the website informed me that my social security number was already being used to collect
unemployment in the state of North Carolina. For the past month I have tried to call the toll free phone number to report
05/15/2020 Mr Mark McKinney
this. I have called hundreds of times and never been able to speak to a real live person. I am either put on hold for hours at
a time or given a recorded message that all agents are busy and the voice mail box is full. The recording tells me to hang up
and call again later. Then the phone line goes dead. It is very frustrating to be the victim of an apparent scam or fraud with
no recourse for so long. I need to see someone face to face to prove my identity and correct this injustice. But with the
state of North Carolina closed, I have no idea when this can be resolved. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

The last day I worked was 3/20/20 due to the pandemic. My last check was 3/27/20 from my employer. I called and called
but never could get through. I went online to file and had trouble there. I called for assistance and was on hold then the call
would just drop. I would call and the message would say all our representatives are busy to call back later and then the call
would drop. I did this for several days and weeks and then one evening 4/28/20 alive agent answered and I was delighted.
She took all my information over the phone and was very helpful. So many days later I rec'd a email notification from DES
05/15/2020 SUE GARRISON to update more information and had trouble with that so I called over and over (Days) before I reached another live agent
and she helped me. At this time I could do my certifications but it would just start its week in May, so I called back and the
agent said only the DES directly could open up those weeks back in March when I was laid off. I have called over and over
and the message said the Que was full to call back. As of today, 5/15/20 I have not received any funds and have not be able
to get any help to open up the prior weeks from 3/20/20 to the end of April. I know this is a lot on everyone ( Including the
State of NC)and is overwhelming, but if it was not for the local churches my two children would have gone hungry. I have
not paid my mortgage and other bills are late too. I pray to God that I can get thru to DES so I can take care of my family
until things are close to back to normal. I know I am not the only one so please help us.

To this day, I have been unable to contact the DES. Any time I would call, I would get through all the menus, be told that
the queue was too long, prompted to call back later, and hung up on. All of the questions I had were not listed on the
05/15/2020 Mary Phillips website and when I went to Google, it advised that each state was different. After I was able to file on 4/3, it took over a
month for a pending resolution to be corrected and allow money to be deposited in my account. Still I was unable to get
ahold of anyone by phone or email. I eventually found an email for Joseph Stansbury at my senator's office and spoke with
him. He sent an email to the DES on my behalf on three separate occasions until the pending resolution was dropped. To
this day, I have never heard from anyone at the DES. Thank you to Joseph Stansbury for answering my inquiries!

I began attempting to file a claim on April 12th, 2020. Every morning for a couple hours I would wait for the website to
load. Finally on the 17th I got through and was able to make my claim. On the 19th I was approved for $42 a week. My
05/15/2020 Landis Ham hours were cut in half at my job so even if I did receive a payment (which I didnâ€™t) what would I do with that? There was
an Issue â€œPending resolutionâ€•for weeks now and has still yet to be resolved and the DES gives zero insight on what
this means or what to do about it. Nonetheless I kept certifying weekly hoping that something would give but no. May 15th
and still have
My name received
is Monika no benefits.
Priddy. So, thank
My husband, you,and
Patrick, NCDES,
I are for
thethe reliefand
Owners andExecutive
assistanceDirectors
through of
these times.
â€œUltimate Starz Dance
Productionsâ€•in Pilot Mountain, NC. We are also the very proud parents to very smart and outgoing 9 year old boy/girl
twins. Our business organizes and promotes dance competitions and dance conventions in NC, SC, VA, and TN. Our main
event â€œseasonâ€•is March-June. We had 8 sold out/near sold out events scheduled from March-June and were looking
to have our best season ever as we celebrated our 20th year of having dance events. We had our first successful event on
March 7th. On Thursday, March 12th we were in the process of preparing last minute details for our 2nd event scheduled
for March 14th when Covid-19 hit and NC events with 50 people or more were asked to cancel. That obviously included our
second event. Not having enough time to revamp our event to lower our event schedule/attendance for safety as the
health and safety of our attendees and crew is always our top priority and since we knew would have more than 50 people
in attendance that weekend, we knew we were forced to cancel our 2nd event losing LOTS of money we had spent on
event date specific supplies and insurance that we could get no refund for. We have now cancelled FIVE of our events
which is not only taking a HUGE financial toll, BUT also a HUGE emotional toll on our familyâ€¦whew! Our next event on
our calendar is scheduled for June 25th-28th which at this time is still up in the air if we will be able to have it due to how
the "Phases" play out. Covid-19 has completely DEVASTATED our event season and family business to say in the least! We
05/15/2020 Mrs Monika Priddy have several employees who are also dear friends who work for us during these weekend events who are missing that
extra income as well. We will NEVER be able to recover all money we are losing right now...whew! The fees we have taken
in are on complete hold or have been refunded due to dancer's family's being out of work and now can not afford to
participate. While we hope to be able to reschedule a few of these events in the very near future, that option is still very
uncertain as our business is at a complete standstill. I am literally sick to my stomach with every refund check I have to
write and send back due to cancelling an event...WHEW! I often compare our business to farmers as we have a set
â€œbusy seasonâ€•where we work like crazy, then budget our income we take in during that time to carry us through to the
next season. After having only one event that by the way we used nearly 75% of those profits from to purchase
new/additional equipment/supplies to use for the rest of the season and years after, we are currently not able to use any
of those supplies while our events are at a complete stand still nor are we able to reimburse ourselves for those purchases
due to not being able to have any additional events.

With that little back story on my family business and family, I am writing this with EXTREME FRUSTRATION to the lack of
â€œhelpâ€•that our family business and family has NOT received during this entire time of being out of work. I immediately
Submitted for UI March 25. Denied. Submitted again April 5. Been in Pending since. Impossible to get through on dedicated
05/15/2020 Ms Amy Schwartz phone lines and chat system cannot help. Emailing, fax and regular mail---no response to inquiries. Our system is broken
and antiquated. The website needs a serious upgrade
05/15/2020 Pending resolution Kristina Baker I keep getting pending resolution cant get my money I am broke
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

It has taken two faxes, uncountable phone call attempts, emails, a FB group about NC Unemployment difficulties, speaking
with four DES agents (one from Missouri!), seven weeks of greatly reduced income, waiting 3.5 hours on the DES website
chat (for that person to tell me she couldn't answer my questions & to call the 888 number on the DES website), and
multiple calls to Ed Stiles, LA for my state Senator, to get my unemployment benefits straight and start receiving payments.

In my opinion, the Federal UI that is managed by the states should be graduated like the state UI is. Additionally, it
shouldn't take receiving some state UI money to qualify to receive Federal UI. However, that's due to the Federal
government, not the state government.

In order for me to speak with an actual person with DES, I had to bypass the DES phone tree, which I learned from the FB
05/15/2020 Beth Jewell
NC Unemployment group. Otherwise, I would still be without funds, still frustrated, and still getting cut off by the DES
automated phone system, and, no, the answers to my questions *are not* on the website! It is absolutely inconceivable for
UI applications to be "pending resolution" for over 4 weeks, and, yes, I realize how many people suddenly filed for UI. It is
2020, with technology that can help us! Thankfully, I am not self-employed, because THAT process is even more inane and
insane than the one I used.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I wish every elected representative (state and Federal) would donate part of
their salaries, so they would experience trying to figure out how to pay bills, buy food, etc., on far less money than usual
and not knowing if, or when, it would change.

A huge thanks to Ed Stiles in Bob Steinburg's office. He's been fantastic, patient, understanding, and tries to help in every
way possible.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

"We're sorry, but all of our call center agents are assisting other people right now, and the hold queue is full" Â This has
been the extent of my experience with NC DES.

Calling other numbers, such as the COVID assistance line or contacting through the website chat does nothing, as neither
of these resources are either empowered or able to make changes or provide substantive help for existing accounts. Â They
amount to a forwarding service that leads ultimately to the above message and a swift disconnect.

The online account tools are antiquated and confusing at best, misleading at worst; without being able to speak with an
05/15/2020 Scott Sawyer agent, the user is left wondering what the obtuse terms mean and what the controls provided actually do. The
consequence is that any mistake is unable to be rectified by the user and results in a seemingly endless quagmire that
requires an unavailable agent to resolve.

I personally have called no less than 100 times a day for the past week and have not been able to get anything but the
above message, I wonder who exactly is being helped if no one can get though.

This event may have been unprecedented, but the obvious lack of planning, preparation and leadership has shown itself
not as a cracking under stress of a solid institution, but as a complete collapse of a public service and ultimately a failure of
public trust in our State Government.
We have been trying to help our granddaughter get a reason why she was denied unemployment since March 14 and we
05/15/2020 Julia Horan
have not talked to a counselor as of today.
I had never filled before. I had questions when I applied at NC Works office. I was unable to get answers there and was
instructed to call DES. I attempted to call numerous times only to be prompted to wait, wait, wait, and wait before the call
05/15/2020 Ronald Yarbrough
abruptly ended. I finally contacted my Senatorâ€™s office and soon got answers that helped me to answer the questions I
had.

Try all day long and canâ€™t even get into the queue. Get a message that itâ€™s full. Waited over 3 hours for a chat, rep
joined and then immediately left, got a message that a new rep would join. Never happened. Waited 3 hours the next day,
05/15/2020
rep couldnâ€™t help me. Kept telling me to call the number that I canâ€™t get into the queue.

This system is BROKEN!
It took about 16 hours over the course of 10 days or so to submit all parts of my claim, beginning March 17. The website
crashed repeatedly while I was trying to complete claim. I did not receive a first payment until May 5th. At no time was I
05/15/2020 Tracie Grantham able to obtain phone or online assistance. After multiple attempts over an hour or more sometimes a person would
answer, try to transfer me only to immediately disconnect. This was still the case through the time I received the first
payment May 5.
Lay off from Raleigh Beer Garden on March 16 due to Covid 19. I've had only problems when just trying to get registered. I
have used a smartphone, laptop and desktop computers and constantly encounter some step in the process that I can't fill
in the necessary information. This has been a constant effort on my part resulting in only frustration. Trying to reach a
05/15/2020 Unability to complete reg Aat Zevenhuizen
competent person is an exercise in futility. The system is flawed. You politicians know this and do nothing. I think it is done
purposely to cull the herd. Get off your hands and take action or you may find your self out of a job. I can't file a claim if I
can't sign up.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Lay off from Raleigh Beer Garden on March 16 due to Covid 19. I've had only problems when just trying to get registered. I
have used a smartphone, laptop and desktop computers and constantly encounter some step in the process that I can't fill
in the necessary information. This has been a constant effort on my part resulting in only frustration. Trying to reach a
05/15/2020 Unability to complete reg Aat Zevenhuizen
competent person is an exercise in futility. The system is flawed. You politicians know this and do nothing. I think it is done
purposely to cull the herd. Get off your hands and take action or you may find your self out of a job. I can't file a claim if I
can't sign up.

Unemployment claim has been in pending status since 01Mar2020. I have not received any payments at all. I have called
05/15/2020 Crystal Page with no attempt to get through on the phone, I have emailed with no response, and I have utilized the chat and that has
been a disaster. No one on the chat can answer any of your questions and no assistance is available. It's just a waste of
time for the chat because these people are useless and cannot assist with issues.

We were forced to shut our hair salon on March 25 at which time the Governor stated we could file for unemployment.
However, it has been 7 weeks and I am still unable to get my unemployment claim approved. I have made multiple phone
called to a messed up system, disconnected and when I made it to speak with someone no one has any answers. Why ??
05/15/2020 Wendy Saldo
Can the State not educate the costumer service representative to be able to help, because the people that I have spoken
with at DES were unable to answer any questions, nor were they able to approve my claim. As of today I still do not have a
resolution to my claim or compensation. There needs to be an updated 21st century electronic system that can handle
such a increase in cases or during normal times.

I have been trying to file for unemployment benefits for weeks . When I call the person said they have not been trained on
05/15/2020 Thu Bateman
how to help you . Then the person said call back later and someone else will help you. This has gone on for weeks and I still
have any way to file for benefits. And as of to day I am still without any benefits.

I own my own Massage Therapy Business. On March 22nd, I applied for Unemployment. I worked part time in 2019 at a
Raleigh day spa. It came up while I was applying as my sole employment. There was no place for me to put my 1099 work
or my own Tax returns for my LLC company. I left the day spa as in May of 2019 because my private business was thriving. I
was emailed to say that I was eligible for $33.00 a week. I never received any compensation for that decision. On April 24th
05/15/2020 Ms Karen Delahunty
I tried to apply for the PUA. There was and still is not anyplace for me to apply as my file for the original 3/22 application
remains open. I call everyday. Often on call waiting for 3 hours at a time. I have had call center people (4) put my name in
for a 'call back' as they tell me they can't help me. I had a PUA agent tell me it was simple to fix but she didn't have the
authority to fix it. I am circling in the lower echelons of hell. There has got to be a better way to handle cases like mine that
need a supervisor who can problem solve.
I tried for weeks to apply but couldn't access the system to even start an account. No phone assistance was available, only
recorded message to call at a later time. Finally was able to complete claim 4/26 and gave backdate request to 3/17. Have
05/15/2020 David Marek
only received weekly certifications starting 4/26, none for the prior backdate period. Status of claim is still pending as of
today 5/15, no payments issued.
I would like to comment on my experience when filing a claim for UI benefits. I was furloughed from a Federal government
05/15/2020 Unacceptable Robert Hooe contractor on March 17th. With their encouragement, I filed for unemployment. That was 2 months ago. I havenâ€™t
received payment or a clear answer since.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed my claim on 3/20 and got approval. But my claim has languished. I returned all the forms, by mail and electronically. I
05/15/2020 Candence Pennington have been on hold or cut off on numerous occasions. I was even involved in a chat that I was cut off from bit after the cut
off happened the person didn't call me to let me know if the situation was resolved even though he had my info and could
have. Finally I emailed the office of Jay Chaudhuri and got a response and a promise of help. But still waiting

I found the process complex, I was able to sign up over a period of one week. I was never sure if the forms were filled in
correctly or not, because of that I was about another week before I tried to sign up for the second week I was out of work.
Many times during the process I thought about giving up and just not trying anymore. I realize the system was never
designed to handle the volume of claims that it has been forced to handle. I wish there was a clear way to tell if you have
05/15/2020 Donald Beeding all your info correct. I also realize I am not the best with computers and have a condition called dyslexia and its difficult to
read and understand new and different things, my hope would be for the process to be a little more user friendly. I am
thankful that I finally received my benefit check/direct deposit, however I had no idea when or even if it was on the way it
just appeared in my checking account. In short I hope the process can be improved for every one especially those of us
who may be technically challenged and with some sort of reading/comprehension issues. I hope this helps someone who
needs it.
I filed for unemployment around April 6th. I have received a determination letter stating the amount I am entitled to and
that I am not unemployed because of misconduct. However, NO $$$$. My unemployment home page states that my
application is "pending resolution" because of the retirement/pension I received. (I work part-time to supplement my
retirement/SS) Like everyone else, I cannot get through to someone who can answer my questions!!!!!!! What's the
05/15/2020 Joan Champagne
holdup? Do they need more documentation?? I sent in some paperwork regarding the amount of retirement I receive
about 2 weeks ago, hoping that would help speed things up. I would just like to know what's going on with my
application??!!
Thanks
In had no problems filling and filling out the paperwork. Before I started I read all the requirements and made sure I had
everything I would need to start, I also made sure my old employer knew I was filling.
05/15/2020 David McLamb In talking with people that have had issues I think a lot of the problems are they try to rush through the process and get
frustrated when they do something wrong and have to call or redo the paperwork.
Maybe a video showing people a step by step may help.
I tried applying . One day spent 6 hours on phone, talked to 12 people who could not help me. They would transfer me and
either I spoke to someone else who couldnâ€™t help me or I was ask to call back because lines were busy. Never have got
05/15/2020 Sabrina Wiles my account fixed. I just needed help because online said I had set up account and I never did with my SS# or email. But I
was given access to someone elseâ€™s account which wasnâ€™t mine with all their info. I just gave up. Went from 40
hours a week to 18 due to COVID .

I was laid off from my job due to Covid 19 in March and was unable to file my claim online due to glitches and issues with
the website. I was unable to call and attempt to file because the call would always drop or disconnect. I was finally able to
05/15/2020 Mrs. Caitlin Papikyants file my claim when the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance became available - but my case is still pending. This has put
me in a very difficult financial place and am getting very impatient with this broken system! People are protesting the stay-
at-home order - but why isnâ€™t anyone protesting the fact that the unemployment system is putting so many of us in a
horrible financial crisis?!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed first week of pandemic, it is now May 15th. Got letter in mail yesterday saying I was approved on May 8th. Still
05/15/2020 Steven Smith havenâ€™t received any funds . Called almost 196 times this week and yet to get a call into the system. I have all but given
up on the state of NC unemployment system.
05/15/2020 Ms Corei Young I still have not heard anything or received anything. My hours were reduced by over 20 hrs a week.
Hello! I was quite frustrated and demoralized during these covid times d/t I tried to apply on the UI website at least 40
05/15/2020 Pete Elbaum
times, and the site would not allow me to finish........... thanks for listening.........

I applied for unemployment on 3/21/2020 due to the fact that I was offered a position with the U.S. Census Bureau on
3/16/2020 that was suspended on 3/18/2020 until further notice due to Covid-19. Since I received unemployment last
year, my claim was considered a recertification and pending a Six Times Test. After attempting to reach someone through
the telephone system for 4 weeks, I finally spoke to someone on 5/8/2020. I was told my wages needed to be recalculated
05/15/2020 Anita Kaglic and the Covid-19 reason needed to be added. Also an email would be sent to the benefits department to have this done. I
was also told I may not qualify for regular unemployment since this was a recertification, but I might qualify for Pandemic
Unemployment Assistance and to check back in a week if I did not hear anything. I attempted to call today and was
unsuccessful. I also tried the Live Chat Line on the DES website. I was able to â€œchatâ€•with someone who simply told me
that if my claim was still pending I needed to keep filing my weekly claims and give it more time. I was told on the chat
forum that they only have limited access, and I would have to call the DES number with any questions. After 8 weeks, I still
cannot get any answers, and I have not been contacted by anyone in the department.

05/15/2020 Mr Ashley Morgan I have not gotten and benefits since end if March .#1 Des has been telling peuc folks to file as pua,a few said no file
peuc.my benefits exhausted. What is taking so long for peuc, we are running out of our savings help please
I filed for unemployment April 7th after being furloughed and still havenâ€™t received anything. Iâ€™ve called
05/15/2020 Jeff Williams unemployment 1000â€™s of times and finally got through today, only to be told that I needed to be patient while my claim
was being processed.

I filed March 22, 2020 the website itself was easy to navigate. When I first applied I had filed reduced hours due to Covid.
Later that week my employer laid us off due to Covid. It made difficult being that I was unable to change it from reduced
hours to laid off. After calling for several days almost all day from 8-5 and unable to get a hold of someone made it very
difficult and nerve wrecking not knowing the unknown. Not knowing if I was able to pay the bills the following month. I just
wanted to speak to someone to help me change it and let me know the status and if I needed to submit any other
05/15/2020 Venessa Whitener
paperwork. I got in contact with Senator Kathy Harrington, and with the help of Alexander Janes I had a DES agent call me
and he was nice and able to fix the reduced hours to laid off. He let me know I would just have to wait. I was finally
approved on April 28, 2020. I know this was all an unexpected thing for everyone. But just not knowing if I would be
approved and what all I needed to do seem very hard to not being able to speak to someone. Ever since I got approved
everything has been fine. I appreciate everyoneâ€™s tremendous effort during this unprecedented time. Wishing everyone
well wishes.

My job cut hours due to Coronavirus April 11 2020 . Put in unemployment on 04-19-20 And i had not receive anything. This
05/15/2020 Clifton Daniel PUA has been Pending.Now I am working Part-time. I chat with somebody online at DES about unemployment they told me
that they can not pull up my claim . I gave them the number twice. I call them and they told me they did not know what
was the hold -up. The PUA is holding a lot people unemployment claims.Need to fix that issue quick.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed on March 22nd and my claim has said pending ever since. I heard that I canâ€™t receive payment because I filed for
05/15/2020 Jaylin Russell
food stamps but thatâ€™s not right. If Iâ€™m not working then obviously I canâ€™t buy food. I canâ€™t even find a job
because of covid-19. Iâ€™m facing eviction and Iâ€™m behind in all of my bills.
I filed for unemployment benefits in March. Then for PUA when it went live in April for independent contractors. I am an
independent contractor. I was told to file UI first so that when it said inelligble, I could file PUA. I filed for PUA in April when
it went live.
05/15/2020 Mr Don Chance
My claim says "still pending". I have tried calling several time, but cannot get through. The pandemic line doesn't have the
information. They transfer you to the main line. The main line always says the hold is full call back later. Kind of
discouraging.
Hello Senate Committee,
My name is Fredrick Edgar and I live in Stokes county, NC. I wanted to submit my personal experiences with NCDES I
have encountered since being unable to work since March 23rd but want to add a small bit of backstory as well. Im a 35
year old divorcee who has 5 children ranging in ages from my oldest being 13 and my youngest is 15months. 4 of my
children are in school. Im a single father who has full time custody of at least 3 children, up to 5 all at once in some
occasions. I was unemployed in 2019 due to a lay off at my job and collected unemployment from 9/2019 until my benefits
were exhausted in December of 2019. UI claims in NC last for a period of 12 months regardless if you exhausted benefits
or not. Since my benefits were exhausted in December, I then found a job at Jenkins Auto Service in Winston-Salem, NC
and worked there fulltime from Feb 2020 until my last day of employment March 23rd. I was not able to file a new UI claim
from my new job due to the old claim from last year still being active. I tried to call DES at least 30 times a day 5 days a
week for the 1st month being outta work, to only get told Queue is full and then hung up on.

I gave up after about a month until I caught wind that PUA was starting applications on April 24th. That day, April 24th, I
filed for PUA and entered in all my new employers info and submitted pay stubs and bank statements showing paychecks
05/15/2020 Mr. Fredrick Edgar etc. I indicated that I lost my job due to school closures and expected, per the information on the website, to see my first
payment after 14 days. I'm on day 22 now since I filed on April 24th, I have 7 weekly certifications that have not been paid
and my claim is still currently pending. DES has opened more call centers, and even extended its hours and days of
operation. They have added an entirely separate call center specifically for PUA applicants, and implemented a chat
function on their website as well with various sub categories. All this that I just said sounds GREAT in theory, but all these
new additions have came with their own set of issues, and currently resolve NONE.

The extended hours and days of week DES has added has provided no answers. You still call, and at 8am on the dot, the
queue for DES is already full and they cannot offer personable help, and you get told to try again later, and it hangs up.

The PUA call center, I have had far less issues getting hold of somebody, but there is an entire set of different issues with
it. The people who work at the PUA call center can give you NO information about your claim, at least no more then you
can access yourself from the website. They cannot resolve ANY issues with claims, or help expedite them at all. Ive talked
to the PUA call center at least 3 times since it opened, and every time I have pushed the issue about needing to know

05/15/2020 Michael Malek Iâ€™m a musician whoâ€™s had over 100+ gigs cancelled due to Covid-19. I applied on 4/24, and again on 5/2, still no luck
getting ahold of anyone. Iâ€™m out thousands of dollars and wonâ€™t be able to survive much longer. Please help me!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed for unemployment on March 25th and still have not received any confirmation that I have been approved or denied.
05/15/2020 Still waiting... Marjorie Wilkins
I file my weekly claim, and just wait, jobless. Iâ€™ve tried to call at least 4 times and have been hung up on because the
que
On Maylone27th
is full.
myMy family canâ€™t
husband survive
came home fromon my husbandâ€™s
work. salaryand
He is a truck driver alone.
wasWe need help!
scheduled to come home on the 27th. He
had already been out for about 2 weeks and that is his normal rotation two to three weeks out and then four days to a
week home. he was scheduled to go back out on April 3rd. Well that never happened. He was told that he would be going
out and not to worry just keep calling dispatch and checking to get a load. Well every time we'd call dispatch they would
say they had nothing, so we'd call his fleet manager and he would say oh don't worry I'm going to get on them be ready to
go, you'll have a load tomorrow. We went through that cycle for about 3 or 4 weeks before I finally filed an unemployment
insurance claim. I started trying to file on April 30th I was not able to finish the application until May 4th or 5th I believe. I
was continually booted out of the system in fact the only good thing that I can say about it is that it did save the
information as I went so I did not have to start over every single time. Other than that it was extremely glitchy and not at
all set up for a different type of income than what is your standard 40-hour work week 9 to 5 kind of job. Truckers run 70
hours a week if they're lucky and generally are paid by the mile which my husband is so there's no really good way to
answer that correctly in the system. although I did try as best I could the wording of the system is very difficult to
understand especially when you have special circumstances like we do. And the fact that the system is being shut down at
11 p.m. at night for maintenance seems very unreasonable to me. A more appropriate maintenance time would maybe be
05/15/2020 Jennifer Pierce 2 a.m. to 5 a.m.? I generally cannot do anything business like this when my children are awake so when I would get them to
bed at 9:30 it was a mad rush for me to try to get it done before 11 p.m. one night I even got completely done and wanted
to review one thing it was 10:59 and when I hit review the system booted me out. After filing North Carolina was very quick
to call and verify my husband's employment, he received a phone call the very next day actually from his job asking had he
in fact filed. Obviously we said yes and the following Thursday which was 3 days later I believe he was sent a load to be
picked up on Friday. So last Friday he went back to work since then he has sat for 3 days which is not normal. Today is May
15th and it is my husband's birthday and he is sitting alone and a truck in Ohio with nowhere to go. I am really concerned
that he will be just another one of the deaths of despair that no one counts as mattering in the variables on this shutdown.
We are 3 months behind on our mortgage if we do not pay them $4121.51 by May 28th they have sent us a notice that
they have the right to cure default which I can only assume means foreclosure. The land that we live on has been in my
husband's family for 3 generations. he is very much a man's man kind of man and having his ability to make money and
provide for his family it's like someone stole his man card and took away his ability to breathe. He is so distraught at the
thought of losing our home and this land that was given to him by family I'm not sure that he will make it much longer. I
have no doubt that the company only finally found him a load so is that they did not have to pay unemployment. I will
My last payment was 4/5. I called and told them i needed the PEUC the girl added PUA to my claim. I been trying since 4/26
05/15/2020 Ms Tylnthia Garner to get someone to correct this but after 454 calls. I been tracking the amount of calls. I still dont have it fixed and no
payment. Please help.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am a self-employed hairdresser. For 44 years I have worked and paid taxes I have never filed for unemployment when the
pandemic was talked about being available I filed for unemployment the first week of April I was available to start receiving
I opened an account with the DES it was still pending because they didnâ€™t know what to do with the government money
yet they kept telling us that when they got updated of what to do they would update Us.Finally we were allowed to file
again on April 25 when I try to Refile they said since I had a pending unemployment claim with the state but that would
have to be denied before I could fill out the PUA I could not reach anybody by phone from the beginning to find out how to
file claims and what to do no one to answer any questions .The 13 April they compromised my claim by inadvertently (their
05/15/2020 Mrs Laura Clodfelter
words )sending my claim information to another claimant I received a certified letter to that effect I could Not reach
anyone regarding the issue I left messages no one ever called me back I donâ€™t know what happened they sent me a
certified letter and gave me the names of the credit unions for me to clean up their mess I had to lock down all my
information at the credit bureaus to keep anybody from taking my information and using it I still have not heard a word
from them on what happened my account is still pending I still cannot file for PUA Iâ€™ve been out of work my last day
was 25 March with no money coming in from unemployment because I canâ€™t get through to anyone as of yet I just want
to go back to work and make a living for myself this whole thing has been ridiculous it shouldâ€™ve been left up to the
federal government to give us our unemployment not the state my claim is still pending they have to deny that before I can
even file PUA

05/15/2020 Deborah Raulerson The website is very confusing, trying to answer the yes and no comments every week are not really self explanatory, it
took weeks to get in but finally after a month but, I'm only getting the 600, and yes I'm a small business
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
Hello. I wish circumstances were such that I could be present to speak. Thank you for the opportunity to share my
experience.
Let me preface by noting that everyone I spoke with (or emailed) was professional, patient, and courteous. I had many
questions and I felt I had to be more than persistent as I searched for answers. What started as a concern for what
appeared to be missing information that I had entered turned into a seek and resolve mission for nine weeks. I apologize in
advance if this seems long, but I think to understand the frustration, the journey needs to be explained.
My story:
I was laid off due to Covid-19 on 3/19 and filed on 3/20. While attempting to file, the system was obviously slow and I
had to re-load documents several times. After reviewing that all the information was correct, I submitted. By 3/23, my
claim did not contain most of the information I had entered or downloaded. This concerned me so I began calling daily and
submitted several emails through the portal on the DES website. The original wage and determination form did not arrive
timely but that was due to the cluster box situation where I live. I returned the form by fax but it was a couple days past
the due date. This concerned me also. The documents I uploaded did not appear until 3/28 and 3/30.
By 4/10, I was not having any success reaching anyone and there were no replies to my emails. And my claim still
05/15/2020 Ms. Carey Jasa showed pending and was still missing information. On 4/13, I contacted my Senator and Representative to ask for
assistance on the next step. Senator Daniel's office forwarded information to me that included a portal, which I promptly
filled out and submitted. On 4/14, I received a call from a DES agent. Upon looking at my claim, the agent said that I should
have been approved and he did not know why my claim was still pending at that point. He promised if would be fixed and
he would call back the next morning. I did not receive a call; however, the claim was now showing adjudicated. It did not
show any wage determination, but just that it was "open". Based upon the conversation, I was expected to see funds
within the two weeks.
On 4/23, I had not received funds, so I called again on 4/26. I did get through and a call agent looked at the claim and
noted that two questions needed to be answered. I did and she provided a new confirmation number. I had clearly
explained that I was not self-employed but a W-2 employee. She said that was no problem, I had the right place. Now my
page showed two claims, the original which was still pending (a UI claim) and the new one (labeled PUA). I began calling,
again, to reach someone because I was concerned that the claim would be further held up due to conflicting "claims".
On 5/1, while contacting 211 for potential grocery help, they said to contact the State Attorney's office. They directed
me to the Governor's office, who then forwarded me to their contact at DES. That evening, I received a call from that

Yes I need HELP! I filed my claim back in March have tried everything to get it resolved. Contacted my House
Representative, have talked with her Secretary several times, sent numerous emails on website only got 1 response back
and no follow up info back from that person, have called the help # and the person who answered told me being my claim
is stating â€œPending Resolution â€œ that Iâ€™d have to wait for it to say Denied and then I could file a PUA. Iâ€™ve also
05/15/2020 Ms Lisa Johnson received 2 letters a couple of weeks ago that were dated back in March that I was Denied. So donâ€™t understand
whatâ€™s going on. My hours were cut from March 14 till recently. So tell me where do I
go from here? Very frustrating and disappointing.
Shouldnâ€™t have to go through all this when weâ€™ve been hit with a pandemic.
Any help you can assist me with will be greatly appreciated. If a â€œlistâ€youâ€™ve been talking about would help me
please forward it. Thanking you in advance. LJ
I have applied for PUA on April 16th but have yet to be accepted and receive any benefits and I qualify for it. I also applied
05/15/2020 Candace Bowden
for regular unemployment, got approved but still haven't gotten any benefits.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My Beauty Shop was closed by Governor Cooper on Wednesday March 25. I have owned my shop 12 years and have a big
clientele. My cleaning regimen has always been strict as our State board has very strict guidelines on cleaning. Had we
opened April 30 th I wasn't even going to file for unemployment because I could catch up all my clients and not be out a
huge amount of revenue. But when I realized we wouldn't be able to open by then I filed for unemployment the Friday it
was opened to self employed people. After 5 hours online I finally got all my documents submitted and thought everything
went in correctly. Two weeks later I was still "pending" for unemployment so I started calling the unemployment number. I
05/15/2020 Mrs. Jennifer Stanley spent hours trying to get in the "que" then The first time I got to talk to a person after 4 hours on hold, after hearing I was
self employed she "transfered" me which immediately hung up on me. I called back, waited another 3 hours and the office
closed and my call was disconnected again. The next Sunday I held for 4 hours, Got connected to someone and she said
everything was "fixed" . I have done my weekly certifications, everything still says "pending" and I have all "O's" on my
determination page. I haven't been able to take to another live person or even get in the "que" since. Although I did get an
"alert" May 4th that said I was "still under review and pending" after 7 weeks out of work I can never "catch up" on all the
customers I have missed out on. I would love to get my back pay for those weeks but I also want to safely open my shop
back up, and make my own money instead of drawing unemployment. I hope their is something that can be done to make
this process better. Thank you and God bless.

The worst experience ever. Filed a claim on 4/3/2020. Was pending. Called for status. Never could get thru. Finally got
someone on chat 5/13/2020 still under pending. Said I needed to speak with and agent . They needed to change
something. Emailed, Called a least 400. 200 one day nothing. When email states get a response in 72 hours how about
05/15/2020 Carla Chappell never. My first email was sent on 4/6/2020. Then sent 3 others about every week nothing. Have talked to some nice
people that tried to help and stated they were not authorized to do any changes. So as of 5/15/2020. Nothing yet. One
chat person ever submitted a call back form . Nothing came of that. Why do you have all these people available to talk to
but can not do everything. Understand rare situation, but this is ridiculous and stressful. I do not think I will every see a
penny not every get the help I need . Broken government .

I finally got my unemployment benefits approved on May 5 after filing in April 12, 2020. Unfortunately my weekly benefit
05/15/2020 Mrs. Dianne Grubbs amount is incorrect and I have tried to get this corrected. I have tried calling but of course Iâ€™m not able to speak with
anyone, emailed numerous people daily and no response. I did contact the Senator for my district and they are trying to
help me but I still have not heard anything yet. We, the citizens of North Carolina deserve to be treated better than this!

The website was a nightmare. For a state that boasts of being the home of the Research triangle park, this thing is an
antiquated monster. I understand the traffic was unusually high but this was ridiculous. There should have been a 24/7
05/15/2020 Ms. Vera S. Baker
hotline manned with people who could give you directions when you hit a wall. The guessing game about how to fill in the
blanks was uncalled for. I am 59 years old and have never filed for unemployment because I am self-employed. Even after
they supposedly updated to allow us to file, it was not a user-friendly interface.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed my unemployment on 3/22, I continued to file my weekly certifications for 7 weeks until I was finally approved on
5/12. I understood that I was approved for unemployment compensation since my hours were reduced from 35ish to
around 10-12 weekly. I was approved but only received payment for 2 weeks since I went over my allowance the other 5
weeks. This means because I made $100 - $160 / week that I didnâ€™t get paid since my allowance was so low, I was used
to making 350ish / week.
05/15/2020 7 weeks missing backpay Jeremy Case
It would he nice to receive backpay for the additional 5 weeks that Iâ€™ve been suffering because of COVID19, as I work in
the food industry and have been severely affected by the coronavirus especially with my finances. I also didnâ€™t get paid
for the waiting week either.

My claimant ID is [REDACTED]

The earnings allowances should be lifted in a time such as this pandemic. I have to work 2 jobs to survive. I have benefits
05/15/2020 Sandy Christy on one job and furloughed from the other so my net pay is way lower than my gross. Not being able to qualify for 6 weeks
of unemployment has been a great hardship. I feel as though the gross pay should be greatly increased or use net pay for
earnings. Please re-evaluate this situation for so many that canâ€™t qualify for any help.

My concern is that I am currently working part time due to the covid 19. I was only paid for 1 week. My other 4 weeks was
05/15/2020 Childcare Worker Bernice Brown
denied due to my gross wages was over my allotted allowance that was allotted to me. I really think it is unfair for us to get
short ended being the fact that we are essential workers for the hospital.
I have apply for 6 weeks not been respond jet. every time I call system hand up on me no one there to help over that
05/15/2020 Deysi Rodriguez
phone neither online.
I have been trying to file for unemployment since 3/19/2020 when I was laid off. I've called several times and tried several
attempts to fill out on line for unemployment, I would get so far and the system would kick me out and when I would call I
05/15/2020 Unemployment Amanda Adams would always get hung up on!!! Since then I have gone back to work but I will continue to try and fill out for
unemployment! Bc I was laid off! And I deserve it just like everyone else. Getting any help from the unemployment office
seems impossible.

I had a terrible experience with DES. Absolutely horrible. It took 6 weeks to finally get my unemployment.

I filed. I was stuck on pending. I called multiple days with no ability to talk to anyone. When I finally got on hold, I waited
3 hours to talk to a rude, compassionless and unhelpful woman for about 3 minutes who gave me no help. I reached out to
my state reps (Yvonne Lewis Holley and Dan Blue) on multiple occasions with NO RESPONSE whatsoever. Completely
05/15/2020 Matthew Ramey
unacceptable. Only until I reached out to the NC Speakers office did I get someone to even talk to me. She said a few days
later she talked to DES & they would call me back within 4 business days. That never happened. Nor did she call me back.
Eventually I had my employer write a letter stating I was unable to work & uploaded it to the DES site and it worked about
a week later.

The process was horrible, the response was horrible, the benefits are insulting. The entire DES system needs to be
reworked completely.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed in March. 2 months ago! I have yet to hear anything. I have called over 100 times and can not get through. I have
gone online and can not get anything accomplished there either. I am broke with no income. I have gone through my
05/15/2020 Pamela Joyner savings and now relying on food banks to survive. All of my bills are behind and I see no light at the end of the tunnel here
and feel like giving up. Why doesn't SOMEONE step up and look out for Northcarolinians????? No money, no hope
anymore.
I was denied. "Benefit year not established." I'm a substitute teacher. I can't get through to speak with anyone. Never
05/15/2020 Kristen Cochran
received a payment.

I have yet to speak with anyone that could help me. I have no idea if I have a payment coming to me. This is tragic for
05/15/2020 Mr. Mark Porter
those who have no savings or other back up means to live on. I have been cutoff for 5 straight days every time I call
because the queue is full and can't accept any more calls. What am I to do to be able to speak to someone who can help?

I filed for UI on 3/17. I was denied, reason being is the employment information they sourced to determine how much I
was eligible for was over a year ago claimed I had left due to personal reasons, which was incorrect. I appealed
immediately. When I received the notification of appeal hearing in the mail, it included contact information for my appeals
referee, I emailed him with enough supporting evidence that I was laid off due to COVID-19 and he canceled the appeal
hearing. I sent several emails asking what was supposed to happen next, no response. The appeal hearing was set for 4-23
and was canceled on 4-15. I was able to get him on the phone 4-30 and he said it went to a different department and I had
to wait until they contacted me.
05/15/2020 Tyler Hall
In the meanwhile Iâ€™ve been calling the 888-737-0259, no matter if I call at 8am or any other time the hold queue is
always full and they canâ€™t take my call.
The Online chat â€œquestions about my claimâ€•is always busy. I had to choose another option and asked her to look at
my claim and she said it went under review on 5-5 and someone should get to me soon.
It seems to me that this system is designed to be counterproductive because everyone is saying different things and my
issue is always someone elseâ€™s department. This past week I have managed to speak to someone and theyâ€™ve tried
to connect me to a different department and the line always disconnects.
My savings is out and my bills are piled up waiting to be back paid for eight (it will be nine next week) weeks.
Any help would be tremendously appreciated!

It took me four days to file, and the only way the form would go through is if I did it between 3 and 4am. I still have not
been paid the correct amount -- I'm missing one full federal $600 payment. In addition, even though covid related UI was
05/15/2020 Nicole Corson supposed to not have a waiting/unpaid week, I did have one week of non payment that still has not been resolved. It is
impossible to get this resolved because if you do manage to get through on the phone to someone, you can expect to be
hung up on. The weekly questions keep changing in a way that makes it evident that the state is polling to learn more
information than necessary about those collecting unemployment due to covid.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed for unemployment, although I am a small business owner. I did this because the news and officials on press
conferences were saying small businesses would be eligible. I filed for unemployment in mid March, however the new PUA
was not available until April 24. When I tried to file for the new PUA, I realized because I have an old claim, I have no ability
to file for PUA. I called and spoke to approximately 8 different people, each one saying they were unable to help me and I
needed to be transferred. When transferring the call, I would be disconnected. I mailed a letter in late March to cancel my
05/15/2020 Unemployment experience Patricia Batchelor old claim, but it is still there. I emailed the customer service of DES, and still no changes have been made. I called most
every day at exactly 8am and most of the time, Iâ€™m unable to get in the queue. On Friday May 8, I got into the queue at
8:02 am and held for SIX HOURS. I was ultimately disconnected shortly after 2pm. The following week, I reached out to my
senator, Dan Blue, and my house rep, Terence Everitt. I did get an email response from their assistant saying my
information was sent to their rep at DES. I am still waiting for something to happen, at this time. I have had no income
since mid March and have been doing everything in my power to get the help I deserve. I am tremendously frustrated and
feel like this has demonstrated how dysfunctional our system truly is. I have paid taxes my entire adult life and do
everything honestly and ethically. This system and N.C. has totally failed me and my family. Itâ€™s a disgrace.
Patricia Batchelor
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
Dear Committee Members,

Please accept the following comments for consideration during your discourse. I have included some of these comments in
my emails to the DES regarding the status of my unemployment claim, which, at the time of writing to you, have been to
no avail.

I am a single mom of 2 teenagers who works as an independent contractor for the NC Judicial Branch. Although my work is
considered a necessary legal service, most state court operations have largely been suspended since March 16, 2020, in
order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19; thus my work has been severely reduced since March 16, 2020. Any pending
work assignments that I had scheduled for the rest of March, and the months of April and May, essentially vanished
overnight. Initially the Courts were set to postpone all non-essential matters for 30 days; however, that order has now
been extended to June 1, 2020. As the head of household, two and half months of lost work represents a catastrophic loss
of thousands of dollars for me and my family. My 18-year-old son is an essential worker at WakeMed hospital. If it were
not for his income combined with the funds I was able to get together, I would not have been able to pay rent for the
05/15/2020 Ms Sarah Arredondo month of May. Thankfully I was able to obtain a small PPP loan to catch up on bills and utilities, nevertheless I will barely be
able to cover my rent for June.

Similar to many others experiences you may learn about, I have tried several times to contact DES via phone and email (via
the online customer contact form), and online chat, to check on the status of my claim, filed 4/4/2020, without success.

As of today, 5/15/2020, the status still says "pending resolution" for 'Employed/Unemployed: Reduced Hours' and
'Questionable Identity-SSA'. On 4/4/2020 I uploaded scanned copies of my identification and of my income upon filing my
claim. On 4/28/2020, in an attempt to resolve any pending issues, I again uploaded my 1099. In addition, I have uploaded
my 2019 tax return. I have also been filing my weekly certifications as required.

Other than this, I am desperately waiting for a determination of my claim, with no response to my inquiries so far. What's
more, I cannot file for PUA until a determination has been made regarding my initial claim.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I began the process after my massage therapy business was mandated to close by the state. As a self employed person I
knew that I would not qualify for UI but understood that in order to apply for subsequent aid (PUA) I would have to jump
through the UI hoop and be deemed ineligible. Then in late April I was able to apply for PUA. I have yet to receive so much
as a nickle. Getting an actual person who knows what they are doing and how to help is virtually impossible. One day this
week I called the 800 number more than 100x before giving up for the day. The following day I called at exactly 8:00 and
was able to get in the cue (usually you are told that the cue is full And to try back later. I say on hold on the cue for almost
05/15/2020 Julie Romero 5.5 HOURS! The call resulted in a small victory. The rep (an angel named Natalie) was able to back date my claim to my
actual date of unemployment to ensure that my payment would be fully retroactive. The call ended with a promise that
she would call me back after following up on my case.
That was last Tuesday. Iâ€™m hoping to get funds next week or at the very least to get that call back.
My rent and utilities are paid up through May. If I donâ€™t get any funds I will have ZERO money for June expenses (and
food).
Please do something and do it quickly. Hire more call reps, TRAIN them, upgrade the phone line (60% of the times that I
called the call would simply be dropped).

I have yet to receive any assistance for unemployment. I have been on hold for several day for 6-7.5 hours with no help. I
have complied with the governor to shut down operations and I can not get any help. I have been pending and when I did
05/15/2020 Ms. Fayecha Smith get something on my unemployment claim all the dates were wrong for my weekly claim. I cant get a live person on the
phone to discuss this. I filled out the weekly claim with the wrong date maybe someone will contact me then being that
the date are wrong. It is horrible that it has to come down to this. I callL EVERYDAY , ALL DAY FROM 7:30AM -5:30PM and I
get the same recording. I call at 9-10pm and get the same recording.Is This what we call helping?

I work in healthcare. I was placed on lay off on 04/02/2020 due to Covid19. I filed for unemployment that day. I spoke to
my HR manager on 04/03/2020. She said she had completed what she needed to on her end and already sent it in to DES.
After 3 weeks I started calling because the website said to allow 14 days. I called the number on the website hundreds of
times. I was able to get through twice. The first time I was on hold for over three hours. The second time I was on hold for
two hours. Both times when my call was answered I was cut off. I have sent emails and used chat. When I used chat I was
online for three hours. I ended it at 7:30 because at 6:45pm it told me I was next. I found out the next day that chat ends
at 5:00. I finally received half of what Iâ€™m owed on 05/07/2020. I donâ€™t know why only half. Iâ€™m now owed for
four weeks. This Sunday will be five weeks.
05/15/2020 Lori Parsons
If more information would be added to the website for example â€œcurrently working on the week of April 12th.â€•Or
even on the claimant home page as to whatâ€™s going on with the claim. For example â€œwaiting on employers
responseâ€or â€œexpected payment date is 05/?/2020.â€ I think this would cut out some of the calls to the office and
that would free up people to process claims. I have also emailed Stanley Arnold at N.C. Commerce on 05/13/2020 to ask if
he could take care of the amount I am owed. As of today 05/15/2020, I have not had a response and I have not been paid
this week. I understand this office is dealing with thousands of claims and calls. However, there has to be a solution to this.
I spoke to my hair dresser this week. She said that the person she had talked to was working from home. That not only
could she hear her kids in the background but the lady she spoke to was very rude. She said and part of the problem was
that the lady couldnâ€™t hear her because of the nose her kids were making. She said the kids didnâ€™t bother me, but
there was no call for her to be hateful with me.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed and was labeled pending for exactly one month while trying to call multiple times a day. After one month I finally got
through and was placed on hold for three hours. After speaking to someone for less than TWO minutes my issue was
05/15/2020 Tracy Kemp
resolved. Iâ€™m a bartender and the issue was that they needed to know when the last day I worked was. I stated that
when I applied. And it was also the state closed restaurants. March 17th. Also the last day I worked was the day I filed for
unemployment. After telling them the last day I was unemployed I received my unemployment.

I am self employed and started the process of applying for unemployment knowing that I would probably not receive state
benefits but hopefully qualify for the federal benefits offered through the CARES Act. My first attempts to get registered
on the NC DES website were non-functional. I could never get logged in and would receive error messages. I was able to
reach someone via phone and they said that the system was overwhelmed and being upgraded as fast as possible.
Eventually I was able to get logged in and set up. I received a Request For Separation Information form from the state to
confirm my employer. I went to website to do so and found that I needed a PIN number to go along with the the account
number on the form. Since I didn't know the PIN and had never set one up I had to call to speak with someone to get my
05/15/2020 Christopher Shepard
account number and PIN number. The problem now was that every time I call the Employer Call Center I was given a
message that the call load was high and that I would need to call back a different time to try and get through and then the
call was ended on the states end. I spend the week trying to get through at all different times of the day and always
received the same message and disconnect. I then emailed my State Senator, Ralph Hise and his legislative assistant for
help and guidance. The were able to connect me up with Lex Janes, Legislative Affairs Director, North Carolina Department
of Commerce. He put in a note for someone to call me directly from DES and said it should happen within 2-4 days. After
the 5th business day, I contacted Lex back to let him know the situation and he apologized and flagged my situation and
unfortunately I am still waiting for someone to contact me. So I don't know if I can get the federal benefits because I can't
finish the paperwork to confirm my self employed status. Not a great experience.
I filed as an independent contractor on Apr 26 and have had zero problems getting my funds via direct deposit. Ford and
05/15/2020 Fordâ€™s gaslight circus Jennifer Michaels his buddies are using a non-issue for their own political gain and wasting the time the legislature could be devoted to
helping people. I vote, and it will NOT be for Ford.

Forms are a nightmare to fill out as they do not apply to this unique situation with COVID-19. Web site crashes, cant get
05/15/2020 Patricia Streit any support on the phone, application still pending. I have been without an income for 2 month. This is a total disgrace and
I can see now why NC is in dead last place for the COVID-19 unemployment response. Other industrial countries are doing
a much better job to protect its citizens and therefore the economy.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed for unemployment on 3/23/20. My last day of work was 3/20/20. I was approved for UI benefits on 4/09/20. Due to
a problem with the DES website, I was unable to apply for PUA benefits until 4/24/20. I filed all weekly certifications, but
my status kept showing "Pending" for PUA and "Open" for UI benefits. I called for weeks trying to get someone who could
help, staying on hold on the phone for hours upon hours. On the rare occasion that I was able to talk to someone, their
answer was, "Yes, you should be getting your benefits, but no, I'm not authorized to make that change." On May the 3rd, I
05/15/2020 Mr Donald Vogler finally reached someone who could help me and they even called me back the following Tuesday to see that I received my
long overdue benefits. From what I gathered most of the many new hires brought in to assist the DES were little more than
receptionists who could do little more than answer the call and help fill out a claim. I was even told that the "glitch" in my
claim was left over from my claim of a year ago, and that the DES should have corrected the problem months before the
Covid-19 layoffs began. From my stand point, Gov. Cooper's claims that the DES was simply "overwhelmed" by the claims,
and his "hundreds of new hires" to help were little more than smoke to cover the fact that the DES has been operating
poorly for several years. The fact that North Carolina ranks at the bottom in getting benefits back to the claimants bears
this out.

I'm a massage therapist... I own my own business, so I'm the sole proprietor. As soon as we were told to close our doors, I
did just that. Then I filed for unemployment the next day. I got denied then because I'm self employed. So then April 24th
when they opened it up for self employed, I filed again. As of today, May 15th, it still says pending. I'm not understanding
what's wrong with my claim. I have tried day after day to call the number and no luck! I tried the chat option online and
that was a joke! The guy "James" told me that I needed to call in and talk to a DES agent and then ended our chat (after I
05/15/2020 Mrs Joyce Marks waited for 2 hours to even get through to him!) So then i called the PUA phone number and I got a person right when it
rang! I told her what my situation was and she looked it up and said that she didn't see anything that I would need to talk
to the DES agent. Sho she transferred me over to them.... I got their same voice recording "Due to the high call volume,
calls may be longer than normal. We're sorry but all agents are busy now and the wait cue is full. Please try again later".
That is what I've gotten EVERY TIME I'VE CALLED IN! And I mean I've called! I robo dial it everyday... just hoping that by
some miracle I can get in the cue. But nope.. no such luck! I've even went so far as to email them and I still haven't heard
anything back from that! This whole pandemic is a laughing joke! I look at all the people at Lowes hardware and Walmart
and try to figure out why they get to stay open and I don't.... it's just me and my client in my office!

I filed my claim April 5th. It is still in the "pending resolution" phase. I have submitted my formal letter from my employer
05/15/2020 Mr. Barry Roberts
for my reduced wages/hours, emailed the Assistant Secretary several times, confirmed with my HR department they have
completed all necessary paperwork and try calling numerous times every day. Nothing!!!
I have been unemployed since March 23rd. I have been filing every week. We are a family of 6 and I receive a military
retirement, which is the only way we are surviving and have not lost our home yet, but that issue has been pending
05/15/2020 Mr Brian Savage
resolution for the past seven weeks. I have provided the phone number at DFAS for verification but the issue has not been
resolved.

05/15/2020 Jordan Goldman So I applied for unemployment on March 13th. I called and called to no prevail. I even joined the chat room to get knocked
out several times. But thankfully after 7 weeks I finally got approved. What a horrible 7 weeks of the unknown.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Filing for unemployment insurance benefits was a total nightmarish experience. Never got through to speak to anyone on
the phone at DES despite calling every day for 2-3 weeks. Couldnâ€™t even get started to file an online claim for the first
three days of April because I got an error message every time. Finally I got most of my claim submitted on Saturday April 4
but tried for hours to upload my W2s from 2018 and 2019â€”impossible task because it rejected my uploads every time. I
had two pending resolutions that stayed on my claim for two weeks so I didnâ€™t get these resolved and get paid until I
contacted Senator Tom
McInnisâ€™ office and spoke to Lynn Taylor on April 17. If it wasnâ€™t for her help getting through by emailing the DES I
probably still wouldnâ€™t have received any payments. She got my first resolution due to lack of work due to COVID-19
05/15/2020 N.C. unemployment insuran Kelly Hobson resolved on April 17 and when I called her again on April 21 she got the DES to remove my second pending resolution over
separation/vacation pay. Fortunately now I am caught up to date but if it wasnâ€™t for her persistence assisting me to get
my claim resolved then I donâ€™t know when or if I would have ever received my benefits. I will be eternally grateful for
Lynn Taylor and her sincere concern to help me resolve this dilemma. NC needs to have an overhaul of this stateâ€™s
unemployment insurance benefits because Pat McCrory cut state benefits to the bone back in 2013 with a maximum of
$350 for only 12 weeks and the average payout is only $265 per week. Without the federal supplement from the CARES
act this is poverty level income. What will happen to us if we are still unemployed or permanently laid off after July 31 if
this is not extended? I wish that my compensation would be based on my two highest quarters because I was punished
unfairly for the low wages that I received in the third quarter of 2019 because I was injured on the job and had to miss 6
weeks of work after having hernia surgery on July 29, 2019. Therefore I only am receiving $260 a week from the state of
N.C. State benefits and number of weeks need to be revised to be more in line with the rest of the country and not stay in
last place because of the harsh cruel cutbacks that Pat McCrory made in 2013!!!

My business was closed 3/22/2020 by Governor Cooper. Today is May 15th, 2020. I still have not received u employment.
50% of my staff are still not receiving unemployment despite being W2 employees. Meanwhile part of my staff refuses to
comeback to work until their unemployment runs out, because they are making more on unemployment than they have
05/15/2020 Mrs. Ashley Dwyer
ever made for me and I am being punished for it. I would have lost my home and my business if my clients hadn't stepped
up and paid our rent and my boyfriend hadnt moved in to pay the bills for my son and I. When will someone be held
responsible for those being forced into homelessness? Small business owners typically make less than their staff. We have
sweat equity. We are losing that. We deserve on time unemployment. I also received bills for past employees and a
statutory employee that works at home doing one task as needed. That should not be my responsibility. Step up NC.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I had to relocate from NC to Florida due to my husband's job 3/21/20. I applied for relocation unemployment.
It took days to even get logged in to apply. I first received a letter saying I must complete an interview prior to approval. I
called multiple times and got no answer. I left voice mails and no returned calls. I emailed multiple times and only got an
auto response. I finally chatted online and was told I didn't get denied but my paperwork still has not been approved due
05/15/2020 Mrs Jessica Skipworth
to a backlog.
The online options to chat to "check on your claim" was "busy" so I had to randomly pick another topic just to get to chat
with a human being.
I'm going on week 6. My family was really depending on this income. It costs extra to move across to another state,
register vehicles, lose health insurance, etc. NC needs to work hard to get this under control.
Week after week I get no answers.

My claim was filed one part of it says says ineligible but I was never given a reason as to why. At least not a reason that I
05/15/2020 Kimberly Marshall can understand being not somebody who works for the unemployment agency because I don't know what the six times
rule is. And then I still have a pending next to medical reasons and nobody answers the phone or it's always busy so how
am I supposed to find out why I was even denied, if I was supposed to be denied, and why I have a pending.
05/15/2020 Ms Jeanne Newton Filing went much smoother that I anticipated!
After over a month of my account in â€œerrorâ€mode, over 10 back up documents uploaded to my account, 100â€™s of
calls that went straight to disconnect, I finally got denied (with no reason why)!! I appealed the ruling and now I have a
phone hearing June 24th!!! And basically I am being told that I am suspected of either quitting or being fired!! I took a buy-
out package from my company that was offered to people across the US (back in January, with my last day of work March
05/15/2020 Mary Kanne 20th) in advance of lay-offs!! I have provided all appropriate documents!! Now I cannot find new employment due to
COVID!!

I understand that this has overwhelmed your agency, but I do not appreciate being called a liar, and I am insulted by your
tactics!

I filed for unemployment in March. My employer has never been contacted to confirm employment. I have called more
than 20 times at all different times in the day and always get the same recording...we are really busy and our que is full,
please call back. I have got through once last week on the chat after waiting 3 plua hours. The man helping was nice
05/15/2020 Filed March 18 nothing ye Rebecca Hargraves
enough but said everything looks fine you will have to call to see the status. 2 days ago I waited over 2 houra on the chat
before I was told there were no longer any agents and I would have to try again. I did and after waiting an hour waa told
again everything looks fine and they weren't sure why it was pending for 8 weeks. Frustrating since many people at my
work filed after me and have received unemployment and I seem to be in some holding cell.
I've filed, provided my weekly certifications and have been stuck in a pending status since.

05/15/2020 Aimee Ray I'm self employed and have been unable to reach anyone over the phone in three weeks.

Still no pay, no communication, no answers.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Given the overwhelming volume of claims, I generally think the NC unemployment online service was well handled. I have
friends and family in other states. They shared quite a bit about their experiences they are still dealing with... Relatively
speaking, I am grateful that my PUA claim was processed on about 16 days after it was finally made available.

Would I have liked PUA to have been available to me sooner, as a self employed sole proprietor, yes! But also, I am very
grateful that I was approved 2 months after mandatory shut down of my profession.
05/15/2020 Virginia Hicks
My biggest letdown was the near impossible phone assistance to get questions answered for the claim process. The hold
time was incredible.. if I could even get in the cue at all. I was on hold at one point for nearly 6 hours before my call was
DISCONNECTED. This area of service could use some serious improvement.

These are unprecedented times. I am hopeful that the lessons learned now will help speed up the process for more people
to get help faster if this is needed again in the future.

Thank you for this platform to give feedback.

my benefits exhausted end or march, I have been waiting for peuc, pandemic emergency uemployment comp. for those
who have exhausted their regular ui of 12 weeks. PEUC provides an additional 13 weeks. I have not received any funds and
its been six weeks. DES has also been giving wrong info to us, many at DES have said we were to file PUA ,but PUA was an
option if you had exhausted your EXTENSIONS. (or if you were self employed,gig,contractor ect)which we were not! THey
05/15/2020 Mr Ashley Morgan
finally changed updated the wording on the website but now most of us are worried because they told us to file PUA that
may mess us our PEUC and its DES fault, calling or using their chat has been useless. All those new people they hired I cant
tell they've had any training, I know more about the Cares act than they do. North Carolina and DES has epically failed its
citizens and they should be ashamed. CAn someone please contact DES and find out when PEUC will roll out, my savings
are almost depleted.

I understand that there are an unprecedented amount of people out of work, but as a single parent who has no other
source of income, the waiting game for unemployment is outrageous! I filed almost 2 months ago, and there has been
absolutely NO movement on my claim. When trying to reach DES by phone, there are ridiculously long waits that don't end
05/15/2020 Kathryn Graham in any kind of resolution, but rather by being hung up on e ithout any warning. When trying to get information via chat on
the website, no one can really help. The only advice representatives have to offer is to just sit back and wait. Is waiting
going to pay for prescriptions for my auto immune disease? Will it cover doctor's appointments to treat flare-ups caused by
the extra stress? There has to be a way to get these claims processed in a more efficiently. Put some of us unemployed
people to work as adjudicators to resolve some of these claims in a more timely manner. Better yet, set limits on the
amount of time allowed to process claims. Hold people accountable and get these claims processed!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I actually filed a 3/13 because I knew there would be a mass filing rather quickly after that date. Waited until almost the
two weeks I knew it would take the employers to respond and have my claim fixed to show the Covid related issues. Was
told then it should be within a week that I should receive payments, after that week still nothing so I called back in and for
6 hours waited for someone to answer to find out I had filed in the wrong state as a previously closed UI case in SC would
have to be exhausted first. This was information that should have been mentioned by the initial person I spoke with on
05/15/2020 Interstate Issues Stephanie Phipps
3/25 to prevent another waiting game of over a week to be told that by some one else in the department. The last call into
NC was at least a 4 hour call speaking to two different people. I was told from the first person to answer that it would be a
30 minute wait and it ended up being over two hours.

Better transparency between the two states would help so many people out who work in multiple locations as at the time
the virus furloughs started I worked in both SC and NC

I am a sole proprietor that was forced to shut down Mar 25th. Shortly thereafter, it was announced sole proprietors could
file for UI. I filed a claim on Apr 4th, and as of today it is still in the pending status. I have tried calling literally over 100
times and can never get through (can't even get into the hold queue) on the main UI line, call just drops off. I tried a
couple of other lines, and my regional office, and reached representatives but only to be told they couldn't do anything
05/16/2020 UI Benefits Amy Eaton
with my claim, and I'd need to keep trying the main line. I was also told that my claim for state UI needed to be declined
before I could even apply/be considered for PUA. When the new PUA phone line was published I thought I'd finally get
assistance, but I was again told I had to reach a rep through the main line, and they would need to review and decline my
state UI claim before I could submit for PUA. I pleaded with the person to try to do something to help move this along, as
it had been so long since I filed the claim with no action, and I could never get through on the main line. She said she
would send a message, and someone would call me within 24 hrs....that was two weeks ago, and still no response.

I was laid off March 19, 2020. I did not apply the first week that i was laid off hoping my employer would take advantage of
the grant being passed for small businesses. He elected to wait to apply therefore i filed for unemployment stating my
termination date March 19. My claim had an error so i called for several days and never could even get through, FINALLY i
made it to the endless hold... 3 hours 49 minutes later someone answered and "fixed" my claim. I finally got paid a few
05/16/2020 Regina Warlick
weeks later however my claim is still incorrect as my effective date is wrong. I have tried for 3 weeks to get on hold but the
reps are always "with other customers" and the hold que is always full. I did finally get on hold 1 time only to wait for 1
hour 15 minutes then be disconnected as soon as i heard the music stop like someone was picking up. I am still missing a
week of pay. I have filed an appeal because this is all i know to do. I have no confidence it will ever be reviewed or
resolved.

I was unable to process a claim when I firsr got laid off 3/20/2020, due to previously being laid off 10/11/2019 from a
different employer & exhausting all 12 weeks. I was able to apply 4/24/2020, but like many others my claim is still pending,
05/16/2020 Delisse Glaspy
& I'm attempting to do my best to make ends meet. Neither time I was laid off, was it of any dault of mine, but the fact our
state NC is taking so long to approve claims, when Covid 19 is out of our control, is really unacceptable. NC needs to
improve our current unemployment system & make better adjustments for pandemics or emergencies as such.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My unemployment claim has been at a standstill online pending resolution since I filed. I claim weekly and call daily with no
05/16/2020 Unemployment Taniisha Daniels
answers from my employer or an unemployment agent. I have no answers to when Iâ€™ll be able to receive any benefits
during this time and my landlord along with utility companies still expect payments while I have no income. Please help.

The benefit sum is well below living standards of average workers. I understand that this sum is to be used to put food on
tables and be a help to the suddenly unemployed, but this does not meet needs of rent, food, electric/utilities of the
05/16/2020 Gary Steelman
average family. It needs to be raised substantially, without the federal 600 $; most families' savings would be depleted
quite rapidly, loss of homes /and futures are at risk. Speaking from experience, last that I was on layoff, with savings gone
to house payments UE benefit amount I had to file bankruptcy and lost home to Well Fargo. Thanks for your time.

This is my first time ever filing for unemployment and it says I need to activate my account through email or spam folder.
05/16/2020 Activating my account CJ Bisser Never received email so called to file claim on April 30 and called every week for the check up. Gotten my Notice of
Monetary Determinstion and to be honest I have no idea what I'm looking at and I need help from someone who knows
what they're talking about so they can help me. Sorry if its confusing, but thank you.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
My name is Jane Wells
I am an essential worker for Novant Health in Winston-Salem
My hours have been cut (16-24 a hours a week) because of COVID-19

My first claim was filed the week of April 5, 2020

I reached out to Sen Joyce Krawiec around April 16th, explaining I had not received benefits nor heard from anyone.
I completed the form Mrs Lowm sent me in regards to my concerns

I reached back out to Sen Joyce Krawiec on April 22, 23, 27, May 5 & 14th

I have tried multiple times to reach DES via phone. I was able to get through around the middle of April (I think, the week
of the 19th) I spoke with a gentleman. He was polite. He said my claims looked good and were complete. I asked about
â€œthe questionable identityâ€•He instructed me not to be concern with that and I should receive something soon. He did
05/16/2020 Essential Worker Jane Wells state he could not give a date or time due to the circumstances

I utilized the chat, and was told the claims looked fine The â€œchatâ€•shared they could only assist with claims and have
been instructed not to discuss the financial aspect but to refer clients to call the DES line

Wednesday ( May 13th) I called the COVID line and spoke to a nice girl in, Kansas, who kept stating she did not have the
answers to my questions and could only assist with filing the claims

Thursday morning I called DES and spoke with a nice lady who informed me â€œI make too much money to receive
unemploymentâ€•I explained my hours have been cut to 15 -22 hours or more, due to COVID-19. She explained I still made
too much money

I asked, â€œOkay I know I am paid well for my profession but even if I donâ€™t qualify for the â€œunemploymentâ€•
portion do I still qualify for the $600 related to COVID.

I filed my claim on 3-27-20 and have been out of work since 3-14-20. My claim states pending resolution I have tried to call
for assistance all hours of the available times and days. I managed to get in the que 1 time and was on hold for 1 hour and
28 minutes before my ISP service went down and dropped the call. I was not able to get back in the que since then. I used
the online chat function and the person told me I needed to call the number and talk to a customer service associate
because my claim was not accessible because it is pending the web site says 7- 10 days for claims and it been much more
05/16/2020 Jennifer Keady
than that. I have also filed out 2 claim forms on the DES site for help and got no response. And I received an email telling
me that the job search requirement was suspended and to make sure to file weekly certifications. I called my local
employment security commission hoping to get some help and they said they have nothing to with helping . filing or
checking on claims to call the number and the number refers you to the website for answers that are not there it is a
viscous circle and very aggravating and stressful when you are worried about paying your bills. I don't know how many
people can be in que on the phone lines but it always says the que is full and politely hangs up on you. I have tried to get
help with my claim since 4-8-20. So I will keep doing my certifications so my claim is not terminated.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My story: Iâ€™m a single mother with 6 children. I was laid off March 26, due to Covid-19. I filed immediately, And it was
deemed ineligible - though Iâ€™m a w-2 employee, for an out of state employer, apparently they pay no NC
unemployment insurance on me. So I filed for PUA when it was available, and still have a â€œpendingâ€claim. Iâ€™ve
uploaded my paystub, lay-off letter, and w-2 and 1099 from 2019. Iâ€™ve tried calling hundreds of times, emailed many
05/16/2020 Mary-Belle Simmons times, with no success at all. That claim isnâ€™t feeding my children, paying my rent, or keeping my lights on, and now we
are losing our home, and no one wants to rent to me because I am now two months behind on my current rent.

If you have a magic wand, or even an idea for getting this resolved, weâ€™d be grateful.

Thank you for your time.
05/16/2020 Mr JOHN HUGHES
Still showing as pending. Cant get an answer. Out of money 2 months of no income because of my state government.

I will have to say, filing was painless and easy for me, didnâ€™t have any problems what so ever. My company as of April
10th, temporary lay-off me and 80% of my co workers. I went online and filled everything out, uploaded documents and
05/16/2020 Gerardo Costa
was approved very quickly. Received my first payment on April 27th since my company would pay us up until a certain
date. I know a lot of people had issues, however my experience had been very pleasant and great. Hopefully an extension
can be made if the temporary layoff goes past the 12 weeks.
05/16/2020 Unemployment Hannah Hughart Thankful for this system during these times! My overall experience is a 10 very thankful

My parents have yet to recieve a dime for the almost 6 weeks we have been laid-off thanks to COVID-19. I myself am
worried about not being able to support my 3 children when my benefits run out in 7 weeks, if we are still not working. If it
were not for the extra $600 a week from the federal government, there is no way I could keep my family a float on just
05/16/2020 Jennifer Osborne
$350 a week. My other concern is, we can only file 13 weeks out of a full year. What am I suppose to do if we exhaust
those 13 weeks because of COVID-19 and then once we return to work they decide to permanently lay us off because of
lost orders and loss of revenue during this pandemic. I will not be able to draw any more unemployment and then what am
I suppose to do? I feel like we would be thrown to the wolves and told "figure it out on your own".

I applied March 19th. It took me 8 weeks to get a 5 minute conversation with an agent. Hiring call center employees is
useless because they cannot help with claims and have generally been quite rude. I have experienced phones being pulled
off of receivers and sat to the side. How do I know this? I can hear them conversing and CURSING about individuals calling
05/16/2020 Ms. Stefanie Hunt in. My claim effective date is 3/15, monetary determination has been made but for some reason I have yet to even have
an eligibility determination placed on my claim. I know I am eligible. I understand that DES agents are spread thin, but I
am going on 10 weeks of NO income. With two children, two parents, and a cousin all depending on my financial support,
stress is continuing to pile up. I wake up every day with panic rising and a tight feeling in my chest. Please help our state.
So many have been failed in this unusual time.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Applied for partial unemployment due to Corona virus. Application was approved as a non covid 19 application. Can only
make 53 a week which is minimum wage for 8 hours. I make anywhere between 9 and 11 something an hour as a waitress.
05/16/2020 Ms. Julie Harrison Also was making 10.50 an hour as third shift supervisor cooking 30-35 hours a week for a total of 45-50 hours a week. Pay
reduced to 9.50. Then cooking hours taken away. Hours reduced to 50 or less a week. Unemployment does not reflect my
pay or the hours I should be getting. I just wrote a 4 page letter of appeal. No one answers the phone period. It just says all
lines are busy and hangs up. Questions were never answered so I did the best I could.
It took over 2 weeks to get my claim processed and pais thw 1se time. The last time I filesd my weekly certification it took 2
05/16/2020 Mr. Dewey Burns
day to get the page up. Cannot get anyone on the phone.
05/16/2020 James Ward Didnâ€™t because I knew it was going to be trouble.

There needs to be a way that people can get online help when filing for unemployment because it is almost impossible to
get help on the phone. I work for Freightliner in Cleveland NC we are not working because covid-19 here and in Mexico has
stopped parts coming to our plant. I believe that even after we go back to work we will be impacted with more short time
05/16/2020 Mr William Wallace
due to the affect of covid-19 on our economy. I believe there needs to be changes made to our unemployment to account
for the next 12-18 months. Many other jobs are going to be affected like mine with future short time. We need to be able
to get pay immediately no waiting week. $350 a week is not enough. Thank God for the extra $600 the federal
government is adding.

I am commenting for those that have not received any assistance on this matter. I know a least a dozen people who are still
05/16/2020 Robin Padgett
"pending" in the system with no resolution. This entire fiasco has been a nightmare, people cannot feed their families, and
nothing is being done to fix it but awarding contracts to Cohen's husband to further destroy our privacy and liberties.

I signed up at the beginning of all this because my work day was cut in half. Signed up for the coved-19 help. Got in ONCE
to unemployment to certify my hours for the week, after that, site locks up, can't do anything. All these other people that
05/16/2020 Gary Flatt
got layoff so they received unemployment benefits plus $600.00 extra a week to stay home plus a stimulus check, I have
too keep working with half pay and pay my bills. Where was my help when I need it. Now on the verge of filling bankruptcy
because I had to work.. what a joke. Thank you to my state and federal government for the help. NOT!!

I have been unable to recieve unemployment. I'm guessing it is because I worked a second job. The job that I have been
05/16/2020 Mr. Carlton Robinson laid off from is the job that I worked for full time and earned benefits. The job that I am working to try to makes ends meet
is a part-time minimum wage job. I am not making enough money to support myself the same way I was ablet to when I
worked full-time. I need help trying to figure out how to get my unemployment.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed my unemployment I believe it was around the end of February or the 1st of March and it took until April 7th to
receive any payment. I think the only reason I did receive payment was because I called Senator Bob Steinberg office and
talk to Ed Stokes who was his assistant. Evidently he was able to send an email through a portal which got the wheels
started and called me after the first email and said he was sending another one and next thing you know they sent me a
05/16/2020 Mr. Barry Scellato
message stating my debit card will be there at my house within 7 to 10 days and 9 days later I finally got paid but if it
wasn't for Senator Steinberg and his office I'd probably still be waiting just like everybody else. Every time I called which
was several times a day to try to reach somebody at the unemployment office it would never got anybody it was just pretty
much hang up on me after I tried to reach somebody. Are unemployment a situation I understand was under a Hughes
amount of stress with everybody applying all at one time but nevertheless they failed us as a state as a people who needed
to pay bills needed to buy food and needed to raise families I feel like our state failed Us in this department.

If I recall correctly, Gov. Mcrory reduces the benefits $350 weekly to pay off an unemployment debt to the federal
government more quickly than originally planned. That debt has been paid since 2015. Itâ€™s about time the state returns
the payment to its previous level of $535. It would be even better if the unemployment payment is equivalent to 66% of a
05/16/2020 Mr Michael Mallimo
personâ€™s earnings, just like disability. I understand the state doesnâ€™t want people to remain dependent on
unemployment. There are many other factors to consider and options to implement such as: raising the minimum wage to
a living wage, recruiting more higher paying jobs to the state, providing laws for a stronger union presence in the state, and
requiring legislators to live off of 30% of their pay for 3 months....
I made a mistake on my weekly file claim for the week of 4-26 to 5-2. I couldn't rectify this on site. I tried calling for 4 days,
on the 4th day I finally got on the hold cue. I spent almost 5 hours on the hold cue and no one ever picked up. The next day
05/16/2020 steve brawley I called 42 times and couldn't even get to the hold cue. I have now switched to emails and for the last two weeks no
response. My ID# is [REDACTED], The claim# in question is [REDACTED]. If anyone wants to speak to me about this, my
number is [REDACTED]
customer service was not good. Couldn't reach anyone. Phone and website was constantly overloaded at least that's what
05/16/2020 Darron Carr
was told
05/16/2020 Mr Ronnie Johnson My claim is still pending
I filled on the 25th of March. I own a tattoo studio but I am registered as a employee. For my line of work it is difficult to
05/16/2020 Spencer Smallwood get a lone or assistance at times. This is our busiest time of year and it has all been ripped away from us. My account is still
pending yet all of my employees have received benefits.

I am a single mom of two teenage boys. I am a hairdresser and salon owner and I have been out of work for 7 and a half
weeks. I applied for unemployment on March 26 after I was forced to close my salon. I have finally received my first weekly
05/16/2020 Ms Tani Spencer check last week but still have not received any backpay. I have called DES at least 25 times just to be hung up on because
there were too many people on hold. This has been a complete nightmare. I have had to use my savings account to survive
these last 2 months and now my savings is depleted. I check my banking account everyday to see if the backpay has been
deposited and as of today May 16 I have still not received it.
I gave up. When I called to cancel my application, I was transferred to another line and cutoff. I gave up on that too. For the
05/16/2020 Anthony Myrick record, I have been paying into unemployment in NC since I was 18 years old, I am now 60 years old . I intend to never seek
benefits from NC Unemployment again. Wish me luck !
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I have a story to tell but do not want my name disclosed. While I would have no issue with my comments being made
Public, I would have issue with my name being made public
05/16/2020 Ms Laurie
[REDACTED]

I was told to stay at home 8 weeks ago. It took me 5 weeks, just to be able to file. I tried for hours most days. My status is
still pending. The issue delaying payment? Lack of work due to Corona virus. At least that is what the web site says. I can't
get anyone on the phone. I have called the governor, our senators, and all of my local representatives. My girlfriend
05/16/2020 Martin Christiansen received a letter asking her to verify that she was self employed. The letter was dated April 20. The letter said her response
was due by April 30. The letter was not postmarked until May 11. For 8 weeks now my girlfriend, and I have been doing our
part, and staying home. Now all of our bills are over due, and we are almost out of money. Please hire some more people
to process these claims. You know I am not working, because you issued a stay at home order. Please due your job, and get
everyone their unemployment. We are watching you, and we vote.
My claim is still pending. I have called every day starting at 8 am and have never been given an explanation as to the status
of my claim because the person on the other end is only a contractor for the state. My wife and I take turns calling
05/16/2020 Mr Tom Earnest (hundreds of times) only to find ourself once again chasing our tails. The people in charge of the department should be
ashamed, what a mess. The public deserves better, someone needs to grab the bull by the horns and clean this dept up or
at the very least fire those in charge and start anew .

i applied for benefits 3-27 as an independent contractor. never heard anything . filed for ppa unenployment on 4-25.
benefits were delayed till 5-12 i could never get thru except on ppa line. was told to not do anything else.benefits came
05/16/2020 mr DAVID BARNES thru without me having to talk to anyone else. my frustration was trying to get thru to an agent that knew what was going
on on regular line. overall i was happy that benefits were reviewed and approved I think overall they did a good job
considering the mass amount of claims. Does not do any good to have someone answer the phones if they cant understand
or tell you whats going on.
9 weeks of waiting, calling DES, Roy Coopers offoce, sitting on hold, on line, sending emails to senators, commerce
05/16/2020 Ms. Andrea Allen workers. Messaging through Contact on site still NO BENEFITS. My business has been closed since March 15. I desperately
need my benefits.
I have an ongoing frustration in filing unemployment. I began applying March 20, as a self employed person I ended my
massage therapy work on March 14th. It wasnt until April 25th that I could actually get someone on the phone from a call
center to help get my stalled application thru. On May 5, I received my first check after not working almost 7 weeks. I
havent received backpay as some of my colleagues have.
05/16/2020 Shoshanna Hamburg Dibetta I've literally called hundred of times trying to get to the DES itself and not a call center. I've spent hours on hold on the
phone and chat only to be told I had to call the DES.. This is after calling the DES numbers.
I am in desperate need of the backpay but cant get thru on the phone to get the correct help. To date I've received 2
unemployment deposits into my account.
Thank you for asking for our feedback.
The current system is not user friendly. There needs to be a mobile app version. $350 max is not enough for people to live
off of. Then people are down they need help not to struggle just to feed their families. 12 weeks is not enough time to find
05/16/2020 Robert Doyle a good job. I know you can take a lesser job but then you canâ€™t get the time to interview for better jobs.please help
make it better for the people that support state leave jobs by working and paying taxes. Some times we are down and need
a hand.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I was told to await an email with instructions as to what documents were needed. Then I received a letter saying my
05/16/2020 Massage therapist ( LMBT) Kerri Whipple application was denied due to lack of documentation. I uploaded tax forms and my social security, but still waiting. We
were
I filedshut down
for UI March 22nd
on 4/12/20 butfurloughed
as I was I have not had
untilany assistance
at least at all
6/1. The yet...process was cumbersome. Errors reflected in my
whole
dashboard from the beginning. They were "Issues Delaying Payment: 1: Lay-off/Lack of Work. And Issue 2: Questionable
Identity SSA." These issues should never have been at issue as my NC Driver's License AND Social Security Card were
uploaded to my claim. The furlough letter from my company was also attached to the claim.

In trying to reach DES via email as instructed from an automated email originating from DES, there was never any response
from DES via email regarding troubleshooting this error. Many attempts at contacting DES via phone were futile efforts as
the phone tree message indicated there was basically no one available to help. It was only through continued efforts of
individuals who were also furloughed from my company that we were able to figure out ways to resolve the errors. Over
the next three weeks, we were able to determine that if you remove your middle initial from your claimant ID information
and then replace it, the "Questionable Identity SSA" error was removed. We did finally figure out how to "trick" the phone
tree system at DES by pressing "1,5,1" in sequence and then waiting for 45-85 minutes, you could get to speak to a live
person. HOWEVER, every individual you spoke to was unable to resolve the issue, even with the help of "senior analysts"
and "claim agents". They all indicated that the claim was in "Adjudication" and it would resolve itself at some point.
05/16/2020 Mr. Kennie Wood Issues with this are twofold, the claims should never have been in adjudication as our company provided the faxed
information to DES (we confirmed this) and the information re: our "Lay off/Lack of work" was fully documented with the
furlough letter provided. Secondly, we have families to provide for and you can't eat Hope, Mays and Should's. We
needed resolution ASAP as we had intel from external sources that their claims had taken 6-8 weeks and were still
unresolved. It was only through the help of one individual at DES that we were able to get rapid resolution. One of our co-
workers found his information and emailed him her claim number and error. STANLEY ARNOLD was the HERO of the day.
He helped SO many of us get our error resolved and claims started getting approved and we started getting PAYMENT.
While we understand that these were extenuating circumstances, this should be a learning experience for improvement. 1.
The platform on which the DES UI claims system is on needs to be updated and improved to support the population. 2.
When resources from other areas must be "flexed in" to support call volumes, they should be given the proper tools and
education to actually assist the caller. Otherwise, it is purely a waste of time and money for DES, the DES employee and
the claimant. 3. When there are a flood of unemployment claims from industries who, once trained, could be utilized to
support DES, why not solicit those individuals to work for/with DES to both gainfully employ them AND benefit DES by
having willing, competent and TRAINED individuals to assist the masses?
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
BACKGROUND: My wife and I have both been displaced by the COVID19 Pandemic. My wife was working at PT at a
restaurant (20 hours a week) and was supposed to start a second job teaching kindergarten at a Japanese school 1 day a
week (starting 04/2020). The restaurant layer her off due to business slow down associated with the shelter in place order,
and the school has not started. In total my wife would have been making $380/week, but now she has no income. I was
driving FT for Uber but stopped driving due to a significant decline in business, and other factors. University students did
not return from spring break, RDU drop offs and pickups are down 80-90%, bars/restaurants/nightclubs are closed, specials
events have been canceled (concerts, sports events, brewgaloo...etc), and people are staying home...all of which has made
driving for Uber unprofitable for me at the moment. Additionally, I am 56, with chronic asthma, a history of lung disease, a
history of cancer, I am overweight with borderline hypertension, and might have other factors that put me in at a high risk
for COVID19. Finally, with my daughter at home doing distance learning and my wife being a native Japanese speaker, the
majority of my 9 year old daughters educational support falls on me. My wifeâ€™s last day of employment was
03/16/2020, and my last day was 03/26/2020.

NC DES EXPERIENCES: We filed unemployment claims (electronically) the week of 03/29/2020. It was quite difficult to get
05/16/2020 Timothy Buehler into the online system and when we did get in the system was not set up for COVID19 related claims (a notice on the NC
DES home screen telling us to wait until the system had been updated to file a claim probably would have saved time and
aggravation on both our part and that of the NC DES staff). Both of our initial claims were denied and we had to resubmit
them (doubling/increasing the workload on both sides). Both of our second claims are listed as pending. It has been 9
weeks since my wife last worked and 7 weeks for myself. While we had a small amount of savings and the have received
the Federal stimulus check, our financial resources are almost exhausted and will be in dire straits very soon. There is no
way to check the status of when our claims will be processed. We have spent innumerable hours online completing claims
and trying ascertain status. The information online is extremely limited and very cryptic, and getting through on the phone
was impossible until recently. While phone staff have been added recently, they do not seem to be able to give much
information on status (they can tell you that your claim is in the system and that is about it....). We are very worried that
approval will not come for months (maybe many months), or that our claim(s) might be rejected due to our making a
minor mistake in completing our claims (requiring appeal/resubmission and further delaying payment (the online claim
submission process is not straight forward, or intuitive, and even after the system updates for the Pandemic was difficult to
understand). We have funds for a couple more weeks and then will have no money for food, or bills. We need money

April 5,2018 hrs. Cut and wrest my husband can't get 2 things correct cause system got problems changing it DAVID K
05/16/2020 No funds GAIL White
White out work since March 18 ,2020 and it's sad cause people who work 3 months getting it when people work hard for
yrs can't get help with simple things to get right just mess up .going to keep praying

Hi. It is difficult to upload documents with more than 30 characters in the document name to the DES website. Although an
individual can rename the documents before uploading, this can be a tedious process. Is there a reason there is a 30-
character limit on documents that be uploaded?
05/16/2020 Kristi Bellamy
In addition, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for federal employees does not send wage information to states.
During the 2013 federal government shutdown, this created a nightmare as federal employees, including military
members, had to submit 18 months of wage information to have a claim processed. Can DES coordinate with OPM for
release of federal employees wage information as to expedite processing of our claims?Thank you
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I have a claim number, but wouldn't let me finish. Told me to call. On thr phone for 1hr. I've tried multiple times to
05/16/2020 Unemployment benefits Sheila French
complete it but method throwing me out.
The process is a little confusing and is slow. I understand the system was overwhelmed but it took emailing my senator to
05/16/2020 Unemployment Larry Leazer
get things underway.

My PUA is still pending and your phone service is awful. Canâ€™t get through, canâ€™t even wait on hold. Canâ€™t eat.
05/16/2020 Daniel Wicker Canâ€™t pay rent. Canâ€™t say Iâ€™m going to ever pay tax to North Carolina ever again or vote for any of you. Canâ€™t
say I wonâ€™t be going to the protests. Canâ€™t say you have my consent to govern. Canâ€™t see any benefit of paying
into government any more. You take our tax money and thereâ€™s nothing offered in return.

I filed my claim on 4/3 immediately after I got the layoff call from employer. I understand that these are trying times and
that des has been backed up so I was patient and didnâ€™t even try to call until a month after I filed my claim. When I
called I was told by an agent there was nothing he could do to fix my pending status and to call another number. The main
05/16/2020 Octavia Winston
des number just says the queue is full and to try back later. Every time I try it says the same thing. Iâ€™ve even tried the
chat option on the website. I had to wait by my laptop for over an hour to chat with someone for them to tell me the same
thing as the agent on the phone. I have lids and my lease runs out in less then a month. It not our fault the government let
this get so out of hand , so why are we the people being punished.
Work for small business. Reduced hours can not receive UI due to making more then $419 week. Why not raise that $419
05/16/2020 Patti Duffy by $600 that the gov has provided? Then deduct my earnings. My bills have not been reduced just my income.
1000â€™s of us in same situation.
Iâ€™ve been out of work due to the pandemic. Unfortunately I havenâ€™t gotten a dime. Itâ€™s said delayed payment for
05/16/2020 Ms Melissa McCurdy months. I have a family to support and canâ€™t do anything. Customer service doesnâ€™t know whatâ€™s what? Waiting
on the phone 4-6 hours daily to only be told nothing.

Iâ€™m substitute teacher trying to see if I could qualify for coverage. It took several weeks to access and complete the the
paperwork. I had questions as this was the first time in my life I filed but trying to reach anyone at anytime was
unsuccessful (I even tried at 8:01 AM and still got the same message). To date I did submit the additional documents
requested and I have not seen any results regarding New Hanover County School System qualifications. My status still says
05/16/2020 Mrs. Barbara Aaron
â€œOpen.â€Iâ€™m not sure what that means and again I canâ€™t reach anyone. By the way one morning I waited an
hour and finally was cut off. Itâ€™s a frustrating process that needs many improvements as I donâ€™t believe the volume
of recipients will change anytime soon.

Thank you for offering a means to provide feedback.
I filed for unemployment since we as realtors.were allowed to. I did so prior to april 26 and after with no word. Many of my
05/16/2020 Mr Roger Hart fellow realtors also filed and have heard nothing. We have been hit hard by this virus and have no income to share or use.
Is this 2008 all over again???
tried for weeks to file. finally got it filed online april 12th shows open and pending resolution. still have not received any
05/16/2020 anna jerrolds
payments or answers down to 17 dollars in my checking and 5 cents in savings.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed a claim 3 weeks ago. According to my claimant page there is an issue delaying payment, but there is zero
information online about what the issue is or how to resolve the issue. I have called every 15 minutes during 7 business
days and have been unable to reach anyone. I am not even put on hold because the queue is full. That is around 225
attempts to reach someone. twice I spoke to someone because the call rolled to a call center...but they were unable to
05/16/2020 Kim Anderson help me because they don't work for NC ESC. These people were sitting at home, both in IL, with no access to the system
to dig deep enough to see what the problem is. Why in the world are there people hired who can not help callers? Why
are you not hiring NC based folks and giving them access to the system so they can help people? Incredible waste of tax
pay dollars. No answers for me. If you don't have the manpower to answer the phones, why not include WHAT I NEED TO
DO to resolve the issue instead of just letting me know there is an issue? That is programming and would be an easy fix to
the system.
I am self employed. It was hell. Tried to submit claim back in March. It was crushing and not going through. Finally learned
on Facebook that I have to wait until April 25. Tried to apply starting April 25. Website was crushing every time I clicked any
link.
05/16/2020 Marina Lando Took me a week to finally submit it.
Tried to answer additional questions for self employed. The same. Took me another week.
My claim is still pending with no clear instructions what else I need to submit. No live person on a phone to see if I did it
correctly. I canâ€™t open business, cannot work full hours. My income is down 60%.
We need our unemployment changed back to how it used to be the amount drawn raised back to 500 and back to 26
05/16/2020 Unemployment claim Thomas Coleman
weeks working people need this
05/16/2020 Mr David Tunnell Need to fix the problem

I didnâ€™t think transitioning back into the civilian world would be this difficult but Iâ€™m on the verge of becoming yet
another statistic of being a homeless vet. Iâ€™ve applied to over 200 jobs and all have denied me due to Covid-19 or I had
05/16/2020 to decline due to service related injuries. I filed for food stamps and was approved only to never receive payment. I filed for
Unemployment Insurance March 22nd and the claim has been pending ever since. No one is hiring. All my accounts are
maxed out. Iâ€™m living off friends until I can receive payment. Somehow I donâ€™t see myself getting past this. Just
seems impossible and zero help coming from DES. My claim number is [REDACTED]

I filed my claim over 6 weeks ago. I have not received any status updates and the phone lines are never available for you to
get through to check the status. I have wrote and email weeks ago with no response. I was finally told in the online chat
05/16/2020 No status update on claim BreAnna Jordan portal that the state is waiting to hear back from my previous employer. My previous employer is avoiding sending in
reason why I was terminated due to them not wanting me to get paid benefits I will clearly qualify for. The state has
allowed my employer over 21 business days to respond and they still will not pay out any benefits on my end. This system
is really corrupt and allows employers to win and not actual claimants who were let go under awful circumstances.
i got transfered 13 times in 1 call! i have called at least 15 times..... still havent gotten answers to my questions so i cant
05/16/2020 mrs Sabrina Flowe
finish filing so no assistance for me!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Understanding the significant impact this has had on DES, there are many lessons from this.
1) The 888 number is not able to handle giving someone a hold line when calling in at 8:00 AM
2) The chat line people cannot handle even basic inquiries or problem solving and had no way to "escalate" to a supervisor
3) Other than showing "pending resolution" I have no way of knowing what has held up my payment for over two
05/16/2020 Mary Katherine Clark
months. (SEE 1 & 2 ABOVE)
4) This puts me and no doubts thousands of other people into a most frustrating Catch-22
5) Your system should have a way to automatically escalate pending issues after a reasonable period of time and have a
person actually call and communicate with me.
6) Simply e-mailing communication can easily get lost in junk or misdirected.

it took moee than a month to get any unemployment insurance. A small thing like questionable identity held up my claim
which i submitted on the first day. There was no possible way to get through on telephone which consisted of being on
05/16/2020 Kerri Grilliot hold for hours to get hung up on. I could not feed my family and i felt helpless. Went to the DHHS to apply for food stamps
was denied because i had a pending unemployment claim. Thank God for federal benefits because 350 a week is not
enough to pay bills eapecially all the lates fees from not being paid for over a month. What was really discoraging was Roy
Cooper being on t.v. saying he was getting unemployment to people swiftly by adding more people to the call center and
etc. This did not happen. It took over a month to have anything happen and to actually be paid.

Bluntly when will some of the appointed people over DES be fired? I get the high volume and bad software but it is looking
like a clean house is needed ! The high UI rates are NOT going to drop so and others need to increase the budget and hire
EDS state employees ! Not the joke of $12.50 an hour temps for a call center that cant do ANYTHING ! I was in the military
and this is how you lose men and a war with how DES is run! You and others need to get in the weeds on this issue before
voters throw YOU and others out of office in Nov! Please STOP you PR updates. People want action! In my case I lost full
time job from the virus. Could not get in the web site. That took three weeks. Then the system acted up and 4 week to
reach at ACTUAL DES EMPLOYEE as the call center AND chat is worthless. Now me and probably 100K people are stuck on
05/16/2020 George Young
"pending". FYI the chat is a PR gimic and is a contract with Aerotek . The owner is a billionaire Steve Bisciotti that owns the
Ravens and gives a lot of money to conservative GOP causes. So taxpayers of NC are getting fleeced with that contract.
WHO authorized it? Who signed off on it? Been trying to get a copy of that contract and I know one media representative
that has been stonewalled for three weeks on getting that info. As far as reporting DES is a month late ( per a NCworks
employee I know). ls why are they not reporting totals of how many stuck on Pending, or how many getting PAID and how
many NOT getting PAID? They know and is damaging ! On Monday Cooper is going to be tossed under the bus in the
Senate hearing. Get off your ass and meet with camera from MEDIA with the top five EDS . Include the words termination
on camera ! YOUR focus is firing top staff at DES and do a press release on THAT ! This group has been screaming for two
months...just now you show up? YOU cant control this group. All the elected officials white wash this crap so you look
good. Again we voted YOU in WE can kick your ass out !
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I applied 3/20/2020. Received on line and hard copy of letter dated 4/25/2020 of eligibility of benefits. However, claim
status stated that claim is â€œpending resolutionâ€•of NC Retirement monthly benefit. I have contacted the on line chat
room 2 different times and was told no further information was needed from me. The â€œclaims statusâ€•chat line just
05/16/2020 â€œPending Resolutionâ€•Amy Rieg
told me to call the 888-737-0259 number. That voice message states that the queue is fullâ€”hang up and try again.
If my information is all provided, what is the hold up with verifying NC Retirement. I work part time , feel as though
because I do receive monthly income that my claim has been pushed aside. I have a right to timely completion of my
claim if all my information has been provided as required. Thank you!

I am an Independent Contractor (Massage Therapist). I submitted a regular unemployment claim on March 29, 2020. To
date the claim is still pending with no notes or evidence of being worked. I have tried calling the "customer service" line
over 800 times and cannot even get into the hold queue. I have tried online chat. Once connected, I was told that she
05/16/2020 Mr Darin Moretz
couldn't help me that I would need to call. The PUA claim apparently opened to Independent Contractors on April 24th.
However, I can't complete a PUA, due to my "regular" claim pending. As I understand the enormity of this pandemic
situation. A pending claim since March 29th is UNACCEPTABLE! Please advise how to proceed. Hands are tied with no
channels of effective communication to the correct associates. Thank you!
The system is designed to discourage folks from signing up. If it wasnt for the federal govt giving assistance the $350 max
05/16/2020 Jerry Hodge benefits would have many households in dire straits. Unbelievable ... Now everyone will see what Mcgrory and company
did to NC workers.
Filing after the 1099 eligible date took me 4 different attempts to negotiate the system before getting through. Still was
05/16/2020 Unemployment for 1099 Wanda Puckett denied any coverage. It has been EXTREMELY difficult to survive without any income-my savings has taken a big hit that
was ear marked for retirement. Guess I will now work till I die.
I have yet to receive a dime. Can't get through on the phone and they don't respond to emails. 2 months now without a
05/16/2020 charles kiser
check!
My partner waited nearly 2 months to receive unemployment after being furloughed. Bill collectors called continually and
05/16/2020 Art Reilly
all we heard is how the wonderful government was taking care of us.

I applied for unemployment due to covid-19 on March 23rd. My claim has not changed since the initial filing. I have called
the 0259 number hundreds of times to hear, "sorry but our hold queue is full" and then disconnected. I thought I might be
getting somewhere finally when I waited 2 hours in the new "chat" group. When it was my turn, the agent told me she
couldn't help me and I'd have to call the 0259 number for assistance. I have emailed almost everyone on the NC Commerce
email list for assistance but received 1 reply. It worked for others so I had high hopes it might work for me to. I'm going into
05/16/2020 Unemployment-8 weeks wait Heather Bailey
my 8th week now. Receive a weekly reminder to certify for benefits that I don't even know if I'm approved for yet. It's
taken a major toll on me and I'm at a loss. I feel defeated and have lost faith in our government who promised that we'd
be helped due to this pandemic. I was patient at first because I knew unemployment would be swamped but after 7 weeks
now, to hear others that filed beginning of April got theirs already really upset me. What kind of order are they going in to
look at and approve claims???? In addition, I tried to file for medical assistance during this time until I can start working
and get medical insurance. I was denied because I wasn't pregnant. Talk about feeling helpless. Any help would be
appreciated and thank you for collecting all of our information in attempt to get things moving.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Your system has basically destroyed my chances at benefits, I have uploaded all necessary documents and my
determination was made with out half of my income from last year, I have email I have called ive sent inquires through the
system! I have been out of work since 3/16/20 because of Covid-19 but I was denied because of lack of income, my 2019
tax return has been uploaded but not taken into account! I am being completely looked over when people without a child,
people who barely worked have gotten approved and I have been looked over! Me and my family are suffering because of
05/16/2020 Mr ShaQuawn Grant this pandemic and the government says they will help but we are still passed over!
I have had to file twice, I call four times a day! I have done my part but still no communication on DES part!

Claiment ID:[REDACTED]
Cheers!
ShaQ Grant
(c) [REDACTED]

Claiment ID:11378805
Cheers!
ShaQ Grant
(c) 984-244-4982
The system was terrible when I first tried to do my claim back in March, the website kept crashing, the system wouldnâ€™t
05/16/2020 Gina Gardner let me answer the questions. I can tell a difference in the last couple of weeks that I can get on and submit my weekly
certification without any issues.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

05/16/2020 Kendrick Hutchinson System takes to long

APPLIED MARCH 2020. WORK FOR AIRLINES, BASED AT CLT AIRPORT. SEVERAL HUNDREDS OF PHONE CALL, EMAILED
MULTIPLE TIMES, FAXED MULTIPLE TIMES, DISCONNECTED MULTIPLE TIMES, SPOKEN TO AT LEAST 6 REPS WHO WERE
UNABLE TO HELP BEYOND WHAT I COULD ALREADY SEE ONLINE MYSELF, TOLD CLAIM WAS BEING EXPEDITED SEVERAL
05/16/2020 KELLY CAMERON
TIMES WITH LAST TIME 3 WEEKS AGO. LEFT VOICEMAILS ON INDIVIDUAL LINES WITH NO CALL BACKS, DONE ONLINE CHAT
WITH NO RESOLUTION OR ABILITY TO ASSIST. UPLOADED ALL POSSIBLE FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS POSSIBLE TO MY
CLAIMANT HOME PAGE. TOLD THEY ARE AWAITING WAGES FROM VIRGINIA. VA EMPLOYMENT COMMISSION SAYS NC
HAS EVERYTHING THEY NEED. PLEASE HELP.
I haven't received any unemployment benefits yet. I need my money. Every time I call or want to chat online it is busy. I
05/16/2020 Karen Ponder
am very frustrated.

I had a question as to whether I would qualify for federal unemployment benefits. I do not meet the state requirements
because I didn't work enough to pay into the state. I was told to keep doing a weekly certification which I am doing. If I
05/16/2020 Ms. Lois Schadt
don't qualify please let me know. No one has been able to answer this question even when I have spoken to someone at
unemployment. I only worked part time and have been off since March 16th, 2020. Thank you for taking my question. I do
not wish to allow my name or email address for the public, thank you.

I filed an initial claim on 3/25/20 - One of the questions on claim was did you do work in other states and I replied yes
because my company is a Nationwide Company . Well after a couple of weeks my fellow co workers had already started
receiving their benefits but not mine. DES kept saying it was pending. They are saying its because I worked in different
states, even though all money is made and taxed in North Carolina only. They need to reword there forms or change
05/16/2020 Mr. Patrick Bingham them. After several attempt and several hrs on hold when calling, finally got someone on phone found out what the
pending issue was and was told by multiple persons and supervisors it would be resolved in 24 - 48 hrs. Well here it is the
middle of May and still not resolved . When I call in now I have to wait 7 hrs on hold to talk to a supervisor, they tell me its
out of their hands and cant do anything about it, its been transferred to another department. They tell me that it was sent
with High Priority to be released. The only way I got anyone to call me and talked to me is when I sent request to my
senator.
I had called 30+ times without being able to even be put in a hold cue. I had tried their chat feature with no ability to
resolve the issues I am having. They just told me to keep filing my weekly certification which obviously I didnâ€™t need to
05/16/2020 Mrs. Sarah Subsara
sit 45 minutes waiting to chat with someone to hear! Itâ€™s awful. Itâ€™s been a month since I filed my claim and nothing
is populating in my account and I canâ€™t speak to anyone
Filed on April 5th, claim is still pending. Have tried from 8 am until 8 pm on weekdays and available weekend hours to call.
05/16/2020 Mr. Daniel Scesnewicz Get a busy and full queue message then hand up. Online assistance wait for 4 hours and then cut off or cant help. People
are going broke! Department NEEDS Help!!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed my initial claim on 4/17/2020 and it has been in a pending status ever since. I waited the 14 days that DES says that it
should take for a claim to process before I tried to contact DES. Since then have tried to call more than 200 times without
ever even getting into the call queue I have been able to chat with someone twice after a frustrating number of tries and
05/16/2020 Philip Altizer
over 2 hours waiting in the queue each time. Only to be told I'd just have to wait for my claim to process, that's not an
answer. This has been one of the most frustrating experiences something has to be done to improve this process
immediately. How can the government shut down the economy take away a person's ability to work and then drag their
feet on providing unemployment.

I've completed and submitted numerous contact forms requesting help with my claim and I've yet to receive a response.
On these contact forms, I've stated that I'm on furlough from GF Linamar, Mills River, NC due to COVID-19. I've spent over
15 hours just this week (May 12-14) in the online queue just to be told that the chat person can't help me and I need to
call 888.737.0259. I've started dialing the phone number before 8 am just to hear the online chat is available to answer
questions or "due to a large call volume, all agents are busy assisting others , the hold queue is full, please try your call later
then "CLICK!" I'm disconnected. I understand this time in our states history is uncertain but a person starts to lose hope and
starts breaking down in attitude and spirit after awhile.
05/16/2020 Keitha Blalock I would like to also add that as of 7:35 pm on 5-14 a kind agent by the name of Lavetera, who was working from her home
in Charlotte, NC, was finally able to assist me. She took the time to listen to my concerns and complaints and get my claim
headed in the right direction. Doesn't mean I've received a payment, just that hopefully, my claim will continue to be
headed in the right direction.

Thank you,
Keitha Blalock
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
I applied on April 20 and have still not been approved. Having no income and relying on savings to make due until approval
05/16/2020
is getting really difficult. I hope approvals happen soon or a better way is created.

I filed my initial claim almost 4 weeks ago and it is still pending. I've called several times and have only been able to speak
with a representative in the Call Center. Every time the reps transfers me to a DES staff member, the "call drops". It
seems as thought they want to rush to transfer my call, fully aware that the call is going to "drop". And this is after
waiting for 3 or 4 hours . I was advised by one rep, "if you get disconnected, you can call DES directly at, 290-000-7421".
I tried and of course this was a bogus number. The reps at the Call Center aren't consistent with the information. Each
05/16/2020 Raye Kelly
Call Center rep gives a different answer to the same question. I've emailed the office and also uploaded a document to my
claimant page requesting assistance, but NO RESPONSE. A rep in the call center put me on the "callback list" 2 weeks ago,
NO RESPONSE!!! I have questions about the PUA benefit - is it automatic, do I have to file another claim ? I have no clue
as to when I will receive my unemployment check and would like to speak with a DES staff member to address my
questions. I realize DES has received an unprecedented amount of UI claims, but I would appreciate any assistance in this
matter.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I myself had a problem getting a claim started but once it was in the first claim I made went right threw and had a check
the next week. And i haven't had a issue since. Every sunday takes about 5 minutes and I'm done. You just have to be
05/16/2020 Jason Propst
patient with the website. when you click on a page give it time to pull up. If it says there is a error or something I just give it
a minute and it takes me right in. So personally I don't have a negative or complaint. there is a very big demand on
unemployment right now. Just be patient and answer your questions right and double check them before submitting.

I filed on 3/27 when I was told I would be laid off, but then I was paid on 3/31 for 3/30 and 3/31, unknowingly. When I
tried to file weekly certification on 4/4 the system would only let me certify for the week of 3/23-3/27, which I wouldn't
do, because I worked that week. Then, the system had bumped me out because of it, and even though I have 14 days, and I
even tried calling numerous times, only to be disconnected because of long call times, they then told me I was very likely
out of luck, and to refile my weekly certification next week. I had to call, get disconnected on, I would hang up, redial until I
05/16/2020 Mrs Tanya Messer would finally get put on hold and held up to 2 hours. The system was so bogged down, you couldnâ€™t get help....and
when you finally did they werenâ€™t very helpful. She kept chastising me for not filing my weekly certification, and I told
her I had been trying, but the system wouldn't let me for the week I needed to. She said She tried to help, but we
wouldnâ€™t know if the system accepted it or not for 24-28 hours. Be sure you start filing weekly next Sunday. I wish they
could have seen see how many times I'd logged in to try since the 3/31. It took almost 2 weeks for the system to show I
should get $350 per week on unemployment. However, then, the whole claim said it needed to be reactivated. I had
uploaded documents....a copy of my NCDL, and a letter from Dr. Spilliards stating I was laid off due to COVID19. It finally
did pay me, but it took several weeks, and many hours on the phone.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
I started working for Parks Automotive Group on Oct 1, 2019. Prior to that my employment wages were all in the state of
Virginia.
I was laid off from Parks Automotive effective April 1, 2020. When I first started with Parks I was listed as an employee of
Parks Chevrolet, INC for tax purposes. On January 1, 2020 my department they changed my department to be under Parks
Management Company LLC for tax purposes.
I applied for UI on April 1, 2020 andI was classified ineligible due to wages. I waited 10 days and when there was not a
change in my status, I called DES. After a three hour hold time, the DES agent stated they had no record of wages for me
from my employer. I also advised that I had made an error when I first filed my claim and indicated that I was receiving
retirement benefits (I misunderstood the question) and I wanted to get that corrected because there was an alert on my
account that would prevent payments. The agent advised me that until they receive my wage information that cannot fix
any errors. I found this to be ridiculous. Why not fix a known error at the time I advised her of it?
My employer insisted that she had done her part with regards to providing wage confirmation. After multiple calls to DES
from myself and my employer (with 3-4 hours on hold before being able to speak to an agent) my account was showing
part of my wages. They had my wages for Parks Chevrolet from 10/1/10-12/31/19 but still nothing from Parks
05/16/2020 Katrina Gray Management Company for 01/01/2020-03/31/2020. My employer stated that she wasnâ€™t able to get a PIN from DES in
order to do what she needed to do for the Parks Management Company requests. After multiple attempts, that took over a
week to accomplish, she was informed by DES that the Parks Management Company account taxes had not been
â€œreleasedâ€•which is what was causing the problem. Our question was why was the account not released? Finally, it
was released and I could see my wages in the system but I was still showing ineligible. Keep in mind, I had indicated that I
worked in Virginia prior to 10/1/19, uploaded my W2s, pay stubs, etc.
During all of this I had also sent emails through the DES contact link several times and as of today I have yet to receive a
response to any of those emails. I also directly emailed Lockhart Taylor a few times with no response. I then started
emailing legislators. I received a few responses stating they would look into the matter but I never heard anything more.

Since I was still showing ineligible for UI due to wages, I applied for PUA on 4/25 and I did finally receive some funds on
4/27, although much less since we were still waiting for my UI wages.

I finally emailed my district senator (Joyce Krawiec) and received a very quick response from her aide who was very
Filed for an extension April 16th, have called over 200-300 times everyday since then & still canâ€™t get any answers.
Finally talked to a lady yesterday & she said Iâ€™m on the wrong program & good luck getting through cause she
05/16/2020 Christopher Kinsey
couldnâ€™t assist me in this matter. I have a family of 5 to feed & my daughter has a heart condition & have not had any
payments since April 12. Please help!!
It took 3 weeks for me to file my unemployment claim. Once the claim was filed it took another 3 weeks to get my first
05/16/2020 Mrs. Linda Greer check. It still takes many times to do the weekly certifications. The Governor's office keeps saying that things are getting
better but I have not seen it yet.
My business was closed March 21st 2020, I applied for unemployment benefits that same day, and was ineligible. I then
reapplied in April 2020 and my claim still says pending. My employer has gotten it on their end, so Iâ€™m not sure what is
05/16/2020 Have yet to receive Melissa Padgett taking so long. I have filed weekly claims every week for the past 7 weeks now. When I call I cannot get in contact with
anybody. This issue is very frustrating considering my place of Employment will not reopen until phase 2. My phone
number is [REDACTED]. Thankyou.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I was furloughed at my job in Morrisville around March 20. The day I was layed off I went to the NCDES website to apply
and it was continually crashing. It would even crash when I would click the submission button. I tried to call my local DES
office but they were shutdown due to the pandemic. I had to call the state call center and every day I was on hold
05/16/2020 Unable to Receive Benefit John Michaels sometimes 7 to 8 hours then the line would hang up on me. Sometimes even speaking to the agent, the line would drop or
fade out. I finally got through and filed around the 2nd week of April but I have yet to receive any unemployment as of
May 15th. I have been fortunate that I can do side jobs and have family that I can get food from but we need to reopen
the state as soon as possible. If this continues I will lose my home. At this point, I don't know what's worse...having corona
or losing everything. It's hard to say.

I'm appalled by the support or lack thereof for the division of NC Unemployment. It took 5 days of trying to get through the
DES website just to start my initial claim. Then it took HOURS to complete it and submit it. That was April 4 when the claim
was finally submitted. It is now a month and a half later, and I still haven't received my pay. I try every week to get through
on the phone and online chat feature with no success. Hours of my time on the phone trying to get through, where I
05/16/2020 Megan Salvo usually end up getting disconnected for some reason.

I'm originally from Pennsylvania, where they have good UI benefits, a WORKING, EASY and USER-FRIENDLY website to file
your claim, and approve claims within DAYS. Especially during a pandemic, I would expect more support and availability for
those of use furloughed, or with reduced hours. So many of us are without our normal pay, and the added stress of this
poor communication and processing is unacceptable.
I still have not received any unemployment benefits. My status keeps saying pending resolution. I have called, tried chat,
05/16/2020 Unemployment Journie Eddy and even called the pandemic line. I keep getting hung up on, or told call main line. Its not helpful, and I feel because I'm
not rich, I don't get any money
I filed for unemployment March 23rd when I was forced to close my business by the governors order. I finally received a
05/16/2020 Bethany Lackey payment April 24th after having to apply again. Itâ€™s now May 16th and I have still only received the one payment after
being out of work nearly 2 months.
05/16/2020 Ms Nanette Isenhour I was denied once. Went back did it again. And havenâ€™t heard anything in 6wks. Get rid of Gov. Cooper

As a real estate, I get paid my professional fee when a transaction closes - so don't get paid for weeks after the majority of
05/16/2020 Jodi Carey my work is done. It was confusing filling out the form because when I went out doing showings, I entered that as hours
worked, but was then asked how much I made, even though I wasn't getting paid. Money I received at the end of March
was for hours worked mainly in February, when I wasn't filing yet, but I had to claim that I was paid during that week.
My name is Garney Hembree I have emailed called been put on a call list several times been hung up on hundreds of time
been told I can't help on this line been transferred then itsayes all agents are busy q is full what are we suspose to do we
05/16/2020 Garney Hembree
are trying to fix our claim my wife is disabled we have just a small amount coming in I can't find a job please help us thank
you
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I applied for assistance on March 18th. After two months of trying to reach out daily by email and phone call (multiple
times a day) I have yet to reach anyone or even hear a response. Iâ€™ve logged into the website as well and still no reply.
As a father and head of household for twin 11 month olds and a fiancÃ© that is a student in school, I need to work and
05/16/2020 Barber Christian Tatum
make a living or have some kind of income. This whole process is unfair and unorganized. Iâ€™m not the only one
struggling out here. The majority of people Iâ€™ve talked to have had the same issue. Itâ€™s time to let us people live
before the number of stressed out victims end up homeless. Before our families end up starving. Please. Help us get back
to work. I can only ask that you read this comment, as well as all of the others that have come before and will follow.

My claim effective date was March 29th and no payment to date. I know everyone is busy, but there are many concerns:
1. Why are older claims for March and April not paid;
2. How is it that newer claims are being paid;
3. What is the process and timeline to pay older claims and why isnâ€™t this being communicated;
4. You still cannot get assistance via the phone to check on claim;
5. Cannot get thru on chat either to check a claim even after hours being in the queue and you are eventually
05/16/2020 D. Hayes
disconnected;
6. Why are the vast amount of complaints of claimants in pending status of which there is no rhyme or reason and
complaints indicate that this has been an error and delays payment;
7. Has any effort been made for claimants to be given priority in hiring with businesses;

Not sure where the fault lies and I am not assessing blame as that is irrelevant at this point, but people critically need their
benefit, so instead of adding more people, we basically need just someone to approve payments for older claimants in
March and April! That is a quick and easy solution and would be most appreciated. and welcome at this point! Thank you.

I started on Mar 26th applying for unemployment! was a night to get on, bumped off a bunch, or took forever to go from
one page to the next! I ended up filing 3times, first one I did eventually pending and yellow hazard mark, then after days of
getting tiring to get thru on phone, was told to go back on and I can redo it. so back on to site and it did let me start over,
then again super slow getting to next page, and a lot of times error next page so have to re-login and try again, between
doing this and bumped of was so darn stressing up and hyped up my panic attacks, so have to stop and try later. eventually
gotten that done and was pending to ineligible ?? I tried to call everyday, either couldnâ€™t get thru, or get thru, then wait
05/16/2020 Wendy Hill
3 to 4hours, to be hung up on when they answer it, that was so darn stressful, and would triggering my panic attacks! I
about gave up getting anything, then the pua was finally set up on site and went back on to see what changed and try
again. The most aggravating thing is waiting for next page to come up, and pray you werenâ€™t bumped off, which
happened a bunch. I eventually finished it, and slowly uploaded documents about a million times due to error or site to
busy or bumped off and have to retry to log back in! A lot of the questions are repetitive and a bunch so darn confusing!
Make it simple and stop repeating questions that are reworded but same as another question! I finally been approve thank
goodness, cause I was going to give up, between not getting call thru, hung up on, or canâ€™t get on line, or internet so
darn slow and site supper slow!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Peuc still not ready .why is nc lagging behind other states.they had same amount of time ,Des using excuse waiting for
05/16/2020 Ashley Morgan
guidance from federal! Six weeks for me no funds ! Des is telling us peuc folks to file pua instead ? I believe that's incorrect
. Their people on chat don't know anything no help at all, and I can't get an agent on the phone .help please
I tried, but â€œHakeemâ€had already used my SSN and so I couldnâ€™t! Nothing has been done about it....this was found
05/16/2020 Ms. Daune Pitman out weeks ago when I tried to file for the PUA. Iâ€™ve emailed, called....NO HELP! Still canâ€™t file. This is fraud and NC is
doing nothing about it.

On April 2, 2020 I was laid off due to Lack of Work. I was able to sign up on the DES website on April 3rd. I was sent a
Determination Letter that stated Not Disqualified due to being Laid Off due to Lack of Work dated 4/14. I have not
received any unemployment benefits and I have called numerous times each day and when I do get through to someone
they look at my account and say I do not know what is wrong, you will need to speak to a Specialist. They proceed to put
05/16/2020 Laura McLean
me back in the queue and I have waited for hours and no one ever picked up. I have written letters to the address given in
Raleigh and I have sent emails and still no answer. I have read the qualifications on the website and as they read I am
qualified. I am at my wits end as I have no money coming in, please help!
Thank you,
Laura Denise McLean
I am a self employed hairstylist. I filed my claim on March 29th. I have filed my weekly certifications each week since. I have
called every day hoping to be fortunate to be placed in the call queue, which has never happened. I have been able to
05/16/2020 Callie Richardson
connect with numerous agents through the chat option. None of whom have answers to my questions and seem to be in
the dark just as much as me. Itâ€™s very frustrating.

Hello! Applying for unemployment has been a frustrating and disheartening process, and it's been months now that I still
haven't been able to get through to anyone who can help me resolve my case which is continuously "pending."
From the very start the website didn't work correctly -- it would crash half the time or it wasn't able to handle my specific
situation of being a self-employed independent contractor. It kept coming up with error ID numbers and told me to call in
05/16/2020 Ms Gina Kuettner
but I was never able to get through even after been on hold for hours.
It was pretty clear that a couple of weeks ago DES hired more employees to answer the phone... but they had no power
other than to transfer us to the same number that we've been holding on and been hanged up on. It just felt like a cruel
joke to give us false hope the minute we'd get a person on the phone just to be transferred back to the black hole again.
The only comfort has been the facebook "North Carolina Unemployment" group where all of us try to support and
encourage each other to not give up. But we're losing our patience and frankly whatever trust we had in our government
officials has now disappeared into that black hole!!
Tried to apply for about 10 days and claim wasnâ€™t going thru. Contacted Senator Rabonâ€™s office for assistance and
05/16/2020 Mrs. Linda Hendricks
my claim was accepted in about a week
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

The DES webpage chat tool feature is useless, as all meaningful questions got me the response I needed to call 888-737-
0259. For weeks now, that phone number for DES has been busy and a consistenly a recorded message just tells me the
queue is full and to call back later. I have spent weeks calling DES just to hear the same "queue is full" message. The
CARES act was supposed to provide me 13 weeks of unemployment (PEUC) after I exhausted my 12 weeks of State UI
earlier this year. However, I have received no CARES act benefits for 6 weeks now. The DES webpage consistently states
05/16/2020 Mr. Travis Lentz
they are working as quickly as possible to implement PEUC, but that effort is obviously a failure in the eyes of tax paying
citizens such as myself who 1) can't find employment since the government forced citizens into isolation and 2) can't find
employment since the government shut down schools and child care facilities, so I am forced to stay home and care for my
elementary school kids and try to be their teacher with no pay. I have tried a few times to get help via the DES webpage
chat tool, to check my PEUC status, or even apply for PUA since I am forced to stay at home with my young children, but
the staff behind the chat tool are of no help in either of those departments. The state of NC had the worst UI benefits pre-
virus,
While and now we have inclaim,
my unemployment my opinion the worst
thankfully, wentDES forsmoothly,
fairly implementing
two ofthe
myCARES act. an issue with working part time and
sons have
UI benefits. Both work at the same restaurant. One's hours was reduced more than the others. Both were advised by
their employer to file for UI. Both were approved one in 17 days and theother twoo nearly five weeks. However, one has
received no benefits for the last four certifications as his gross pay exceeds his weekly benefit plus earnings allowance
My eldest received some payments but none for the past 4 weekly certifications. His earnings allowance is $33 with a
weekly benefit of $168 meaning, of course, if he earns over $200 then he does not receive $1 in NC UI which then also
means he does not qualify for the additional $600 per the DOL guidance documentation. His past four certifications are as
follows:

Week ending 5/9 Hours 19 Gross Earnings $209
Week ending 5/2 Hours 20 Gross Earnings $338.44
Week ending 4/25 Hours 19 Gross Earnings $209
Week ending 4/18 Hours 18 Gross Earnings $265
The youngest son works more hours than the oldest. There are weeks where he works less than full time (his normal) but
05/16/2020 Mrs Rhonda Dreggors-Newport more than 24 hours (the apparent cutoff for reduced hours UI). He has yet to receive UI benefits. His earnings allowance is
$28 with a weekly benfit of $143
so anything over $170 he doesn't qualify. He has missed this qualification by $8 twice and a less than $50. $8 - seriously!

Week ending 4/4 Hours 28 Gross Earnings $258
Week ending 4/11 Hours 26 Gross Earnings $240.50
Week Ending 4/18 Hours 37 Gross Earnings $420.74
Week Ending 4/25 Hours 30 Gross Earnings $277.50
Week Ending 5/2 Hours 31 Gross Earnings 399.39
He has not certified for week ending 5/9 yet.

Each certifies to the best of their records of their hours. It is possible they have overreported their earnings somewhat. I
am sure that would never be paid though DESS will quickly collect on an underreported amount.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

After 6 weeks still shows pending resolution
05/16/2020 Mr Ronald Pierce
And my daughter filed took 7 weeks to get processed

I am a self employed hair stylist that has been out of work since Cooper closed salons. I have applied for unemployment
05/16/2020 Mrs Deana Denton and supplied every document requested through the process. To date my application status says pending and I haven't
received a bit of help. There is no chance of getting through on the phone, hours on hold, no answer. Mandatory shutdown
absolutely no help from your state you pay never ending taxes to. Unemployment system in this state is an absolute joke.

I tried using the web site to apply first on April 24, 2020, but the program wouldnâ€™t accept my employment dates. I tried
calling for help, but the queue was always full until I finally got into the queue on Thursday morning, May 7 at 8:00am. I
was on hold for 45 minutes. The nice lady helped me for 30 minutes then tried to transfer me to someone else. I was on
hold for 2.5 hours until another nice lady answered and helped me for another 30 minutes. I was on the phone a total of
05/16/2020 Mr. Stephen LaRoque
251 minutes or 4 hours & 11 minutes. I had a question the next day, Friday, and called a different number & got through
immediately to another nice lady who tried to transfer me to someone else, but the queue was full. The next Morning,
Saturday, a nice man called me to complete my back pay enrollment. The workers were A+, the wait times were long, but
considering the call volume Itâ€™s Understandable. Improvements would be more workers answering the phone & making
the web site more user friendly.
The issues with the North Carolina unemployment system experienced by nearly a million citizens of the state are a result
of changes implemented by HB 4 in 2013. The systemâ€™s limitations and failings are a direct result of HB 4, passed by the
NC House and Senate and signed into law in 2013 by former governor Pat McCrory. The current governor, Roy Cooper,
05/16/2020
inherited a broken system. The legislators of the state are currently seeking the blame failures caused by their legislation
on the governor rather than create and implement legislation that serves to benefit the nearly 11 million citizens of North
Carolina.
Pending redolution for 8 weeks. Tried calling everyday without being to talk to anyone. Also, I haven't recieved any mail
05/16/2020 Server Wendy Best
responses, so I have no idea whats going on. This is unacceptable, I have bills to pay!!
Itâ€™s been over a month since Iâ€™ve filed and I still havenâ€™t received my benefits. Iâ€™m still laid off and havenâ€™t
05/16/2020 Unemployment Insurance Angelica Lockhart
been asked to come back to work and likely wonâ€™t be asked.
05/16/2020 Kimberly White
been out of work (NC Zoo) since 3-15-2020 . My unemployment is STILL PENDING !!! What is cooper doing with our $$$$$
05/16/2020 Ms. Ashley Tucker Never received compensation. Havenâ€™t been able to get in contact with an agent.

The issue is the inconsistent answers received from one agent to the next.
Last the consistent answer was to wait up to 14 business days for determination and payment at that point my claim had
05/16/2020 Ms Gena Sherard
only been pending 9 days well of course today when I call on the 15th day I'm now being told it may take 6 to 8 weeks for
my claim to be processed that is unacceptable my bills ate not on hold due to Des being backlog on claims. I had been
trying to file my claim since March 19th was only able to file on April 24th due to issues with the website
I have yet to receive any money at all from unemployment. My boss kept cutting my hours until I couldn't afford to work
05/16/2020 Chance Moore and pay rent and bills. I had to quit my job in High Point and move back home. I worked in an auto mechanic shop and
with the stay at home order no one is really driving their cars so no work!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I was laid off April 16, 2020. That same evening I attempted to file for unemployment. I was repeatedly told that there was
an error with my account and to contact customer service. This sparked a three week fight to connect to
unemploymentâ€˜s phone lines to figure out why my account had errors. The first gentleman I spoke to said that he
didnâ€™t have the capability to fix the issue where he was working and he would put my name on a spreadsheet and I
would get a call back within 72 hours. 72 hours had passed and I had yet to hear a phone call I then spent two weeks
battling for position on a wait line to speak with somebody at the unemployment offices. Two additional people that I
spoke with during those times either tried to transfer me back to the phone line that I had just spent two hours trying to
get on wait for or putting my name on the same spreadsheet as the first gentleman. The system went down one weekend
and by Monday they had added a chat option which I began utilizing. Took just about the same amount of time to get
05/16/2020 Ms Taylor Goodell someone on chat as it did me fighting to get someone on the phone but I wasnâ€™t wasting cell minutes. After multiple
people trying to help I finally got one rep that was able to submit my claim for me and reactivate my account where I had
been receiving error codes. That was on May 8, 2020. The person told me that I would have a decision on my account
within 24 to 48 hours. Several days past, much longer than 48 hours, and I still have yet to have a response. I attempted
using the phone lines and the chat available on the website to find out if there was any more information they needed in
order to continue and resolve my unemployment claim. I was then told that theyâ€™re really busy and theyâ€™ll get to it
once they can. Mind you I have been dealing with this since April 16. Iâ€™ve been getting emails to remind me to file my
weekly certifications which I have been doing, However, I have no decision on whether or not I will get my unemployment
or whether or not I will get my PUA due to Covid. It is really frustrating because I had just gotten back into work from being
unemployed during the holidays and I was finally getting back on my feet. It seems like they brought in additional people
but these people are not properly trained to resolve the issues that people are having. I am calling every day and itâ€™s
frustrating.

I consider myself a patient, well balanced 68 year old individual after raising 4 children, one being handicapped and myself
with a brain tumor, DVT with P.E., and Afib. But, after spending going on two months dealing with the NC unemployment
department, trying to get the help I desperately need, it has brought me to tears and broken me. I have tried to call the 888
number only to wait on hold for 2-4 hours before being hung up on. Last week, I was told the cue was full at 8:01 a.m,
05/16/2020 Stephen Monnig
everyday! The online chat is always marked busy. I have filed the weekly certification for 6 weeks now. I desperately
need help. One day I was handing out samples at Costco, enjoying serving people, being so nice to them and the next day
out of work because of Covid -19. I NEED to know what is the hold up on my case. I never imagined the nightmare this
would turn into. I just wish somebody could help.
Stephen Monnig

Yes! I have waited 8 weeks and no payment. I couldnâ€™t contact anyone from DES bc it would just say the volume of call
are too high and to call another time. I finally contacted my local N.C. Works in NagsHead and they were able to email DES
in Raleigh and tell them my situation which was a tricky one, and was able to get a call back from Raleigh stating that my
05/16/2020 Waiting for payment Sara Baumer unemployment had been approved and all was good and to be patient with receiving. I waited two weeks and still no
money. I then took advantage of the online chat on the DES website and was number 131. I waited 3 hours to make
contact with someone for them to also tell me that I have been approved and gave me a number to call to find out about
payout dates. I immediately tried to call the number and it was the DES number in which I cannot hey an answer from. I
have two small kids and need my unemployment to pay for bills and food. Please help!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
I experienced what so many people in NC experienced, total frustration trying to file a claim for COVID related
unemployment, as a self-employed person for 18 years. I tried to file in late March, not knowing self-employed people
could not file at that time. On the rare occasion I could log into the NE DES website, usually at 3 in the morning since the
website was constantly down otherwise, there was no information that self-employed people could not successfully file at
that time, so filed first one claim, then another 2 weeks later since I had no reply from DES about the status of my COCID
related unemployment claim. Of course, I could not reach a human being or even get in the hold queue from 8 am to 8
pm, and still to this day I have never gotten through to the general help line for existing cases. By pushing the phone tree
button when calling that I wanted to file a NEW claim after a couple weeks of dead end for my existing claims, I was able to
reach a person at DES who told me I would have to wait until April 25 and file another new claim then. I did so on or about
April 25 and after much confusion and no ability to speak to an agent, somehow my 3rd attempt as a self-employed person
got approved for UE on or about May 8. But still to this day my homepage says there are issues delaying payment (even
though I have received what I appear to be entitled to) so I don't think that is accurate. My brother-in-law in Asheville has
gone through the same thing as have MANY people I have spoken to. He was able, through a contact with DES, to speak
with a most helpful person (Lisa) who even called my cell phone on or about May 8 and left a message that everything was
05/16/2020 Staci Blatt approved and that has proven to be the case as of today, May 16.

I wish the DES website was more helpful for self-employed people, and explained just what is PUA and how it affects NC
residents. It was never clear how much money a self-employed person is entitled to through either the state of NC or
federal funds. I found out when it started coming in.

I also called the DES employer line a few days ago after 1.5 hours on hold (to a different phone number) and was able to
get through to a very helpful Ms. Dye, who answered all of the questions I had. I was puzzled why I had received from DES,
as an employer, a separation letter for myself, the supposed employee, even though I am a sole proprietor and have never
had or been an employee of my business. And I continue to receive plentiful letters from DES about my first two attempts
to file UE, showing all zeros for my figures, even though these 2 claims were denied and are entitled ineligable on my DES
homepage.

I do realize the magnitude of claims has overwhelmed the systems associated with DES. Only through persistence, and
I received one payment on 4/20 have not received a payment since is there an issue preventing me from receiving
05/16/2020 Mr. Nolan Adams
additional payment?

What is going on? Let the people choose! We can wear masks and wash our hands and social distance! Fake news stories,
like what was done to me, and still not retracted to damage the legacy of MLK, Jr. Now, the destruction of our economy
05/16/2020 Ms. Elizabeth Temple and education. Who is behind this trampling of our Constitutional rights? Fauci is friends with Gates and Obama. This is a
fact and for decades. I am very concerned that another vile action has been taken to foil Trump's presidency, and by China
who almost owns America in debt, and assisted by devious governors. Most people do not receive this who do request
unemployment or have to pay it back. Let us be free to work as all jobs are essential! #WeThePeople
05/16/2020 Mr Davis Simpson
We need to OPEN NC up, ASAP. Over ONE MILLION unemployment claims. All for a virus with 99% recovery rate.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Good afternoon, we tried to file for unemployment on 3/19/2020. It was not until 3/20/2020 we were able to. It took over
four hours on 3/20/2020 to create the profile. The system to this day states ineligible and lack of work due to Coronavirus.
After the first ten days of waiting I tried to call the main desk number which hangs up on you even to this day and I left
05/16/2020 Mrs Mandy Cook-Newby message with the Raleigh office. The DES just returned a call this past Tuesday 5/12/2020 but when I answered I kept
saying hello and they hung up. When my husband reached out to the senator around mid April I did receive $728.58 on
April 24, 2020 but nothing since then. I am hoping that another direct deposit will come in at the end of May because we
get paid once a month with the Currituck school system. I sure hope they catch my unemployment up to be able to pay my
mortgage and other bills. I have never been on unemployment in my life but truly need it. I would like to thank the Senator
and his staff for all the help and follow up on this matter. Have a Blessed Day. Sincerely, Mandy Cook-Newby
05/16/2020 Sundra Ridenhour No issues
Iâ€™m writing on behalf of not only myself, but the tens of thousands of fellow unemployed NC citizens. While Iâ€™m
grateful for unemployment benefits, and the promise of additional Federal funds; respectfullyâ€”the unemployment
system is a MESS right now.

My name is Lydia Collins and Iâ€™m a resident of Winston-Salem, NC.

Iâ€™m a single mother of 3 children. I lost my job in January, started looking immediately for a new job and got an offer at
last on March 16! I was so excited, however before I could even sign the contract, I got a call they couldnâ€™t hire me due
to COVID-19. It was devastating to say the least.
Fortunately, I had been receiving unemployment benefits, and I was able to continue till mid-April, when I exhausted my
12 weeks.

Since then, Iâ€™ve had no income. I receive no child support from my childrenâ€™s father. Job searching in this new world
is next to impossible with no childcare options and very few companies hiring that would pay me a living wage.
05/16/2020 Ms. Lydia Collins Itâ€™s been a month and Iâ€™m surviving off the $1200 stimulus and $750 of my childrenâ€™s stimulus (I gave half to
their father). Iâ€™m simply not paying my utility bills, knowing Duke Energy wonâ€™t cut off my electricity for the moment
and the City of Winston-Salem wonâ€™t cut off my water either. I donâ€™t know how Iâ€™ll pay rent on June 1. Thank
God for EBT and Medicaid so at least I can feed my children and know they can get medical care.

I desperately need the PEUC I have been promised. Week after week I file my weekly certifications on the DES website. I
check sometimes multiple times a day for news about this program. I have waited hours on live chat or the phone line, only
to be given FALSE information from multiple agents. I was told to file for PUA, which I did on April 28. Now Iâ€™m told that
was incorrect and could further delay my PEUC claim. I donâ€™t know what to believe anymore, but I know I will not
survive two weeks from now if I donâ€™t get some kind of financial help. In case itâ€™s helpful at all, my Claim ID is
11324217.

I hope and pray voices like mine will be heard and something will be done. We deserve accurate, timely information.
Weâ€™re hanging by a thread.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My last day of work was 3/17/20. I applied for UI on 3/23/20. I have made several attempts to call, email and chat with no
luck. I called the NCWorks office in Jacksonville, NC 3 times. April 6 and April 14th, both times my name and number were
taken and I was told that a specialist would be contacting me, that it seemed to be an easy fix; no one called.. I called again
the 3rd week of April, only to be told that they do not take the lists any longer, that I needed to call NCDES directly. I
emailed Rebecca Aurillo (rebecca.aurillo@nccommerce.com) with NCDES on 4/22/20, asking for her help, she never
responded. On March 26, 2020, I received a document from NCDES, questioning my identity. I faxed the information to
them on March 30, 2020 at 9:37 am. I have reached out to Governor Cooper's office (emailed) and Congressman Murphy's
05/16/2020 Ms Pamela Nicosia
office (phone), no help from Governor Cooper's office, Congressman Murphy's office took my information but that is as far
as it went. I received 2 Wage Transcript and Monetary Determinations from NCDES last week, they were both dated for
early April ("mail date") but not postmarked until May. I downloaded all of my W2s and 1099s from 2019, my
unemployment benefit rose from $77.00 to $178.00 weekly. I stayed on hold today, May 16, 2020 for over 3 hours, only to
be told that the agents did not work on Saturday, she put in a request to have someone call me on Monday, May 18, 2020.
She did tell me that one of the dentists I worked for on an "as needed basis" never responded, that it got lost in all of the
paperwork or it was misfiled. She could not tell me exactly what happened to it. I am still not working, I have certified
weekly. I do not know what else to do. Lorie Byrd from Senator's Harry Brown's office has been a great help! But nothing
has been resolved yet with NCDES. I truly apologize if this response is not in chronological order. North Carolinians deserve
better! Thank you for your time and effort, I truly appreciate it!
I had trouble in the beginning said it couldnâ€™t verify me with social security so I had to make copy of card and drivers
05/16/2020 Patricia Gouger license and find a fax in this pandemic!!! Called the number in correspondence and woman was dumb and said not right
phone number

My name is Kimberly Howard and I filed for unemployment on March 29, confirmation #2399910. I work 2 jobs part time. I
filled out unemployment for Gloria's Hallmark and First Presbyterian Preschool. I tried to ONLY CERTIFY for GLORIA'S
HALLMARK because I found out that First Presbyterian was going to continue to pay me. There was no place on the
computer to make this change. I am not sure if that has caused this problem. My claim page continues to say that issues
05/16/2020 Kimberly Howard
are delaying payment. My Gloria's Hallmark co-workers that applied after me have already received their money. It has
now been 7 weeks without any unemployment. Contacting DES by phone is impossible, so I began emailing and still NO
RESPONSE. A friend told me to contact Senator Norman Sanderson's office. Emily, a Legislative Assistant with Senator
Norman Sanderson's office has been trying to help me. She has contacted DES on my behalf several times without any
results. I understand that they are overwhelmed, however, I think that waiting 7 weeks is beyond patient on my part.
I would appreciate your help with this matter.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

A little background... I have two PART-TIME jobs ... one is a W2 the other is a 1099. My 1099 job is as an independent travel
agent. January and February were showing strong growth in my travel business. Once the travel restrictions were in place,
all new business halted as then with further shutdowns (cruise, air, 14-day quarantines), trips were cancelled. I am still
working my part-time W2 job.
As advised, I signed up for Unemployment the first part of April so it would expedite my PUA claim. This did not happen.
As soon as I logged in to create a claim, the NC DES system attached the claim to my W2 job. I stopped the process to wait
for the PUA form. Once that became available I submitted it. I went in to complete the certification and thinking that this is
for Federal Funds, answered the questions for my 1099 job only. I also did the weekly certifications for what I thought was
for the 1099 job.I did not realize the questions were for the W2 job... I saw a post in a Facebook group that cause me to
look deeper and as soon as I realized the claim was against my W2 job, I stopped re-certifying.
So I have a UI claim that is 'open" for the W2 job - which I am still working ... and the PUA that is pending.
05/16/2020 Ms Elizabeth McTeer I called NC DES to get this resolved and have not spoken to anyone that could help me. I was also told by 2 reps that the
W2 job would not affect the PUA since one is the state benefit and the PUA is federal... however, another rep told me if I
made over the threshold (which seems to be $135 for 1099s) with my W2 job, it disqualifies me for the PUA.
I have lost my entire travel business for this year. It makes up 1/3 of my income. I hope the income for my W2 job will not
affect the $600 weekly PUA claim.
I also would like to have my State UI claim for my W2 job removed because if this virus continues to keep things shut
down, my W2 employer may have to let me go and then I will need to refile and this will be a mess..
PLEASE HELP!
The biggest problems I have seen are the following:
1. Separating the state UI claims and federal PUA claims --- one should not affect the other (even if I have a part-time job)
2. Not enough people within the DES that know what to do.
3. Maybe consider taking PUA away from DES and letting NCDOR distribute the $600. They already have 1099 records and
can work on a distribution systems similar to the IRS's distribution of the stimulus checks. It's not perfect, but it would take
a lot of ppl out of the NCDES UI system.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Hello, my name is Lisa Ritchie and I own Ritchie Public Speaking. I am a sole proprietor in Charlotte, NC. I applied for
unemployment originally in March and I was denied. Then I applied April 24, when the self employed, contractor and side-
gig workers were able to apply. I uploaded all of my 1099 proof of income and completed all necessary forms. I have
received three documents in the mail all stating that due to my part-time income, (which I was not applying for
unemployment for), I have been denied benefits. None of the 1099 work is showing on any of the Wage Transcript and
Monetary Determination forms that I have received. My application is now shows that I am "ineligible", for
05/16/2020 Mrs. Lisa Ritchie unemployment benefits and I am in "Pending" for PUA benefits. I should be eligible for unemployment benefits since I am
unable to run my business because it entails meeting in groups and with the Covid-19 closures my clients are closed as well.
I am not sure when any of my clients will open and due to financial burdens within many organizations, I am concerned
that budgets will be cut for training and development. I have attempted to call the NC Unemployment phone line for
weeks now and I keep receiving a message that "All of the attendants are busy with other people and there is no room in
the que to wait. Please call back later". The chat function is always busy, so that is not an option either. I have bills that
are due and I can not get any answers because I simply can not reach anyone to help. I am very frustrated with the lack of
assistance and the amount of hours I have spent trying to get help. I have spoken to several friends that are experiencing
the same issues. Please fix this system, so we can obtain the help we need.

I filed as self employed. I was approved and to date have not received a payment or any correspondence indicating there is
05/16/2020 Mr Charles Boulden
a problem. It has been three weeks since I applied. I called three times on May 16th and was disconnected each time when
they tried to transfer my call to someone that could help me. I have also sent an email and had no response.

I have been out of work since March 26. I originally went out of work for childcare due to covid-19 and while I was out for
that I was contacted by my employer and was put on furlough until june 29th. I have filed 7 weeks and still no benefits. I
05/16/2020 Unemployment Bryan Stone
was told by one des worker that my employer sent over the forms on 5/4 and then another tell me they need it still. You
can't get through to a real agent so you can't get any help to find out what needs to be done. How can it be 7 weeks and
my claim is still pending resolution? I have 2 kids and a wife and we have no income.
05/16/2020 Paul Kline I don't want unemployment. I want to get back to work.

05/16/2020 Kempton Burns filed online 4/10 2020. to date, not approved nor any check despite filing every week since. i have made multiple phone
calls only to be hung up on after inputing several menu options. not once have i been able to speak with a live person.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I realize DES' online system and staff were terribly overwhelmed with the unprecedented volume of filings and callers. DES
has done a very good job, IMHO, of getting up to speed amidst difficult circumstances and limited resources, and I applaud
this effort to ask citizens about our experience and ideas. What I experienced included: receiving emails warning me of
imminent deadlines for required tasks, yet I was unable to access the system; being thrown off the web site repeatedly
after entering information, requiring me to sign in repeatedly; for two weeks solid, being told "we can't provide personal
05/16/2020 Ms. Mary Burritt assistance now, goodbye" and being disconnected, regardless of the series of selections I made in the voice mail menu;
being unable to file my certification for two weeks because that option did not appear on my homepage, which I
documented with a screenshot; non-intuitive labels and a lack of directions that made some tasks very time consuming;
difficulty loading documentation, resulting in many documents not being loaded. Looking forward, I am eager to see DES
leverage its unique situation during this seminal moment in the state's history by collecting data. I hope there will be an
opportunity to harvest ideas from the citizenry not only for improvements, but for leveraging its unique data collecting
possibilities.
05/16/2020 Scott Mills I am told from friends that online and telephone access is very difficult despite the additional staff hires.

I have never received anything. Iâ€™ve called at least 20 times and the recording hangs up on me every time. Iâ€™ve
given up but will try again at some point. It has been an absolute nightmare. Iâ€™ve emailed several different DES email
05/16/2020 Controller/Vice president Carmon Campbell
addresses. Nothing in return. The company I work for also got notices that 1099 independent contractors had said we
were their last employer (which we werenâ€™t- they are legitimate independent contractors) and we had 10 days to
respond. Nothing is showing up under our employer account and I have no way to file anything.

I realize the situation at hand left the DES unprepared for the volume it experienced. That said, I was unable to reach a rep
at DES to answer my questions. This is the first time I've applied for benefits in 20 years. Having been both an employee
05/16/2020 Josette Chmiel
AND a 1099 contractor in 2019 made completing the forms online a nightmare. I had no one to ask my questions to. Thus,
I had to do the best I could with the very limited knowledge I had. I attempted calling at all times of the workday, including
at EXACTLY 8a, in which I received a message saying all reps were busy AND the cue was full. I find it hard to believe that
occurred day after day after day, at exactly 8a when DES opened. I got the feeling the phones were not being answered.

I applied for unemployment on March 23rd and my claim still says pending. My last day of work was March 16th. I have
tried to call, sent a message through the unemployment website, and emailed several people off the unemployment
directory with no response. Itâ€™s impossible to reach anyone and the website continually fails. My coworkers have been
receiving their benefits for weeks. I have continued to file my weekly claim as I was told, even though itâ€™s a daunting
05/16/2020 Mrs Damie Bradley
process due to the website issues. At this point, Iâ€™m not sure what else to do. This is my first experience with
unemployment and itâ€™s been extremely frustrating! I pray I never find myself in this predicament again and my heart
goes out to all those that are unfortunately dealing with the same issue with no resolve in sight. I would much rather be
working than dealing with this nonsense. North Carolina has failed many of us in regards to unemployment. Those that
genuinely need the unemployment are still waiting, while others that are able to return to work are refusing because they
are making more money sitting at home. Itâ€™s embarrassing and disgraceful.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

In the beginning I was not able to complete the process because my computer got a virus and I had to replace it. After I
05/16/2020 Larry Norman replaced the computer and finished most of the process it told me that I would need to show a picture ID. Next I did get to
finish the process with all my info and then a page came up named SCUBI and said there was an error. I am now in my
fourth week of unemployment and don't know what else to do

I applied only a few days before March 17 and I have YET to recieve any information regarding my claim. The chat option
seemed like light on May 15th because I finally got to speak to someone after calling the des phone number multiple times
daily and not being able to get through due to the que being full or the chat option for checking the status of my claim
05/16/2020 Mrs. Autumn Williams being busy or unavailable for use. Unfortunately, the chat representative just told me to call the des number once more. I
finally talked to a human on May 16th on the phone and they transferred me to the original des system message saying the
que was full not once but twice in the same day . I really need to know what is going on with my claim as it has been
almost 10 weeks of certifications I have filed and I don't even know if my claim has been approved yet. This is outrageous.
I just want answers as I am sure that many other state citizens do as well.

Ive file for unemployment April 16-19 and iâ€™ve yet to receive any information. It just says my status is â€œOpen â€œ &
05/16/2020 Unemployment Antonio Pratt
â€œ Pending Resolution â€œ. For some odd reason i canâ€™t use Direct Deposit my only option is a depit card from them
iâ€™ve yet to receive and every week filling out weekly certification forms.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
Good day,

When the company I worked for furloughed most of their staff throughout their four national locations due to the covid19
"pandemic," I had no choice but to file for unemployment. This is my experience.

It took me 48 hours to be able to file the initial claim as the website was consistently crashing. When I was able to file the
initial claim, it was flagged for needing further information in which I supplied, though it took about 2-3 days to actually
input the information successfully due to the aforementioned reasons. During this time, and for 6 days between 8 am and
430pm , I attempted to call the customer service hotline but was only greeted with busy signals, placed on hold (for a total
of 30+ hours over the six days), have my call answered just to be told the system routed me to the wrong person, and
disconnected. To say the least, there was a bit of frustration on my part. Once I was finally able to speak with a customer
service representative, who from their voice and demeanor was obviously overwhelmed and exhausted, I was told that I
shouldn't have filed with NC but rather CT as I lived there during the "pay periods."

05/16/2020 New Resident UI Comments Michael Farrington826 It may have been beneficial to those who've moved to the state within the last year to be told that they should only apply
if they worked in that particular state during certain points in time. Probably would've saved a lot of time....I'm assuming.

Thankfully, because of the leadership of President Donald Trump, and his administration, my employers were able to
obtain the PPP loan and I was put back onto payroll while only having been on CT unemployment for about a month's time.

I am the general manager of an auction house which is pretty stressful and demanding. But, because of the values my
father instilled in my brother and I, I know that a person's true leadership come out during times of great stress. The simple
and plain truth is that there was no leadership during this "pandemic" and because of that the state's resources were
quickly overwhelmed and shut down causing a great deal of additional stress and worry to a large population. We should
not have to be in a crisis to start preparing for one because, as leadership has just plainly proven, it just further fuels the
fire.

I thank you for your time.

I filed for unemployment March 19th and have received NO payments For the past 10 weeks. Can not count the number of
days I have called the 888 number 50+ times only to get the same recording. Did reach someone on the call center number
05/16/2020 Ms Portia Peaden for the PUA and she informed me they could not help me because my UI claim was open and I had to speak with someone
there. I worked 2 jobs for years to support myself and to be on the edge of bankruptcy is frightening but if I do not clear
this up with unemployment within the next 60 days that will be my end result. There needs to be more done, the current
system in place is not working we the citizens need help NOW.
I submitted my application on March 23 2020. I had to leave work at a Supermarket because of ongoing health issues. I
applied before Corona virus was posted as a reason. I have not received any unemployment or any replies to my letters or
emails. I keep up with the weekly certification. Any resolution of this matter would be appreciated. Thank you for the
05/16/2020 Kimberly Winarski opportunity to express my concerns
Sincerely
Kimberly Winarski
Snow Hill NC ( Greene County)
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed for unemployment on March 23rd i have yet to get anything from them. Iâ€™m going on 7-8 weeks with no income
while my claim has said pending for weeks with no result. I called and waited on hold for 3 hours on April 16th the lady told
me my issues would be resolved within a day or two.. it is now May 16th an exact month later with the same issue not
05/16/2020 Unresolved issues! Brittney Covington
resolved. When I have called after that date the workers deliberately transfer you to another line knowing you have
waited hours on hold just to transfer you and let it kick you off because the que is busy! I have a family and bills to pay and
they have made this the most frustrating thing of all. Itâ€™s like they want to make it so hard on people that they will just
give
Dearup and get
Senator nothing.
Alexander,

Having never applied for unemployment benefits before, I did not know what to expect. I assumed the system would be
inundated. I did not expect to be hung up on over 500 times in a period of 7 working days. And I was very disappointed to
learn that before this crisis, the NC Dept. of Commerce ranked 50th among the states in on time payments of
unemployment claims.

Senator, the citizens of North Carolina deserve better. The Federal Government has set funds aside to help meet this
challenge, but the State of North Carolina is so incompetent that they canâ€™t even get the funds to the citizens and more
than that the citizens canâ€™t even apply for the funds. It is past time that this problem was approached from a business
perspective rather than as a â€œbusiness as usual NC state governmentâ€•perspective.

I personally need an answer as to why my claim (Claimant ID [REDACTED]) is not being processed. After trying for two
days to even get into the system, I was finally able to enter all of my information. The response I received on the screen
05/16/2020 Dorinda Malloy was â€œCannot prove identity.â€•There were no instructions as to what to do. I could not and have not been able to
speak to anyone at the 888-737-0259 number. I was able to speak to a man at the NCWorks office in Lincolnton who
advised me to upload my NC Driverâ€™s License and Social Security card to my claim site. (He apologized for not being
more help, but said that the claims help had been taken away from the NCWorks offices seven years ago.) I uploaded that
information, but nothing has changed on my claim. After 10 days it still shows incomplete. I am beyond frustrated. Is
there any way possible that you can help to get this problem resolved for me? I can be reached anytime at
[REDACTED]. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Sir, you must take action. Platitudes and faux commiseration will not stand well with the voters of North Carolina in the
next election. We need mandatory overtime in this department; you need to move people in from other departments to
help; and hire outside people who know these types of processes. Senator, the citizens of North Carolina are hurting and
we need your help and your leadership.

I sent the above email on April 13 to Senator Alexander and to Rep. Saine. Since the date I sent I have only grown more

05/16/2020 Mr Carol Lyn Wauford I applied for the PUA effective 4/6. To this date it is still just pending and I canâ€™t get any information as to why they
donâ€™t seem to want to approve my case although my fellow travel agents have already been approved.
I filed at the end of March and it took 5 weeks to finally get benefits. I had to contact Senator Sandersonâ€™s assistant. She
05/16/2020 Mrs Julie Foley did what she could and forwarded my info to a contact at DES and they never contacted me. I still have a co-worker trying
to get her benefits 7 weeks later.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
I have had one of the WORST experiences of my life with DES. I honestly cannot believe our government would allow the
citizens to be treated this way. The disparity in cases don't seem to have any rhyme or reason for one some are getting aid
before others.

I filed on March 20th when I was told I lost my job offer (signed contract with Compass Group North America) due to the
pandemic - after I had already left my other job because I was told: "we will still be honoring the offer so don't worry
about that" - and I have been sending emails and filing weekly certifications ever since. I am writing on May 16th - almost
two months without ANY unemployment assistance. I made good money and I worked HARD to move up the corporate
ladder - after being a state teacher as well as a private school teacher where I couldn't pay my bills. Since I was making
money I was attacking my debt trying to finally be debt-free by December of 2020.

Since my case is pending, it is clear that there is some confusion. I received an email on May 8th that I needed to contact
the DES office by May 15 or else it may impact whether I receive assistance, however, the answering notice is â€œall of our
call service agents are assisting other people right now and our hold queue is full. For immediate service please visit our
05/16/2020 Meredith Wittman website atâ€¦â€•and it hangs up on me...for (now) 8 straight weeks. Also, I received a letter on MAY 14TH THAT WAS SENT
MAY 12TH telling me I needed to contact DES by May 15th. They planned to give me ONE DAY to call? I couldn't get
through for 8 weeks. Why isn't there a dial-back system like the banks use? Why is there not a special ID that we have to
enter into an automated phone system? I got through once but was told I needed an analyst and was transferred where I
then sat on hold for 5.5 hours just to be hung up on. I haven't been able to get through again. I have contacted a lawyer,
twice.

Here is the sequence of events:
1. I was employed by Sapience Intelligence and I was offered a position at Compass Group (offer letter & signed contract
attached) which I accepted 3/10
2. I put in my notice with Sapience Intelligence on 3/13, with my last day on 3/16.
3. When federal and state guidance placed doubt on when I would be able to start, Compass Group provided multiple
reassurances that I would still have a job and â€œhonoring the offerâ€•on 3/15
If they were able to tell me that there was a question, I may have been able to extend employment and not be terminated

I received my last unemployment check on April 14th but have not been able to find out HOW TO QUALIFY FOR THE PEUC ?
05/16/2020 Mr. Carl Gee Claimant id# [REDACTED] I have tried for days and days and hours and hours to get someone on the phone. I have filled out
the Contact Form repeatedly and still no reply. I continue to fill out the weekly certifications. Just want to know as I have
not received a check and online continues to say pending.
When you call no one answers. I have tried multiple times. I do not believe they have offered any phone support since all
this began. I filed on March 22nd and haven't received any communication or money and I haven't been able to get ahold
05/16/2020 Kelsey Robertson
of anyone. The system is badly broken. Reopen NC so people can get back to work and don't have to rely on
unemployment.

I filed for unemployment as a NC State college student who cannot work due to Covid-19. The process was confusing and I
05/16/2020 Unsure Layla Saliba felt constantly as if I was doing something wrong or as if I didnâ€™t deserve help. Iâ€™m unsure when if or when Iâ€™ll get
unemployment and the FAQâ€™s timeline of 2 weeks wasnâ€™t very reassuring. I have medical bills to pay and I am
nervous. I hope everything works out for the best and I get the help I need.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed UI first got denied and now waiting a month for information on my PUA. Iâ€™m a independent contractor for a
05/16/2020 Mr Percy Chestnutt
newspaper company and really need some help. Hours cut to less than half and no help. Didnâ€™t receive a stimulus check
yet. Please please help me get approved and get things back on track. Iâ€™m getting behind further and further.

I filed on April 10 and apparently still have a pending resolution. It says allow on determination page but on homepage it is
pending. I have called everyday since the end of April. I have been transferred teice by 2 people who couldnâ€™t answer
05/16/2020 Unemployment customer svs Cynthia Caldro
my questions and upon transferred was hung up on. I waited in queue 3 times and after 2+ hours was disconnected. I also
got into the chat once only to sit there after submitting my claim number and no response after that. I am so discouraged.
I have uploaded every document I could possibly think of. Please help.
I am self employed, i have been denied and filling out weekly report anyway..I went back on 5/16/20 and refiled. I have
05/16/2020 Bradley Hansley been out of work since March 13, 2020 as a self employed truck driver. I can not work due to the businesses I haul for have
been closed and state travel restricted
Its been almost a month and a half and still nothing. No letters in the mail. No calls and cant get through to anyone for
05/16/2020 JOSH COLE
questions.

Members of the Senate Commerce and Insurance Committee. Thanks for the opportunity to address this group. It's been
well documented in the news media the customer service issues at the NC DES during the Covid outbreak - website
crashes, jammed phone lines, delays in payments. I experienced all of these, and some of that I understand, because no
one could have handled the volume of UI applicants filing all at one time. But, I wanted to make this committee aware of
my situation and ask one questions. Have the people whose benefits have been exhausted over the previous year but were
granted an extension (PEUC) through the CARE Act have been paid? It seems not, according to what I've found. The NC DES
website says of the PEUC, "The DES is working as quickly as possible to modify our systems to make sure people receive
timely and accurate PEUC payments. Please continue checking des.nc.gov for updates of the availability of PEUC in North
Carolina." The CARE Act went into place April 4. It's now May 18th and a large portion of unemployed people in North
05/16/2020 MR Derek Smith Carolina who qualified for an extension of their exhausted benefits under the PEUC provision of the CARE Act aren't being
served by the new law. It took me three weeks to get a phone call answered to reactivate my claim and I've filed five
weekly certifications without a check. In corresponding with a case manager at NC Works in Lincolnton here's what he has
told me - 4/30/2020 "The extensions have not been put into effect as of yet, and that is as far as we know at this time.
That is the third step in the process, and the second step, which involved the self-employed and contract folks, was put into
effect last week. We have not heard of a time line on the third level as it stands right now, only that the system is being
adjusted. 5/15/2020 "All I can tell you about PEUC is that it is not available as of yet. There is no time line for it either.
Believe me when I tell you that we have asked, and that is what we have been told. When it is available, it should just be
open and available. " I've emailed the JOINT LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE to try
and find an answer to this question and no one seems to know. Their legislative assistants just take my information and
forward it to the Dept. of Commerce and say that's about all they can do. It was unfortunate that I got laid off twice in one
year but I shouldn't be penalized for that. So I respectfully ask again. Has PEUC begun payments? If not, when? It's been
eight weeks since my layoff and over a month of weekly filings without a check. I just want to now the status of my claim.
Thanks for letting me address this body. Feel free to contact me with any information.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I applied for Pandemic Unemployment when my work furloughed us all on March 22, 2020. I was approved for $132
weekly and received payment for three weeks. The following week, I worked enough to earn $39 in wages from my
employer because I volunteered to help one morning, and helped out for 3 to 7 hours per week since, covering for people
who â€œdonâ€™t feel comfortableâ€•working because they want that extra $600 rather than working, and my benefit has
05/16/2020 Mrs. D. Rose
said Under Review for the past three weeks with no payment issued. I have called up to 60 times a day and can never get
through. I have sent several emails with no reply. I received an automated email which indicated I should fax
correspondence in, which I did two weeks ago, with no reply. I have uploaded documents onto my account, with no
review or reply.
I have been waiting almost a month for my unemployment and have received nothing. I have tried calling and no one has
05/16/2020 Steven Cranford
been able to help me.

Today marks seven weeks of waiting for both my wife and I. We both filed the day after Governor Cooperâ€™s Stay at
Home order announcement as our job closed. We have sent numerous emails to the unemployment office over the last
05/16/2020 Brian Miller
few weeks. I have attempted to call several times per week but am never able to get through. I receive a message that the
call queue is full and then get hung up on. I did once get through to my local office in Nags Head after 3 weeks of waiting,
but they told me all I could do is wait. Waiting 7 weeks has took a large toll on our finances. Please help us a fix this!

It was very difficult to access the server when initially filing. Either the webpage wouldn't load, or took extended amounts
of time to load. I also have 2 jobs and found it difficult to file for unemployment for both of them. I never was able to file
05/16/2020 Kara Miller
for the second job and was considered ineligible. Additionally, since applying, I have had an error message on my
homepage under "Issues Delaying Payment" which says "Reduction of Hours due to Coronavirus - Pending Resolution... It
has said this for 2 months now and has not been resolved.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I just wanted to comment about the failure of the Department of Employment Security to provide clear access and help for
deaf and hard of hearing people. Like many thousands of North Carolinians, I too have struggled with getting my
unemployment claim issues resolved. I am hard of hearing and communication on the phone is difficult even in non-
pandemic times. When I need to get official things done I do them in person and that's obviously not possible now because
the government is shut down. I had two "Pending resolution issues" that needed someone to manually fix. I submitted a
DES Customer Form and an even directly emailed DES but the only response you get is an automated email reply saying
"We've received your email." I never received an actual human response in reply to my emails. As a hard of hearing person,
just how does one get help from DES if the best form of communication (for them) isn't used? There is no TTY phone
number for deaf people to use to contact DES. Which brings me to my next point, how does DES expect a deaf or hard of
hearing person who is using a TTY relay service to have their relay person stay on the phone, in the hold queue line if you
are lucky to get in the line, for hours in one day? I was fortunate that I was only on hold for 4 hours but I know many who
were on hold for 8 hours. How does DES expect a deaf person to "stay on the phone" for hours on end? I joined the private
05/16/2020 Rebekah Conrad Facebook group North Carolina Unemployed and saw people were suggesting emailing NC Commerce DES workers. I
emailed a NC Commerce worker and he was able to resolve one of my issues but not the other. I had no choice but to call
the DES number and wait hours to talk to a call agent. Luckily the call agent was understanding about my hearing
difficulties and spoke louder for me, but I did tell that agent I had someone near by that if I couldn't hear and understand
her I would pass the phone over. Luckily and thankfully my unemployment claim issues were fully resolved but it took
almost 4 weeks to get them resolved and only by communicating on a phone, which again, is difficult for me as a hard of
hearing person. I was excited to see that DES had added a chat function, thinking finally there would be a way for deaf
people to communicate and get their claim issues resolved, but I was sorely disappointed to find out that the contracted
"chat support" agents actually didn't have the ability to resolve issues. All they could do was tell you "You have to call the
DES number and have someone fix it for you." I'm actually writing not to complain and tell you how angry I am. I fully
understand North Carolina was unprepared for the enormity and severity of unemployment claims and issues that
thousands are going through and DES is the best it can. I'm writing this to help DES prepare and plan for the future. As a
state agency I expect better from DES to provide help to people even with disabilities. I just wanted to comment on my
unique situation as a person with hearing disabilities difficulties getting their unemployment claim fixed.

05/16/2020 Mr Donald Lake My son filed 6 weeks ago and hasnt seen a dime. When he tries to call at any point through out the day he gets a recording
that tells him the hold queue is full.. What is going on? This is unacceptable and someone should be held accountable

I was out of work starting March 26th. I tried calling every day multiple times a day for a month. Finally reached someone
on April 19th. Once submitted my unemployment was effective as of the April 19th date not the date . Now I am being told
05/16/2020 Conrad Breitfeller
that someone else has to reach out to me to fix my back payment and they are saying I may very well not end up with the
extra $600 I was suppose to be getting in addition to the four weeks I went without a paycheck. This is unacceptable. I am
sure Iâ€™m not the only person this has happened to.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Very frustrating to be on hold to reach a person who is working from home and you can hear their TV in the background or
they live in another state such as Kansas. The chat option is almost pointless because it just directs you to the 800# whose
hold que is always full. Also, very upsetting that I was denied. One of my part time jobs was affected by Covid but not the
other one so I am not eligible for anything even though I am weekly loosing income due to a Covid. Itâ€™s like I am being
05/16/2020 Mrs. Janie Y penalized because I work two jobs (I am a busy mom who has to make two part time jobs work because of my sonâ€™s
health) After holding over four hours Friday I think I finally got a real DES worker who I felt like basically guilted me for
applying because I was still drawing an income from one of my two jobs and reaching my weekly benefit amount that way.
I thought I was eligible for assistance since my employer effected by Covid gave me instructions to file since they had to
close due to Covid and I would be loosing income directly related to Covid. I have wasted countless hours and still donâ€™t
know what really is the truth about what I qualify for.

I filed for unemployment Mar 16 after the closing of my office and schools, in addition to losing my access to childcare.
I am an independent contractor and NC REALTOR. I was immediately determined to be ineligible and my UI application
closed. I waited until the PUA became available to apply again. I started another application looking for the PUA option
that never revealed itself after getting halfway through. I now have access to nothing as I have a incomplete application -
05/16/2020 Mindy Livengood meaning the PUA option will not ever appear for me. The existing incomplete application can not be deleted by me and I
have spoken to multiple people in the call center who are unable to delete it and file my original application under the
PUA. The entire system seems impossible to navigate for even the tech-savvy user, from the wording of the questions to
the generally difficult navigation, its as though we've been set up in a supportless sea of disappointment and failure. I am
mortified to think how those with less skill than myself have fared. I have been fortunate enough to have been living off my
savings, but many, if not most of us, don't have a savings to fall back on. It is only a matter of time before these confused
and rejected applicants lose their homes, their ability to feed themselves or their families, and their dignity. If I can't get
any help, who knows where I will be in the coming weeks.

I am amending my comments from earlier. I cannot really comment on the quality of the help I received from DES. I tried
called at least 10 days a day EVERY day. It would take me to a voice recorded message that said the hold queue was filled
then hang up. When I found a number to directly call and speak to someone about PUA I was told that normally the
05/16/2020 David Blide person answering the phone can push the application through but in my case the person was new so did not have that
authority. He did tell me that everything SEEMED to be in order. At this point my claim has been pending for over a
month. I am very worried that when someone finally looks at my application there will be another month waiting period
to receive funds that DES and congressional staff members have told me that I am eligible to receive. As a disabled
veteran I have become accustomed to the "hurry up and wait" plan of bureaucratic government processes. Lynn Taylor
from Sen. McInnis's office was the only person during all of my phone calls and emails that genuinely wanted to help.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am a Barber. My Mom and l run a salon, Kings cabin Salon & Day spa, we have 12 stylists that rent booths. We have been
in business for 33 years. On May 25th, we all had to lay down our shears and walk out on a business that we all that
worked very hard to build. We had to leave behind clients who are like family, people that need us and depend on us. We
all filed for unemployment. there was nothing on the website that told us as self-employed individuals that we should wait
until the pua was available. We waited and waited for 4 weeks. Most of us were in the pending status and didn't know
what to expect. We each called multiple times starting at 8 a.m. and until 8 p.m. at night to try to get through and talk to
someone who could help us and the lines were always busy we could not get any type of communication about our
pending claims. This insanity lasted 4-5 weeks . On April 24th, the State announced there would be PUA unemployment
for self-employed individuals and that we should file for that. The problem was we were all stuck in the pending status and
05/17/2020 Mrs Sonya Cox we could not apply for the self-employed pua. We then tried to get in touch with them so they could fix that little problem
so that we could apply. Again we called and called and could not get through. We could get through on the pua line but
they could not help us until the regular unemployment denied us so that we could file for pua. It was a nightmare. I
contacted Senator Berger's office and Representative Kyle Hall's office. I have not heard from anyone from the
unemployment office by these means. No response in over two weeks. The chat feature was added to the website but
when I tried that I was 157 in line and before it got to me the site froze up.... Super frustrating. I know of a couple people
who got through one had to hold 4 hours., one was on hold for 5 hours. 1 stylist from our Salon was able to get through
after holding 2 hours and 40 minutes, while she was online with the unemployment office she conference called me in and
the very nice lady was able to solve our problems by getting our status changed so that we could finally apply for pua. I
think the problem is many self-employed people filed early because we did not know to wait and are all stuck in the
pending status and cannot get through to get the help needed to get switched so they can apply for pua. I was finally
approved and I got my unemployment last week. After 7 weeks of not having any income I finally got the back pay . I feel
like we were just lucky to be able to get through and I feel so bad for all the ones that have not Been able to get through on
that line yet. It was a nightmare for sure. Thank you for the opportunity to express my opinion and share my experience.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
I am a licensed nail technician. I love wt I do and am able to support my family. My 21 yr daughter was born missing part of
her brain. Working as a nail tech gives me the ability to see to her needs . The week before Roy Cooper closed down all
salons the industry took a hard hit.People were scared. I hardly had any work. I was in process of moving to a new salon
and it shut down a week later. Its been 9 weeks and Iv had no income from work. My husband is 100% disabled as well. So
with two disabled people in my house hold I'm the only one able to work. I'm very limited to what work I can do. Due to
injuries I received in 2009 working as a corrections officer Iv had reconstruction surgery on my spine. I can not take a so
called essential job as some politicians have stated I should do if I need money so bad!
I applied for unemployment 9 weeks ago! My application has sat on pending until lastnight.9 weeks, no one
communicated with me about my application. I sent emails to everyone even the white house.
Very quickly my savings account was dwindling!! My daughter has special dite needs. Medications for my family are costly.
I have car payments, a mortgage, food, hygiene and cleaning supplies. No income! I'm scared now! I had to call my
mortgage company and request forbearance. I'm scared that in 3 months I won't have the money to catch up my
mortgage. Never in my life have I not been able to provide for my family!
I finally received a approval letter for unemployment and thein figured out I needed to apply for PUA! NO ONE TOLD ME
05/17/2020 Mrs. Christine Bovee THIS AND I WAS NOT GIVEN THIS OPPORTUNITY UNTELL 2 NIGHTS AGO! THE LINK SUDDENLY SHOWED UP ON MY HOME
PAGE 9 WEEKS AFTER I APPLIED!Cooper closed us down and did not have the safety net in place to help the families he was
starving! No one can survive on zero income!! I STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED UNEMPLOYMENT OR PUA!
I was forced to sell a rental property I had out of state for well under market , so it would sell fast! My profit was laffable
but I was forced to take the offer in the middle of a pandemic! Iv been struggling .My heart breaks for my sisters in the
salon industry who are single parents.I have a friend who is solely dependent on food banks! She only eats 1 meal a day so
she can make her food go further for her 2 kids.
The suffering that has been caused is far worse than what covid19 has done here in Gaston County. We the people, salon
workers, sol owners and independent contractors were treated as a after thought. We have been belittled by Roy Coopers
statements of being non essential. All jobs are essential especially when you're career is such a big part of your life and
suddenly it is striped from you , you feel it deeply!
My self I have experience angzity, depression and stress in levels and ways Iv never experienced in all 48 years of my life.
I have spoken to my representatives. Threw theim I was thrown a life line.Suddenly , for the first time in 9 weeks I felt like
at least SOMEONE was willing to listen. To try and help.

05/17/2020 Edward Whalen TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE. Got two payments, no idea what the amount represented, I filed for 3 weeks, did not see any $600
payment, no answers to calls, representatives called were uninformed and wrong on issues.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am a self-employed sole proprietor and an NC licensed massage & bodywork therapist. I closed my practice for public
safety reasons on 3/16/20 as my professional organizations were recommending that we cease practice. I filed for UI on
4/12/20 which was the first time I could access the online NC DES website. It took a long time to complete all the data and
many questions did not make sense for the self-employed. I filed weekly certifications as requested and made an error on
one week and then could not correct the error. I called the help number for weekly certifications daily for 2-3 weeks and
every time got the same message saying their hold queue was full and please call back later and it cuts you off. I never got
through. I could reach other NC DES help numbers but they always referred me to the previous number and the call was
dropped. I filed for PUA on 4/24/20 when self-employed folks were told they could file. I uploaded a letter asking for
05/17/2020 Ms Alexandra Hamer
correction to my weekly certification, but I never heard anything back. It was tricky uploading documents as they have a 30-
character limit on filenames, so several files had to be re-named. Also, there's no way to delete a file you've uploaded if it
gets duplicated, which often happens if you hit 'save' more than once when you think the website isn't responding. Even
after switching to PUA as self-employed, you have to answer confusing weekly questions like, 'Were you able to work?'
when clearly you were not able to work due to Covid-19 precautions, but you had to make your best guess and say 'Yes' for
fear of having your case rejected and joining those who were in an endless loop of trying for hours to call and get their
cases appealed. I also read from my NC colleagues that no matter how much you earned previously per week (my gross
weekly income was around $1800) you would not receive more than $132/week for unemployment and people were
saying NC ranks pretty low in this respect. I receive both UI and PUA on 5/11/20. I do very much appreciate the PUA
additional $600. That was a big help. I appreciate that everyone was and still is doing their best to get this all to work, so
please don't read this as complaints, just some things that could perhaps be improved. Thank you for taking comments.

Thank you for sending me this correspondence. I have still received no news. I am asking for your help. Times are getting
05/17/2020 Ms. Lisa totten
rough with no money for nine weeks. After multiple calls daily I received a call and they said they would get back in touch
with me. I have heard no news since then and its been a while. CLAIM NUMBER [REDACTED]
05/17/2020 Sandra Leonard It was hard the 1st few weeks but it got straightened out-Thank you
05/17/2020 Mr Michael W Spaugh Done
The maximum amount of $350 is ridiculously low. More than 10 years ago it was over $500. Has the cost of living
decreased or even stayed the same? No. The weekly maximum benefit should come close to an amount that people can
05/17/2020 NC Unemployment Insurance James Waggoner
survive on. If not for the current federal settlement how many North Carolinians using the benefit would have gone into
financial crisis within 2 or 3 weeks? The vast majority.

I have worked for 38 years as a self employed hairstylist and have never felt as helpless as I did when trying to file for
unemployment. I do greatly appreciate unemployment being offered I just wish there would have been a live person to
help when you called, and I called different days and times of the weeks. I faxed and mailed letters asking for help giving
05/17/2020 Lack of Communication Lori Davis
my contact information and never heard from anyone. When the PUA phone number was made public I did talk to two
different ladies but they could not help and when they would try to connect me with someone who could help I was
disconnected. I understand this is difficult times I just hope there is a way to have better communication to help people in
the future. Thank you
My daughter has not received her unemployment. I can't get anyone on phone or by email . I sent in a letter requesting an
05/17/2020 Ms. Mary Newcomb
update. No reply at all.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am beyond thankful for the quick response by Joseph Stanbury in doing all he could to help me through this process. I
was able to get approved after over 2 weeks of waiting, I am not sure how this helped or not but in the end I was approved
05/17/2020 Stephanie Cisko
and very thankful. Just in him responding so quickly made it better even if he couldn't do anything his response was
helpful.
It took over 3 weeks to file a claim and when I finally got claim filed I was paid for the time I couldnâ€™t get through.
05/17/2020 Claims Teddy Rose Iâ€™m still owed 2 weeks back pay. I have called over 250 times and sent 2 emails and still havenâ€™t been able to talk to
anyone.
I am extremely frustrated and disappointed in the way the unemployment system is failing to process funds in an
appropriate time frame. I filed on March 21st and still havent received anything. I've called over 100 times and haven't
05/17/2020 Still no money Taylor Durden even been able to leave a message or speak to someone. Theres no email or other way to contact anyone. My family is
struggling to pay will or get foods weve had to get help from family and food co-ops. I really just dont understand how it
could possibly take this long.

It took many messages to lawmakers to get a direct call from unemployment because I could never even get on the on-
hold line on the phone after calling since mid-March. I tried the DES chat. I was on hold for 2 hours then gave up. I tried
05/17/2020 Melissa DeRubertis chat again the next morning at 8:04. After being on hold for 90 minutes, I finally got a person. She told me I answered a
question wrong on my weekly certification and the only way to fix it was to call the number I had been trying to no avail for
two months. This situation is stressful enough, why even have a chat if they cannot help? I still need to talk to someone
about my PUA because it seems they did not consider all of my income.

My business shut down and Iâ€™m an Uber driver. I was turned down for PUA. Per Uber, nobody even contacted them
from NC and just said I wasnâ€™t approved. Per Donald Trump, Uber contractors get PUA. I have no $ and if I do get back
05/17/2020 Charles Comer
on my feet, I am leaving the state and never looking back. I cannot believe how bad the government has failed North
Carolina. After seeing this mess, count me in for a complete restructuring of current state government infrastructure. This
has impacted my mental health and overall well being.
My question: Was I required to send a copy of my license, Letter from CBL & Associates Management, Inc. re: Departure
05/17/2020 Ms callie carter from CBL. and a copy of my last pay check. to the N.C. Dept of Commerce. I am going to do that today Certified Mail.
Claimant ID;[REDACTED] FEMA NUMBER; COVID

In mid-March I was furloughed because of covid-19 and the governorâ€™s stay-at-home order. I filed for unemployment
immediately and have been submitting a weekly claim since. This is the first time I filed for unemployment in my life. There
is a mistake on my application that is preventing me from receiving benefits. Iâ€™ve been trying to contact the NC
05/17/2020 NC Unemployment Peter Bergstrom unemployment office everyday, multiple times a day by phone and chat but the lines are always full. I have not received
benefits and have no other income. My employer just informed me that they might be bringing me back on in mid-June. I
havenâ€™t been able to pay bills, mortgage, alimony or child support. Daily living is very difficult. My co-workers in other
states have been receiving benefits without issue. Iâ€™m horrified how the NC state government has been handling this
issue!
I filed on March 27th, the website says there's a problem, I've tried to call, and have sent messages through the website
05/17/2020 Timothy Hoilman since then, and I haven't been able to get through, or get a reply back from the email. I lost my small business, and haven't
had any income since.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Mistake was made with Social Security number. I have spoken with a person on the phone and was told that the incorrect
05/17/2020 Elaine Addy
number can't be changed on line. Recommended starting a new application, problem is that it won't allow it because of
the email address shows already being used. Help is needed with this issue, thank you.

Hello,Â
Thank youÂ for taking the time to hear my issue. The issue I am having is not in filing the claim, but for DES to finalise the
claim for payment. I filed the claim eight weeksÂ ago. I waited the two weeks before trying to contact the DES to find out
the status of the claim. But every time I call the call center I get the message that their busy and the hold queue is full, then
hangs up on me. Even if I call between 7:59am and 8am, earlier than 8am I am told I called before business hours then at
05/17/2020 Mr Kenneth Robbins 8am sharp I am told they are busy and holdÂ queue is full message. I have also tried using the customer contact form many
times, with no response. I have talked to my former employer, and they are not contesting the claim. So why is DES not
finalisingÂ the claim on my behalf for payment? Unfortunately my bills are still piling up and I just don't want to get evicted
or lose the things I have worked to get.

Thank you for your time,
Kenneth Robbins
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
When the bill passed, I filed 3/26/2020 under the CARES act for unemployment. I had been a substitute teacher in
Michigan and also in Forsyth County when I moved to NC in 2019. In addition to that I took on gig work (because
substituting in North Carolina was a significant pay cut from what it was in Michigan). Eventually I ended up being a full
time gig worker because of this. When I applied my state unemployment was "ineligible" as I didn't make enough as a
teacher, but there was still no PUA. I was told PUA would automatically kick in and we didn't need to reapply. This was
wrong... a month later I had to reapply to Unemployment AND PUA. It would be several more weeks that I would sit,
waiting... meanwhile...

I spent hours on the phone trying to talk to someone. Only to be hung up on, called a liar, told someone would call me
back, and a number of other unpleasant situations when dealing with the North Carolina Unemployment line. I have to
admit that the people on the PUA call line really tried to be helpful, except once when a guy answered and put me on hold
till his shift was over then told me he was gonna transfer me and hung up on me...

I sent multiple messages on the website, I sent emails to employees that had helped other people. It seemed that no one
05/17/2020 Mrs. Maria Mahala could help, or they didn't want to help on the DES line.

I waited a total of 7 weeks. 7... to get help. 7... in that time I had to move because my rent wasn't protected by the CARES
act. My car payment had to be put on hold for two months. My cellphone was turned off twice for non-payment. My
children went without.

Finally at week 7 someone called me and left a voicemail... apparently they were confused how I was reporting 3
employers... well that's because I held at least 3 jobs prior to no longer working because of the virus! I was busting my butt
to provide for myself and my children! So I called her back and left a message that I was doing both Uber and Lyft and that
I no longer was and gave my date of quit again... it seemed a silly thing to have been holding up my claim really. How hard
was it to understand that I, like many American's, HAD to work multiple jobs to make ends meet? The real question
should've been WHY I had to do Uber and Lyft when I was a substitute teacher - and the answer is: Gas Station Attendants
make more than I did! I have a degree! I have teaching experience! And the guy at the local shell made more money per
hour pressing buttons on his register than I did teaching!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Hello, I am a small business owner who formalized my LLC on 2/21/2020. As a result, I have gotten no assistance. I've
gotten a stopgap job which pays less per week than the $600 PUA because I am a single mom and could not keep rolling
the dice that funding would come through.

As a result I'm getting caught up on bills now, but still owe $1200 a month for three months of rent during which I was
legally unable to work. I am also unable to work at my industry's busiest time of year, March through June. Traditionally I
would be saving half of what I make right now for winter, when slow season hits.

This may very well keep me in debt for years to come. The slow service, the lack of support for LLCs and self employed
people, and the utter failure of having so few resources set up to have DES functioning in this time make me furious. One
of my colleagues in the industry was told by a DES agent that even though she qualified for PUA, she shouldn't expect
05/17/2020 Ms Robin Sinford
payments for up to 14 more weeks, bringing the total time of no income by law to 22 weeks.

As a result of the continual failures by the local and state government to ensure my family will be able to survive while my
industry is legally unable to operate, I have begun looking into moving. I do not intend to stay in this state any longer than I
have to, and I expect to leave within the year. I have no interest in being a productive small business owner paying taxes to
a state that would let my family starve.

I have been disappointed by North Carolina in big ways before with the passage of HB2, but I've never been as ashamed to
live here as I am now.

I've lost 4 friends to suicide or hopeless overdoses since March. As far as I'm concerned, DES has their blood on your
hands. If there was any hope on the horizon for mounting debt and empty cupboards, at least two of them would still be
alive. You all should be ashamed.
Still have not gotten a single payment and can't get anyone to fix my problems. I have worked at the same company for
05/17/2020 Mrs Kelly Ginn
16yrs. I am beyond disgusted with this process!

I have been hung up twice by employees of des after being on hold for 2+ hours each time. I called the department of
05/17/2020 Mr Robert Tapp commerce and was stonewalled from talking to any kind of manager within des. There are systematic issues within this
department and to be quite honest this is unacceptable for any first world nations publicly funded program to operate in
this fashion. I am not sure if this is active malice against the public or vast incompetence within the management.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

On March 16 my special needs grandson's adult day center closed due to COVID-19 measures. It became clear the
following week that I would not be able to find adequate care for him elsewhere. My wife and myself are legal
guardians/custodians for the past 11 years, and I am his primary caregiver at our home. I notified my employer through a
letter and face to face with my mgr. that I would not be able to work until his center reopens. I also mentioned my desire
to return when this is over, and asked for guidance due to my wife and I l both having underlying conditions. For some
reason the determination was made that I left work for a "family member's illness" and was therefor not eligible for UI
benefits. I did NOT leave work for a family member's illness. My wife was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in Nov. 2019. I
remained at work al through her surgery and chemo, and was scheduled off every third Wed. to take her. I NEVER
STOPPED WORKING DUE TO HER ILLNESS. When I started my job I informed my manager that I sufferred from liver disease
05/17/2020 John Fedor but that it would not interfere with my duties at work, and it has not. I stayed at work and sanitized surfaces and did
everything I could to mitigate exposure to danger, but I STAYED AT WORK until I was no longer able to go because of the
day center's closure. It seems I am being punished for being honest? The appeals process now pits me against my
employer, when I stated in my notification to employer that I intended to file for UI benefits under the new guidelines
issued by the Governor's order, and that it should not be charged to them. I also had a text exchange with my DM in which
I submitted the notification, and was assured they would like to have me back when this is all over. I do not want to be
adversarial with my former and hopefully future employer, but that is how the appeals process is set up, because someone
at DES decided the reason I left work was a family member's illness that has existed for many months when the event that
precipitated my leaving work was an adult day care closure for my special needs grandson. My appeal is June 9, nearly 3
months without any pay. Our savings is nearly depleted. l followed the guidelines. We are 65 and 62 and our special needs
grandson is 21, and will be with us until we are no longer able to care for him. We cannot afford this. Please help. I hope
these comments help you. (I also fear now that medical conditions have arisen and due to my age, this may adversely
affect company's view of future employment. I am very worried.)
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
I was furloughed from work on Friday, March 20th. I went to the Unemployment claims website on following Monday the
23rd and it requested that I had all necessary paperwork on hand (or something to that effect) before beginning my claim.
That paperwork did not arrive from my company until Friday the 27th announcing the furlough that had been delivered via
a conference call, and I began my claim that day, (I'm not sure the paperwork I was waiting for was really necessary as it
turned out). Because of the weakness of the website, I had to constantly go back or refresh, which created a duplication of
work as I wrote my claim, and functionally as the work was sometimes saved both times. It took several hours. The
process of application was not self-explanatory. Several questions were misleading or unclear and it turns out I completed
several things incorrectly: one was a question about retirement pay (which I have access to when I retire, but not
something I can access immediately) and another was a question about the state I was working in (while I have resided in
NC 10 years and have paid my State taxes here, the companies I work for are headquartered in other states and so I
inputted what I needed to incorrectly). I had never applied for unemployment before in my 24 years in the workforce.
These two things have caused my claim to stay on pending for 51 days as of today, with no change. This is ridiculous. For
51 days I have called the toll free number, unable to reach anyone and there are no other means (including email, or
personally), by which to contact the Unemployment Office. I emailed my state legislator's office, Deb Butler, and her office
05/17/2020 Mr. Zane Bloom did not respond at all. I emailed my state senator's office, Bill Rabon, and his office responded quickly, asking me to fill out
a SurveyMonkey form, which I did, then heard nothing for 2 1/2 weeks, when I called his office again. The following
Saturday after the call to Mr. Rabon's office, while I was working in the yard, unable to answer my phone, I received a call
from the Unemployment Office who left a message telling me to call the same toll free number if I was still having a
problem with my claim, which I am, but the toll free number offers zero assistance, not even a means to leave a message,
just an apology and a disconnection at the end. For 51 days, my wife and I, and our 4 children, have received no
compensation assistance from the Unemployment Office. The on-line claim does not offer me any means to go back in an
adjust or edit my claim. I think that is important. Once I hit send on my application that first day, I had no means to fix the
mistakes I made and with no additional assistance available from the Unemployment Office, I'm stuck on "pending" and
without compensation for 51 days. I wish I could just go back in an edit my original claim. Or a means to cancel the
original claim and resubmit a new application. I'm thankful I've been able to stem the tide of 51 days until now, but looking
forward to the month of June is concerning. Debt is accumulating. I need help! I need assistance! I haven't received a
federal stimulus yet. I haven't received my federal tax return yet, though I filed months ago. I would ask, humbly, that
once this is hopefully resolved, I would be able to receive compensation not just from the resolution forward, but from the

I have been filling for 6 weeks and my Status says Open but it also says Pendeing Resolution. I have been on hold for over
05/17/2020 Tina Pendell 35 hours in all and have spoke to 11 or more Des reps. Know one can seem to help push my claim through or tell me what
is taking so long. It is very discouraging when when you know the money is there to pay people like me who normally
work everyday but know can only work a handful of hours a week .
This was my first time filing for unemployment, it was has been a horrible experience, from either the website or the
05/17/2020 Glen Hosey
ability to get in contact with anyone within DES.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I was furloughed 50% due to the coronavirus. I immediately applied for unemployment benefits to help offset the loss of
income. I noticed that although my status is set to "allow," payments, they've all been declined due to "excess earnings." I
reached out to DES via chat and by phone on three occasions. Two of the occasions I was told I would be fully eligible and
to just be patient because the system was very backlogged and that I would be issued back-pay for the declined weeks.
One occasion I was told I would not be offered help due to excess earnings. I don't understand how $500/week is
considered excess when that isn't even enough to cover my monthly rent. I am the sole provider of income for my wife and
05/17/2020 Jacob Cochran
I. We have blown through our savings to stay afloat the last month, but will run out of money if I am not reinstated soon.
That said, why can't I at least be considered for the $600/week in CARE's act funding? I'd still be paying income taxes to the
State of NC so you would benefit as well.

One of my 21-year-old reps that work with me makes double what I make now and doesn't have nearly the amount of
monthly obligations to pay. I don't understand why I'm being penalized for losing half of my salary and can't get any aid. It
may cause us to have to leave NC and go back to our home state of West Virginia. I'm a 33 year old young adult who has
always paid taxes and worked hard. I am shocked that I can't get any help.

the biggest problem with unemployment was being able to talk to a human voice. after filing weekly claims, week ending
march 27th thru April 18th,and making phone calls to unemployment i could not even get a computer, it just kept telling
05/17/2020 Mr. Norman Muller
me not available .after 3 weeks of not getting anyone i decided to call Mr. Mcinnis' office and i talked to Lynn Taylor, within
2 days i received a call from Vanessa and she handled the claim in a matter of 15 minutes.So the biggest problem and I'm
sure everyone had the same problem was not being able to talk a real person.

I filed for unemployment on 3/20/2020 have not received any benefits. A pending resolution, I get a pension from the state
of North Carolina $253.00 a month of which I paid into just as you with social security. I work several part jobs to make
ends meet. I have sent documents verification of my pension to employment security,I have faxed, I have emailed, I have
05/17/2020 Mr Ralph Anthony
called a 100 times a day can not get any answers to fix this. Received a Determination letter from Employment Security,
Determination by Adjudicator was that I am eligible for employment benefits. Someone needs to step up and help with
pending resolutions, there are a lot of us that need help desperately. Any help would be very much appreciated. Please
send any correspondence to [REDACTED]

This entire process was and continues to be an abomination, clearly designed to fail by Republican morons who can't see
past their own idiotic, selfish noses. The online process is antiquated and nearly impenetrable, the phones were
immediately overwhelmed, and are you kidding me with "you have a new message, please wait 48 hours to be able to view
05/17/2020 A system designed to fail Wes Cate
it"????!!! That's absurd and just wantonly stupid and antagonistic. I still don't have any clue why I was initially denied, then
received PUA assistance instead. I can't imagine people who have difficulty using (or even accessing) computers have had
any ability to get through at all. What a colossal, embarrassing failure, that, of course, Republicans will blame on literally
everyone else and then continue to gerrymander us right on into Gilead
I am currently on medical leave. The pay is a fraction of my regular pay. Wondering if I am entitled to the unemployment
05/17/2020 Mr Michael Seitzer
stimulus pay?
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed my claim on March 20, 2020. Around March 25, I received a statement with a wage payout distribution, stating the
amount I would receive, and the time frame in which I would receive it. It stated I would receive these benefits for 12
weeks, and that upon the decision, I would receive the first payout. I have yet to receive anything. I have made no less
05/17/2020 Joey Miller than 20 calls, sent emails, tried every online Avenue, and can not get anyone to tell me why my account on the DES
website still says pending resolution. I am unable to speak with anyone, or even leave a message when I call. I've sent
emails, with no response. I continue to fill out my weekly certifications, even though I am not receiving any unemployment
benefits. I have emailed my representative, and they have asked DES to intervene on my behalf, but they have had no
response either. Meanwhile, my family is struggling.
I filed at the end of March and because I accidently clicked that I was getting a pension, I was denied benefits. I have called
05/17/2020 Ms Linda Morris every day since trying to get that taken off with no results. They transfer you to someone they say can help and all you get
is click and they hang up.Please, I need help!

Let me start by thanking you for allowing me share my experience with DES ESC. The big question I have is why does it take
6 weeks to review an approve or disapprove a claim. ? It started 24 March when I submitted my online claim. I subImitted
all the required documentation. Within 3 days they gave my preleminary determination with 2 issues pending resolution:
lack or work due disaster(covid19) and retirement pay/pension.In April 8 a determination of allow for" lack of work" is
made. From that date on my claim has been pending resolution for " pension/retiremnt pay. I am in military retired
veteran since 2003 . My claim is for my current employment of 7 years.I patienly waited for ESC to finalized my claim to
allow me to collect my benefits. A week later I started calling ESC daily ( 100/200) that was futile, can get thru.: prompt is
05/17/2020 MR CARLOS PADRO
alway full . Then I started sending electronic messaging and emailing a help line. No response or changes to my account
status. Then DES open a chat help line. After 3 days attempting to conatct DES I finally chat with agent. The agent can do
nothing for me other than tell me what I already know. My claim is pending resolution and the she is not a DES official
with reviewing and decision authority. I have continued trying to call and email with no success. I have done my own
research of the employment laws and rules , can't find anything to disallow me from benefits. I have spoken to other
fellow pensioned veterans that have been the receiving benefits.

Again. Why does it take 6 weeks to make a decision. This is the frustating part of the whole ordeal. i have financial needs
like any other unemployed taxpayer.

This is a second correspondence from the above prior to the May 18 committee meeting. It is Sunday 05/17/2020 I an
05/17/2020 Mrs Renyi Perlman trying to register a protest in response to two Monetary Determination letters received this week. I have been trying to fax
in response to these letters information elevating my annual wage but the fax line at the stated is constantly busy. I would
hope that the fax line system could be equipped to handle a high case load.

New to Raleigh, lost my job on March 17th. Applied immediately for UI assistance and still have heard nothing. Impossible
05/17/2020 Christine Baker
to get through to an agent. The last advice I was given was to "exhaust the system to receive an ineligible status and re-
file". Such dire circumstances and having to vacate my apartment next month. Sad times.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I need someone to check on my UC number [REDACTED]
I filed UC first one on March 27 where I was ineligible. I filed the second UC on April 4/22 where my UC still pending. I
05/17/2020 Fadia Thabet
uploaded all documents to answer questionable identity about my Employment Authorization Document, my 2019 W-2
and employer letter
I just wanted to add to my prior statement that I tried the DES new chat feature today and put in my info in chat. I waited
05/17/2020 Jodi Rice approximately an hour and a half with the screen saying, â€œan agent is on the wayâ€•but big ever a response, and finally
had
I amto move
a sole on to do S-Corp
proprietor other things.
where I provide consulting services to airlines when they are buying, selling or returning an
aircraft to a leasing company. Normally I do not contract directly with the airline but through a management company
who is able to bring numerous people like myself in to assist the airline. With the onset of COVID 19 and the reduction of
airline travel most of the airlines have reduced their need for the services I provide.

Reading and hearing all about the federal governments stimulus response I filed for North Carolina unemployment
knowing that I would not be eligible under North Carolina but that this was required to obtain the federal assistance.

After filing there were several items that became an issue that delayed the processing of my application. I submitted what
I thought was the necessary documentation which only resolved 1 of the 3 issues. Not knowing what the necessary
documents that were needed, I tried calling but could not get through. I followed the phone prompt for denied claims only
to hear the response that no one was available and was disconnected. I tried the prompt for trouble with filing but hear
that all operators were busy and was again disconnected. I spent hours trying to get through with the same response even
when I tried at 9:01 AM right after they opened.
05/17/2020 Donald Ruckman
Hours turned into days and I reached out to my local Senator Kathy Harrington seeking other ways I could resolve this
situation. Jim Stirling of her office got back to me and worked very hard to help remedy the problems. Each time that he
was told someone would contact me from DES I heard nothing with the exception of one email merely telling me how to
file. Eventually Lex Alexander, Legislative Affairs Director of North Carolina Department of Commerce contacted me to
offer assistance but this was only to offer information; I needed to speak to someone. The amount of time that has been
spent by the people that have â€œtriedâ€•to help, one call could have been made and the situations would most likely have
been resolved.

On Sunday the 17th it appears that I am down to just one remaining issue delaying my application and admittedly this one
is of my own doing. Initially when I applied the system would not take the COVID 19 as the reason for no or lack of work
and I mistook some of the questions and listed my customer last year as an employer. I submitted paper work and
explained the mistake but no response. So I sit here almost 2 months after filling my application and 1 Â½ months after first
trying to resolve the issue and I still need to speak to someone and now I have a new problem.

My layoff date from work was March 22, and I filed for unemployment on March 23. It took at least five weeks before
05/17/2020 Ms Lissa Dailey
benefits were sent to me by the DES. I found the signup confusing (because Iâ€™ve never filed for unemployment before),
and It was impossible to get through to the DES by telephone. One day I was on hold for 4 hrs, and then got disconnected.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I applied on April 11 and was determined ineligible. I applied again on April 24 when the PUA portal opened. I have called
NCDES every day multiple times a day and rarely am I allowed to hold. When I have been lucky enough to get put on hold I
hold for hours. Then the office closes and at that point my call is dropped. In the cases (all of one) I have reached
someone they had no answers to my questions told me they needed to transfer me and my call is then dropped. My
stepson applied 4 days after I did and has been getting benefits now since April 30 and has 2 years of employment history.
He just recently graduated. He is now paid in full from the date he became unemployed. I have been an artist for 32 years
05/17/2020 Artist Robert Hernandez
and sent all my documents in and have yet to hear anything. I have been painting for my show that was to open on April 3
for over 2 years. I donâ€™t show often and when I do my shows sell out and I was planning on the $100k I would gross
from this show to carry me for the next 2 years until I show again. I show all over the world and also have collectors all
over the world. My website is www.tonyhernandezstudios.com if you want to see my work and resume. This is extremely
frustrating and I canâ€™t pay my bills. I have over $20k of debt from the materials I had to purchase to prepare the
paintings to show. I had basically given up. However there are now kind Senators that have been helping so maybe there
is hope. I am not paid my bills since March 1. And will have no income until my show can be hung at the gallery. Which at
the earliest is 3 months away.......
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
I am a self-employed attorney with a solo practice, focusing primarily on indigent criminal defense as an independent
contractor through the state. I have been unemployed due to COVID-19 since March 19th, following Chief Justice
Beasleyâ€™s wise decision to suspend nearly all court proceedings beginning on that date. Despite every attempt possible,
as I will explain below, I still have not been able to get my unemployment claim processed or approved. This has been my
experience the last 8 weeks.

The week of March 19, 2020, I took the advice of state public officials and created an online account through the DES
website. I immediately experienced difficulties that prevented me from being able to log on to this account. I first called
the DES customer service line on March 23, 2020, and was on hold for 4 hours before getting an agent on the line.
Although the agent was not able to fix the online account log-in issue, she was able to process my first claim for
unemployment insurance. Unfortunately, due to my ineligibility as a self-employed/independent contractor, the claim was
denied. The agent advised me to call back when/if the legislation was passed, changing the unemployment eligibility
criteria.

05/17/2020 Ms. Mary Elizabeth Robertson Not even a week later, the CARES Act was passed, which finally made me eligible to receive UI. My relief was, of course,
short-lived, as it was then announced that our DES office would not be equipped to process PUA claims until April 25, 2020.
Nonetheless, I wanted to start preparing my claim and gathering the necessary documentation, so it would be ready to
submit on April 25th. Unfortunately, I was still not able to log on to my DES account and received an error message that
my username did not exist. In the weeks that followed, I tried every means possible to contact DES about my online
account issue - online, by phone, email, and fax. I was never able to get through to anyone, despite my daily phone calls,
and never received a response back from my repeated emails and faxes. My desperation grew by the day.

When the PUA line finally opened, I began calling that number on a daily basis, as well. On April 29, 2020, 5 weeks after
my first claim was denied, I was finally able to get through to an agent on the PUA line. That agent, however, was unable
to find my information in the system, and the call was disconnected when she tried to transfer me to someone who could
help. The following day, I called back on the PUA line and spoke to another agent. She entered my claim information, but
could not tell me what, if any, documentation I needed to submit. Instead, I was told to wait until May 12th and call back if
I still had not received any benefits. She was not able to resolve my online account issue either, and another attempted

This comment is in addition to my previous submission. I am self employed and I am the only employee. After I filed for
unemployment I received a letter in the mail "Request for Separation Information" basically asking me why I left myself
and if I don't reply by the date given my tax rate may increase. I would love to speak to someone about this, but the DES
05/17/2020 Jeffrey Davis website, phone and live chat are not available. Please advise on my next move.

Thank you,

Jeff Davis
My job went on furlough due to Covid 19 on March 23rd. Didn't receive first unemployment payment until April 27 and
05/17/2020 Mark Provencher was not sure if I was going to be receiving it or not. Website was very difficult to use (slow loading, errors, etc.). The
wording of some of the questions was confusing.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

05/17/2020 Mr Jeffrey Thompson Filed the first week of April and have done weekly certifications every week. I still have not received any money. I call the
helpline and my call is always dropped or disconnected before being able to speak with anyone.

Hello, This is a condensed statement of the most important and frustrating difficulties I have experienced since 4/7/20. I
never gotten through on the customer service phoneline, 888-737-0259. There is difficulty finding information you need
throughout entire website ( signing up, signing in, etc). My issue was (according to the website), that something was wrong
with my S.S number. My S.S. number was correct from the start. This issue took 5 weeks to resolve. Received first payment
05/17/2020 Ms. Lynn Bell
5 weeks after filing on 4/7/20 ( covered 3 weeks). After holding on the chatline for 1 hour, I was told they could not help
me and they would pass my information on. To this day I am waiting for any type of response to my questions about the
amount of my payment . I believe the payment amount is incorrect. When filing I requested that 10% be retained for
taxes. It seems the amount withheld is higher. When you face these issues everyday for weeks, you experience a constant
level of stress. Financial difficulties add to that stress. On a personal level, please help me connect with someone from DES
regarding my payment. Thank you so much for inviting me to participate in this forum.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I have been employed full time by the same locally owned small business for almost three years now. I was laid off at the
end of March due to Covid-19. I have filed 2 unemployment applications for UI via DES. In those 2 applications I was found
"ineligible" with all claims columns listing benefits of "$0.00." There has also been no option to file weekly certifications for
myself via the DES site. Between the dates of April 3rd and May 14th I called DES approximately 96 times. I have never
spoken to a human being. The system has hung up everytime, and I have accrued hours selecting from that menu only to
be thanked for my "patience and understanding" by a recording. PUA was established end of April, and I immediately filed
a third application with them via the DES site. This time they actually asked me to submit pay stubs, which I did, and the
next day I was approved. I received one week of PUA payments. However, after that, I still had no way of filing certification
for PUA. On May 4h alone I called PUA a total of 16 times. I got through to a human 6 times. 3 were sympathetic. 2 were
rude and hung up on me. All 5 told me they did not have the level of access to answer any of my questions, and couldn't
help me file certifications. The 6th woman, Claudia, she told me that was nonsense, and that they all had the same amount
of access that she did. So, she went into my account and helped me file any weekly certifications she could access. She
05/17/2020 Mrs. Victoria Quinn seemed confident that I would get paid, and this would resolve my issues. Nothing has come of this. I have recently been in
contact with a woman who works for my congressional district. She has kindly attempted to get me a caseworker to assist
me. I was contact once by an unnamed woman who told me the issues stemmed for my recent name change due to
getting married. She told me I'd be able to file certifications once she fixed my account. The next day numbers appeared in
one of my UI application's claims columns that were more than "$0.00," but I still haven't had a way to file weekly
certifications via the DES site to earn those benefits. I also haven't been able to verify that any of my past weekly
certification have gone through and been approved. Sadly, a couple of days ago, I received a letter from DES stating that
they had over paid me for the one week of PUA payment I had received, and want the money back. I have been out of
work for about 8 weeks now, and they want back the one week of insurance I was able to get after, I kid you not, dozens of
hours I have put into attempting to contact someone to resolve these issues. I have bills, I have a mortgage, I need to early
a living and help support my household.

In short, I have been unemployed for 8 weeks. I applied for unemployment the first week. I have received one week's
payment. As of now, I am entitled to over $6,300 worth of unpaid unemployment benefits.
I have signed up for 9 weeks now and have not received any payments. It says on my unemployment site, that there is an
issue in paymemt!!! Everyone I know is receiving $600+ I sure would like to get some help and clarification in this COVID-19
05/17/2020 Artist Kimberly Mosher
PANDEMIC PLEASE!!! I'm a self employed artist that survives on Hatteras Island and I pay taxes!!! I'm not on welfare.
Please somebody help. This is absolutely ridiculous!!!!!

The original date of filing was March 26,2020. To date I have not heard back from anyone. After I filed the application I
05/17/2020 Mrs Janet Sullivan also sent an email with clarification of issues that might be a concern for UI and did not hear back from that either. I tried
multiple days and times since then to call with a recurrent message the que was full try back later. I also filed the weekly
certification as required. I recently gave up trying to contact Unemployment.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I'm a self employed massage therapist. I wasn't eligible for unemployeement so I filed for PUA. It's still pending. I'm not
allowed to practice massage and this was my only source of income. I worked hard to build my private practice and now
I'm forced to stay home to protect myself and clients because of Covid19. When I finally got through weeks ago after
weeks of trying to call. The agent was rude sounded annoyed that I needed help. She put me hold. I had already waited 5
hours on phone that day. Only spoke to her less than 5 minutes before she put me on hold and then she dropped my call. I
05/17/2020 Cheryl DiBenedetto felt so abandoned and was devastated. I just needed help fixing the issues that's holding back receiving unemployeement. I
can't fix on my end. How can I make changes or receive unemployeement benefits if I answered wrong or filed incorrectly
or whatever the issues if no one is available to help me or answer and help with my concerns. PUA is pending due to
employed self-employed unemployeed... What does that even mean? I'm self-employed but really unemployed because of
the virus I can't practice massage until end of May or June or worse case July. Not all my bills will defer payment. Some are
saying I have to pay the interest and auto insurance still has to be paid even though I barely drive anywhere because I
quarantined at home. I have no income and need help now.
Thank you for allowing a place to vent and share my concerns.
Originally I had issues with my email address, my last day of work was 3/27/2020. When this was fixed and I filed, when I
05/17/2020 Vickie DeWitt got paid it was only for 2 weeks by this time I had been out of work for 4 weeks. I did not get paid for the first 2 weeks. Still
waiting on those 2 weeks. Everything else has been paid and is up to date.

05/17/2020 Ms Nancy Green Challenging process. Took several days of trying both online and by phone call to get registered. Was told the â€˜ system is
overloadedâ€™ several times. Finally got through by submitting after 9pm. Frustrating process.
I am 58 years old and applied for unemployment insurance for the first time in my life on April 8. I have still not received
05/17/2020 Ms Heidi Wulczyn
any funds. This simply is not acceptable.

I have heard numerous horror stories of the problems people are encountering when trying to file for unemployment in
05/17/2020 Ms. Nadine Duckworth
NC. I personally am not facing these hardships, but I have great empathy for those who are. No one should have to wait
weeks or months to receive unemployment compensation! We have got to fix these issues NIW!
It is evident that the unemployment compensation system is inadequate. In the current circumstances this is problematic
05/17/2020 Ms Diane Thomson
for the unemployed. Please fix this problem ASAP.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My hours have been cut from 50 plus hours a week to less than half. Averaging 28 hours. I have a wife and 4 children in
our home and I'm the provider for the house. Mom has stepped up to become the teacher along with her other duties.
I've use almost 2 weeks of personal time in March just to get through hoping things would pick back up in April but as we
know that did not happen. So after exhausting my vacation and personal days I've taken a major pay cut. The sad thing
about this is my landlord still expects me to pay my rent every month along with my other utilize. I applied for
Unemployment as well as PUA and still have not been approved nor have I received any help from the PUA. I'm 47 years
old and I have never drawn one day of UI and when I went to sign up the process was very confusing for someone that has
not lost their job simply because the questions do not apply when it ask did you look for work, or when did you end work.
What do you put down? With some internet help I did realize that my work did not end and I simply need to check yes for
the did I look for work, but now I believe this might be holding up my claim from being approved. I have tried to call the
call center more times than I can count and every time I get the message that all operators are helping other individuals
05/17/2020 Mr Billy Brown and the Que is full. I even called my local office and they explained to me that they no longer handle UI that they just work
with individuals to help them find work. I'm at a lose for words on How my government, Federal and State would shut
down the country and cause this many problems with the economy without working day and night to make getting
assistance quickly to help those who's lives have been turned upside down. When making a decision to shut your state
down but not have people and resources in place to handle the demands that this will create to me is simply not
acceptable. From all I have looked up about this My state North Carolina is ranked last for getting the people assistance.
We even tried to get food assistance and my wife spent nearly 3 hours online filing and then the states website crashed
and she lost everything she had work on. This is mind blowing you would think we live in the 80's with how the states
technology is run. Sorry to rant but I'm very upset with all that has gone on, and to not have local contacts just adds more
frustration. If you going to do away with the local branches then you need to make sure the technology is there and in
place to handle anything that may come your way.

Thanks you for the time you have let me respond and be heard I know I'm not the only one in this boat.
Billy Brown
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I submitted my claim on March 29th after being furloughed on March 27th. My claim is still pending and I have not
received any payments. I tried for 6 weeks to get someone on the phone to discuss my claim. I finally talked to someone
Friday May 8th and that person was pushing my claim to an analyst because I worked in another state in the previous 2
years (Pennsylvania). I then got a call on Saturday May 9th and the person I talked to said that they were going to work on
getting the information from the Pennsylvania database and get my monetary amount determined and get my claim
approved. I did not hear from anyone all week and called back on Saturday May 16th, which I was able to go directly on
hold, an improvement to the system from the previous 6 weeks. The person I spoke to could not help me and could not see
whether anything had been done. Next Friday will be my 8th week of being unemployed with no money coming in. I
05/17/2020 Edward Joseph Conklin understand the amount of claims that have been filed due to the virus and I am sure I am not the only one who is still
waiting for my claim to be approved. However, eight weeks with no income and no resolution in sight is not good for me or
for anyone else in my situation. I know of multiple people who filed for unemployment after me and got their claims
approved quickly and received payments but I am still waiting, DES should be prioritizing older claims and getting them
done so that people can get paid. This does not seem like it is happening though since I am going on my 8th week with no
resolution.

I appreciate you asking about my situation and hope that you can implement changes and improve the process. I also hope
that the state will get open again so that people can go back to work safely like our neighbors in South Carolina and
Georgia have done successfully.
05/17/2020 Ms Chris Kuster
Unemployment should not be so difficult to apply for in an emergency situation like this or any time. Fix the system!!

Something MUST be done to streamline this process.
05/17/2020 Mrs Elizabeth Snyder-Baldonado The hardworking taxpayers of this state are in DESPERATE NEED. The people elected to SERVE the taxpayers are NOT.
Their salaries are paid by the taxpayers, while the same taxpayers struggle to make enough to feed their children!!!
This system is antiquated & broken. This is NOT FAIR!!!!!!!!!
PLEASE do something about this injustice.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am a former ER Nurse and the owner of a small all female Tattoo Studio in downtown Raleigh, we are anticipating
celebrating 10 years in business July 26th 2020. I'm 47 years old and have never needed or applied for unemployment. I
spent 26 hours intermittently attempting to apply for benefits from March 25th-April 3rd only to be denied due to my self-
employment status. I also applied for a PPP loan/grant and my status is still "under review" as of today (5/17/2020) and I'm
not very optimistic that my application will be ever be approved. The application process for the PPP was equally as
frustrating, incredibly confusing and time consuming as trying to apply for unemployment. It's also very disheartening to
see numerous large corporations and churches receive PPP funds. They're not as in dire straits as the small "Mom and Pop"
businesses hanging by a thread nor were they supposed to be eligible. In my opinion the application process was made
05/17/2020 Mrs Elizabeth Mitchell
more difficult to discourage people from applying, unless you have a tax accountant in your employ who knows how to
navigate the terms/legalese. I'm also very aware that increased internet traffic contributed to a lot of the delays and issues.
A very good friend of mine who also owns her own small business ( Shery Vogt-Lamancusa) gave me a phone number for
Joseph Stansbury(Sen. Todd Johnson) on April 16th. He immediately returned my call and sent me an email to send him
more information. It was a relief to know I would potentially be receiving help soon. On April 24th the state finally opened
up benefits (PUA) for self employed. I applied immediately but it took me 3 days to be able to submit all of the documents
due to repeated SCUBI errors. I finally started receiving assistance 05/01/2020. I also received a call from Arthur at NCDEC
on the same day explaining my benefits. I'm sincerely hoping it will be enough to help me pay the bills to keep my Tattoo
Studio afloat until we are able to reopen. The majority of my clients are Police Officers, Fire Fighter's, Nurses, Military,
Teachers, etc and we've raised a lot of money for various causes over the years to help support our local community. We
hope to be able to continue to do that for many years.
Dear Senator Foushee,

I urge you to fix North Carolina's Unemployment Insurance System by adopting the following measures:

*Allow "attached claims" to be filed by employers.
*Increase the maximum benefit amount.
*Increase the maximum duration someone can receive benefit to 26 weeks.
*Address roadblocks created by the state's low "earnings disregard". Lawmakers should increase the earnings allowance
05/17/2020 Mr. Adam Versenyi
and increase the maximum weekly benefit amount.
*Adopt Work-Sharing/Short-Time Compensation Option for Employers.

Sincerely,

I applied on March 23rd. It is now May17th and my application shows as still pending. I am a restaurant server and have
been out of work since the stay home order went into effect. Fortunately I am told that I should be able to go back to work
on May22nd. If not for the stimulus check from congress this would be a total disaster. Also the Republican federal
senators are under the impression that a second check in not needed because out of workers received unemployment
05/17/2020 Adison Ball payments. Well, this in not true for me not for most of my co-workers whom also have been pending since mid March. It is
imperative that this message gets forwarded to those that need to know and that something needs to happen NOW to
help those are are in this same situation. Also, for those of you that voted to cut unemployment benefits in North Carolina,
Shame on you! Now that you can see the results of your actions it is your duty as a server of the people of this state to step
up and make the necessary changes so that this broken system does what it was intended to do....help those who are
hurting and in need.
05/17/2020 Mr. Keith Johnson
The Unemployment Insurance program in NC is terrible. It is time to fix it so that it works for ordinary working people.
The process is not easy.
05/17/2020 Principal Consultant Ronald Cromartie
I am submitting a third set of documents.

I finally talked to the PUA department and they went over my answers and she said that it looked as though I answer a
05/17/2020 Hairdresser Melissa C Strickland
question wrong with a yes answer when it should have been no , all my claim tells me issues delaying pending , no money
coming in for almost 2 months now .. canâ€™t speak to anyone in DES .. please help
Greetings. My name is Otis James and I was laid off from work due to the coronavirus pandemic.
I went to register on the DES.GOV website and entered the wrong email address. For 1 month I kept calling and calling.
Finally a representative contacted me and I thought I was set. I then learned that owed money for an overpayment I
05/17/2020 Mr. Otis James
received in 2014. I have been trying to call for two weeks the repayment line to see if the money I owe can be taken from
my current claim. I start calling at exactly 8AM and it's like the agents aren't turning on their phones. I still haven't
received any payment.
05/17/2020 Mr Michael Eisenberg Time to bring NC unemployment benefits up to the at least the top 10. This is a disgrace.
I may not have filed during this time but I filed the last of March and that was stressing enough! It took me almost a week
just to get filed and I was getting very worried that I wouldn't get it done!!! I know of people and even co-workers that
05/17/2020 Mrs. Sonya Kotila
haven't even gotten anything going at this point and they've been trying since the beginning of March! I feel the system
just isn't what it should be and people are struggling!!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
Thank you for your interest in our experience applying for unemployment benefits during this pandemic. In short, for me,
it has been insane.

I'm self-employed. I lost much of my income as soon as the state of emergency was declared on March 10th. I heard that
that self-employed people could apply for unemployment benefits, so I have been trying to do so since late March. The
system was not ready for self-employed people, but DES did not indicate that on their website until well after countless
numbers of us had been trying for weeks to apply.

I tried as best as I could to use their only available application form, though many questions didn't apply and there was no
place for explaining my situation. It took me 10 hours over the course of two days to fill it out (March 26th and 27th).
There were constant problems loading pages and error messages telling me to call DES -- which of course was impossible
due to them being overwhelmed. I still have not succeeded in securing help, though I have been trying for nearly two
months.

05/17/2020 Ellen Whitaker There hasn't been any way to get questions answered regarding how to proceed as a self-employed person (no response
to uploaded letters to the DES, no real person on the phone, no answer via chat or the "contact us" form). So I was left to
guess what to do.

I was deemed ineligible because they determined - incorrectly - that I had not earned any money in 2019. I had uploaded
my 2018 tax return because it was only March and I hadn't done my 2019 taxes yet. So I spent the weekend doing my
2019 tax returns and uploaded them with a letter of protest within the time frame given for protests.

Then I got a "smart link" on my DES homepage telling me to File a New Claim, which I did right away, this time uploading
my 2019 returns again, hoping that's what they needed me to do.

I got two identical letters via USPS addressed to someone named "SELF" asking said person why they terminated my
employment and giving SELF a few days to answer.

I have been retired but if I was still working I would expect the money I paid in for UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE THEY
05/17/2020 Louis Forrisi
WOULD BE THERE WHEN NEEDED. IT WAS A DISGRACE TO DROP THE AMOUNT OF PAYMENT AND AMOUNT OF WEEKS.
LETS STRAIGHTEN IT OUT NOW WHEN U HAVE A CHANCE FOR THE GREATER GOOD
The pandemic has made it clear. North Carolinians need better unemployment benefits. The maximum amount needs to
be raised to make it possible for people to get by, and the length of time people receive benefits needs to be expanded.
Without improvements to the system, people will be unable to feed their families, pay rent, and take care of other
05/17/2020 Ms. Marilyn Hartman essential every day needs.

I urge you to bring NC's unemployment assistance program up to a level of excellence. This is what your constituents
need.
05/17/2020 ms Lisa Francia We must help our citizens.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Dear Senate Commerce and Insurance Committee ,
On Friday April 3,2020 I was Terminated from my Job at Saylor Physical Therapy due to Financial Hardship due to COVID-
19. On that day I applied for Unemployment. I was denied the first time and when I called to speak to someone to see why,
the person that I spoke with told me to reapply. So I did. After about 3 weeks I signed on to The Unemployment website to
see if my claim was approved. But it was not. So I then called Unemployment and the first person I spoke to told me that
they would have to transfer me to someone that could help. This person ended up hanging up on me instead. So again I
called Unemployment. I was transferred only to be placed on hold for 2.5 hours. After this amount of time the system
disconnected me, because Unemployment had closed for the day. So the next day I called back and the person I spoke to
05/17/2020 Mary Reynolds told me that he would have to transfer me.I then explained to him that when the person who had transferred me the day
before had hung up on me, he then told me that he would place me on a 48 return call. I told him that would be great. So
after 72 hours I had not heard back , so again I called Unemployment only to be told that I would have to be transferred to
someone who could help. Again I was placed on hold for over 2.5 hours and the system ended up disconnecting me yet
again. So I ended up calling State Senator W. Ted Alexander's office. I left a message asking for someone to please call me
back. The end a woman name Lynn form Senator Alexander's office returned my call. I explained to her my issues with
Unemployment. She asked for my E-mail and she sent me a form to complete and return to Unemployment. I also sent her
a copy of the completed form. She and I kept in touch VIA Email for about 2 weeks. So after about 2 weeks I finally found
out that my Unemployment Claim was approved. I feel that the Unemployment here has let a lot of Unemployed people
here in North Carolina down and that their staff could careless , because of the way I was spoken to and how they kept on
Hanging up on me. Plus the fact that I was told to go apply for Unemployment in New York State, since I had lived there up
until the end of May 2019. I did tell this person that the last time that I had applied for Unemployment in New York State, I
was told that my Claim was Denied there because I NO LONGER LIVED IN NEW YORK STATE. This person went OH WELL.

Please use your influence in the upcoming legislative session to reform and improve the Unemployment Insurance system.
Specifically, I would encourage you to increase the maximum benefit (after the expiration of the federal $600) to make it a
living wage, to extend the period of time one can receive unemployment, change the weekly benefit calculation to base it
on the highest quarter's earnings, and address roadblocks created by the stateâ€™s low â€œearnings disregard.â€•

05/17/2020 Mrs. Mary Babcock Thank you for supporting the enactment of these and any other necessary measures to assist those who are struggling
with unemployment, particularly during this Covid 19 crisis.

Sincerely,
Mary Babcock
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
North Carolina's unemployment is a joke. After 2008 the state went to far with cuts to the program. The state has made it
05/17/2020 Clayton Tripp where unemployment is not sufficient to help an average family get through a tough spell. It will not even cover rent for
most citizens much less other necessities.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

North Carolina's unemployment benefits are among the worst in the nation. Though Federal government funds have
05/17/2020 Mr. Christopher Wells
helped to extend benefits, NC needs to lengthen its own benefits and increase the maximum received. Though this should
have been done years ago, working people in the current moment need the assistance more than ever.
We need improvement to our unemployment insurance. Please consider doing this. People can not live the way it is now.
05/17/2020 Stephen Jackson
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advance. I am an Esthetician earning $73,000/yr. I
initially filed for UI but my claim was deemed ineligible due to my sole proprietor status. I waited until April 24th to reapply
as a sole proprietor under the PUA program. Initially the process of registering took several days to complete because the
system was painfully slow and required the applicant to reenter information multiple times. It was quite common to lose
the connection altogether mid-process. It was a very frustrating process but I chalked it up to an overloaded system. I was
never sure if my info was completed correctly or accurately because of the constant loss of connection. At this time I
started to receive letters from the State requesting confirmation on employment, request for separation Information and
request for proof of wages. In fact I have received at least 4 of these requests. As a followup to these letters I received
several Wage Transcript and Monetary Determination letters stating that I had insufficient wages in my base period. As I
stated above my income in $74,000 of which the State of NC is paid their share of taxes. I am directed to file my protest to
this notice on-line at des.nc.gov. Given the complete lack of human intervention to help in this manner I filed my protest
and downloaded my 2018 and 2019 taxes, bank statements, and Schedule C for self employed individuals. I downloaded
the same documents multiple times. The letters kept coming stating the same incorrect facts. You might ask why I didn't
just pick up the phone and call 888-737-0259. Dialing that number became my daily full time job. I would redial 300+
05/17/2020 Ms. Julie Thomas times in a day from 8:00a.m. to 8:00 p.m. I listened to the same recording telling me to try again later as all agents where
busy with others and the queue was full at 8:00a.m. I tried the on-line chat. holding through 127 callers, that takes 3
hours, only to be told the agent wasn't able to help with anything beyond helping me file a claim. All other concerns were
to be addressed by DES. I was transferred into DES only to reach the same unending recording, I was hung up on twice
and disconnected once. The final straw was the day I spend 3 hours on hold for the on-line chat which was once again no
help at all. The agent took 20 minutes at one point to respond to my question once I was actually connected to her. So I
tried again to get through to the DES main line. after 350 redials I got into the queue. For 5 hours I listened to the same
mind numbing music and recording, afraid to leave my station for one minute for fear of missing the agent. Once the agent
answered, She could not answer my questions as to why I was on week 7 of receiving no wages from the State; Why I had
a list of unresolved issues holding up my claim; why I had no resolution to my monetary determination protest; when this
would be resolved; or how to get it resolved. Is there any limit to how much torture this system can dish out? The 2 times
I actually talked to a DES agent I was told both times that someone would get back to me. But no guess as to when. So
after the disconnects, the hang-ups, the double digit hours of hold times, the lack of concern, empathy, or knowledge, I
gave up. I wrote to Mr. Taylor Lockhart and explained to him that this is an impossible situation. I am owed the money
People, real people are suffering
05/17/2020 Ms Jennifer Ott
Letâ€™s do whatever we can to help
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

In the state's 2013 overhaul of unemployment, the General Assembly's draconian cuts to weekly benefits amounts, the
shortening of claimable weeks from 26 to 12, and the imposing of a burdensome process to prove the claimant's search for
employment, was one of the low points in North Carolina labor history. The General Assembly was adamant in making
North Carolina one of the least attractive places to live and work by suppressing wages and worker's rights was terrible
enough in a time of economic rebuilding. Yet, the General Assembly never revisited or adjusted this process despite the
05/17/2020 Mr. David Carroll eventual swelling of the treasury and the shrinking of the unemployment rate.

Now, as we undergo one of the most dramatic and cataclysmic upheavals to our economy and foresee a bleak future of
high unemployment, these terribly suppressed benefits are hurting North Carolina families. It is long past time to fix North
Carolina's heartless unemployment system. It is the dedication of the North Carolina worker that brought this state back
from the brink of ruination. It is time the state acknowledge this and make laws that protect working families rather than
needlessly burden them.
I have a dear friend, an RN, who must care for her disabled 93 y.o. mother and is unable to find part-time employment to
allow her to do so. With no expansion of Medicaid, she has no health insurance and is unable to pay her mortgage since
05/17/2020 Mr. M.B. Hardy her benefits have long since run out. Part-time menial jobs are her only option, a waste, especially at this time, of her
training. There are part-time nursing jobs she might take if her certifications were up-to-date, but she can't afford the
courses and exams for that.

Due to Covid-19, I was placed on unpaid furlough beginning March 30th. Knew I had completed something incorrectly
because UI claim was denied. Reason given severance received, I had received no severance. Attempted to contact DES
multiple times to get help but was unable to get a call through, regardless of the time of day. Got through once to be on
hold for nearly two hours only to be disconnected. The web-portal is nice, some parts of it are even easy to navigate
through but the web-portal is useless when you need immediate help and cannot get it. Feeling frustrated, I reached out to
Senator Perry who provided me with some advice and seemed just as frustrated as I was. Seven weeks after being placed
05/17/2020 Lisa Odom
on furlough DES finally reached out to me. Unfortunately, when they did contact me there was nothing they could do
because, in frustration from not getting help, I appealed their decision. I was told that I would have to wait for my appeals
hearing on May 20th. I understand these are uncharted waters and I do not take that lightly, but when your husband is a
disabled paramedic and you are the sole provider it becomes very discouraging when you cannot get the help you need.
Iâ€™m thankful for all Senator Perry has done to try to help me and our community.

Respectfully,
Lisa Odom
The system needs to updated so it can handle the mass filings plus I believe the covid-19 benefits should be increased.
05/17/2020 Mr steven norfleet
People should not have to wait 3 plus hours to talk to a live person
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

There is not enough room for my full comments and exhibits here. Therefore, I have emailed a PDF version with all
Personal Identification Information redacted for purposes of being made a part of the public record for this hearing to the
following Legislative Assistants:

05/17/2020 Ms Amy Smith Karen Jones (Gunnla@ncleg.net)
Jessica Daigler-Walls (Alexanderla@ncleg.net)
Sarah Glad (Edwardsla@ncleg.net)

Please ensure that the PDF comments emailed to them are made a part of the public record for this meeting.

A full unredacted version that is not to be made part of the public record will be made available upon request.
05/17/2020 Mr James Seramba The fact so many can not file for benefits is a disgrace
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I have been waiting for my claim to be completed since March. I have been told that it is pending but cannot get any
timetable on when ? The system needs to be overhauled and we should receive more money in unemployment and for a
05/17/2020 Mrs. Constance Green-Hosten
longer period of time. Remember the election is coming and there are a lot of constituents who are unemployed waiting
for assistance and will not have a job in twelve weeks.
The short duration and low maximum amount are not enough for my neighbors, community, family and friends. This is
05/17/2020 Ms Deborah Rosenstein
unacceptable. People are hurting and we must meet basic needs.

The unemployment process was a nightmare. Once finally approved the amount was a complete joke and left a severe
financial hardship. Fortunately we received an additional federal amount which kept the bills paid and food on the table.
The other issue with unemployment was the work allowance; my employer has a website and shups orders and offered
several of us a few hours per week to help out. However, with the allotted maximum any of us ciuld make it was less than
economically sensible as if we worked more than 2 hours we would all surpass put allowance and not be paid UI. This led
05/17/2020 Mr Andrew Buttery
to our employer shutting down online sales completely simce she could not do it alone and none of the employees coupd
afford to work more than a few hours. That said, our state should allow an employee who has been laid off to earn the
difference between the approve UE amount and what their salary would be when working full-time. For example, you are
approved for 270 unemployment but average a weekly salary of 400 prior to this an employee SHOULD be permitted to
earn the difference of 130 each week. This would benefit your suffering residents, employers and perhaps make people
eager to return to work full-time
I would like to see each of you feed a family and try to pay YOUR bills on 350.00 a week. I remember when I drew 530.00 a
05/17/2020 Mr Ronald Marr week until Pat Mcrory got in there. Do us all a favor and who knows.. maybe one day YOUR kids will need it to get by on,
raise the limit now!!
My wife has been working for her unemployment insurance from the Federal government since April
She has been told to contact the 888,# and has attempted to do that but even though she tries from 8AM to 8PM she can
never get on the quoe let alone speak to a customer service representative. There seems to be no orderly process as to
05/17/2020 Gregory Gregory Hosten
how the claims are processed. We depend on her income to pay our bills. Something needs to be done to upgrade the
system and hire more people and not just to look up your information and tell you what you already know. New York is up
to date with their claims why aren't we.
I am adding to my comment from Saturday, May 16, 2020. I spoke with Erica Pate, Office Manager from Eastern Carolina
Dental; Dr. Whitley's office. She stated to me that she filed my paperwork with NCDES early April. The lady I spoke to on
Saturday from NCDES told me they were waiting on the paperwork from that office or if they did receive it, it most liking
05/17/2020 Ms Pamela Nicosia got lost. Evidently, NCDES lost it.

Thank you,
Pam Nicosia

My experience has been horrible. Itâ€™s taking a long time to get approval. I have a 2 month old and i know people
05/17/2020 Mrs Breyanai Moore without children who have received approval faster than me. Every time I call I get a different story. The most recent agent
told me I was not approved even though my status says open and I have to wait 6 weeks to get it. The other
representatives told me I was approved and I should receive my benefits soon. Itâ€™s a continuous circle.
These are extraordinary times, make changes to improve unemployment insurance. Take care of unemployed workers and
05/17/2020 Mr. Larry Sorrells
their families.
05/17/2020 Mr Roger Coates Let's upgrade our state's UI to at least the U.S. average level of benefits and duration of payments.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

05/17/2020 MS Marla West Allow attached claims, increase the maximum benefit, increase the maximum duration for benefits
Take care of unemployed workers and their families. Improve unemployment compensation for their sake. These are tough
05/17/2020 Mr. Larry Sorrells
and unique times.
NC Unemployment benefits are niggardly at best. You need to provide benefits a person and a family can live on when
05/17/2020 Mr. C. Warren Pope
they are laid off. Anything less is UnAmerican.
I filed for the pandemic unemployment relief. I have had problems with the website because I could not upload my
financial information. I sent a fax along with a cover letter and my tax information. I HAVE HEARD NOTHING. I HAVE BEEN
05/17/2020 Kathryn Fagan ON HOLD FOR OVER 9-10 HOURS TRYING TO GET IN TOUCH WITH SOMEONE.

HEEEELLLL[P[

These are unprecedented times that require exceptional measures, and it's an opportunity to fix what has been broken for
a long time in North Carolina. I ask that NC lawmakers:
--Allow â€œattached claimsâ€•to be filed by employers in order to be more efficient and allow greater access to benefits.
--Change North Carolinaâ€™s weekly benefit calculation.
05/17/2020 Dr Kaaren Haldeman
--Increase the maximum benefit amount, putting more money in workersâ€™ pockets after July 31 when the federal add-
on of $600 ends.
--Increase the maximum duration someone can receive benefits. Most states have a maximum duration of 26 weeks.
--Address roadblocks created by the stateâ€™s low â€œearnings disregard.â€•
--Adopt Work-Sharing/Short-Time Compensation Option for Employers.
These changes will help ensure we have a healthy workforce now and well into the future.

I am president of Local Lodge 350 IAMAW and because of the Covid-19 pandemic, many members as well as nonmembers
05/17/2020 Tony Streeter have had to endure the hardship of being laid off and be reduced to a 32 hour work week. North Carolinian workers
deserve so much better. I understand, that it is not the fault of any political party, however, political parties need to stop
finger pointing and help the same people who helps to pay your bills.
The process has been truly nightmarish. It is all but impossible to talk to anyone, written communication is confusing, and
05/17/2020 Robin Campbell
overall it has made a scary situation so much worse.
The process has been truly nightmarish. It is all but impossible to talk to anyone, written communication is confusing, and
05/17/2020 Robin Campbell
overall it has made a scary situation so much worse.

Hi,
I work in the film & tv industry, our production shut down due to Covid on March 16th. I filed for UE on March 17th &
have been filing my weekly certifications, I have yet to receive a cent. The entire process has been completely
05/17/2020 Filed for UE 2 months ago Whitney D unacceptable from the website not working, no agents to answer phones , 5 hour waits. Whatâ€™s worse is the few times
that I have spoken with someone they have no information , misinformation , have to transfer to another department bc
they are unable to do a simple fix in the computer or staff is completely unprofessional & rude( had a horrible phone call
with an agent last Thursday). I know that this department is slammed however this is a complete disaster. Our bills are
coming in yet no funds have been received. 2 MONTHS. Please fix this immediately.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Filed for UI on 3/22 and have still not received any payments including PUA payments. File still say pending resolution
layoff/ lack of work. After calling approximately 200 times per day we were finally able to get in contact with a
representative just last week. I have been calling, emailing and faxing every day since March 22. Last week when we were
finally able to make contact the representative said to file a appeal. So on Tuesday May 11th we printed out every stitch of
information we had that prove I have been employed there for nine years. Including tax returns all w-2s and all paycheck
stubs. It cost us $53 to process the appeal for copies and postage. I again got in touch with someone on May 15th which
05/17/2020 Mrs. Tiffany Rycroft
informed me that we did not need to file the appeal. So I basically threw away $50 that I didn't have to file a an appeal that
you didn't need? They said they just needed additional proof I was laid off. I informed them that the layoff letter attached
to my file along with 2019 W-2 and tax information. I felt like what in the world else could you possibly need to prove my
employment or my layoff. So as they requested I continued to upload every available W2 , paycheck stub and email that
proved i was employed there. After uploading all the files there have been no change to my claim. I understand now that I
work for a 501 c 3 that did not pay unemployment taxes ( Habitat for humanity up Davie county) however, I should still be
receiving the federal pandemic program benefits. Habitat for Humanity of Davie county has now decided to closed the
restore indefinitely.

NC's unemployment is the stingiest in the nation. Thanks to the self-inflicted cuts made by the GOP in the wake of the
Great Recession to spare employers from paying a correct premium, cuts were made to worker's benefits. And still
members of the Legislature, such as Rep. Dana Bumgardner (R-Gaston) feel the system is too generous. The simple fact is
05/17/2020 Mr. Bobby Padgett America is a consumer society. We do not have prosperity because some rich guy trickles down the wealth. Instead,
wealth moves up as the little guys spend and support business. When workers through no fault of their own lose
employment without a proper replacement for their wages then all the business they patronize hurt. Our system was
purposely broken by the GOP who fear that folks would rather sit at home than do honest work. Such an attitude is an
insult to millions of working Americans.

Please increase the weekly maximum amount allowed. If it wasn't for the extra federal funding, I would be in dire financial
05/17/2020 Tami Rhom
trouble during this pandemic. By no fault of my own, I was laid off work and now unable to find another job due to most
places putting new jobs on hold while they are either working less hours, slower production, and/or not having orders.

05/17/2020 Keith Fountain During times of trouble we need to have a safety net that aids those who need it most. Meanwhile, you turn a blind eye to
your constituents in need. Folks are hurting and need help until they can get back on their feet. Help them.
UI benefits of short duration and low maximum amount during the pandemic are not protecting people when they need it
05/17/2020 Dave Brisbin
the most. You can and must do better. Work it out. Thanks!
05/17/2020 Ms Diana Earnest I know many people that spent days trying to file for unemployment.
05/17/2020 Major Jeff Kulp Still have not received any benefits.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
Nearly 1 million North Carolinians have filed for UI since the pandemic began, and estimates suggest that many more have
likely tried but couldnâ€™t get through. At the same time, federal UI programsâ€”passed in recognition of the importance
of wage replacement in this timeâ€”are set to expire at the end of July and December, even as economic projections
suggest unemployment will remain high through 2021 and even beyond.

North Carolina cannot go back to a state UI system that provides too little support to too few people for too short of a
time. Please consider the following:

1. Allow â€œattached claimsâ€to be filed by employers. In 2013, changes made to North Carolinaâ€™s UI laws severely
restricted the ability of employers to file attached claims for their workers. Allowing â€œattached claimsâ€•will be more
efficient and allow greater access to benefits.

2. Change North Carolinaâ€™s weekly benefit calculation. This will put more benefits in workersâ€™ pockets and will be
most needed after July 31 when the federal weekly supplement of $600 ends. Before 2013, North Carolina based benefits
05/17/2020 Mrs. Elaine Nell on a workerâ€™s highest quarter wages â€“ a system that appears to be in use, for example, in Florida and South Carolina.
North Carolina should base benefits on either the highest quarter wages or the average of the two highest quarters.

3. Increase the maximum benefit amount, putting more money in workersâ€™ pockets after July 31 when the federal add-
on of $600 ends. North Carolina set its maximum benefit at $350 in 2013. It was not indexed in any way to increase over
time. Before 2013, the stateâ€™s maximum weekly benefit amount was 66.7 percent of the stateâ€™s average weekly
wage. Currently, 40 states have higher maximum amounts than North Carolina, including Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia,
and Arkansas. North Carolina should set the maximum weekly benefit at at least 50 percent of the stateâ€™s average
weekly wage, $850, so the maximum would be $425 and would increase as wages increase over time.

4. Increase the maximum duration someone can receive benefits, as Georgia and Michigan have recently done. North
Carolina has a sliding scale of 12-20 weeks. Most states have a maximum duration of 26 weeks.

5. Address roadblocks created by the stateâ€™s low â€œearnings disregard.â€•At a recent House Committee meeting,

I was laid off from ConMet in Haywood County beginning March 25 thu April 3. I did get paid for March 30 thru April 3 but
not for March 25-27. ConMet then allowed me to work the next two weeks, April 6 thru April 17 but I was laid off again for
April 20 thru 24. Because the format on the DES website only allows you to sign up for consecutive weeks I could not key
in the 3 days in March nor the April 20 thru 24 I was laid off. As frustrating as that was, trying to reach a person by phone
or email was even more frustrating. A person did call once from DES and talked with my wife, she has been helping me file
on the DES site, but he was not able to answer simple questions as to how to file to receive my unemployment funds.
05/17/2020 Charles Woods
Since I was able to work on the day he called, my wife offered my claimant ID number and any other ID information for a
simple answer as to what we should do, but he would not give any information. Instead I tried at least ten times on
different days to return the gentleman's phone call and left many messages but still as of today I have not been able to talk
with a person from DES. My wife was able to connect with Penny Jordon from Senator Jim Davis' office. Penny has been
very kind and compassionate in attempting to help us but to no avail. At least for now, ConMet is allowing me to work, my
heart goes out to people who are not working and still not receiving their unemployment benefits. Thank you for your
time!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My husband filed for unemployment at the end of April when we were diagnosed with covid-19 and has yet to see any
05/17/2020 Please do something Kat Boeck
information besides the basic paper saying the possible benefits, please do something as we have bills and we both got
sick,
Dear my job gave
members ofme
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North so I didn't
Carolina haveAssembly
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but his joband
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not Committee,

We find ourselves in unprecedented times with the global COVID-19 pandemic, with over 18,500 confirmed cases in North
Carolina, and the number increases daily. As a result of COVID-10, nearly 1 million North Carolinians have filed for
Unemployment Insurance (UI) since the pandemic began and estimates suggest that many more have tried but couldnâ€™t
get through. At the same time, federal UI programsâ€”passed in recognition of the importance of wage replacement in this
timeâ€”are set to expire at the end of July and December, even as economic projections suggest unemployment will
remain high through 2021 and even beyond.

There are many extremely easy steps the NCGA can take right now, without delay, to improve our UI system, and I am
including those easy steps below:
- Allow â€œattached claimsâ€to be filed by employers. In 2013, changes made to North Carolinaâ€™s UI laws severely
restricted the ability of employers to file attached claims for their workers. Allowing â€œattached claimsâ€•will be more
efficient and allow greater access to benefits.
05/17/2020 Ms. Lynne Walter, MSW - Change North Carolinaâ€™s weekly benefit calculation. This will put more benefits in workersâ€™ pockets and will be
most needed after July 31 when the federal weekly supplement of $600 ends. Before 2013, North Carolina based benefits
on a workerâ€™s highest quarter wages--a system that appears to be in use, for example, in Florida and South Carolina.
North Carolina must base benefits on either the highest quarter wages or the average of the two highest quarters.
- Increase the maximum benefit amount, putting more money in workersâ€™ pockets after July 31 when the federal add-
on of $600 ends. North Carolina set its maximum benefit at $350 in 2013. It was not indexed in any way to increase over
time. Before 2013, the stateâ€™s maximum weekly benefit amount was 66.7 percent of the stateâ€™s average weekly
wage. Currently, 40 states have higher maximum amounts than North Carolina, including Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia,
and Arkansas. North Carolina must set the maximum weekly benefit at 50 percent of the stateâ€™s average weekly wage,
$850, so the maximum would be $425 and would increase as wages increase over time.
- Increase the maximum duration someone can receive benefits, as Georgia and Michigan have recently done. North
Carolina has a sliding scale of 12-20 weeks. Most states have a maximum duration of 26 weeks.
- Address roadblocks created by the stateâ€™s low â€œearnings disregard.â€•At a recent House Committee meeting,
lawmakers discussed the problem of employees who have their hours cut but are denied benefits because of North
I filed on March 26,2020. As of present date May 19th. My claim is still pending. I spend 4 to 6 hours a day trying to get
05/17/2020 Unemployment Louise Falter
thru to find out why. Haven't been able to yet.
I served as a front line essential employee before accepting a reduction in hours. Please do all possible to help people who
05/17/2020 Unemployment Kenneth Christenbury
put their lives on the line to help. Essential workers matter.
05/17/2020 Mr. George Sawyer 3d These are human beings that we are dealing with.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

The claim application was somewhat confusing. Because of the wording. It needs to be more plain. If you had a question
there was no one that could be reached. Myself and others called the numbers provided multiple multiple times to get no
05/17/2020 Herschel Siler
one on the other end. It was not easy to navigate through the process. Especially if you needed to go back to previous
questions. I even found going back to the application the next day some questions that I had checked were not answered. I
had heard someone say they saw a u-tube video. I did not know that existed. A video would be very helpful.

05/17/2020 Ms. Lynne Kane People are in dire financial situations, could lose their homes, everything in them, if they do not receive unemployment
benefits and adequate for the huge job losses the Covid 19 pandemic has caused. Do the right thing for NC and the USA.

At this time of unprecedented unemployment in North Carolina due to the current pandemic, the North Carolina General
05/17/2020 Ms Jo Ann Amey Assembly needs to act to raise us from near the bottom of the fifty states in both the amount the unemployed receive as
well as the length of time they can receive benefits. This situation is no one's fault. These poor, unemployed people must
be taken care of. Please vote to increase their benefits.
05/17/2020 Mrs Reba Terrell I didn't file but I have family and friends that filed. They had problems getting through to a live person.
update the unemployment system~! have a separate form for filing in a emerg. environment instead of the same
05/17/2020 Mrs Lisa Smith Questions asked on a typical unemployment event. Raise the wages that have been in place since 2013!!!!! no livable in
North Carolina wage 38% of the population are at poverty level
Families are in need of unemployment insurance and our representatives should do everything in their power to assure
05/17/2020 Minister Ricky McDowell
families receive it.

05/17/2020 Mr Jeff Reisberg Even by stingy American standards NC is pathetic by how small the benefits are and how short they are in duration. Make
households financially whole so they can focus on health and not how they avoid financial ruin.

Countless hours spent trying to get real help. For example, May 15th, called 47 times, finally got help from a very kind
05/17/2020 Trying times Michael Wydeven person. Unfortunately, they could not help me so they transferred me back in the queue where I was once again told the
queue was full and to call back later. Also, same day, got on the chat line, number 123, waited for my turn, explained what
was going on, very kind chat, but they could not help. Was then asked to call the DES number that I called 47 times.
NC's hardworking residents deserve and need this.
05/17/2020 Ms. T C
Thank You
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to explain the challenges I encountered with my unemployment. My company
laid me off due to the Covid-19 virus on March 29th week. I tried to create an online account on the DES website and
received an error message that my account was revoked and that I needed to call for assistance.
I called every day multiple times and always got the same message that told me â€œdue to the high volume of calls that I
needed to call back laterâ€• . I sent an email as well to DES requesting for help.

I finally received an email from Natasha Cummings on April 12th and she tried to assist me but was unsuccessful. She did
not have access to unlock my account. She said she was sending an email to another party who should be able to help me.
I never heard from anyone. In the meantime, I continued to call DES for help and I would continue to receive the message
that â€œdue to the high volume of calls that I needed to call back laterâ€•
. There was one day I finally got to speak to
someone at DES and I was informed that the system had crashed and they were unable to assist me and that I would need
to call back later.

05/17/2020 Mrs Dana Rhoney A friend of mine gave me the number 919-771-4838 to call, which finally gave me my first glimpse of hope. I spoke to a
lady named Linda and she gave me the email to NCDESPasswordHelp@nccommerce.com. She also sent an email on my
behalf as well. I wrote this email on April 21st.

On April 23rd, I finally got an email that my account and pin was reset and that I could log in. I was able to file my first
claim on May 11th. It took me to May 14th, to get access to file the claims for the previous 4 weeks that I missed filing
claims because of not having access.

I have finally received compensation for all my weeks EXCEPT for my first unemployment week of 04/04/20 to 04/10/20. I
will try to reach out to DES on Monday, May 18th for help on why I have not yet received payment for this week.

Thank you for your time.

Dana Rhoney

Not sure why I'm taking the time to do this, considering NO ONE to date has been able to assist me. How hard is it to reset
my account from a revoked to a current status? That said, for the past 2months, I have tried tirelessly to access the NC DES
website without success. To be very clear, I am not someone who is trying to use unemployment as a major source of
income. For nearly 20 years I earned well into the six figures and have been a contributor toward the unemployment
05/17/2020 Mrs. Jill Garcia
system. Earlier this year, I took the leap to start my own business and became self employed. Like many others, COVID-19
has negatively impacted my business (an educational STEM enrichment business that relies on schools being open).
Each time I try to access the online DES website or call the hotline I receive the attached error message. (Your account has
been revoked)

Can you kindly assist me? Clearly there's still technical issues with the DES website even after all this time.
05/17/2020 Ms rachel reckford I understand that the staff wereSwamped with applications!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I have yet to receive anything from my State, even a letter saying yes or no that I would receive any payments. They have
05/17/2020 Mr James Ashton
given me no indication that they have done anything to assist me or my family.
As a furloughed employee, please give workers the support they need during these unprecedented times and work to
05/17/2020 Ms Katrina Peoples
strengthen and increase unemployment benefits
and a few additional comments... hanging up on customers after I was on hold for over 2 hours. Playing an automated
message that states someone will call you back and when someone does call me back they say only someone from DES can
05/17/2020 Mrs. Jill Garcia
unlock your account, allow me to transfer you only to be disconnected. DES does not care about tax paying contributors in
NC.
05/17/2020 Kathryn Fadeley This money has not been enough ! Why does North Carolina have such low payments versus other states?
Unemployment benefits should be increased in both duration and weekly payments. Used to be $525.00 in 2008, 2009,
05/17/2020 Mr. Robert Riggins
2010 - Things have not gotten an easier out here - trying to make a living. Sincerely, Bob Riggins
05/17/2020 Ms Betty Lawrence NC's unemployment insurance needs to award higher payments for a longer period of time.
05/17/2020 Ms Mary Stone All workers
To all should be covered by the state in these terrible times!
concerned,

NC unemployment is at an all time high! Our current unemployment benefits are a joke and an insult to honest working
people who currently need this benefit more than ever!

Please consider the following changes...

2. Change North Carolinaâ€™s weekly benefit calculation. This will put more benefits in workersâ€™ pockets and will be
most needed after July 31 when the federal weekly supplement of $600 ends. Before 2013, North Carolina based benefits
on a workerâ€™s highest quarter wages â€“ a system that appears to be in use, for example, in Florida and South Carolina.
05/17/2020 Mr DOMONICK JACKSON North Carolina should base benefits on either the highest quarter wages or the average of the two highest quarters.

3. Increase the maximum benefit amount, putting more money in workersâ€™ pockets after July 31 when the federal add-
on of $600 ends. North Carolina set its maximum benefit at $350 in 2013. It was not indexed in any way to increase over
time. Before 2013, the stateâ€™s maximum weekly benefit amount was 66.7 percent of the stateâ€™s average weekly
wage. Currently, 40 states have higher maximum amounts than North Carolina, including Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia,
and Arkansas. North Carolina should set the maximum weekly benefit at 50 percent of the stateâ€™s average weekly wage,
$850, so the maximum would be $425 and would increase as wages increase over time.

During this epic pandemic, workers need help more than ever. Please advance NC from being one of the worst in the
nation for unemployment benefits to being one of the more progressive states in the nation.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed for unemployment in late mid-late March. I finally received a payment 4/13/20. I have filled out the weekly
certification every week and I have not received unemployment again. Iâ€™ve tried to call, but never can get through to
05/17/2020 Unemployment Rebekah mcDowell anyone. Iâ€™ve tried to chat online with someone who told me everything looked good on my end and to call to talk to
someone DEH. She was absolutely no help. I call multiple times a day at all different times and never can get through to
anyone. What am I supposed to do?

NC was already lagging behind most states in Unemployment Insurance benefits. Allow employers to file attached claims
for their employees - it will speed up needed assistance. NC is using a benefit calculation of just 41% of the highest
quarterly wages - before 2013 it was over 66%. At least kick it up to 50% of $850 median wage. The sliding scale can drop
people off benefits in as few as 12 weeks, and for no more than 20 weeks. This pandemic may continue for many months.
05/17/2020 Ms. Bobbi Allison Most states already allow up to 26 weeks. The CARES Act has $1100 million in grants to states that allow work
sharing/short time compensation. Employees with reduced hours could qualify for partial unemployment benefits to
supplement their reduced earnings.

If you keep NC workers down, our economy will lag behind other southern states, even those we used to pity for being so
regressive.

Like the rest of my airline peers I found myself frustrated with nowhere to turn except back to the dreaded phone line to
05/17/2020 Oh, Lordy! Betty Chambers just *try* to get into queue. It took 3 weeks before I finally reached a human who, unfortunately, had probably just got
hired & therefore knew very little...but he was quite polite. He requested that his supervisor "expedite" my claim; but it
took another week before my claim was finally approved. But I am grateful that I finally received 4 weeks of back pay.
05/17/2020 Betty Chambers $350 per week is pitifully inadequate. Thank Goodness for the additional federal funds.

I am grateful that I have NOT had to apply for UI, but Iâ€™m EXTREMELY CONCERNED about all of my fellow NC residents
who are waiting for financial support to pay their ESSENTIAL MONTHLY BILLS AND AFFORD to buy food to feed themselves
and their dependents.
Our government MUST step up and provide financial support for hardworking people who have lost their employment
05/17/2020 Ms Janie Mad
through NO FAULT of theirs, only due to the EPIC financial downturn as a side effect of COVID-19.
NC MUST SUPPORT HER USUALLY DEDICATED & DILIGENT food service and other service workers who are clearly
victimized during our international crisis!
NOW!! Please DO NOT NEGLECT our neighbors and friends who rely on taking care of customers with pride and
dedication!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

This is a rough time to be giving out money, but it is even rougher to suddenly lose your job.
Among the things you need to get into legislation are these.
1. Increase the maximum duration someone can receive benefits. Unless we can get the economy up and rolling we need
to rethink time limits.

2. Address roadblocks created by the stateâ€™s low â€œearnings disregard.â€•So if a worker makes $750 a week and has
their hours cut so that they make only $420, they would receive $0 in UI because North Carolinaâ€™s maximum weekly
05/17/2020 Ms Anne Cassebaum benefit amount is $350 ($420-$70=$350).

3. Spread out the pain. Adopt Work-Sharing/Short-Time Compensation Option for Employers. to allow an employer to
reduce the hours of all or some workers instead of laying off a portion of the workforce. Workers with the reduced hours
are then eligible for partial unemployment benefits to supplement their paychecks. For example, instead of laying off five
workers, an employer can reduce the schedules of 25 workers by 20 percent. Approximately 40 states provide this option
to their employers. The CARES Act provides $100 million in grants to states to implement, improve, and promote Work-
Sharing. Recent Guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor recommended states adopt Work-Sharing. Click here for
more information.
The process was fairly easy and did not require a lot of time once I got all my information uploaded. The payments were
05/17/2020 Kermit Gurley
timely and that was very helpful during this stressful time.

I was a small business owner (HagerSmith Design, PA) before I retired, with 20 employees. When unemployment benefits
were drastically reduced after the 2008 financial crisis, I opposed those cuts. The rational was to protect business from an
increase in the business paid unemployment insurance premiums. I donâ€™t remember the exact amount, just that I
05/17/2020 Mr. Jim Smith
looked at it and said that we could easily afford it, and that our employees deserved a decent benefit in the event that we
had to furlough some. The cuts need to be rescinded and a reasonable benefit restored. The maximum benefit should be
at least $500 per week. Remember that those receiving the insurance payments will help the economy by spending the
benefit in the local economy and helping prevent others from being laid off!
05/17/2020 John Stewart It was honestly a nightmare. Calling literally thousands of times to only hear the hold que is full.
The amount of weekly unemployment benefits in NC is woefully inadequate. Please, people, families, children do not have
05/17/2020 Ms Elen Andershock
enough to eat. Raise the weekly payment.
05/17/2020 Ms Bette Edgerton Some people are still unable to apply or have not received paymeu.
Could you please address the word â€œfurloughâ€•and executive order 134 signed by governor Cooper on April 20, 2020 as
it relates to Covid 19 Support payments. As a flight attendant, I am losing out on weekly benefit money. My employer is
paying hundreds of us support money (19 hours a month times our hourly rate to cover our health care) But, we have to
05/17/2020 Tracy Muskal claim it because our airline agreed to accept CARES money and cannot â€œfurloughâ€•anyone until after September 31.
Those of us in the aviation industry are among the hardest hit. Raising the weekly max benefit would help as well, because
after the $600 PUC money disappears, furloughs begin, and our industry does not rebound, the consequences will be dire.
Thank you.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Initially upon filing my claim, I was completely unable to get through to a representative for quite a while, understandably
so. But after I got through the first time and solved the issue that was causing the delay with my claim, I noticed my
Quarterly Wages were incorrect. I have been trying for approximately two weeks calling in to try to correct that issue as
they are not using all the four quarters of my full-time job, they are only using three and an old part-time job. On
5/16/2020, I finally got through first thing in the morning and I explained to the young lady that answered the phone what I
05/17/2020 Mr. Pepe Swanson-Aguilar
was calling about so she tells me to hang on a minute. Then for some unknown reason, she hung up on me. I was really
upset because I knew I would not be so lucky to get through again though I kept trying with no success. So I then called the
Pandemic phone number provided on the website but they said they would have to transfer my call because they could not
help me with my issue. Every time they transferred me, I kept getting hung up on. Finally I asked to speak to a supervisor
and I was advised that they could not connect me to a supervisor. Needless to say, I am extremely frustrated as I cannot
get through to speak to anyone to solve the issue at hand. I would greatly appreciate some help as I have tried everything I
know to do to get through and get this resolved, but have not been successful. Please help.
Please review the $350 weekly payment. This is not enough for a family to pay mortgage, utilities, food, etc Please increase
05/17/2020 Luisa Vargas
it . Also, expedite the process and update the technology Thank u

Overall, the customer service has been responsive. I was able to easily file my initial unemployment claim the week before
March 17. However in the weeks following March 17, it was extremely difficult for me to use the online system. I did not
attempt to call because I realized that they were dealing with a sudden influx of claimants. Instead, I kept trying to follow-
up on my claim and do my weekly certifications at various times on various days. I finally achieved success during a
05/17/2020 Michelle Davis weekend evening, and I have continued to easily file my weekly certification successfully ever since. The communication
from NC Unemployment Insurance has been clear and informative, including updating me on their expectations regarding
delays. Yes, the process was very frustrating immediately following the sudden surge of claimants, but I appreciate that
their leadership responded quickly. They have taken responsibility for the issues, learned from the issues, and laid out and
initiated plans to fix the issues. I suggest the General Assembly continue listening to the NC Unemployment Insurance's
leaders and continue to give NCUI's leaders the resources needed to continue expanding NCUI's capacity. This period of
higher unemployment isn't going away quickly and could continue to rise.
The short duration that is allowable to draw and the low maximum weekly benefit is unacceptable. North Carolinians have
05/17/2020 Alan Jones
earned better.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
Hello, my name is Michael Woods and I am currently a Physical Therapist Assistant for Iredell Health in the short term
skilled nursing facility that is attached to Iredell Memorial in Statesville, NC. I filed for unemployment sometime in March
and at this time I have given up. It was extremely difficult to get a straight answer when calling the Raleigh office as they
were the only ones I could consistently get a hold of. I called back an excessive number of times because their answers
were often conflicting with each other and anytime they attempted to transfer me to someone who could answer, the call
would drop. All of my co-workers were not able to be helpful because they were running into the same issues. One of the
biggest confusions we had was how much did we have to make under, in order to qualify for unemployment. At our
facility, our patient caseload was/is dwindled down to 40% capacity. I was only getting 26.5 hours per week, and many of
my co workers were getting less than that and STILL not qualifying; which ruined moral and hope that we would get the
monetary assist we needed. By not qualifying for unemployment, myself and my co-workers are having to burn through
our earned Payed Time Off (PTO) to make ends meet. This was time that was being saved up to refinances house, visit
families in other countries, enjoying vacations and taking mental health days. There was a striking realization that it would
have been much better to just be laid off or furloughed, which is insane. The incentive of not working was too high as I
would get to maintain my current PTO, spend time with my family, and get paid MORE sitting at home than by working.
05/17/2020 Physical Therapist Assist Michael Woods And this is true for hundreds of people that work at our hospital. This is backwards. I am in no way expecting a hand out of
any sort, as I have worked hard my whole life for the things that I have, but I find that many of our "essential workers' have
been "essentially forgotten" by the state. Its a great injustice when our clinical staff that are on the very frontlines of the
defense of COVID-19 are being taken advantage of. Now, don't get me wrong with my next statement I am about to make
because I believe that EVERY job is important and useful. But when restaurant workers and waiters are being laid off/cut
are making more money at home ~950 bucks/week (350 from state, 600 from feds) by not working; and you have staff
hours being cut at a hospital that does not qualify for unemployment because we "make too much", that is wrong. Period. I
barely make over 950 per TWO week pay period with a full 40hours, and I do not even come close to making it when cut
down beneath 30. So people at home that have been furloughed are making more than TWICE as much as many hospital
workers. This is not specific to just my hospital, or my town, but this is happening all over the state. Restaurant workers,
truck drivers, warehouse workers are important and should be compensated, but leaving hospital staff that has a direct
influence on patient recovery/outcome in the dust is a disgrace. It is a shame to see how the MOST essential workers have
fallen through the cracks all over the nation, but NC can be different. We have to be different. I am not requesting a huge
hand out above and beyond what others are getting from unemployment, but I do believe that we deserve fair
Over twenty years ago, I was on unemployment for a short period. I received the maximum of $350. How can NC think that
the same amount is enough to help anyone get by. The average rent in NC is around $800 a month. How does anyone
05/17/2020 Rhonda Breed
expect someone to support a family with so little. NC is PATHETIC when it comes to taking care of it's working class.
Something has to change and change quickly.

Thank you for reaching out to me re: my unemployment application experience. In March when I started the process, I
was unable to â€œactivateâ€•my account. After several days, I was finally able to activate my account. I believe the system
was just overloaded. I thought long and hard about continuing the process and filling out the application, as my particular
05/17/2020 Kelly Jones position as an Occupational Therapist (working in an outpatient clinic) was affected by Covid-19. There was no work for
me. Fortunately, the hospital system I work for set up a variety of alternate jobs available to employees in order to
continue to get paid. I have chosen to stick with this as opposed to draw unemployment. It has not been easy, but I am
continuing to work in an alternate fashion. I hope to return to my position as an Occupational Therapist soon as more
doctors are able to perform various surgeries, see patients and make referrals for need treatment.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

What a terrible job done by Cooper adm. tried to file for self employed for fed funds not state funding ,was denied twice.
05/17/2020 Scott Hampton This should have done at federal level took three weeks to get into system. State was unable to handle. I feel they
discriminated against individuals who own their businesses. Copper has done unsatisfactory job during this whole crisis. I
will remember
To whom it maythis when I get vote his ass out of office. Cooper sucks.
concern:

Thank you to the North Carolina General Assembly for providing an opportunity where the citizens of this great state could
voice our opinions. I won't waste your time by being angry, hostile or belligerent in my delivery. I am not a negative Nancy,
always look for the positive and I always give credit where it is due. However, I can't do so at this time regarding my
experiences or lack of with the North Carolina Department of Commerce Division of Employment Security.

Unfortunately, on March 23, 2020 I became unemployed and filed a claim on March 26, 2020. On the same date I provided
pertinent information that was requested regarding my claim. My employer provided confirmation that they would not
dispute my claim and that the system gives the employer 10 days to respond to the claim. On March 30, 2020, I filed my
fist weekly certification and also received a determination letter of eligibility.

With the understanding that we are living in unprecedented times, I knew there could possibly be a delay in receiving my
first payment. On April 6, 2020 I contacted my previous employer and inquired about my claim since it was still "pending
05/17/2020 Kimberly Greene resolution." They advised again that they were not disputing the claim and from here on out I would have to speak directly
with DES regarding the status of my claim.

This is where the nightmare began. I have been in "pending" purgatory for 53 days as of May 17, 2020. I have called DES
over 300 times starting at 7:59 am since they open at 8:00 am only to have the system tell me, "due to Covid we are
experiencing an unusual high call volume and our hold queue is full. Please call back at another time." Then the line would
disconnect. I always called with the hopes that I would be able to speak with someone and each time the line disconnected
I would feel defeated. I have emailed the contact email address at least 10 times and even sent an email to the grievance
department to just make contact with someone. Surprisingly the legal counsel responded to me within two days, of course
advising that he could only help with grievances but that he would forward my email over to a department that could help
me.

I finally was able to chat with someone on May 13, 2020 regarding the status of my claim. Let me say I have about 20 years
of experience providing excellent customer service, I have received awards, was employee of the month twice and also a

It's hard to understand why the General Assembly had decided that North Carolinians did not deserve sufficient
unemployment insurance payments to sustain themselves and their families until they could find a job ..... before the
05/17/2020 Mr. William Austin COVID epidemic. The current epidemic has brought that stark reality into a clear focus, with the eligibility criteria being
the most stringent in the whole county. Legislators have to know that this will deny some deserving North Carolina
workers any help at all. It feels like the General Assembly -- and we citizens -- have turned our back on workers when they
need us most. Please find some understanding and empathy in your hearts and correct this mistake.
05/17/2020 David Holliday 3 weeks and no unemployment check yet.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Filing was very difficult to understand pertaining to my job, said I didnâ€™t work enough hours but didnâ€™t have my
hours correct. Wasnâ€™t notified that I was denied until days later. Very frustrating. All my income has stopped because
05/17/2020 Carla Edstrom of this virus. I am an artist and musician and my sales and gigs have halted due to galleries and gig venues forced to close. I
also teach part time ( all of the teachers are part time but we make good money) pottery at the community college, which
has halted, and they are no longer paying us. Our State has let us down big time. No money for the artists or self employed
but big business is essential and safe.

I have 2 claims and should just be covid 19 not reg UI. I have called 10 times to fix situation. The main DES line just tells you
the que is full call back later. Even at 8 am. How is that possible. Not only that it hangs up on you. If you call the covid 19
05/17/2020 Susan Chase
number they canâ€™t see anything I canâ€™t. They transfer you to the main line and then it tells you the que is full and
hangs up on you. I have been ou of work since March 25 2020. The claim is back dated since it was filled at the end of
April. I miss understood my rights to unemployment. Any help would be appreciated.

I filed March 29th. Jave filed weekly claims for the last 7 weeks and my claim is STILL pending. I cannot get anyone on the
05/17/2020 Cherry picking the cases Tiffany Kellems
phone, the chat tool is useless because they just tell you to call the number. I know people who have applied within the
last 14 days who jave been proccessed, approved and paid yet I am still waiting 7 weeks later.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
I became temporarily laid off from my job as of March 30, 2020. I immediately went in to the portal and applied for
unemployment. I have taught Pre K with the same nonprofit for over thirteen years, here in Clayton, NC. This process
quickly turned in to a nightmare for me. After weeks of not hearing anything on my claim and no money coming in, I was
beginning to lose hope. I spent hours each day on the phone, trying to speak with someone and would either never get
through or would be dropped off after being on hold. I began emailing individuals on their employee list and received no
response. I then faxed in information and received no response. Then I sent more emails and no response. Meanwhile, I
had no money coming in to help with my bills. I have been in the job market for over 25 years working with children and
also received my Bachelor's in Social Work , interning in Domestic Violence, working in the court system and shelter . I still
volunteer on my personal time, to help victims of domestic violence. I have never asked for any assistance from the state
or the federal government, other than to ask for student loan forgiveness, due to my commitment to public service as a
teacher, I became desperate for help after waiting for so long with no answers. I then emailed DES again and this time I
copied in a member of Congress in my county. Her office immediately called and offered to try and help me and only then,
did I get a call from an individual within the unemployment office. I wish that I could say that I had a positive experience
with this agent; however, this agent was extremely rude and very unprofessional. I did try my best to cooperate, even
05/17/2020 Lisa Teeter though he accused me of not completing the application and told me that it was all my fault that my claim had not gone
through as of yet. I tried to be nice; however, I let him know that he was incorrect and that I had the completed claim in
front of me. I asked him if he could give me some sort of time frame for when my claim would be approved and he
basically told me no. I then continued to wait , but still nothing came through, I them contacted the politician's assistant
again and finally another agent called me. This time the agent I spoke with was extremely kind and told me that I should
have been told to file PUA, which was fixing to roll out on April 24, 2020. Well on that Friday, I filed PUA and was
immediately approved. I finally received my small weekly benefit along with the $600, due to Covid . I was told by my
employer, that this was to be backdated to when the program was originally suppose to have started and that I would
receive my back pay While I still haven't received any back pay, at least I am receiving something, for which I am very
thankful. There are so many individuals that have been waiting to receive their money and many have lost almost
everything that they have. I am in an unemployment support group and will continue to advocate to help others to the
best of my ability. Many need someone to listen to them and respond, instead of waiting hours on end only too receive no
answers. We have individuals, many that filed the middle of March and still have no answers or money. While I realize that
none of us could have predicted what was about to happen, it is my understanding that the Department of Employment
Dear Members of the Commerce Committee,
I am writing to comment on the need for improvements to North Carolina's Unemployment Insurance system. As it stands,
the short duration and low maximum amount of benefits available under the current system is unacceptable! We need to
05/17/2020 Mrs. Rita Mullis
raise the weekly benefit amount and change an eligibility formula that is currently the harshest in the nation. I urge all
members of the NC state senate to discuss and pass policies that protect working people during this pandemic and beyond.
Thank you.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
I filed for unemployment benefits on 4/06/2020. I have currently resided and worked full time in North Carolina for 10
months prior to being layed off due to covid19. When filing my initial claim (although I had sufficient hours and wages to
satisfy N.C. requirements) I did not have a full 4 previous quarters within the state of North Carolina so I included my
previous Employer information from the state of West Virginia as well. My current employer in N.C. responded on day 10
after my filing for benefits with no objection. I have made numerous phone calls daily for uncountable hours not only to
the 888 customer care center but to a direct number 919-634-1933 Which I was told that it was actually a DES
representative. Some call center agents gave only the information of â€œ waiting on wages from WVâ€•after confirming
with multiple other call center agents that in fact my wages were actually already on file there and have been for the last 4
weeks as one representative even quoted the actual amounts I had earned and said that my file was flagged to use N.C.
wages anyway and that I would be put on a â€œlistâ€•that my claim would be processed within 3 days and that was over 3
weeks ago. Some agents since that time stated they were still waiting on wages and others said they were there and that
all of them were putting me on a list to have my claim determination processed. I also verified with the state of WV that
the wages were electronic and N.C. has them and has had them for several weeks. So I proceeded with calling the DES
representative directly and left multiple messages. I have spoken with him 1 time although he states he tried calling back
05/17/2020 Mr. William Faulkner once (my phone and My AT&T bill determined that not to be so) when I did speak with him he said â€œ The wages were
there but it would have to go to a different department to be entered so a determination can be made. He goes on to say
â€œ I will PROBABLY follow up on it Thursdayâ€•this was last week. Since that time he has not answered or returned any of
my calls. I am NOT a 1099 employee. We are now going on week 7 with no help in sight. I have exhausted not only my
checking and savings account to pay rent, bills, and food but also have exhausted all efforts including contacting both of my
state senators for any sort of reprieve from this situation. I even emailed the governorâ€™s office in which I received an
automatic reply stating they could not assist with unemployment issues and to contact DES. Although I can empathize with
the difficulty of hiring & training new people to help handle the outrageous call /claim volumes and can truly appreciate
the additional servers and laptops purchased by the state among all other efforts put forth. With that being said the state
of North Carolina/DES have significantly failed the hard working citizens of this state. It should not take 6 weeks or more to
make a claim determination when all requirements were satisfied within the first 2 weeks of the initial claim filing. The
Governor who was elected by the people for the people should never respond negatively as to say his office can not help
the people with DES issues and to contact DES. I know realistically his office canâ€™t handle the volume but at least if
given yet another â€œlistâ€•story type of response it would have made me feel as though there was still some hope in the
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
Hello,

My name is Travis Ballard I am a husband, father of three, the sole income provider, and I am in the restaurant business. I
applied the day I was furloughed on March 13th. I wanted to beat the rush as they claims were already starting to pile up
from what the news was saying. I waited the initial two weeks per the website and then started to call the unemployment
phone line. Could not get through in the 10+ attempts per day I would call. I couldn't even get on hold as the message
would say the queue was full and then hang up on me.

Roughly 3 weeks after my claim we received a letter saying we were ineligible. The letter didn't state specifically the
reason why. It just stated my income. After doing my own research as I couldn't get through on the phone lines to get an
explanation. I found out that the last quarter you worked is not taken into consideration. My family and I moved here for
work in October from Miami, Florida. Not knowing what to do I went ahead and tried to cover my bases the best of my
ability by, filing a new "combined claim" and an appeal. This was on April 5th.

05/17/2020 Travis Ballard Never once have I received an email stating on what is going on, where we are at in the process, what is needed or
anything similar. The only 2 emails I have ever received is the weekly reminder to do your weekly certification which I have
done for the last 9 weeks and a copy of the letter I received in the mail about being ineligible. When the call center was
adding I talked to several nice ladies but, due to the lack of power and authority they have there wasn't much they could
do. They told me that all looked well and were not sure why I haven't received payment yet. I was transferred several
times and finally one of the times I made it to the on hold queue. After six and a half hours on hold having the phone with
me by my side all day the phone rang and someone picked up. I started to introduce myself and the lady on the other line
started to again introduce herself like she couldn't hear me. I checked my phone and it was not on mute as I use my phone
for many conference calls and the like for work so, am very comfortable on how it works. After the second time of " not
hearing me" she hung up. The defeat in my eyes was very visible to my family as this was at the dinner table since at this
point it was so late in the day. I went outside and tried to gather myself to be strong for my family. I called the PUA line
again told them the story again they were very sweet and transferred me over I waited on hold until 9:30 pm before I
finally gave up.

05/17/2020 ms. Kay Doost
If a person loses a job through no fault of his or her own, it is not fitting that the ability to care for family is also lost.

I tried to file & was unable to get past my employment dates. I put in my dates & the system kept telling me it needed a
05/17/2020 Glenda Ettinger separation date. My dates were correct but it just would not accept them& I couldn't get past that, I ended up being with
no income for 5 to 6 weeks because it was impossible to reach anyone. I was simply stuck in the dates & could not move
forward until someone finally reached me & helped, than it was fixed immediatley.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Iâ€™m a business owner that normally would not apply for benefits but under the cares act I now do qualify. My
business is down over 60% and extending funds to business owners is a sensible decision by our leaders. I am having a
problem accessing funds. My home page on the ncdes website says Questionable Identity-SSA pending resolution.
05/17/2020 Floyd Styles I have called every week for five weeks and waited a total of 11 hours on hold. I spoke to a person three times. Two said
right away that they could not help and I was transfer to someone else. My call was dropped on one of the transfers. The
other never answered. The one person that did talk to me could not explain why I had a Questionable Identity. She
instructed me to upload documents to prove my identity. I have uploaded my driverâ€™s license, social security card, 2019
tax returns and my passport. I donâ€™t feel like this will be resolved anytime soon. Thank you for you time and for working
to improve
Nearly our great
1 million Northstate....Floyd
Carolinians have filed for UI since the pandemic began and estimates suggest that many more have
likely tried but couldnâ€™t get through. At the same time, federal UI programsâ€”passed in recognition of the importance
of wage replacement in this timeâ€”are set to expire at the end of July and December, even as economic projections
suggest unemployment will remain high through 2021 and even beyond.

North Carolina cannot go back to a state UI system that provides too little support to too few people for too short of a
time.

Allow â€œattached claimsâ€to be filed by employers. In 2013, changes made to North Carolinaâ€™s UI laws severely
restricted the ability of employers to file attached claims for their workers. Allowing â€œattached claimsâ€•will be more
efficient and allow greater access to benefits.
Change North Carolinaâ€™s weekly benefit calculation. This will put more benefits in workersâ€™ pockets and will be most
needed after July 31 when the federal weekly supplement of $600 ends. Before 2013, North Carolina based benefits on a
workerâ€™s highest quarter wages â€“ a system that appears to be in use, for example, in Florida and South Carolina.
05/17/2020 Mr Randy Bassham North Carolina should base benefits on either the highest quarter wages or the average of the two highest quarters.
Increase the maximum benefit amount, putting more money in workersâ€™ pockets after July 31 when the federal add-on
of $600 ends. North Carolina set its maximum benefit at $350 in 2013. It was not indexed in any way to increase over time.
Before 2013, the stateâ€™s maximum weekly benefit amount was 66.7 percent of the stateâ€™s average weekly wage.
Currently, 40 states have higher maximum amounts than North Carolina, including Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, and
Arkansas. North Carolina should set the maximum weekly benefit at 50 percent of the stateâ€™s average weekly wage,
$850, so the maximum would be $425 and would increase as wages increase over time.
Increase the maximum duration someone can receive benefits, as Georgia and Michigan have recently done. North
Carolina has a sliding scale of 12-20 weeks. Most states have a maximum duration of 26 weeks.
Address roadblocks created by the stateâ€™s low â€œearnings disregard.â€•At a recent House Committee meeting,
lawmakers discussed the problem of employees who have their hours cut but are denied benefits because of North
Carolinaâ€™s low â€œearnings disregardâ€•(1/5 of weekly benefit amount or $70). For instance, if a worker makes $750 a
week and has their hours cut so that they make only $420, they would receive $0 in UI because North Carolinaâ€™s
maximum weekly benefit amount is $350 ($420-$70=$350). Lawmakers should increase the earnings allowance and
05/17/2020 Andrea Manus NC needs to extend the UI time frame to match the federal time frame if you lose your job due to covid-19
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
I filed for partial unemployment as my hours were reduced from 32 to around 8 hours. It took almost a month for my
claim to be approved and that was only b/c I sent emails to my state representatives for help. Otherwise, I would no doubt
still be waiting. I spoke to my employer, who indicated that they would not /had not protested my claim, so I do not know
why it took so long to get my claim processed. In the meantime, my mortgage payments and other payments were due
and I had no means to pay, Low income workers do not have the luxury of having money banked for emergencies. I was
forced to use a credit card to pay my bills and I cannot express the anxiety I went thru, not knowing what was going to
happen. While I understand that the NC UI was overwhelmed with claims, what I cannot understand is why they were not
somewhat prepared, took steps beforehand to try to mitigate the waiting times for claims to be processed. It was
completely clear that once the feds and states took steps to shut down the economy that businesses would have to
furlough/lay off/ reduce hours for employees. This happened in march. Why did not NC immediately take steps to beef up
employees for the NC dept of labor so that claims could be processed in a timely manner? Any steps they took were after
it was all too clear that claims would sky rocket. This left many people who were already part of the most poor
populations in dire straits for a very long time, not knowing how they could pay their bills much less put food on the table.
Additionally, why is NC one of only a few states that limits unemployment benefits to 12 weeks, when most other states
05/17/2020 silvia martinez allow up to 26 weeks. All thanks to previous republican govs. that like to balance the budget on the backs of the most at
risk and needy. It is well known that NC ranks at the bottom for any benefits extended to the unemployed. What a great
reputation to have in one of states most well know for the income that is generated by technology and pharma. I still see
many people on facebook/unemployment groups that are waiting for benefits for more than 6 weeks and don't know what
to do to help or how to help themselves while their claims are 'pending' on and on. They are never able to get thru to the
call center to get any information. How sad and ridiculous and unnecessary. NC needs to do a better job to help its'
citizens that are taxed and contributing to its' tax coffers every year. Lastly why is there no information available on the UI
website on the 13 weeks extension that is needed by many since not all jobs are calling back their furloughed/laid off
employees. Other states have already provided guidance on steps to take, but no, not NC. When will this information be
available to unemployed citizens of NC ?
NC has failed many of its' tax paying citizens during this time of great stress and fear. NC needs to do better and be
cognizant of the fact that NC is fully accountable to the citizens of NC, INCLUDING the unemployed-- thru no fault of their
own.

05/17/2020 Dr. Christine Ganis We live in the 21st century. These figures werenâ€™t even appropriate for the last one.

My name is Sherice Hayward. My claimant ID : [REDACTED]. My wages are incorrect. I have called unemployment and
have waited on hold multiple times for 3 hours and have been disconnected. I have reached some one twice. The first time
I reached her was 4/23/20 she said that it would be correct in two days. She said that the issue wasone of my jobs had my
05/17/2020 Mrs Sherice Hayward wages under Johnson instead of Hayward. So they would have to rerun my wages. So I waited another two weeks called
again waited on the line for 4.5 hours. I talk to same lady. And she said she did her part on her end. But someone need to
rerun my wages. So she said about two day again. So here I am another 2 weeks and nothing has change. Instead of the
350 they are giving me 188. I even tried to protest my wages. Like 4/17/20. I havenâ€™t gotten a response from that as
well. Please help.
05/17/2020 Mrs. Barbara Amalfi Stop [REDACTED] over workers to prevent corporations from having to contribute to UI.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

This is an absolute joke and a complete failure of government. I filed back in March and my claim is still pending. Called
numerous times every day only to be disconnected. Finally got put into a hold on Wed May 13 and waited 6.5 hours on
hold only to be told the agent couldnâ€™t look at all my information because the system was down and that she would
forward my concerns to a supervisor via her own email and that I would be put into a new line for waiting for my claim to
05/17/2020 Stephen Thomas
be processed and she had no idea when my claim would be processed. What am I supposed to do in the mean time? Why
canâ€™t an agent make an informed decision based on the law and the guiding principals of the Governor and approve the
claim? Someone needs to be held accountable but I seriously doubt that will happen because this isnâ€™t affecting the
wealthy. Can you imagine if the upper echelon of wealthy earners were being treated like this? No! Because it would never
happen. Again, this is a disaster and a complete failure of government.
Please extend unemployment insurance. So many people are dependent on these funds. Without them they would not be
05/17/2020 Sharlana Martinez
able to sustain their homes and keep shelter for their families.

(Addendum to first submittal.) Help! please. I do have a disability and have a very dificult time in filling out the forms
necessary for UI. I so wish i could have an assigned person who would help! me. I have been denied UI because of not
enough work hours. i worked as an usher at Greensboro Coliseum. Many times when I requested work, it was denied as
bidding slots were filled. I am a senior citizen, 63 and just work part time for several reasons including extreme leg pain
while standing. Pls have the UI commission consider part time employees ....especially over the age of 55 and the fact
05/17/2020 Mr. Robert Russell Hoke that employers in some cases are lesslikely to hire us. (Excuse me. i do not know why the lines here are double spaced.
ON my first submittal they were not. My UI claim form/id is [REDACTED]. It is in appeal. If possible, pls inform me as to
what exact!! number they would call me back to further discuss these issues. Folks, i really need extra assistance. can
you help me? Robert R Hoke [REDACTED]. I can not get voice mail but can get texts. It seems I can not yet go to a NC
Career Works for additional help. I am frustrated, feel betrayed by the system and am just about ready to give up. But
must I do that?!!! This is so hard for me to get so much rejection and continue to be disqualified. respectfully Robert
R Hoke

I was temporarily laid off on March 13th due to Covid-19. I applied for unemployment benefits on March 15th. I did
everything online because there was no way of getting through on the phone lines in Raleigh to the Division of
Employment Security. I was quickly approved for benefits and I waited about four weeks before trying to contact Raleigh
about the status of when I may expect my benefits. Understanding that this is an unprecedented event I tried calling
different times of day hundreds of times and couldn't even be put on hold. I wanted an answer from anyone to no avail. I
tried calling Roy Cooper's office but couldn't get a live person. And that's when I decided to contact my state
05/18/2020 Benefits Approved Jesse Kennedy
representative Andy Wells and Ms Linda Wente answered the phone immediately and provided me with an email to get an
immediate response from the Division of Commerce. I received a phone call the same day and they told me to wait two to
four days for a phone call from NCDES. I waited four days and didn't receive a call. I then called Ms Wente and she emailed
them immediately. In two days my benefits were deposited into my checking account. I can't Thank Mr Wells and Ms Linda
Wente enough for the help they have given me. I hope they are recognized for their efforts. Even though I couldn't get
through on the phone lines, I would still like to thank all of the people who are working tirelessly to get benefits out to
everyone. THANK YOU, Sincerely, Jesse Kennedy

05/18/2020 Dexter torain I found for unemployment weeks ago and still nothing has been done no progress, are called for help and was on hold for
an hour and 50 minutes and still no payments have been made to me help is really needed.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am the owner of Pine Valley Motel , [REDACTED] , pin REDACTED. The business was closed on March 6th. An employee,
Betty Blevins worked there for over ten years. She doesnâ€™t own a computer and has never learned to use one. I have
made numerous futile attempts to help to set up a claim for her. She was not working from August 6 until January due to
05/18/2020 Willa Ward
a fall at work for which she drew Workersâ€™ Compensation. She was cleared for work January 17. Business was very
slow until we closed. If she is eligible unemployment benefits, I really would appreciate any help in the matter. She was a
very valuable employee who needs and deserves consideration.
Thank you. Willa Ward, Phone [REDACTED].
05/18/2020 Dr. Jean Templeton Please help those who need better unemployment benefits.
I filed my initial claim on March 28, which makes this week 8 weeks I have waited and tried multiple times to phone them
only to have the new employees transfer me to another department and not get anything accomplished. I have literally
05/18/2020 Unemployment Issues Bridgett Davis heard 10 different things about my claim and all that Iâ€™m able to do is sit back and pray about it. Itâ€™s truely enough
going on in the world right now that we should not be having these issues!! NC needs to be more prepared in case of future
circumstances.
No one from unemployment or Des has helped me with my claim Iâ€™ve been filing weekly certifications since March 15
and my claim is still pending & also I filed 2 Appeals that were approved & still havenâ€™t got help & havenâ€™t even
received a phone call.And the new people that they hired know absolutely nothing nobody can help me with my claim
05/18/2020 Horrible customer service Donteria Glover
itâ€™s ridiculous itâ€™s bad enough that I donâ€™t have any income coming in Iâ€™m 8 months pregnant& canâ€™t find a
job due to my pregnancy & this coronavirus .I've been seeking for help for over a month & still no luck & barely get any
response.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
Thank you for taking my comment. Im Raymond Hyatt Salon owner of Hairitage Styling Salon in Laurinburg . On march 25
Governor Cooper mandated that all Salons close. Although I wasn't pleased like many others i understand the risk of close
contact with our clients we are of high risk spreading COVID19. IN the following week governor Cooper began sharing how
he was going to help small business and there employees. Unfortunately that help has not come! On March 30 I began my
relationship with the DES at the suggestion on my Accountant suggesting that I file for unemployment. unstained that it
was under new regulations the the self-employed would be eligible under new guide lines.
Filed my claim online as instructed when call the 1-888 number for faster service. Truly wish that were true! The beginning
of my complications started with the Question on the claim application. ARE you a elected official. I checked yes, because i
serve on the Scotland County Board of Education.
Apparently this in someway caused a glitch I was then identified as a school system employee with a salary of 1800.00 1st
and 3rd quarters income year. NOT a self employed stylist Resulted in a declined benefit. This began my full time job to get
the error corrected. Call after call and hours and hours of holding many times never speaking to no one resulting on just
being disconnected.
Not to mention having my accountant working on it, uploading tax return information to prove employment.
05/18/2020 Mr Raymond Hyatt On very rare incident i would get alive person to take my call only to be told that they were contracted to take calls but
did have the ability to modify anything in my claim. the offer to trans for me to sone at DES "but most get disconnected".
my results were no different. Our local office offered very little help as well. Disappoint just mounts.the weeks pass and
Still no funds .
the one light in all my efforts has Miss Allison Melvin from Richmond County has talked patiently bing very understanding
of my circumstances. although no benefits received as of yet,its nice to find a person is trying to genuinely wants to help.
Please don't misunderstand i know I'm not the only one out of work. EIGHT weeks is along time for no results! knowing
that others many others are already receiving benefits in the very same profession that filed AFTER I did.
Seemingly that the mistake in the system that has employment mis identified not to mention my salary.
JUST Sunday afternoon after a hour and 1/2 wait for an online chat only to be told he couldn't help and suggested that i
call in . the call resulted in a live conversation to be told that i had been approved and the funds just siting there. my
question is funds based on what salary? Has the employment been corrected? He commented,I wasn't the only one that
he has seen that. With no suggestion as to what i should do!
My efforts this afternoon are not just for myself, BUT for all those in this terrible situation along with me. PLEASE HELP
If it wasnâ€™t for Andy I still wouldnâ€™t have my unemployment today! Thank you Andy for everything youâ€™ve done
05/18/2020 Ashley Ingle
and your promptness. You have showed me the reason why we should go out and vote.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am a hair salon owner and I been a hairdresser for 34 years. I have never had to file for unemployment before and this
was my first time ever having to do this.. The Govenor order all hair salon to close and I couldn't work. I have been out of
work since March 16th and wasn't able to file my claim until March 22nd. The system was so overoaded and there wasn't
anything I could do. Once I filed my claim I did my weekly certification every week. My claim always said pending and I
couldn't get any help. Everytime I called I couldn't get through to anyone. Finally on May 4th I spend about 6 hours on the
phone trying to work on my claim because it said incomplete and pending. Someone helped me to work on my claim and
fixed it so it was complete. She said she would call me back that Thursday because I needed to do a PUA because im self-
employed. She didn't call me back so I was on the phone again with unemployment about 5 hours on Friday May 8th. This
05/18/2020 Ms. Sherilyn Doub
time the person with unemployment filed a PUA claim so I was eligible to receive a weekly check. I did receive my first
weekly check on May 12 but haven't received any back pay for the weeks I filed. Monday May 18th will be my 8th weekly
certification. I need help receiving the money for all the weeks I filed and have been out of work. I would really appreciate
any help I can get with my situation. I am a single parent with one child and I solely take care of her. I need this money so
that I am able to pay my bills and take care of my child.

Thank you,
Sherilyn Doub
[REDACTED]
Claimant ID : [REDACTED]
05/18/2020 Ms. Tracey Troxler I've been approved since end of April but haven't received benefits yet.
People are still waiting after 60 days to be approved. This is unacceptable. You can't get through on the phone lines.
05/18/2020 Ms Mary Bolin
People are counting on this income.
05/18/2020 Beatriz Riefkohl North Carolinians deserve better unemployment insurance.
Hope you have received my input, sent twice to make sure
As of this date, May 18, 2020,
There has been no communication to me from DES
About Unemployment Benefits
And date when Benefits will be direct deposited .
05/18/2020 Mr. Bennie Harden That is what is badly wrong . Needs to be investigated and fixed.

Thank you

Bennie Harden Jr
Yes, I have received the most respectful attention from Ombudsman, Myra Betty with the Department of Commerce. I
have emailed her several times while applying for UI and PUA. Especially, those insistences when I had problems with
05/18/2020 Felicia McLean-Torry
applying on line. Ms. Beatty has been very professional and empathetic towards my plight. I have so much appreciated
her timely response and assistance. Felicia McLean-Torry
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

First of all I had a difficult time even filing a claim on the website. I tried for a week at least but the website kept crashing.
Calling was useless as the call always disconnected with the message that the call volume was overwhelming to the system
and could not talk to a human being. I have since the very beginning made hundreds of calls still have not spoken to
anyone except the PUA line and she could not assist me and transferred me to the same line that is overwhelmed. Since
05/18/2020 Brenda Jessup
filing over 6 weeks ago my case is STILL pending. I cannot talk to anyone as I canâ€™t get through on the phone -I did send
2 emails and have not heard back from anyone in unemployment. Very frustrating to me, a tax payer, a voter, and a NC
resident for over 12 yrs! Thank you for allowing me to share my story
BTW, this is all due to the COVID 19 virus. I have severe asthma and my medical providers and the CDC both have warned
that if I were to contract the virus there would be severe consequences to my respiratory system so I had to self quarantine
early and my employer suggested and agreed I stay away from work due to my medical situation

I applied at the end of March.. I'm a hairstylist that had to close per our governor's orders on March 25. I could not get
anyone on the phone at desnc. gov, just an automated message that gave a few options then eventually hung up on you
without ever being able to get through. My first claim did not go through because I'm self employed and didn't qualify.
Thankfully the PUA became available... But I had to wait until 4/23 before an application was available. It took 4 days in
March for me to be able to set up an account online. Today is 5/18 and I have NOT received any payment... I've been out of
05/18/2020 Nothing received Mandie Martin work since 3/25. I call at exactly 8am to desnc.gov phone number in hopes of getting through, no luck yet. I have gotten
through on the PUA hotline but they could not tell me anything about when or if I would receive payment. I also got
through on the online chat feature, but couldn't be told anymore information about why I have not received payment. I
have friends, fellow hairstylist, that have received their unemployment. I don't understand why I have not. Everything has
been filled out correctly and I have done weekly certifications... I'm very disappointed in the system. I can't work because I
will lose my license and be charged with a crime because of per our governor's orders, but I have not gotten any benefits.
The stress of this is unbelievable. Everyday trying the phone, checking the website and praying that I will receive
something. Please help this system.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I just read your article about unemployment, Iâ€™m shocked you didnâ€™t mention my group, nobody is talking about
PEUC
December 17th 2019 my only child, my 31 yr old son was shot and killed, I asked my company for a leave of absence, they
said I didnâ€™t qualify and forced me to resign, I applied for unemployment, waited 10 weeks, finally got approved, got
back pay of $350 a week, paid back loans, caught up bills having no idea what would happen 2 weeks later. Since I have
high blood pressure and allergy induced asthma, my job search was over, due to Covid 19, I was a bit relieved because the
care act thought of people like me, currently collecting unemployment, but it was exhausted, and I would get 13 weeks of
federal unemployment $600, well itâ€™s been 9 weeks and I have received nothing, Iâ€™m dying, I have called 1000â€™s
05/18/2020 Ms Paula Horton of times a day,been on hold for 4 hour intervals only to be dropped by my cell company that limits calls to 4 hours ,who
knew?
Been given wrong info, and or conflicting info. In my desperation someone listed a file with every employee at DES
employees email address, so I emailed everyone, a man called me at 5:15 that day, he said he was told to call me, I told
him my situation and that I was desperate, he said they didnâ€™t have a date for people like me PEUC, people that
exhausted there claims, I started to cry, he was condescending and couldnâ€™t tell me when after 8 weeks I might get
some money. I asked him if he could go 10 weeks with no income, then two weeks of 350 a week, and then eight weeks
with no income, and he said I wonâ€™t discuss my finances with you, and I said that was a rhetorical question, he told me
it was above his pay grade, but he didnâ€™t make the decisions, and I said well thank you for nothing why did you bother
calling me
Please ask this question, where is PEUC, do you need to apply for it, or is it automatic, this should have been seamless,
anyone already collecting should have been 1st, not last, we were already struggling, and already approved

The NC unemployment claims system is broken and not working for those in need. Arbitrary limits on pay-outs must be
05/18/2020 Ms Karen Mallam
dropped in favor of payments that are linked to what it costs to live now. As most newspapers of noted, there is no excuse
for the unconscionable delays in making payments by a state agency, particularly in a time of crisis.
11 weeks now with no income. Daily calls to DES with no resolve. Sometimes sitting on hold for over 5 hours. A staff of
05/18/2020 Mr. Christopher Davis untrained call center employees as a front-line deterrent against claimants. Constant issues with the website. All we are
trying to do is feed our families.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
To whom it may concern,
In July 2019, I was hired as a Tour/Dinner Boat Captain by Lake Cruises Inc. in Mooresville, N.C. I was one of four
Captains who operated two boats on Lake Norman. Summer and fall months were extremely busy, winter months we
experienced ,as I was told by other Captains who have been employed there for over 15 years, the usual slow down of
cruises. They said it will resume around the end of March, early April.
Being as I do collect a pension from the Mew Jersey Police and Fireman Retirement System as I was a Police Officer for
25 years, and I receive under 400 dollars a month from Social Security, I was able to make ends meet and tolerate the
winter slow down at Lake Cruises Inc. Though I was anticipating resuming work in the spring of 2020.
On March 17th., 2020, I was notified that due to the â€œCovid Lockdownâ€• , Lake Cruises Inc. was totally shut down, I,
as many, and I believe all, employees were terminated.
I have NEVER, in my 65 years, ever applied for unemployment, workers compensation or any other form of income
other than working for it.
After asking other terminated employees how to collect unemployment benefits and being told how difficult it was to
get into system online, I did try to apply. It took me several days to even create an account.
05/18/2020 Mr. Mark J. Solimando Numerous attempts to call Des.NC.gov on the phone were, and still are in vain, as you go through a long menu only to
be told to go to website as as the call cue is full.
After setting up account and providing all necessary information, the only thing Iâ€™m able to see on my account page
is my claim is pending, due to something about my pension. It doesnâ€™t elaborate why.
On May 1st., I received, via U.S. Postal Service, a notice that was generated April 6th., stating my claim was denied, due
to NOT satisfying earnings in 3rd. and 4th. quarters criteria. I immediately filed an Appeal online. On May 4th. I received
another notice, also generated on April 6th. that showed I did meet the earnings criteria.
Someone, I donâ€™t recall who, gave me an alternate phone number to call to inquire about claims. On 4 separate
calls, I spoke to 3 different people, all of whom were very nice, but were obviously not trained to assist callers. They talked
for 15 minutes and said virtually nothing. They tried to transfer me to someone else for help, only to disconnect the call.
Two of these 3 told me, when I asked them if they worked for N.C. DES, said yes, one said she worked for the federal
government. In my 4th. call, after being disconnected, I spoke to a lady who told me she was a school teacher out of work
due to Covid and was a Temp, employed by Kelly temp services. The first three ladies sounded like they were semi asleep
when we spoke. This lady was sharp and alert. She explained to me what she was going to do to try to assist me. Shortly

UPDATE AS OF THIS AM NO MONEY NEED BACK PAY FOR NINE WEEKS NOW. TWO MONTHS BEHIND on all bills.

claim number 11542664.
05/18/2020 Lisa totten
If they call they never leave a number ad name to call back to a direct extension.

Please help
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I feel that the system is really broke. for me to stay on a line to the customer service over four hours is ridiculous. I was
receiving my unemployment when I started. I contacted customer service to only try to get in touch with them over half of
a day only to be told that there was a problem with my unemployment. they call their self fixing the problem so therefore
I would not receive my weekly benefit for another two weeks. The system is unbelievable. All I can say is that the richer is
looking out for them self and the poor is suffering. There is no way that I should be out of receiving my unemployment
05/18/2020 Mr Lonnie Mann benefits for another two weeks for the mistake that unemployment has made ridiculous and then to have to stay on the
phone line for over four hours (3 days in a row) There is no way that I should be out of receiving my unemployment
benefits for another two weeks for the mistake that unemployment has made ridiculous and then to have to stay on the
phone line for over four hours. Another ridiculous idea what I was supposed to do a claim for my unemployment and then
after four you tell me that the person made a mistake that I have to pay for and be without benefits for another two
weeks. The state of unemployment id broke. All I can say is that I would never vote for governor Cooper again, a job
poorly done
While the initial filing was arduous and frought with dropped connections connections, I was able to finally register my
claim.
I received the maximum amount of $350.00 which works out to $8.75 an hour based on a 40 hour week. That amount is
gross and not net. The only way to receive that amount is to not have any tax withheld.
The length of time to receive benefits is not nearly long enough. Three months is simply not enough time to find and
secure a job, especially if the field is competitive or rare.
The final insult is the fact that since I was listed as "part time seasonal" I would not qualify for benefits, despite the fact
05/18/2020 Mr. MARK SHOW
that my employers had to pay unemployment insurance costs on me. Only by Executive Orders did I become eligible for
benefits.

The unemployment system needs to be revamped from the top to the bottom. Higher weekly benefits, longer period in
which to receive them and an expansion of who qualifies. Any one working should receive benefits, be they self employed,
part time or full time. If you are paying into the unemployment insurance system, either by employer or on your own, you
should qualify for benefits.
For the first time since 1993, I filed a claim, and have not received any benefit. Calls are not answered. They have no way to
05/18/2020 James Ray leave voice mail messages. There is no way to use the Internet to get a response. My 90 year old dad in a retirement home
is having to support me. I am ashamed to pay my taxes for 58 years.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My last paycheck was March 29th, so I went online to sign up for unemployment. The website kept crashing, but I was
finally able to get through April 2nd. I received an error code and a message to call to fix it. I tried, as of today I still have
not been able to get through the phone lines. However, on April 3rd, I uploaded my NC W2s. I thought I was finished, but it
showed incomplete. So, I tried to call to find out what I needed to do. I had several questions because it was unclear what
was needed. I could not get through. I hunted and found an online contact form, which I filled out and sent in April 8th.
Frustrated by the inability to connect, I tried calling Dare County unemployment (which I found out was the job center).
The lady there took my name, claim number, phone and added me to a list that they were sending in daily for people like
me. She said it would be around a week and I would get a call. I never did, but continued to try and call. On April 20th, I
uploaded a letter to my documents on the site, detailed my questions and history of attempts to contact them. No
05/18/2020 Ms. Barbara Miller response. On April 23rd, having not received a call, I called Dare County again. A gentleman gave me a customer service
email that had worked for one of his clients. I sent an email, detailing my issues and questions, and got a form response
requesting me to fax in my information. So, I faxed in a copy of the email. Later I was checking to see if anything had
changed on my claim, and it asked me to file a new claim, all my responses had been removed, although my W2s and
letters were still in the documents section. Called Dare County, they emailed my issues to DES. I restarted my claim on
May 3rd, it was different. I got questions I had not seen on my first claim. I uploaded a W2 from the first part of 2018
when I was still out of state. I submitted it. It asked why I had not filed when I was first furloughed, so I did a brief outline
of my story. I received a web communication telling me I had to submit documents given my â€œlateâ€•filing, but I have no
idea what is needed. Even with the expanded hours I have been unable to get through via the phone. Now they are
offering online Chats, I was able to get questions answered on weekly filing, but have not gotten through on my claim. I
was in a queue on the chat for that Friday (number 125 in line) and it finally got to number 8, and they closed down.
I realize DES has been hit hard because of Covid, but 46 days unable to connect and then getting penalized because â€œI
waitedâ€•to file is absurd, especially when you need to pay bills.
Like an untold number of NC small business owners, Iâ€™m a sole proprietor with no full time employees. We donâ€™t
qualify for unemployment. We donâ€™t qualify for SBA emergency relief funds. We are the largest demographic ignored
05/18/2020 Citizen Mark Peterson
by US congress and the NCGA. We are at high risk in this Covid 19 dystopian landscape. We need to be recognized. We
need help. Will you hear us? Will you do anything for us?
The citizens of NC deserve an unemployment compensation system that would protect them and bridge the gap in the
event they would lose their income and should pay at least $550 per week up to 26 weeks and should include temporary
shut downs or furloughs. NC had over 4 billion dollars in this fund. A corporation can give its profits to shareholders or CEO
05/18/2020 Mr William Rose
bonuses and are not expected to save a rainy day fund like the workers who make them the profits. I am asking, no I am
demanding that all of you quit this partisan bickering and pledge to take care of your constituents and NOT THE
LOBBYISTS!! Thanks

I have been very patient because I understand the system is overwhelmed. Today is May 18, 2020 and I have not received
05/18/2020 Mr. Randy Martin any money whatsoever except for $230. I am almost in the panic mode because my bills are piling up and every time I call I
either cannot get through to the unemployment security commission or if I do get through they hang up on me. I am
almost to the point of becoming angry. I pray for a check every day.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Unemployed since April 20th; have received ZERO contact from DES; calling for help or emailing anyone does NOTHING
05/18/2020 Rhett Yurgin (I'm pretty sure I've emailed every address available on des.nc.gov by now), every day, claim still "Pending Resolution." I've
sold just about everything I can to stay afloat, and can't get ANY answer about when I might hear something, ANYTHING at
all. I can't understate the overwhelming despair that I've experienced this past month.

My status has been pending for the last three week. I file for unemployment do to reduce hour do to covid-19. Iâ€™m
guessing that they havenâ€™t got in touch with my employer and thatâ€™s why there is an delay, but on the website it
states that after 10 days the system changes the status and processes the claim. I have call 3 time was on hold for 3 hours. I
05/18/2020 Unemployment Carolyn Shuler have used the online text and was on hold for 4 hours with no clear answer. At this point I donâ€™t even know why I file
because either way Iâ€™m not getting any money. Normally I am self employed and applied for the PUI but was
disqualified because I have a part time job. With the store that Iâ€™ve been working at hours being limited I can get more
hours because they are closed before I can get to work with keep me limited to work only weekend. Please help me get
some type of answers! Thank you for your help.

I filed an original claim on March 15. It came back as ineligible for state benefits due to insufficient earnings. I had
accidentally started a new claim and didnâ€™t know I couldnâ€™t delete it myself. I called DES and no one seemed to have
a definite answer for me so I finished it the same day PUA program came out on April 24. The PUA was attached to this
second claim apparently. I then had an ineligible claim, and 2 pending claims. The second claim come back ineligible just
leaving my PUA claim pending. I canâ€™t tell you the countless days and hours I spent on the phone with DES trying to get
05/18/2020 Amanda Church answers. One said the second claim needed to be deleted to proceed with the PUA claim, one said no it didnâ€™t need
deleted because my PUA was attached to it, one said an analyst would look at it and call me back which never happened.
When you call most of the time you just get a call center agent which pretty much has no answers for you and wants to
transfer you to DES, which is the same number you call, only to be disconnected and hung up on because the que is full.
You spent 3.5 hours on hold for someone to tell you they canâ€™t help you or they need to transfer you and get hung up
on. This has been a very frustrating experience and has also taken a toll on my mental health. NC has a broken
Unemployment system that needs to be fixed.

To whom it may concern:
I filed a claim and received the following response: â€œBenefit year not established. You had insufficient wages in your
base periodâ€• . I believe I know why claim was denied. Upon reviewing my claimant, information (following my receiving
the denial), I noticed that my previous employer/wages were not listed. I thought I had listed this information. I feel
confident this was the reason for denial.I made several attempts to edit information to include previous employer
05/18/2020 Mrs. Lee Roberts information and wages...and resubmit...but was unsuccessful.
What do I do at this point to resubmit claim?
Claimant ID: [REDACTED]
Lee Roberts
PS... I have received one phone call telling me I am eligible for unemployment but they are waiting on the state of SC to
verify my wages. I believe I received this call only after contacting Danny Britts office. I still have received no
unemployment eompensation.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

It has been a nightmare waiting for any response from the DES office. Calling the phone numbers provided is of no help at
all as the phone lines are full & you are disconnected. If I am lucky enough to get someone at the call center & then Iâ€™m
05/18/2020 Mr James Brannock transferred to someone that can help & get disconnected. My claimant homepage shows that a letter was mailed on April
16th describing my possible benefits, however I havenâ€™t received this letter. Still waiting for any response. This is a
never ending nightmare.

05/18/2020 Covid 19 reduced hours AA Laura Magee The answers and payments are random at best. American Airlines has many NC residents applying and waiting WEEKS to
either get a response or payment. Economy wont reopen if we are broke. Hire, train and make the DES office 24/7

I am a self-employed contract worker. I have been unable to work for many weeks because I have Rheumatoid Arthritis. It
is not the RA itself that has prevented we from working I am physically able and desire to work. The treatment for my RA is
a monthly infusion that dramatically reduces my immune system which puts me at greater risk in regard to Covid-19.
Therefore, I have been advise to stay at home. Because of my status as a worker filing for unemployment was difficult.
05/18/2020 Jenny Griffith
Many of the question did not apply to my situation but you couldnâ€™t complete the process without answering the
questions. I made more phone calls than I can count trying to get assistance but could never get an answer. Finally our
CPA was able to help complete the application, I think. Honestly, I donâ€™t know what the status of me receiving
unemployment is currently. I receive an occasional email that gives me no information to my individual case. Any help
would be appreciated.

Hello. We have been having alot of trouble getting unemployment. We have been pending for about 6 weeks. We are self
employed- (Working in cruise ship industry) so at first we thought that was the problem, but we have hears of other people
in more 'traditional jobs" having trouble getting unemployment as well. When we have been able to get through to the
office we have spent over 5 hours on hold one day (Only ending because we hung up at 5pm- when the office closed).
Other days we have spent 2-3 hours on hold at a time. We have stopped calling because the last person we talked to
05/18/2020 Donelle Tison several weeks ago told us there was nothing we could do while our case is still "pending". She said once the case was no
pending we could take action if we were denied. The problem is we are just continually pending... Our status never
changes. We have also been sent letter telling us we had to act by a date that had already passed. (In face- the "need to act
by date" was a date that had passed before the date of the postmark of the letter). We realize that the system has been
overwhelmed- but to be waiting on funds for 6 weeks is frustrating. Thankfully we have not run out of money-- Yet--- But
with no work in sight (Cruise ships are still not sailing)-we really need to get some relief. This has been a very frustrating
experience

1 more comment. When ever I try to call DES and FINALLY get a "live" person to speak to, they tell me for some odd reason
05/18/2020 Mrs. Jill Garcia
they cannot help me ONLY DES can help correct my account from revoked to current status. This makes no sense
considering I'm calling NC DES! Are we speaking to contractors who have no direction or training on what to do?

I filed on April 17 and was denied May 5. I am an employee of American Airlines who filed under reduced hours due to
05/18/2020 Inconsistent Linda Sikes
Covid19. My coworkers have been approved yet I was denied. I provided the same information they did. I submitted 2
letters from American as part of my documents. Why is there such inconsistency ? Claimant ID [REDACTED]
I was laid off due to covid-19 on March 17. I applied March 20,was approved.Somehow my old claim from 2016, date was
05/18/2020 Yvonne Cerillo changed to reflect my new claim. I have called,faxed, written, went on chat. Still nothing. I am entitled. I'm a single mom of
a disabled child. 2 months,too long with no money.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

The call center workers can't give you any real answers if you have already filed a claim and always need to transfer you to
05/18/2020 samuel greene
the REAL
In two DES
days workers,
it will be mywhere you always
two month get hung
anniversary up onfor
of filing as unemployment
soon as they transfer you.benefits.
insurance
I applied online, at the time the DES computer system wass up and down. I was unable to reach anyone by phone. I waited
patiently for several weeks. Surely they were working in my claim and I woukd receive some sort of communication or
confirmation from DES. Nothing came. I began calling DES daily several times a day. Calling at 7:59 a.m. I would get a
message stating the office was closed please call back during office hours, by the time I Re dialed at 8 a.m. the hold que
was full. I could not even get on hold. I did manage to get on hold a few times, holding for as many as 7 hour only to have
the call dropped. I finally started calling the number for PUA only, They couldn't do anything for me except transfer me to
DES. The call was immediately dropped on transfer.
I could go on and on about the details of trying to make contact with DES to no avail. I tried the online contact us several
times. I calles the Governors office and left several messages for Stephanie, the Governor's DES Liason. No reply. I even
emailed the gentleman who published his email address at the bottom of the unemployment statistic report from March. I
called my state Senator and was given a portal to send a message to DES it was claimed that DES had 7 days to respond to
the message sent via the portal. No reply. I contacted numerous department heads via email and voicemail. No reply. The
one time that I finally got through to DES by phone I held for 5 hours. That was last Wednesday. I was asked a series of
05/18/2020 Mrs Michelle Harris questions, I was told they have everything they need to calculate my claim, and I could expect an email and
correspondence from DES by the end of the week and a direct deposit by Monday May 18th, today. Sunday night I received
an email stating that I have a communication from DES but I woukd need to allow 24 to 48 hours for the message to show
up on my claimant account page. REALLY??? An email to tell me I will have a message in 2 days!!! How incredibly
inefficient. I received my correspondence Monday morning, today. It has numbers from an occasional job I had a t a living
assisted facility. It was more like a volunteer position, I enjoyed the residents and would full in occasionally on holidays etc.
To cook meals for 30 people. The pay was extremely low and I worked there only occasionally. So what I have so far seems
wrong. Nothing about my wages from my Post Office position which I held prior to working at Mcdo6 High School, and no
mention of the job from which I was layed off due to covid 19 which was at McDowell High School. So 2 months no money.
No resolution.
I am perfectly capable of following directions, I would describe my computer skills as above average. This process has been
a nightmare and makes it obvious that DES coukd not have been serving the people of NC in an efficient manner prior to
covid 19. The DES software and website is a disaster, seems extremely old is not interactive in any way. The verbage is
written for someone who knows how the system works, not for the claimant. The phone system is infuriating. I also tried
Allow â€œattached claimsâ€to be filed by employers. In 2013, changes made to North Carolinaâ€™s UI laws severely
05/18/2020 Mrs. Lisette Fee restricted the ability of employers to file attached claims for their workers. Allowing â€œattached claimsâ€•will be more
efficient and allow greater access to benefits.
05/18/2020 Mr Moses Darden Please Continue to Support Working Families, during This Unprecedented Crisis
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
Nearly 1 million North Carolinians have filed for UI since the pandemic began and estimates suggest that many more have
likely tried but couldnâ€™t get through. At the same time, federal UI programsâ€”passed in recognition of the importance
of wage replacement in this timeâ€”are set to expire at the end of July and December, even as economic projections
suggest unemployment will remain high through 2021 and even beyond.

North Carolina cannot go back to a state UI system that provides too little support to too few people for too short of a
time.

Please consider these recommendations:
Allow â€œattached claimsâ€to be filed by employers. In 2013, changes made to North Carolinaâ€™s UI laws severely
restricted the ability of employers to file attached claims for their workers. Allowing â€œattached claimsâ€•will be more
efficient and allow greater access to benefits.
Change North Carolinaâ€™s weekly benefit calculation. This will put more benefits in workersâ€™ pockets and will be most
needed after July 31 when the federal weekly supplement of $600 ends. Before 2013, North Carolina based benefits on a
05/18/2020 Mr Samuel Todd workerâ€™s highest quarter wages â€“ a system that appears to be in use, for example, in Florida and South Carolina.
North Carolina should base benefits on either the highest quarter wages or the average of the two highest quarters.
Increase the maximum benefit amount, putting more money in workersâ€™ pockets after July 31 when the federal add-on
of $600 ends. North Carolina set its maximum benefit at $350 in 2013. It was not indexed in any way to increase over time.
Before 2013, the stateâ€™s maximum weekly benefit amount was 66.7 percent of the stateâ€™s average weekly wage.
Currently, 40 states have higher maximum amounts than North Carolina, including Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, and
Arkansas. North Carolina should set the maximum weekly benefit at 50 percent of the stateâ€™s average weekly wage,
$850, so the maximum would be $425 and would increase as wages increase over time.
Increase the maximum duration someone can receive benefits, as Georgia and Michigan have recently done. North
Carolina has a sliding scale of 12-20 weeks. Most states have a maximum duration of 26 weeks.
Address roadblocks created by the stateâ€™s low â€œearnings disregard.â€•At a recent House Committee meeting,
lawmakers discussed the problem of employees who have their hours cut but are denied benefits because of North
Carolinaâ€™s low â€œearnings disregardâ€•(1/5 of weekly benefit amount or $70). For instance, if a worker makes $750 a
week and has their hours cut so that they make only $420, they would receive $0 in UI because North Carolinaâ€™s
05/18/2020 Mr Mark Moore Keep compensation going
My mom applied for unemployment in march 17th.she still has not gotten it. She never had much money to begin with.she
05/18/2020 Kirby Lee
is desperate to go back to work.
I would like to know why full time students who were not working or were only working 2-4 hours per week can receive
over $600 per week direct deposited by the NCDES. This is happening as I have witnessed and it is spreading among
05/18/2020 Mr Terrance Moore
students. This is taxpayer money and I do not understand why full time students who do not work or work very little are
entitled to receive these funds.
My last day of employment was March. 31 2020. I have filed and done my weekly recertications. I have Not received one
penny! I call daily. No answer" because all associates are busy sorry for the inconvenience are hold que is full try again
05/18/2020 Unemploment Julie Klaus
later". It's a joke! How much longer are we going to be held hostage? How are we supposed to pay our bills,feed our
families with no money? Your getting paid! Open the state !
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am self employed as a Certified Massage Therapist. My work Dried up the week before the Governor shut me down. After
05/18/2020 Mrs Mary McFarland many , many hours trying Web site and phone calls that were Never answered, I was able to get a claim in. After a few
weeks a statement was sent. The payment is a freakishly low number, basically 2 hours pay per week! I try to work at least
10 hours per week! My husband and I have NOT received any other monies yet, and will be surprised when /if we do.

Navigating the unemployment system has been a nightmare. I have called, faxed and even reached out to my state
representatives for help. The system needs better logistics. First, it is great that more employees have been hired but to do
their job properly they need proper training. My claim has been held up for weeks for a very simple error. I do no
05/18/2020 Better logistics Tanisha Watkins, PHD understand how someone does not see this as a quick fix. Next the phone system should not be a lottery. There needs to
be a better way to communicate with a live representative. Implement a functioning call back system. Also-consider doing
a video to address common mistakes people may make when filing their insurance claims. This could eliminate a lot of
traffic and make the process more efficient. Lastly on DESâ€™s side, their should be an algorithm that categorizes pending
cases based on their difficulty to solve with the most difficult cases going directly to supervisors. I hope this gets better
soon and my claim is resolved. I have been trying since 3/27/2020. Please reach out for further advice.

I filed a claim on 3/29/2020. It has been open since then and unable to get further assistance from anyone, except filing
more complaints. No one is actually assisting getting us unemployment, just finding ways to lay blame. I have called
THOUSANDS of times,emailed everyone ...I am a single mom to a son with special medical needs, who worked full-time, an
American citizen and a taxpayer. I have been unemployed since 3/13 due to symptoms and school closure and furloughed
since 3/24. I have been given the runaround since filing, and that was when I could speak to someone before the new
05/18/2020 Tanya Huettel
"improved" Beacon system, which it has been a full 4 weeks of attempting to get help to no avail. I do not want to be on
unemployment, but we have faced 2 months (about to be a 3rd) without help and I lost my job as a direct result of covid19.
Servers and other peers are making 4x what they made prior to covid19 and have all been receiving help. I know there is
need for so so many. However, we have been overlooked and there is LITERALLY no way to get in touch with anyone or get
help for help, except getting survey requests and writing testimonials and deferring. I am less interested in blaming people
as I am getting help, as we are desperate. I wish and pray legislators could follow that lead. People need help not surveys,
politics, agendas, and rhetoric.

By far the sorriest system I have ever had to work with. Long hold times on the phone only to be disconnected, claims not
handled in the order they were received. I applied for UE and was declined. I have applied for PUA and it is pending now
for over a week. All documents are attached to my claim showing proof of my employment loss and loss of hours. I work a
05/18/2020 John Laughter full time job and worked a PT job before the pandemic. I was laid off from my PT job, and lost most of my OT hours from
my full time position. Although continuing to work 40 hours a week, I feel strongly I should be compensated under the
PUA due to my total loss of my PT position and the loss of my OT hours. Under the ACT it states part time jobs and
reduced hours are covered. Their is a reason I work two jobs. It is because my full time will not make all ends meet. So
this loss of income is hurting us badly. There are frickin people making more weekly on UE than I am bringing home weekly
working 40 hours and being out amongst the Virus. Something is terribly wrong with this. I should be appoved for PUA.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed my claim for unemployment benefits on 3/27/2020. I have filed a certification weekly since 3/27/2020 and have yet
05/18/2020 Ralph Robinson
to receive any benefits to current date.

Employer line is not being answered. They do not even accept someone on hold, it immediately terminates the calls. If
05/18/2020 Laura Wike
DES would work with employers that are trying to accept employees, then it could and would eliminate the amount of
traffic on the employee side, this from an employer that has signed up 85 employees.

I was furloughed 4/3/2020-5/4/2020. Although I am essential and needed. I have been frightened at the fact that I elected
to return to work due to the fact that I hadn't received any unemployment benefits, nor any responses to any emails that I
sent. Currently, to date, I haven't received 1 dime and am in a state of catch-up. Hearing that there would be no wait time
05/18/2020 Ms Sherry Davis
after filing and I would receive an extra $600, I assumed I would be ok while furloughed. That however is not the case. I did
my weekly certifications for weeks and still nothing. I would have preferred to stay home during this pandemic, but I am all
my daughter has and I have no family here, so I had to go back to work. I am truly saddened and heartbroken that NC
unemployment department didn't, couldn't or would not find a way to make sure families could still eat. At this point, I
would like to receive what I filed for. Thank you for allowing me to express my comments.
05/18/2020 Christopher Spillman I filed a claim for unemployment benefits on 3/27/2020. I have yet to receive any benefits to current date.
05/18/2020 Dr. Judith Porter Benefits and duration should be increased.

Hello and thank you taking the time to reach out to my family during this time. Myself, a nanny and my fiancÃ©, a
restaurant manager and bartender , have been struggling with the unemployment system for weeks now, attempting to
receive PUA. When restaurants were closed in the beginning of the pandemic our battle began. For two weeks we
struggled to simply SIGN IN to Kennethâ€™s unemployment profile, due to Hurrican Florence (we lived in Wimington at the
time) we had a previous account. After 2 weeks of calling unemployment, I was finally able to speak with someone about
resetting our account and we were finally able to sign in and make a claim this wasnâ€™t until mid-April, the 16th, I
05/18/2020 Ms. Kelsie Schwarzel
believe. Now, a month and a half later we are still awaiting benefits, finally being approved last week after several emails
and phone calls to state representatives and others. 3 weeks ago I too was told my job would start to take cuts and my
employer advised me to apply for unemployment. I have been waiting and calling for 3 weeks with no progress on my
claim, just a â€œpending resolutionâ€ , like I saw on my fiancÃ©â€™s for weeks! Months of waiting for unemployment
means months of unpaid bills and rent. As the time moves on we just wait and hope. When I get stressed I try and remind
myself we are just one family, this is happening to millions of others all around NC and the country, the world for that
matter. I hope my one story can help you to see the truth of the matter and make the proper changes and adjustments
when dealing with this issue. Thank you again for taking your time to listen.
The reduction of unemployment benefits a few years back was harmful to workers, their families and the economy of the
05/18/2020 Mr Stephen Roberts
state of NC. Please upgrade our system to the rest of the USAs states.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed for unemployment on March 22,2020. As of May 18,2020 I still have not received any money.I was in contact with Ed
at Senator Steinburg office
05/18/2020 Mrs Deborah Midgett 1 to 2 times a week . He has been sending letters to the Unemployment offices each time I contact him.Can you please
help me get my unemployment. I need to pay my bills. Also it would have been helpful if I would have received a call or
message to let me know the status of my claim and if any additional information was needed. I did receive a couple of
emails but it was just an general email.Thank you

We need to address the Unemployment Insurance system in NC, as it is one of the worst in the country. Almost everyone I
know had to file for unemployment because of COVID shutdowns, including myself, and half or less actually were approved
and received benefits. And benefits received are frequently just not enough, or won't be when the federal help ends in July.
We don't know when all of this is going to be over, and we need to take care of our citizens better. Some thoughts are
below on ways we can improve the UI system.

Increase the maximum benefit amount, putting more money in workersâ€™ pockets after July 31 when the federal add-on
of $600 ends. North Carolina set its maximum benefit at $350 in 2013. It was not indexed in any way to increase over time.
05/18/2020 Ms Emma Bogdan Before 2013, the stateâ€™s maximum weekly benefit amount was 66.7 percent of the stateâ€™s average weekly wage.
Currently, 40 states have higher maximum amounts than North Carolina, including Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, and
Arkansas. North Carolina should set the maximum weekly benefit at 50 percent of the stateâ€™s average weekly wage,
$850, so the maximum would be $425 and would increase as wages increase over time.
Increase the maximum duration someone can receive benefits, as Georgia and Michigan have recently done. North
Carolina has a sliding scale of 12-20 weeks. Most states have a maximum duration of 26 weeks.
Address roadblocks created by the stateâ€™s low â€œearnings disregard.â€•At a recent House Committee meeting,
lawmakers discussed the problem of employees who have their hours cut but are denied benefits because of North
Carolinaâ€™s low â€œearnings disregardâ€•(1/5 of weekly benefit amount or $70). For instance, if a worker makes $750 a
week and has their hours cut so that they make only $420, they would receive $0 in UI because North Carolinaâ€™s
maximum weekly benefit amount is $350 ($420-$70=$350). Lawmakers should increase the earnings allowance and
increase the maximum weekly benefit amount.

Please allow " attached clames" to help the difficulties individuals encounter when trying to file. Please raise the max
amount, as we know N.C. is one of the lowest in amount allowed in the country, with over 40 states giving more. Also,
05/18/2020 Mr. Stephon Whitley
extend the duration as we know N.C. dropped it's duration years ago and never extended it. I work as a organizer and I
have met with many people who have gripes about this system. We should not want to be known for having the worst
anything, certainly when it comes to taking care of our citizens.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

The State's unemployment insurance program is not working well and some simple changes will enhance the program. I
respectfully request that you enact these changes:
1. Allow â€œattached claimsâ€•to be filed by employers.
2. Change North Carolinaâ€™s weekly benefit calculation, beginning at least by July 31 when the federal weekly
supplement of $600 ends, to use a workerâ€™s highest quarter wages or the average of the two highest quarters.
3. Increase the maximum benefit amount to the maximum weekly benefit at 50 percent of the stateâ€™s average weekly
05/18/2020 Philip Telfer
wage.
Increase the maximum duration someone can receive benefits to at least 26 weeks.
4. Address roadblocks created by the stateâ€™s low â€œearnings disregard" by increasing the earnings allowance and
increasing the maximum weekly benefit amount.
5. Adopt Work-Sharing/Short-Time Compensation Option for Employers to make workers with the reduced hours eligible
for partial unemployment benefits. as recently recommended by the U.S. Department of Labor in the implementation of
the CARES Act.

The chat line is a joke. I finally brought employees to my office to work on the status of unemployment from the end of
05/18/2020 Laura Wike March. After being on "hold" through 126 people in line, you get a representative that has NO knowledge on the
unemployment, however, they are happy to connect you to a supervisor "LaLeah" that within minutes disconnects the
chat. YES, it happened multiple times through and outsource company called MEDCHAT.

To the Senators:

I want to give my strong support for increasing UI benefits up above the current minimum and extended past the current
time period, at least until there is national debt forgiveness and a rent/mortgage payment freeze. This is not a free ride.
05/18/2020 Rachel Barkley Taxpayers have been contributing to this and other NC systems, and therefore they should be allowed to reap the benefits
of what they paid into. People who have been working for decades are losing jobs in businesses that may not come back,
and they have earned appropriate compensation that is beyond what the state allows. Not helping these workers will
devastate communities both economically and socially. Small churches will die if their parishioners cannot contribute to
the church because they have all lost their jobs. Small grocery stores will close if their customers cannot even buy food for
their families. If the state cares about small businesses and religious freedom, then it will extend UI benefits which can
allow people to continue being part of their community.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Dear Senators -
Most importantly, I am requesting that you reduce the maximum allowance, or waive it for a temporary period to assist
those of us working reduced hours. The maximum allowance is very low, and it took me some time to realize that even
though I am allowed (and got approved) for UI while working reduced hours, the level of income expectation for those
working reduced hours is very low. I have heard comparatively to other states, NC sets the bar really high. Therefore,
there are many Americans able to receive the federal benefit available that North Carolinians are not able to because of
these challenges with the maximum allowance.

Secondly, my husband is self-employed and we are struggling to figure out how to obtain assistance, and now that his
hours are increasing again, if we are able to receive payments for March/April where his income level may have qualified (if
unchanged from my above comment). He has tried to reach an employee by phone several times, but not surprisingly, is
05/18/2020 Ms. Lindsey Hesch
unable to get through. I understand these are unprecedented times and the volume of requests compared to the number
of employees is likely overwhelming. However, I am really hoping that there are things in place that will allow him to
receive benefits for March/April due to these filing/assistance hurdles, and time is running out for the $600 federal
supplement to be obtained.

Between the both of us, we are facing hardship from our normal income, and have not been able to obtain state or federal
assistance. Albeit many other North Carolinians are struggling more, and we are grateful we are not worse off, we are still
facing challenges that I know you, our elected officials can help with .

Thank you for your consideration. I know there is a lot on your shoulders in these times and always!

Sincerely,
Lindsey Hesch

It is very difficult to try and help employees that have the initial sign up in March, and have not received benefits when
they have friends that file and IMMEDIATELY receive their benefits. Work on the back log before taking care of the new
05/18/2020 Laura Wike
cases. These employees went without work for 3 weeks and haven't received benefits. The claim is correct because as an
employer, I filed the initial claim and 1/2 of my employees received theirs and the others have not!!! These employees
need their benefits. It does no good to call, if you get through they can't answer your question or repeatedly hang up.
I have had a "pending resolution of reduced hours" for more than 5-6 weeks now. It is impossible to get any help on the
05/18/2020 RN Andrea Sapp phone , or via the online chat. The online chat does nothing but refer you the telephone, which you cannot ever get anyone
on the phone in a timely manner. This is very frustrating.
I am self employed and did not know that a different provision (PUA) was in the works. I have sent in documentation of my
05/18/2020 Mrs Margaret Mayer self employed status, my 2018 1099 and my invoices to receive payment for my work for 2019 and YTD 2020 (March). I
have not received any benefits.
Itâ€™s completely ridiculous that you have to wait for the system to mark your UI claim as ineligible before your PUA can
05/18/2020 Mr Brent Morrow
kick in. Itâ€™s been over a week.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I have been out of work since April 6. It took me 4 weeks to figure out my username because, even after sending multiple
05/18/2020 Shawn Ridgway
messages through the online portal, I didnâ€™t get a response to any of the messages. Was finally able to speak to
someone and got my username. I filed on around May 5, buy I have still not received any unemployment.

The NC DES website lists my status as open,my effective date as 04/12/2020,and my claimant ID as [REDACTED]. It also
shows,under "issues delaying payment"an "interview,forced resignation" line. This is not actually what happened in my
situation,and I have tried,for a few weeks now,to talk to an actual human being to try and remedy/explain this,but have
05/18/2020 IRA GREENE been unable to get through on the NC DES contact number at all,at any time of day. I realize these are unique times we are
in and that a significant burden has been place on the DES system,but I do find it very frustrating that this far into this
process I still cannot obtain any help on this issue. Thank you.....

Ira Greene

I support improvement to unemployment insurance in North Carolina. Although I have been lucky enough to still have a job
during this time nothing is guaranteed. At any point any resident of the U.S. can be facing an unemployment crisis and we
05/18/2020 Ms. Phoebe Gooding all deserve to be supported when a pandemic of this nature is upon us. To no fault of their own many people have lost
their jobs. However, our government officials are still employed and they need to keep doing their job to protect and help
us through the hardest of times so it is your duty to support the improvements to unemployment insurance in order to
support the people of North Carolina.

I applied for benefits on April 24 2020 I have been in a pending state since. On yesterday(May 16,2020) I tried the chat
function finally made it to number 1 in the queue then it stopped.I then called the PUA line since that is the program I am
trying to get benefits from(I am self employed) and got through the only thing that the customer service rep could tell me
05/18/2020 viola williams is that my claim was pending and that no more information was available.I have the utmost respect for the call center
workers know they are doing the best they can but how can the great state of North Carolina lag behind Georgia in
completing application and paying benefits or at least getting an answer?I say that about Georgia because co musicians
that I contract with on events had no issues other than the denial then they went right into the PUA with no issues.Please
help thank you for your time

Filing has been a so confusing. I was a gig worker for most of last year so my initial claim was denied but I appealed my
claim and never heard back. I then refiled for the PUA and was approved and was getting payments. Now I see two claims
05/18/2020 David Spector
on my profile and I did not get my payment. I called 72 times before I was able to get into the queue and talk to someone
sho then said that they had to transfer me to someone else just to be told to call back by a recording and I do not have that
number to try. I understand that this is a unusual time but there needs to be clearer information.

I assisted my dad with applying for unemployment in April. He is a barber and unable to work. He was determined eligible
for PUA. He has received one payment which was paid within 2 weeks of applying. No other payments have been sent. The
05/18/2020 Annette Eubanks amount provided is confusing and no explanation was provided concerning how payment was determined. Tried to call
after a long wait we hung up. We also tried to chat with a representative. After waiting for the 102 individuals before us we
disconnected. Several have not refer any funds. We have a Governor who has closed businesses and individuals who have
tried to get assistance with no relief.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I have been layed off from my job, due to COVID-19, since March 18, 2020 and still have not received determination
information regarding my claim for unemployment. Status has shown pending resolution for 9 weeks. I have tried to call
DES at different times of the day, for hours at a time, only to hear "sorry, but our hold queue is full, please call back at
another time". No matter when you call you cannot get an agent or you get disconnected. I've tried "Chat" only to find out
they are not DES agents and can't help me. I've called my local NCWorks to ask if there was another way to get the
05/18/2020 Elizabeth Shook
information I needed. They took my information and said they would forward it to an agent who would call me back. That
was 3 weeks ago. I am thankful my husband is still able to work, but even his job has cut hours/days off his workweek. He
also has been waiting on his status for some weeks he didn't work. We have depleted what little we had in savings,
including our Stimulus, so not sure what to do next. What's the point of updating your website and hiring more people if
you still cant get the information you need. This pandemic has taken its toll on everyone. Please fix this problem ASAP for
now and the future.
It is ridiculous to think that $350 per week would be enough to sustain anyone single let alone with a family. We are not
05/18/2020 Mr. Almer Butler asking for anything that you yourselves wouldnâ€™t demand for you and your loved ones. We need 26 weeks and a much
higher weekly benefit amount.

Was separated by my company, based in Ohio, on March 20, 2020. I immediately filed for UI in North Carolina and was
denied and told to file in Ohio, by NC DES. I had been trying to get my UI from Ohio since 3/20 and they continually denied,
as it turns out, because I was supposed to file in NC since my separation on 3/20. I refiled in NC early May and have not
gotten any updates concerning my filing. I have called at least 10 times per day at different times and have yet to speak
05/18/2020 Wayne Birch with anyone. I have used online chats (with an average wait of at least 1 hour as I get processed in the que) and received
only very basic information on my claim and a consistent "we do not know when your claim will get processed." In
addition to this extremely frustrating experience, I was told that my claim would only be good for May, 2020 and will not
be backdated from time of separation. HOW IS THIS FAIR? The NC DES denies my initial claim and tells me to file in
Ohio....Ohio denies my claim because (and they are correct) I should have been filing in NC since March...so now I am not
eligible for the UI benefits since 3/20? I have not received any money for any claims and am past due on several bills
because the NC DES was wrong from the 3/20 claim. Please help. Thanks.
Our unemployment system has been systematically reduced to the point it is too hard to get and way too little to live on,
05/18/2020 Mr. Dennis Raines
and way too short term!! Please fix this! NOW!

Something has got to give as it relates to how Unemployment Insurance is handled in this state. It is not enough to live off
05/18/2020 Mr. Thomas Hefner
of, the system is not getting people enrolled in a timely fashion, and in general is not there when needed by those that
need it. It is not a good look for North Carolina and we can and must do better.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Claim number: [REDACTED]
To Whom it May Concern:
I filed a claim originally 3/29/20 which I was deemed ineligible for benefits due to insufficient income. I believed I may
have filled out some of the information incorrectly and refiled 4/5/20 to reflect the correct information for both states I
lived and worked in during 2019. I uploaded my furlough documentation from my current employer at the beginning in my
claim. This claim has shown pending since that time. I later uploaded my 2019 tax return and both W-2â€™s from my 2019
employers. I have also filled out the Claim status check in the DES system and nothing has come from it. My file still says
05/18/2020 Charles Murray
there is a pending issue delaying determination but it does not state what that issue is. If I am still ineligible due to lack of
time being employed in North Carolina then I would like the issue to be resolved so I may apply for PUA benefits. I have
been furloughed since March 29 and cannot accept any other work as I am under contract with this company and would be
liable to return various sign on and relocation bonuses I accepted. I have attempted to call almost daily and have remained
on hold for hours at a time only to be disconnected. I would like my unemployment issue resolved so that I may begin
receiving so that I can receive something. I have been able to contact some of the non-DES phone support. They are very
polite but canâ€™t help as I need to be able to get ahold of a DES representative and I get disconnected after 2 hours.
Iâ€™ve sent several emails to DES employees that I found on facebook groups, but basically no help. Please review my
case. I want to move forward.

Problems with claim since 3/26/2020. Finally received 1 payment for 3 weeks but no payment for the past 4 weeks! I have
called everyday still canâ€™t get through. The online chat is a joke as no one can seem to be of any help and they tell you
05/18/2020 No payments! Erica Holland
to call for assistance about your claim. This morning I actually got in a hold queue to only all of a sudden be disconnected &
now canâ€™t get through again. This is the 4th week of no payment & donâ€™t know what changed from the payment I
did received in mid April.... I need my money!!

Terrible, You're not able to tell where your case stands. Being the times are what they are I don't feel as if we should have
05/18/2020 NO Name to go through all these steps to receive help. I have filed for over 6 weeks now and not ONE DOLLAR in assistance has come
my way, ZERO, NONE. The system may be ok itself but the "powers that be" running the show need to stop act as if they
are "gods" and putting people through all kinds of crazy processes being the current situation.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

The short duration and low maximum amount of benefits available under the current unemployment system in North
Carolina is unacceptable. Too many North Carolinians are struggling due to the pandemic, and we need your help. This
isn't about merit or willingness to work-- we lost our jobs through ZERO fault of our own.

It will likely take the economy some time to recover. Meanwhile, employers have no idea how their bottom line is going to
be affected. This will likely mean they won't hire at the previous rate or recall people off furlough right away. And as you
know, some employers won't survive the shutdown, including far too many small businesses. People need to continue to
receive unemployment benefits until there is true, solid recovery-- meaning, jobs are actually available. In addition, the
05/18/2020 Mrs. Eileen Sullivan amount of benefits needs to be adjusted upward so that people can cover their *actual* living expenses. At the moment,
people are experiencing such a shortfall between the amount of unemployment benefits they receive versus bills &
necessary expenses that they're depleting their savings, pulling money out of their retirement accounts, and so on. That's
not right. In the end, this depletion of personal resources due to the pandemic response is going to harm everyone, and
make all of us less resilient.

Finally, please allocate some money to fix the NC DES website. It's a nightmare and completely inadequate for the amount
of traffic it's currently having to handle. They clearly need more staff as well, to process all the claims they're receiving in a
timely manner. I'm self-employed and applied on the first day PUA was made available, and my claim is *still* pending in
spite of having provided all the information (1099 + income tax returns) to prove my income. North Carolinians are
urgently in need of assistance from DES and right now, it's just not coming fast enough nor doing enough to keep us afloat.
And if benefits stop before the economy recovers, we may never rebound from this.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My initial claim was Dec 2019 due to a fire that happened at the restaurant 2 days before Christmas. Imagine the emotions
on Christmas. My unemployment ended March 22. We are now in lockdown I canâ€™t go to work but I thought we were
going to be ok since we the president signed an executive order saying extensions were going to occur. I had issues calling
unemployment from March till after April 24. Continuing to file weekly not understanding what is taking so long for my
unemployment to go through, on April 24 the pua was introduced. So I thought well this is it. I must apply for this and then
I can get the help needed. Well nothing happened. A little over a week ago May 8th I called unemployment and I got
through. Finally I am going to bet everything fixed. Iâ€™m on hold from 8 am till 11am before I am hanged up on. I tried
calling back and couldnâ€™t get thru. Monday May 11 I called I wait from 8-430 on hold. I finally talk to some one and they
05/18/2020 Mrs. Tracy Hunt
said I am needing a Puea and no one knows when itâ€™s happening but lee filing and eventually I will get paid. What kind
of answer is that? I am a mother of 3 children. I have had no income in 2 months and no one has answers to give me but
hang on. Iâ€™m drowning in debt. Next month donâ€™t get us thru this week. We meed help now, we needed help last
week. This system has failed my family. Iâ€™m thankful my car company waived my car payment for the month of April but
I am behind my Payments for May. I have completely lost my car insurance. Iâ€™m surprised my landlord has Not kicked us
out. My light bill is close to the 1000 thatâ€™s due and internet is probably going to be shut off after May. Hopefully my
children will be done with there school work. We are in a bad bad struggle all because we were already on unemployment.
Meanwhile I have friends not only getting their regular unemployment but getting the pua and getting 800 plus a week.
And myself and my kids are scrounging to survive. I do not receive child support help. My mother died during this
pandemic leaving behind bills on how to take care of her burial and I have never felt more alone. We come from nothing
and I have done nothing but work my butt off to take care of my family. Now I am stuck at home playing teacher and a
thatâ€™s fine. We just need help that we were promised from the unemployment. Thank you for listening.

Absolutely the worst experience besides the shutdown itself. Being a independent contractor and being told to file the
evening we were shutdown the 23rd, I did what was asked, I even stayed home ... but day after day week after week
nothing from unemployment, Iâ€™d call it would be a recording stating call back or i couldnâ€™t even get that far also half
the time I couldnâ€™t even get on website. Almost 5weeks later finally get the process started assuming that government
wasnâ€™t allowed to grant approval to self employed .. what a nightmare to sit and wait stress and no money at all ... and
05/18/2020 Government wasnâ€™t prepare Marcella Hardy
no one to call and talk to, no way to communicate and having to make 50+calls a day to try and get thru... hopefully we are
about to open back up and I can go back to work. Our luck once we all get back, another shutdown or spike will hit again
to make us close down and do this all over again! Iâ€™m sorry I had to reach out to senators but I was absolutely
devastated that we werenâ€™t goinna make it with no money no food banks here nothing ... govt have people on food
stamps extra food but when I finally applied denied for the income I had made previous month. Like all this was all wrong
... no one was prepared for this
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Good morning, first of all let me say that I have not business savvy so I have had to depend on my sister on a daily basis to
help me with this stuff. We filed my claim on 3/18/2020 and there were two items that popped up

1. Questionable Identity-SSA Pending Resolution
2. Lack of work due to Coronovirus Pending Resolution

I am not sure what either of these mean so both of us started calling on a daily basis to see if we could get thru to try and
get to the bottom of this with no luck as of today. I am 64 ears old trying to raise my 13 year old granddaughter that lost
her mom in a car accident on an income of just around 10K per year. I work a part time job in a sewing room. I need my
05/18/2020 Dianne Dawes
unemployment if I am eligible for it. My sister has spent countless hours calling the number on the website with no luck.
We were finally advised to reach out to our senator which my sister helped me with and Regina was very helpful in getting
us a form to complete and hoping that would help to expedite things but we are still waiting. My employer told me and
one of my co-workers that she did not have to send in any paperwork for me but my sister disagreed and had me question
her about it and then she told me that she had just sent it in but she did not think that I would be able to draw anything
because I did not work enough hours. I don't know how all of this works but its people that need the help that can't seem
to get it or find anyone that is able to help us. I have started back to work on May 12 so I am no longer filing for
unemployment and have tried to call in to let them know but still unable to get thru so my sister is going to work on that
today for me. She has had her own struggles with her unemployment too. I hope that we can get this resolved soon. I am
unable to take any phone calls when I am working so I am sometimes hard to reach but my sister Darlene Paul is familiar
with my situation and able to help if needed. Her email address is darlenep29@gmail.com and she can be reached at 919-
794-1721. Thank you for any help that you may be able to offer.
Filed for unemployment as substitute teacher in the CARES ACT and waiting on a response for four weeks. Iâ€™m not
05/18/2020 Robert Mitchell
eliable under state unemployment law, but feel I wouldâ€™ve covered under CRES ACT.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
Public Comment on DES experience 05/18/2020
Dear Committee Members,
My name is Kelle Tunstall and I am a licensed massage therapist specializing in Oncology Massage, and certified
lymphedema therapist in Cary, NC. My business Kneading Zen, LLC. serves clients with complex medical conditions like
Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis and Lymph Edema.
I am writing to share my experience with DES and all of you in the hope that it will be of use going forward. I am not angry
at the people who ultimately answered my call, or the politicians, because nothing like this has happened in my lifetime. I
passionately believe when we know better, we do better. Please know I believe there is a lot of room to do better with this
feedback.
March 16, 2020, I closed my business out of an abundance of caution for my high-risk clients, I do not regret that decision.
After I closed, I spent time cleaning, sanitizing, stocking, and preparing the office to reopen mid-April, or May, knowing that
it could go longer depending on compliance with Stay at Home orders.
I have been in business for 9 years. I am a cash business that pays its estimated taxes every year and end of the year
adjustment as needed.
05/18/2020 Kelle Tunstall On March 22ND I applied with the North Carolina DES for unemployment. I was denied; because in 2018 I worked part-
time as a massage therapy instructor, and they did not recognize any of my full-time income with Kneading Zen, LLC.
I reapplied on April 16, 2020, since I learned they had changed the application to include self-employed and independent
contractors. I noticed a change in the application process noting the addition of self-employed questions and self-
employed income. I was denied again for the same reasons as above.
I applied for PAU and was finally approved with some back pay, on May 10, 2020, but the determination history again is
still only recognizing only my part-time wages. I called promptly at 8:00 am on Friday, May 15, and was placed in the que.
After 5 hours, 55 minutes on hold a representative answered, I asked them to confirm that they had all the documentation
I had done online showing my self-employment income with Kneading Zen, LLC. they confirmed they had, and that DES is
behind on reviews of these documents. They assured me that they would be making adjustments and I will receive
notification in the coming weeks. With every question I was put back on hold while the representative looked for an
answer to my questions. In total I talked to the live representative for 1 min. Only to learn that everything is still
processing, and they could not give me a date of when the final determination will be completed.
As of today, I continue to do my weekly certifications, and do what I have been doing waiting, and watching the website
Please know that while I have not filed a claim for unemployment insurance, your outreach to NC citizens is very important
and whatever I can do to help get any messaging out via our members of the Military Officers Association of America,
05/18/2020 COL (Ret) Jeri Graham
count on us in communities across the state.
Never Stop Serving.
So this is a follow up to my previous comment. Today I have attempted to call DES twice. Both times I was hung up on.
05/18/2020 Artist Robert Hernandez Why are the call centers understaffed - still! Why are the call centers not working 24/7? I have zero income - zero! NC
DES should be ashamed. So here goes month #3 with zero income.
Never can get thru on the phone... haven't received any benefits since claim filed 3.13.20 .. laid off week before Gov.
05/18/2020 Mr John Cole
Mandate... now over two months ...
Please consider increasing unemployment benefits for citizens whom are not only affect by COVID-19 crisis but also
have/had difficulty obtaining employment before, during and after the crisis. Citizens across our state are struggling to
05/18/2020 Child Care Teacher STEPHANIE SMITH
provide for their children and families. Increasing the unemployment benefits can prevent homelessness, children from
going hungry, mental illness and so much more.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

05/18/2020 Mr. Daniel George Filed on 4/3/2020 because of working hours reduced to 20 hours a week, claim still says "Lack of work due to coronavirus -
Pending Resolution". I have received determination that I am eligible but that is all in almost 2 months now.

My applying for unemployment benefits was a huge stressful, complicated mess. Everything seemed to be made
necessarily complicated and constantly stalled. It felt like they want you to get frustrated & give up. Had I not stumbled
across the information to get in touch with Mrs. Lown, I would still be stressing about this as well as just being tumbled
about in the system. No one had ever told me I needed to get denied for Unemployment in order to start the process
going on my PUA. I was also getting things in the mail that I shouldnâ€™t have. It was crazy. Recently I did get approved
and got my 1st payment with backpay. But even yesterday, logging into my account, thereâ€™s new information that has
been added that I foresee being more potential problems. So even tho I was approved and got my 1st payment, will I
05/18/2020 Emily Holland
continue to get any more? Will there be a weekly payout like thereâ€™s supposed to be? I have no idea.
This has all felt like even though I lost my job, I now have another job as a stressed out secretary trying to make sense of
something that has no rhyme or reason.
The only thing that has helped was getting in touch with Mrs. Lown, who has been a wonderful help and some source of
sanity. She was able to get me in touch with Unemployment, via them calling me. That got my initial 1st payment done.
Where it goes from here with the new info they just added to my account, that to me looks like potential blocks, is yet to
be seen.
Stressful times, made worse by complicated systems.
However, I am thankful that I did get at least my 1st payment.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
Greetings.
Type of business: Limited Liability Company. Doing Business as Edenton Bay Cruises, Registered to do business in NC with
the Secretary of State,
Position: Manager/Member, Self Employed.
Nature of Business: Waterfront cruises of Historic Edenton
Period of Operations: Annual. Revenue Generation: 1 April through 31 October.

Initial Contact with the Division Of Employment Security (DES): 08:30 am, May 7, 2020 via phone.

Resolution: Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PAU) Claim accepted and approved for payment: May 12, 2020.
Expected receipt of payment: 7-10 business days. End date: 22 May,
The PUA application although frustrating was ultimately successful.
I did not encounter the excessive times being placed on hold initially reported in the media. Hold times were common but
considering the overwhelming numbers of new standard NC unemployment claims being handled I do not feel they were
05/18/2020 Capt. Mark Thesier overly excessive.

The problems I encountered in placing my claim, were not personnel related. Most agents although trained in accepting
NC UI applications were not at all well versed in the PUA program or process. A training issue and not the fault of the
agents. Initial phone contacts were referred to non-existent PUA agents. Transferred calls repeatedly resulted in the call
being abruptly terminated. Most likely phone system issues which can be fixed.
After 6 unsuccessful phone calls I contacted Senator Robert Steinburg's Office gain his insight as to what was the process
and how should one navigate an obvious overwhelmed system.
After17 subsequent phone calls over the next 4 days my application was accepted and approved 2 days later.
In summary, the process required 24 phone conversations over a period of 6 days. Cash in hand will require an additional
7-10 business days for worst case total of 16 days.

Problems as I perceive them:
The Federally mandated PUA program administration by DES has overwhelmed an already extremely stressed Department

05/18/2020 Alex Yost Hello. I have spoken with Rebekah a week ago but no one has emailed or called about my questions about my claim. I
know it is extremely busy but I would appreciate someone getting in touch with me ASAP. Thank you!

I filed March 18th has been ineligible since then. Yet being self employed my initial claim has never been processed. So
05/18/2020 Jonathan Roberts
April 29th I had to file again when we self employed people could. Iâ€™ve done weekly certifications ever since March I
first filed in March. Still nothing, my pua has been pending ever since I filed
05/18/2020 Teacher Laterria Santana I am unable to look for work as my job is still paying me. My monthly salary is 1200 as a childcare teacher.

As a retired Army Officer on a fixed income, I am not eligible for unemployment insurance. My organization, Military
05/18/2020 Colonel (Ret) Iggi Husar Officers Association of America (MOAA) is a strong advocacy organization for active and retired military service members
and their families. With over 1300 members throughout the State of North Carolina, we want to support the Commerce
Committee in any way we can, consistent the MOAA charter and bylaws. MOAA's motto is "Never Stop Serving".
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I connected with. Mr.McInnis's office,which was so helpful and then connected to a gentleman named Ray who was super
nice,and when way out of his way to help me. He corrected my problem checked on my information and cleared up
05/18/2020 Des Vicki badgett
everything on my filing and I have received my unemployment from the time out of work. And Lynn Taylor was also a
wonderful help to me. Supplied me with wonderful help at this awful time . I have been a hairstylist for 44 years and this
has been a great help.thanks again To the wonderful people who cared.

My unemployment has been stating pending resolution for 6 weeks now. Finally after many attempts got onto chat. Said all
fixed, no explanation said continue weekly certifications. I wasn't comfortable with the answer so I called this morning. To
find that they have changed the recording and that you can leave a call back number. So I went to do that and someone
actually picked up, but couldn't understand a word he was saying being he was foreign. He kept telling me my claim was
05/18/2020 Unemployment status Heather Evans
open I said I was aware of that, but has been pending resolution for six weeks. He said you must wait I said I couldn't
understand you and he said you must wait. So here I am giving someone that's not even from here my social security
number on a phone line that is supposed to be from North Carolina. And still no help trying to figure out what's going on.
I've been approved from my employer weeks ago for leave of absence. So I wouldn't think that would be the hold up. This
is a big joke! It shouldn't be this difficult.

My name is Penny. I got married last year so my last name has changed (there is an issue identify me on UI still pending for
2 months). I filed Unemployment and got denied. On the letter - there is no record of my income from 04/01/2019-this
year (see attached). Which is not right at all. I filed my taxes every year and I usually work 2 jobs all the time. Right now, my
05/18/2020 Mrs. PUNJAPORN Marsigli
office job is closed during covid-19 and I didn't work from home. I also worked at restaurant as a server and they also
closed dining area since 3/16/20. I'm rely on this unemployment and really disappointed that I got denied. I sent several
emails/ phone calls and mail actual letter but no response.
Please help me. I can provide all my taxes documents/ employment history/ or any payments.

On April 11th I filed for unemployment because the company I work for, HomeGoods, decided that because of Covid 19
they could no longer employ us. I was denied a few days later. I talked with my friend who was approved and she had
similar answers to mine. So I filed again then was later denied again. I have tried calling, submitting the online forms,
05/18/2020 Victoria Ballou submitting an appeal and have had no luck getting through. I have emailed my senator and representative and done what
each email told me to do and have not had any luck. I applied for PUA funds and luckily was approved for two payments,
but my fellow associates had received several payments and were able to build their savings. I am overall very disappointed
with how this turned out, not just because I was denied but because no one would tell me why. All of the reasons I could
think of for being denied, I have found a fellow associate who had a similar circumstance and was approved. Please let me
know if there is any more information I can provide. I hope we can improve this situation for others.
Additional comment:

The Federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program is the sole means for Edenton Bay Cruises to remain in
05/18/2020 Capt. Mark Thesier
business.
Respectfully,
Capt. Mark
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I was working 2 jobs at the same time and bringing home approx $500 a week before the pandemic. One of the jobs was a
seasonal job and the other I was working as an independent contractor delivering lost luggage for the airport. When travel
restrictions were put in place, my deliveries dropped so far that I really didn't have a job any more delivering luggage. But I
could not file for unemployment for that job right away because I was an independent contractor. It happened by chance
that the seasonal position hours were stopped on the same day that I could file for unemployment for the luggage delivery
05/18/2020 David Moore
job. When I went to sign up for unemployment, I was under the impression that everyone would get at least $600 a week.
So I thought it didn't matter by this time which job I applied with so I filed with the seasonal position. The hours were cut
for this job but not as a result of the pandemic. I received approval for the seasonal job and it turned out to be $58 a week
(although I was making around $300 on a normal week). I realized after that, that I could not apply for the luggage delivery
job without the seasonal position job benefits being terminated first. I have tried to email and call and cannot get ahold of
the right people and no responses. I have not been receiving income now for around a month. I am perplexed as to how I
cannot get ahold of the right people in the NC DES after calling every day for around a month.
I've been waiting on my unemployment to go thru for almost a month and a half. I lost my job my house. I cant find a job.
05/18/2020 Joushua Seagro No one is hiring. I am in desperate need of money. I have nothing I'm alone and broke I barely eat and every time I call I get
hung up on.

I filed- my unemplyoment before March the 17th. And I still have not recieved a penny. I have done everything I was told to
do. I have made every call I was told to make, My emplyoeer told me that they did not denie me recieving my
unempluoment. But yet I have to have a hearing on the 19th. I am going to lose everything that me and my disabled
fiancee has worked so hard for. I thought I was going to get to use the stimulus money to help with our on going bills. But
the damn state took it for back child support that I was paying every week till this who mess hit. My fiancee had a very bad
05/18/2020 Mr Larry Pennington
sprain in her ankle I was out two days after calling my work. and having it oked then the Covid 19 [REDACTED] hit and I
could not go back due to it being a to big of a risk to her health. She has heart problems, breathing problems, and brain
tumors. We are so far behind when things does start going back to normal we will end up losing everything because there
is no way we can catch everything up, power, water. rent. She is pay what she can out of her disablity and she has
medications that she is not buying in order to try to pay what she can on the bills. And I am afraid something is going to
happen to her.

My unemployment claim has been pending since March 29. I was told that today is the resolution date for it however you
get a different story from anyone you talk to; when you can talk to them. I have yet to speak to anyone other than the
pandemic line because you can never get through to the actual DES. I desperately need these benefits and was told
yesterday that there is nothing holding up my claim and it should have already been paid. Something has got to be done for
05/18/2020 Mr Jonathan Steelman
myself as well as all the others in the same situation who canâ€™t get through to get any assistance! The extra staff That
was hired are outsourced contractors and basically have no access to anything other than transferring you to a line that
hangs up on you. When are we going to see some results? Senator Vicky Sawyerâ€™s office has attempted to assist me
repeatedly with this claim and tells me that Iâ€™m on a list to be called by DES but no one has ever attempted to contact
me. My claimant ID is [REDACTED] and Iâ€™m desperate!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I tried for days to check on my claim status and no one ever answered. I finally chose the option to file a new claim and got
05/18/2020 Phone contact, claim stat Kathy Lucas in the â€œQâ€• . The only information they could give is the claim is still in pending. This will be 4 weeks now that I have not
gotten my check. Iâ€™m not being asked for any more information so I just assume they have all they need from me. It
would be nice to at least get some kind of response or stair update so I would know that it is not forgotten.

I filed for unemployment benefits on 4-4-2020. It was 4 weeks before I recieved my first payment due to a mistake made
by DES last year. I had to call every day for 4 weeks trying to get someone to make the correction needed to start receiving
benefits. In 4 weeks of trying I only spoke to an actual DES employee once, instead I would get third party contractors who
05/18/2020 Jason Strickland were only hired to file new claims and are unable to assist with any problems that occur with a claim. Now my back pay is
being withheld due to a hold that was placed on my account but no one will can tell me what it is or why it's been placed
on hold. There is no one to talk to because the automated calling system hold queue is always "full". And now some genius
has jacked up the server so bad I cannot even log in to file my weekly certification so I can receive what benefits I was
getting.

Whew! Where do I begin! I know this is trying for all including our representatives but..... the customer service of the
agents. The long wait times. The unanswered questions. The â€œsay anything to get them off the phoneâ€antics. Itâ€™s
frustrating. Everyone doesnâ€™t want to be unemployed. Everyone wishes their kids were in school so they can work.
Itâ€™s very frustrating not to get answers or to be treated like your issue doesnâ€™t matter. This is very upsetting and
frustrating. I totally understand the systems were not prepared for this as the worl wasnâ€™t prepared for this. The agents
05/18/2020 Alessia Lynch
should be more empathetic because someone out there just lost it all and needs this unemployment. The systems need to
stop hanging up on people on hold and then an agent says, â€œYou have to understand....â€•Sorry dear. Some people just
donâ€™t. This pandemic has hit our country and state hard. People are really feeling distraught and frustration. In a world
where money seems to be everyoneâ€™s answer, leaving people in limbo and unanswered can be devastating. I just feel
empathy goes a long way and caring goes a long way. More access should be giving to more agents on a specific tier to
help!! Itâ€™s hard. Seems like anything out of the norm with this systems causes us to be lab rats of the system. Some
people get it. Others will never. Thanks for your time in this matter! Much appreciated.

I filed in error of another employer and had my case heard in appeals by Marian Chavis is who was the appeals referee.
Iâ€™m filing against my current employer Tri-Support Systems, Inc whoâ€™s filing # is [REDACTED]. She declared that my
â€œcaseâ€was set in error and not my â€œclaimâ€for unemployment benefits due to Covid-19. That case was then sent
05/18/2020 Suffering/Covid19/nopymts Chris Logan to the Customer Care Center under the Ajudicator Determination #[REDACTED]. Again, I hv yet to hear from anyone about
my case, nor hv I received any payments from filing in March up until today. Iâ€™ll continue to file in hopes to receive bk
pay like I was told by Marian. Plz, Iâ€™m married with a family of 4. Iâ€™ve pushed bk my 2 car pymts for the last two
months and come June 1st I WILL HV TO MAKE A THOSE PYMTS as well as others. This may be my last chance to reach out
to anyone with a platform as u guys hv b4 selling off my possessions.
I did not fill for unemployment, but I helped my girlfriend and mother and law, and a lot of friends try To get Into the
System. NC Is ranked Among the Lowest in the country with Maximum weekly benefits of $350.00 and 12 weeks?! That
05/18/2020 Unemployment System Yisel Pomier Maren has to change.
The eligibility formula has to change so more people can benefit! Something has to happen, so undocumented immigrants
get some type of release!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My account has been on hold since I created it 4/19/2020 and no one will open it because my address and phone number
does not match yet my date of birth and my SSN is correct. Those two vital items should be enough. I created the account
so why is my information incorrect. Supposedly, an operator named Marvin from Texas who gathered all my info sad I am
all set and should receive an email weeks ago.
05/18/2020 Monique Sims
So when I call to check on it and they say they cannot help me because my address and phone number does not match my
VITAL information, it concerns me that that maybe someone is receiving UI fraudulently!

I am wholly sympathetic to the work load but there is no excuse for my being unable to even apply for UI let alone even
see a payment. So very disturbing and disappointing.

I filed for Unemployment in March due to my hours being cut because of Covid. I have had several issues and still have not
received a check. It is IMPOSSIBLE to get anyone on the phone. My status has said Pending Resolution since I first applied,
05/18/2020 Issues with Unemployment Karin Starr there has been issues confirming my employer and according to my employer Unemployment has not reaches out to them.
I've tried emailing but no one has responded back. My hours were cut in half but apparently 24 hours is still considered too
many. It's been approximately 2 months and I still haven't been able to resolve any of the issues or get a check. That is not
acceptable.
Currently, NC Unemployment Insurance benefits of a maximum of $350 per week, and last for only 12 weeks. This is
ridiculous. Compared to other states that provide much more UI per week than NC, and cover up to 26 weeks of UI, NC is
"the stingy state that lets its population starve." Workers will all be looking for work about the same time once it is safe to
05/18/2020 Dr. Donald Nonini
go back to work, and public health scientists tell us that the Covid pandemic will be with us through the summer and into
fall. I call on you to increase both the weekly coverage and the length of coverage to civilized standards, and show some
Carolina pride!

I work in a medical office, on 03/23/2020 we were told that our hours were to be reduced due to covid 19, i applied for
unemployment benefits that day, On the main page it kept saying pending resolution for reduced hours, over the course of
5 weeks i left multiple emails, and could not reach a single person by phone, it would cut me off after being on hold for 30
05/18/2020 yvette childress
minutes. I finally reached out to the state senate, and a secretary of one of the state senates reached out to DES on my
behalf. I received a phone call within 48 hours, found out that a form was mailed to wrong work address, it was finally sent
out to the correct address, and once my employer filled it out online i was approved the next day. It took 7 weeks to finally
get approved!

I have tried to receive assistance through the filing of the PUA and afterwards. A representative made an error and put the
05/18/2020 Unemployment Unassistance Gabriella Hartwell wrong date on when I was unemployed, and I have not been able to receive assistance to correct the error through email
or phone, so that I can receive my retroactive pay. The website itself has also had an abundance of problems with
uploading pages when filing or the process of submitting weekly certifications.
My unemployment was funds were exhausted, I used my 13 weeks. I filed for the extension and it has been pending for 5
05/18/2020 Michael High weeks now! 5 weeks without pay! Someone needs to fix this problem! Are you all still drawing your pay while at home?
Come on fix this!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed a claim for Unemployment back in March because it said Self Employed could file. I got ineligible and went ahead
and filed for the PUA on April 26. Since then I have only gotten another Ineligible on the UI. and PUA is still pending. I
tried the 'chat' and waited an hour to get cut off. I have tried the contact form 4 or 5 times. NO RESPONSE. I have called
05/18/2020 Sharon Kumiega 20 times at least. I have gotten through to an actual person twice after waiting 30 minutes or so, both times they
transferred me and I got a message no one was available and hung up. I emailed Stanley Arnold on May 13. He actually
responded saying he couldn't help me, but was forwarding the email to someone that could. No email from that person.
All I want to know is if I have uploaded all the correct document. I have uploaded my schedule C for 2019 and many other
documents.
I was denied after waiting 2 mos said elmployer said i was let go due to not doing job right. I should have qualified amd
05/18/2020 Regina Banaska actually got a raise so employer lied and im screwed no income for 2 mos and cant speak to anyone i have tried everyday
since i filed

Dear Sirs and Madams,,
My UI benefits ran out the end of March. I was unable to apply as there was no link until the 4th week of April. I was
told to apply to use the PUA URL which appeared on my DES page. I applied almost three weeks ago and it still shows
pending. I spoke with a Tamika at DES . She said I correctly filed a PEUC under the PUA URL. But, she could give no idea
how long it would take for funds to be approved. I have had no income since the of March and basically have no money. I
05/18/2020 MR Gustav T Sun III understand there are many others in the same boat. Please help as we are all in dire need.
Sincerely

Gustav T Sun III
[REDACTED]
Kannapolis, NC 28083
[REDACTED]

I have filed back in march still says pending talked to a rep told me they would expidite my app i would see funds by friday
05/18/2020 Unemployment Ramon Dickerson
call back friday they transfer me then hang up i called this morning stayed on hold 28 min and then the hung up call back at
10 am stayed on hold 37 min then someone picks up goes silent then hangs up .

05/18/2020 Mrs Brenda Allen Claim looks strange, pending resolutions, pending resolution for incorrect employer which makes no sense because they
have the wages from both employers. No answers when calling, no response to emails, no money yet. RIDICULOUS
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Can not get anyone that can actually answer a question.

I have tried to help our other teacher apply for PUA. Some still pending. Last day of work was March 13

Some say PUA. Incomplete. No explanation

One says pending DUA certification check but applied for PUA and shows PUA pending

05/18/2020 Mrs Ronda Harbaugh This morning. No deposit after 3 weeks of deposit and did weekly certification

Held one time four hours and then they hung up
Got a human once and she said sorry. I am working from home and I donâ€™t know the answer. You have to call DES.
??!!

Anyway.
Thankful we qualify for PUA. But it is very stressful and some still not income

I am among many workers in Asheville working multiple jobs and in the service industry in order to make ends meet. I am
approved for unemployment through my claim, but not eligible because I'm working reduced hours at my 2nd job. I've
05/18/2020 Ms. Kim Roney spent dozens of hours over the past 2 months on hold, usually disconnected, and when I finally got through to a human
being through the PUA line, they were not able to help. I've been helping other neighbors as well, and skill sharing with
groups supporting each other. We need solutions! Consider hiring remote workers that are laid off across the state, giving
them authority to handle the task to which they are assigned. We need to be able to make necessary amendments to our
own files or to be able to reach someone who has the authority to do so. To whomever is reading this, thank you.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Hi I am so excited to be giving the opportunity to speak out on this devastating pandemic. The unemployment system is
broken and needs to be fixed. I understand that no one knew when this would happen but there is always a possibility,
North Carolina needs to be better prepared. Its a total embarrassment to the leaders of this great state current and prior
and it WILL speaks volume in the 2020election for Republican and Democrats. I was sent home on 3/17/2020 due to the
pandemic. Due to having a exhausted claim year 5/2019-5/2020. I couldn't file my benefits until 4/24/2020. I have been
05/18/2020 Ms. Jennifer Johnson patiently waiting for my unemployment benefits. I have reached out to DES several times a week and either get hung up on
or the call center rep doesn't have the answers and can not help. You are transferred the call is dropped or you are on hold
for 6 hours or you receive that annoying message that all call reps are busy and the call queue is full. I have received two
fact finders I am not working because of any fault of my own but because of Covid 19. I believe the employers are confused
on how to respond and its causing a problem. The bill collectors still have to be paid. As of today we have no idea when my
job will be opened or if our positions will be needed. We need help and now, not tomorrow. I would understand if people
were lazy and not trying but a lot hardworking people have been dealt a bad circumstance and feel like we have been
abandon by the Congressman and Senators that the American people have elected to represent and be our voice. I didn't
file during that time but I have out of work since and would have if I was able. Thank you for just taking the time to listen
05/18/2020 David Hendrix
Worst system ever,I know Iâ€™m eligible,after 6 weeks they finally said Iâ€™m ineligible!Hundreds of hours spent calling!
I have spoke with 2 people after hours on hold. Both were helpful and kind..it was just the wait time I filed my claim at the
05/18/2020 Miss Tammy Hamm end of march and I have not received payments. Is there away for claims to be processed in the order they are received?
Please help.

Hello, my name is Scott Thrower and I'm the Business Manager for IBEW Local Union 379 (Electrical Workers) and I
represent 700+ members who work in North Carolina. Many of my members have had to use the NC Unemployment
system before and during COVID, and for electrical workers the maximum amount from NC is just not enough to survive
05/18/2020 Scott Thrower
on. Before when it was a maximum of 500 it was tough but now its almost impossible to maintain when my members are
out of work. Also the maximum length 13 weeks is to short, and needs to be restored to the original 26 weeks. I hope you
consider my thoughts when looking at the unemployment system and if you would like to call me, please feel free to do so
at [REDACTED].

I applied for unemployment on 3/28, as I was told that I was eligible for unemployment benefits as well as PUA benefits.
However, the system was NOT set up for PUA at that time, and my claim has stuck in PENDING for nearly 2 months. It
wasn't until I was able to reach someone a week ago that they then added a PUA claim to my account. That claim is not
05/18/2020 Maegan Serra stuck in "incomplete" without notification as to why, and my UI claim is still stuck in pending. I am a 1099 Speech Language
Pathologist & my income has been GREATLY affected by COVID-19. I have 2 babies at home, and no help or assistance with
receiving my PUA. Often times, the website has a glitch and I am unable to even access my claim. No one except for
Senator Searcy has been able to respond to my emails. Customer contact forms and chat have been unsuccessful as well.
This is all so disheartening.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I had filed back in March with a pending issue I called for weeks and couldnâ€™t get through I held for 5 hours one day got
someone that completely messed up and filed a new claim I waited weeks again I called my state representative they tried
then I called last week held for 3.5 hours got the most amazing lady named shierly she helped me with my claim then
05/18/2020 Mrs erica carter
talked to my daughter about hers and all was cleared up that day it took over 2 months but hopefully itâ€™s good now.
(Still waiting on the money to come)But I do worry people are getting paid the wrong amount or things are being filed
wrong because itâ€™s confusing but there is no way to go back and ask for help so I worry that a lot of people will owe
over payments later and canâ€™t pay down the road but itâ€™s hard when you canâ€™t speak to anyone and you have
never done this before and the rules are different for this itâ€™s very stressful even after you get it all worked out.

North Carolina unemployment insurance is not enough to live off of when unemployed. I had been out of work for a few
months prior to the pandemic. I exhausted all of the benefits prior to the pandemic and when I went back to work, I was
laid off again when my job had to shut down. I was not able to get in contact with anyone from DES to start a new claim. I
05/18/2020 Carrie Carmello
had to wait until the pandemic link was added to DES website. I have still not received any payment as my claim is still
pending. I have had to live off of credit cards to buy groceries and other necessities. It is very disappointing and the process
needs reevaluated. People should not have to wait months to receive income when the government shuts down your
employment.

I understand how difficult the surge in claims must be, but after dealing with trying to get a claim approved for a month it
does not seem like the process is getting any better. My wife is furloughed until October and the weekly unemployment
checks would really help out our family.

Our frustrations:
1. I should at least be able to be put on hold. I don't care how long that hold time has to be, let me sit on hold.
2. Better descriptions as to why a claim has not been approved would help avoid having to call. Better estimates on how
05/18/2020 Glenn Hurley
long a claim is going to take would help as well.
3. Language on the website for claims due to COVID is confusing. Should be 1 question, was your job impacted by COVID?
4. Our claim was approved this morning, but we are missing 2 weeks as options to file for certification. We have tried
calling but can't get through.
5. Getting an email saying that a document will be available to view in 24-48 hours is really frustrating. Just let me know
when it's really there.

Rep. Lee Zachary's legislative assistant has been very responsive to my emails and that has been comforting. Maybe there
is a way to give these offices the ability to view information about claims that we can't see. Or just put more information
on the website for the public so we don't have to call and can have a better understanding of what's going on.
The customer call center is a, taxed payers money grab, for that private company, they can not access people account,
05/18/2020 Darryl McNeil just to help with, anything, the only thing, they can do is answer the phone, only to tell you they, cant help, and now
there's going to be a thousand more people who can't help,
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

It's taking weeks to get paid. I finally got my first check on 5/14
05/18/2020 Emily Kerley Now today DES system crashed I haven't received any payment. Even though I filled out my weekly certification. Please
help.
Protect your workers!!
Allow â€œattached claimsâ€to be filed by employers. In 2013, changes made to North Carolinaâ€™s UI laws severely
restricted the ability of employers to file attached claims for their workers. Allowing â€œattached claimsâ€•will be more
efficient and allow greater access to benefits.
Change North Carolinaâ€™s weekly benefit calculation. This will put more benefits in workersâ€™ pockets and will be most
needed after July 31 when the federal weekly supplement of $600 ends. Before 2013, North Carolina based benefits on a
workerâ€™s highest quarter wages â€“ a system that appears to be in use, for example, in Florida and South Carolina.
North Carolina should base benefits on either the highest quarter wages or the average of the two highest quarters.
Increase the maximum benefit amount, putting more money in workersâ€™ pockets after July 31 when the federal add-on
of $600 ends. North Carolina set its maximum benefit at $350 in 2013. It was not indexed in any way to increase over time.
Before 2013, the stateâ€™s maximum weekly benefit amount was 66.7 percent of the stateâ€™s average weekly wage.
Currently, 40 states have higher maximum amounts than North Carolina, including Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, and
Arkansas. North Carolina should set the maximum weekly benefit at 50 percent of the stateâ€™s average weekly wage,
$850, so the maximum would be $425 and would increase as wages increase over time.
05/18/2020 Leah Berger-Singer Increase the maximum duration someone can receive benefits, as Georgia and Michigan have recently done. North
Carolina has a sliding scale of 12-20 weeks. Most states have a maximum duration of 26 weeks.
Address roadblocks created by the stateâ€™s low â€œearnings disregard.â€•At a recent House Committee meeting,
lawmakers discussed the problem of employees who have their hours cut but are denied benefits because of North
Carolinaâ€™s low â€œearnings disregardâ€•(1/5 of weekly benefit amount or $70). For instance, if a worker makes $750 a
week and has their hours cut so that they make only $420, they would receive $0 in UI because North Carolinaâ€™s
maximum weekly benefit amount is $350 ($420-$70=$350). Lawmakers should increase the earnings allowance and
increase the maximum weekly benefit amount.
Adopt Work-Sharing/Short-Time Compensation Option for Employers. Work-Sharing/Short-Time Compensation allows an
employer to reduce the hours of all or some workers instead of laying off a portion of the workforce. Workers with the
reduced hours are then eligible for partial unemployment benefits to supplement their paychecks. For example, instead of
laying off five workers, an employer can reduce the schedules of 25 workers by 20 percent. Approximately 40 states
provide this option to their employers. The CARES Act provides $100 million in grants to states to implement, improve, and
promote Work-Sharing. Recent Guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor recommended states adopt Work-Sharing.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed my claim on March 22nd still nothing. At first it was denied because DES contacted the wrong employer. I had a
hearing on May 8th where it was concluded that they had indeed reached out to the wrong employer. I received an email
from the hearing referee saying that my claim had to be remanded. Prior to my appeal date I was told that because I was
denied I needed to apply for PUA which I did. This was 3 weeks ago. Now all I'm being told is that my UI claim is back open
05/18/2020 Unemployment Benefits Portia D Belcher and PUA is saying pending. I find this to be totally unacceptable! I have other coworkers who has already started receiving
their benefits a couple of weeks ago and I filed before them. I don't know what they expect for those of us still waiting to
do. I've been out of work since March 13th filed my claim on March 22nd. I'm behind on bills, I've received an eviction
notice for my rent, threats for my car to be repoed if a payment isn't soon made. I have children to feed and need to keep
a roof over our head. I can't afford to loose my car because it's my only means of transportation and I'll need it when all
this is over an I'm able to return to work. All of this has been emotionally draining and frustrating! I'm just at a loss right
now and don't know which way to turn. Please help!!!

To Whom It May Concern,
My name is Dr. Ward and I applied for unemployment benefits on March 22, 2020 and have yet to receive any benefits. I
have called daily for the past 4 weeks and have not been able to contact a single representative from the unemployment
05/18/2020 Dr. Courtney Ward office. For about 2 weeks, I would get a message stating that all agents are busy and the hold queue is full. The queue is full
at 8 am. Recently, I have been able to talk to several call center agents. None have been able to assist me and are only able
to tell me the information that I already know-that my case is pending. I have also sent emails which have not been
answered. This situation is extremely frustrating and in my opinion unacceptable. I hope that something will be done to get
this resolved.
05/18/2020 Haven't recieved my pay daquasha mccray Usually recieve payment on mondays
When calling the Unemployment number I can never get through to figure out why my claim has taken eight weeks with no
update. I press option 1 for English and 2 to speak to someone. Itâ€™s always the same thing you have to option 4 and
05/18/2020 Satina Hajj
then no one ever picks up. I have asked to speak to supervisors and not even the supervisors can give me an update. What
am I supposed to do now?

I filed for unemployment on March 24th after being laid off due to Covid-19. I have yet to receive any payments from the
Unemployment office. I have called over 150 times, getting through 3 times. Mailed 2 letters and faxed 3 letters. Call #1 -
took all of my information (March 27th)
Call #2 - 4 weeks later â€œmy payment will be in my account Thursdayâ€•this deposit never happened.
05/18/2020 Mr. Charles Wright Call #3 - â€œitâ€™s above my paygrade to tell you when your money will be in your accountâ€• .

So thatâ€™s the frustrating part. The people that have been hired on as extra help have little accountability and reaching
someone who can actually help is nearly impossible. I had to bypass the english line and opt for the spanish line to get
through those 3 times. Any help would be greatly appreciated in expediting my claim. A call back system should have been
in place early on to deal with the backlog. Thanks for reviewing my comments.
Have not been approved after 6 weeks.... Had a note from my job.... Was furloughed.... Boyfriend was approved in a
05/18/2020 Filed a month ago Christie Bisbee
week... I'm still pending.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Still waiting on my claim to be processed. Call center wait times are terrible. Iâ€™ve called several times and had to be
05/18/2020 Cov19 Filings Christel Rey
transferred to another dept and that department you canâ€™t hold for the call immediately disconnects. This morning I
was told to call after 4 when call volumes are â€œnot as highâ€• . I JUST NEED HELP WITH MY CLAIM!!!!

Where to even begin. I originally filed in March and was deemed ineligible even though I uploaded multiple W-2s but they
were out off State and Iâ€™m guessing they never even looked at them. I waited and waited for pua to open up as I
freelance In the music industry and receive w-2 and 1099 Income. Itâ€™s a HUGE issue you canâ€™t combine Incomes into
one claim and receive the proper amount. I was approved for pua and started to receive benefits but turns out my claim
was not backdated so no backdate pay. As I jumped through hoops for two weeks it seemed everything was finally fixed as
05/18/2020 Chase Wilkes of last Thursday. Plot twist... whoever fixed my backpay also decided to take ONE w-2 and add it to a UI claim which is not
also open. The laziness and incompetence to take just one of my w-2s is mind boggling. I now have two open claims with
pua being 132 a week and a UI claim thatâ€™s says 182 a week which is wrong if you added in my other w-2s. The best part
is as of today Iâ€™m not getting payments now because of this incompetence. Itâ€™s also extremely concerning that the
issue I had with backpay could only be fixed by a senior agent. Whoever fixed it also screwed it up again. What kind of
system doesnâ€™t show who made the last edit? That is the most basic necessity of a system like this. So now what? I have
to spend hours calling trying to get this fixed. None of the multiple income stuff has been addressed, and the people they
hired to answer phones is just more frustrating.

I have filed for my weekly certification and yet to receive payment , it usually is on my phone in the am that Monday. I have
05/18/2020 No payment April Lindsey never had much issues, from what I hear the site was down on Sunday but it still let me file in Sunday because thatâ€™s
when you are supposed to, when are they going to give the payments . This is crazy . And when you call it rings and rings
and rings and you get hung up on numerous of times. This is so unprofessional at it worst.

I was recently laid off on Friday due to Covid-19. After filling out an online application, I was directed to call 1-888-737-
0259, but the queue has been full 3 days now. Calling 100's of times and it doesn't matter if it 8am or 3pm there is not even
05/18/2020 Unable to reach anyone Ursula Carpenter an option for holding or a call back. The online chat is even worse. I was in queue for 4.5 hours at number 125 and the rep
texted that I would need to call 1-888-737-0259 and disconnected only after that one correspondence.
The rep left the chat after I asked other questions. If there is no way to get through ...I don't know how one is to apply for
unemployment?
No major studios will go back to work until 2021. I have been in the film industry for 30 years. Help is needed desperately,
05/18/2020 Motion Picture Hair Styli Colleen LaBaff
especially with not having enough hours of work for insurance!!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed my initial claim in March, I received a letter from DES representative that I did not understand. The letter instructed
me to call the DES customer service number for questions. I called everyday, multiple times a day (50+) calls for almost 4
weeks before I ever got connected into the call que, that call I was on hold for 5 hours straight from 8:00am - after 1:00pm
to speak with someone. That rep. answered my question and input the ticket to correct the technical system glitch but
could not give me a timeline regarding when the issue would be resolved. The issues Iâ€™ve experienced are having
05/18/2020 Ms. Star Hogan questions that are not complexed and having to wait 4 weeks or longer for an answer. The technical issues with filing my
weekly certification and the non response from attempting to contact DES through the client contact form, the Chat form
and the phone means in virtually impossible. My questions regarding my claim are not complexed but they have required
the assistance of a DES representative to resolve. I was also assisted by emailing Senator Michael Garrettâ€™s office and
his office forwarded my request to a DES contact! I have used every means possible and I think the office could do a better
job at assisting those of us in need. If I had to grade DES response during this pandemic I would score it a D-! :(

Thank you for allowing me to submit this comment!

Good morning, when I first filed my claim I input my work history for the dates requested. I have worked in Illinois for
quarter 1 California for quarter 2 and North Carolina quarter 3 and 4 which means I have a combined wages claim. But I
recieved a letter stating that I dont have enough wages for quarter 1 and 2 but wages from Illinois and California weren't
on the letter. I recieved that letter on 4/13/2020 I responded letting them k ow about the wages for quarter 1 and 2 but no
05/18/2020 Jaimie Snowden
response. I was able to speak to someone who gave wrong information. I called back numerous times because they
weren't amswering my questions correctly. I finally got someone on the phone with great listening skills they informed me
my claim was denied but I never recieved a letter telling me that. Then she looked further into my claim amd saw that it is
a combined wages claim but she doesnt handle it. So she transferred me and I held for 3 hour until 7 pm and was told by
the automated system that I had to call back. I did and I spoke with a man who said he will send an email to the analyst to
look into my case. I filed on 3/29/2020, and I am still waiting to hear back from someone.
I strongly support making improvements to North Carolina's unemployment insurance system, specifically increasing the
maximum weekly benefit and the duration of benefits and changing the eligibility formula, which is currently the harshest
in the nation. People who are on unemployment want to work. It's the job of our elected legislators to make sure people
05/18/2020 Mr Jeremy Sprinkle who are jobless through no fault of their own can survive temporary unemployment during the coronavirus pandemic and
beyond. I also support increasing funding for the Department of Employment Security so DES can process more
unemployment benefit claims right now and be better prepared for the next crisis. Inaction on these improvements is
unacceptable!

My unemployment claim has been pending since March. I have sent numerous customer contact forms to see how to
move past the pending status and I did not get a response to any of them. I also called almost daily and was either put on
05/18/2020 Mr Joshua Matheny
hold status for hours on end or the call just dropped all together. I finally got in touch with somebody through the chat
after waiting for a couple of hours and all they did was tell me that I needed to speak with somebody at DES and gave me
the same 888-737-0259 phone number to call. I just want to know how to get past the pending status.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Please extend and Increase benefits. My husband and I both work in the film industry and have two children. We have no
05/18/2020 Renee Goodwin idea when work will ever resume and need support. We have always been busy and had no problem staying employed.
This is a new and scary time for us. As a makeup artist I am especially worried about work.
Please help. Thank you.
I filed unemployment 6 weeks ago I have underlying health conditions and my wife does as well I filled out the claim the
best I could but I have received nothing no call from anyone or emails when I try to call I end up getting cut off I have a
05/18/2020 Mr Byron Crawford letter from my wifeâ€™s doctor stating I should not work as I deal a lot with the public I am at the point though that Iâ€™m
going to have to go back to work because we are not receiving unemployment and canâ€™t make it on just my wifeâ€™s
disability

05/18/2020 Unemployment Amanda Simmons My regular unemployment ran out a 5 weeks ago so unemployment office told me to apply for Padmenic unemployment
and still pending. Could used some of my money caused bills are getting behind and have 6 kids.

Hello,
My name is Sylvana and I thank you for taking the time to hopefully help me with my claim. I filed my claim at the end of
March. It is still in pending status because 2 of my answers were flagged. I have called 1-888-737-0259 numerous times but
can never get through. I called 1-866-847-7209 at 8am on May 7, 2020 and finally spoke with a woman. She told me my
claim is sitting in a â€œdormant cueâ€and never transferred to the â€œprocessing cueâ€due to a â€œsystem glitchâ€ .
She verified all my info and answers and supposedly made the necessary corrections manually. After 30 minutes of being
placed on and off hold, she transferred me to her supervisor as there was still a problem but disconnected our call. She
never called me back. I called back but could not get through. I sent an email to the email address on the website. Later
that day I called again and spoke with Keyana. She said they donâ€™t handle my request at her office but after I explained
05/18/2020 Sylvana Gamble my previous conversation she agreed to help. She apparently pulled up my claim and said it was now showing â€œgreen
light statusâ€•. She said it appears the updates were made by the previous employee. She assured me they had all the
needed info and documents however, I would now have to wait 10 to 14 business days for payment. I continued to check
my claim and noticed it is still in the same â€œpending statusâ€œ. On May 13, 2020, I again called that same number. I
spoke with Faith and after pulling up my claim she said it is â€œnot resolved â€œ and is in â€œon holdâ€•status. She said a
lot of employees have not been properly trained and apologized for what I was told but unfortunately couldnâ€™t help me
any further. She told me I had to call 1-888-737-0259 to have them remove the hold as no one at her office was authorized
to do so, I once again called Customer Service as she referred and could not get through, as expected, I understand these
are unprecedented circumstances however, this type of service, misinformation, and run around is absolutely
unacceptable. I have been patient and understanding up until this point. I would really appreciate if you can help in any
way possible. Thank you again.
Sylvana Gamble
[REDACTED]

05/18/2020 Dr. Woody Eisenberg We need to fix North Carolina's Unemployment Insurance which has been described by our federal government as the
worst in the nation. We provide too little support to too few workers for too short a period.
05/18/2020 Mrs. Donna Pearson Please increase unemployment benefits.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Dear Members of the Commerce Committee,
I write to urge you to bring vision and boldness to redesigning how our Unemployment Insurance program in NC is working
in the time of COVID. I work with low wealth families and have seen first hand how essential it is to make some changes
to how UI operates in our state, in these times.
1) Please recalculate how the unemployment payment is arrived at, and put more money into people's hands. The formula
currently used is based on 2013 wages and this is not realistic in today's world.
2) Please extend, permanently, the length of time people can receive unemployment benefits, to be in line with most
other states. Twelve weeks is not enough under most circumstances, and certainly not now.
05/18/2020 Ms Deborah Scott
3) Please return to allowing more employers to file "attached claims" on behalf of their employees, which will simplify and
streamline the process, and also make the filing more equitable.

Let's take advantage right now of the bright light that this pandemic is shining on our broken systems, and make changes
based on human needs and compassion. It is good business in the long run, to have a work force that can feed itself, get
training, live stable lives and provide for their children.

Thank you.

I have been out of work due to Covid since March 16th. I work for a nonprofit and was approved for PUA on May 4th. I
received my first deposit last Monday, todayâ€™s deposit says â€œpending resolutionâ€ . I hope that isnâ€™t an issue too.
I was told when I applied that I would receive back pay but I havenâ€™t yet. I have tried calling DES day after day and I
05/18/2020 Back Pay Bridget Kiser
canâ€™t get through. I have tried the â€œchat optionâ€only to get stuck around #50 in the queue. Iâ€™ve spoke with PUA
representatives and they canâ€™t help me with back pay. They just tell me to call DES. This has been so frustrating, I try to
keep a positive attitude but itâ€™s so hard when I canâ€™t receive any help at all. I hope you can come up with a solution
quickly so that we may rest our worries.
05/18/2020 Recording secretary Alicia Howard I support improvements to unemployment insurance. I am affected by this.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
Nearly 1 million North Carolinians have filed for UI since the pandemic began and estimates suggest that many more have
likely tried but couldnâ€™t get through. At the same time, federal UI programsâ€”passed in recognition of the importance
of wage replacement in this timeâ€”are set to expire at the end of July and December, even as economic projections
suggest unemployment will remain high through 2021 and even beyond. North Carolina cannot go back to a state UI
system that provides too little support to too few people for too short of a time.

-Allow â€œattached claimsâ€to be filed by employers. In 2013, changes made to North Carolinaâ€™s UI laws severely
restricted the ability of employers to file attached claims for their workers. Allowing â€œattached claimsâ€•will be more
efficient and allow greater access to benefits.
-Change North Carolinaâ€™s weekly benefit calculation. This will put more benefits in workersâ€™ pockets and will be
most needed after July 31 when the federal weekly supplement of $600 ends. Before 2013, North Carolina based benefits
on a workerâ€™s highest quarter wages â€“ a system that appears to be in use, for example, in Florida and South Carolina.
North Carolina should base benefits on either the highest quarter wages or the average of the two highest quarters.
-Increase the maximum benefit amount, putting more money in workersâ€™ pockets after July 31 when the federal add-
05/18/2020 Dr Nathaniel Grubbs on of $600 ends. North Carolina set its maximum benefit at $350 in 2013. It was not indexed in any way to increase over
time. Before 2013, the stateâ€™s maximum weekly benefit amount was 66.7 percent of the stateâ€™s average weekly
wage. Currently, 40 states have higher maximum amounts than North Carolina, including Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia,
and Arkansas. North Carolina should set the maximum weekly benefit at 50 percent of the stateâ€™s average weekly wage,
$850, so the maximum would be $425 and would increase as wages increase over time.
-Increase the maximum duration someone can receive benefits, as Georgia and Michigan have recently done. North
Carolina has a sliding scale of 12-20 weeks. Most states have a maximum duration of 26 weeks.
-Address roadblocks created by the stateâ€™s low â€œearnings disregard.â€•At a recent House Committee meeting,
lawmakers discussed the problem of employees who have their hours cut but are denied benefits because of North
Carolinaâ€™s low â€œearnings disregardâ€•(1/5 of weekly benefit amount or $70). For instance, if a worker makes $750 a
week and has their hours cut so that they make only $420, they would receive $0 in UI because North Carolinaâ€™s
maximum weekly benefit amount is $350 ($420-$70=$350). Lawmakers should increase the earnings allowance and
increase the maximum weekly benefit amount.
-Adopt Work-Sharing/Short-Time Compensation Option for Employers. Work-Sharing/Short-Time Compensation allows an
Claim 11003442
05/18/2020 Mrs DARLENE HENRY I have been waiting 8 weeks for someone to call me and now has as if yet. When will I get my unemployment? Call 336-
202-5506
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My experience with the unemployment office has been interesting. I lost my job on Jan 17, 2020. I started receiving my
compensation and everything was going smoothly. Then the virus reared its awareness. I received as job offer and I
accepted it and was to start on March 19, 2020. The project was closed, and they said they thought it would stat back in a
week. It is still not up due to the virus. I have continued to stay in contact and looking for any other possible
opportunities. I am and educated (Master of Science) person with over 27 years of experience. I am doing everything I can
to work. I am teaching online for a university one course which is not much compensation, but it is something. I have
been trying to get the Federal compensation now for four weeks and still nothing. I have been told I should be able to
receive this, but it is still in a pending status. That means I am living on less then $174 every two weeks. Why would it take
05/18/2020 Mrs Arlene Jones over four weeks to process this claim? They have all my past information; they have the email correspondence about me
starting the new job but being delayed due to the virus. What else can I do? If you need help to work on this, I will be
happy to do so. Unfortunately, people who have been put in this unfortunate situation are dealing with a issues that are
stimming from the unemployment office inadequacy.
I will also let you know I contacted Todd Johnsons office to help me through this process with not help but I was able to
finally get through myself to get the paper work completed.
I hope this will give you some insight of really issues that the North Carolina people are dealing with. I am available if you
have any further questions.
Thank you for the opportunity to share the issues.
Arlene Jones
Indian Trail, NC
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Dear NC Legislative Branch,

I am one of the many people who's income has been impacted heavily by COVID-19. I see how it has affected may people
around me and I also see how our Federal Government and State Government is working to assist us, but not all of us. My
situation is not unique; I have had my hours reduced by 40% by my employer, yet I still make over 20% of what my weekly
benefit would be. In NC this means that my weekly unemployment benefits are reduced for every dollar that I make over
that 20%. For me, this means that my weekly benefits are reduced to $0. I thought "ok, but at least I'm sure I can get the
600 from the Federal government". It turns out that is not the case. I can only receive any type of benefit if I at least get $1
in state benefits, which unfortunately isn't my case, and it isn't the case for many other hard working americans who are
05/18/2020 Mr. Emmanuel Pimentel
still out there working. I feel that it is extremely confusing an unfair that if I were actually fully laid-off, my income would
be significantly more than it is now while I am actually working. I would actually be floating above water. I get that I "still
have a job" and I am thankful for that. I am happy that other people who are fully laid-off are receiving so much in benefits
that they are able to even save and pay off debt. I am, however, unhappy that I have actually thought about asking my
employer to lay me off as a favor to me for my hard work over the past 6 1/2 years so that I can still make ends meet (don't
worry, I won't actually do this). I may not have it "as bad" but I have climbed my way up since I was 15. Working hard and
providing for my family, paying all of my taxes, and doing things that most Americans would do like buying a car etc. I am
having to give up all of that just because of this situation. I am being essentially left out and almost "punished" just because
I am still working. I think that our system here in NC needs to be fixed. It has been almost a month and I don't know what
else to do. I can't look for another job because the hours outside of the 24 hours I am still working weekly I am supposed to
remain on call for my job. I repeat, I don't know what to do and I feel like my government is failing me. All of the people in
my situation feel completely overlooked and unrepresented. Help and guidance would be appreciated.

Please !!!! you have to understand how important it is to give the residence and tax payers of North Carolina an increase in
funding and also a longer pay period , last but not least a more relaxed guide line in order for more of us to be demeaned
eligible for the unemployment
05/18/2020 Medical Transportstion Tara Moore Relief !! ???? While itâ€™s a blessing to even be considered for the unemployment funding, there are many of us who are
being denied for one reason or another ,we didnâ€™t ask to be put in this situation so I donâ€™t think that is fair for us to
have to pay the penalty for it !!! allow for the people of the United States to be able to live and continue to pay their bills
through this time of stress , sickness and depression. Itâ€™s also not fair that we must have to deal with Bill collectors and
others because we have fallen behind in our commitments . Thank you and be blessed ????
05/18/2020 Ms. Kelly Rodriguez There are too many people who haven't gotten their first unemployment check!!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Had awful experience. Submitted my claim end of March and wasnâ€™t approved until May 16th. The direct deposit
method of payment does not work (it is saying my bank does not exist). I tried the chat feature, only to be told I had to
contact DES directly with Complaint via phone. I have not once ever been able to
05/18/2020 Ms. Jordan Gatcomb Get through to someone on the phone. I canâ€™t even get in the que. I called on a Saturday once where you can leave a
call back number and someone will call you. 3 times I tried this and was dropped each time. The 4th time i actually spoke to
someone who was rude, passive aggressively called me stupid and then told me â€œto open a different bank accountâ€•
and was then yet again transferred. After being On hold for 2 hours I was once again dropped. Iâ€™ve emailed 5 different
times with no response.

I initially filed for UI benefits March 22. I never heard anything and could never get through to the phone lines. I filed again
April 24 for the pandemic unemployment and have yet to receive any information. I called the customer service
unemployment line and I cannot get through do you to the hood cute being full. April 24 for the pandemic unemployment
05/18/2020 Need my claim processed Kristin Oakley
and have yet to receive any information. I called the customer service unemployment line and I cannot get through do you
to the hold queue being full. When I called the pandemic hotline they transfer me back to the customer service line which
then tells me that the hold queue is full. Itâ€™s super frustrating that I canâ€™t get any answers or any information or any
help frustrating that I canâ€™t get any answers or any information or any help.
I am still waiting for payment, going on the fourth week. I can not get anyone on the phone to help. I have submitted a
05/18/2020 Cindy Tilley
request online for help to no avail.

This entire experience has been nothing short of a nightmare. Please do not discount my comments because I started the
filing process on 3/15. My last day of work was 3/11. I am a self employed volleyball coach and when professional sports,
the NCAA and the Olympics all canceled I made the socially responsible decision to stop working. My first claim came back
"benefits held, need additional information". I attempted to call the office many times to find out what that information
was and was just put into a hold cue that would eventually disconnect me or told the hold cue was full. I decided the
additional information must be my 2019 taxes (I had originally uploaded my 2018) since I'm self employed that would be
the only way they could determine my income. I completed my 2019 taxes and made my massive payment of $6,000
telling myself not to worry the UI would kick in and I would be ok. Hours and hours spent calling, you know the story...
05/18/2020 Tristy Bittikofer hold cue full or the disconnection. Finally in early May they have more people to answer the live chat on the website. I
finally get thru to a live person after being on the hold for hours. After it taking this person 10 minutes to simply pull me
up in the system she then let me know that she couldn't help me and I needed to speak with an actual DES agent. This next
statement I regret saying, but I said "are you kidding me? this can't be for real... i have been on hold for so long i literally
want to kill myself". I begged and pleaded with her to have her supervisor or someone in DES return my call because it
has now been 8 weeks and I can't get anyone in DES to call or email me back and i can not get anyone on the phone. She
assured me that her supervisor would return my call in 24-48 hours. Within an hour the police came to my house to check
on my welfare. YES she was able to contact the police and send them to my house but as you guessed it NO RETURN CALL
from DES. So my situation is so dire that you can call the police BUT you still have yet to help me. Here we are May May
18 and I have nothing. No call back. No email back. No ability to get a DES employee on the phone that can help me.
And most importantly NO benefits. Please help me. I pay my taxes. I contribute positively to my community. I am hard
working person. I am loosing my mind.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Hi there.
It took me close to 30 days to gain access online to file my claim effective 3/27/2020, of course I could not reach anyone
by phone or email. I did return to work on 4/27/2020. My claim was for the month of April. I received 1 weeks worth of
UIB. Nothing since then. I have:
Called, used the online chat "nothing we can do, you just have to wait" (after waiting to "chat" for over an hour), emailed,
faxed and sent a letter USPS. I have uploaded the doc I am trying to get to ANYONE with NCDES.
As I could not gain access to the system, I trusted the explanation that benefits would be paid retro and to not be
05/18/2020 Ms Joanne McDonagh
concerned.
There is no one to discuss this with, to see if my claim was recorded correctly (effective date of layoff vs date I was ABLE to
file). Meaning, I finally was able to file online 4/19/20. Where are my benefits for the balance of the 3 weeks I went
without? I had to use credit cards to survive that month. Now I am further in debt, yet others that didn't even make
$950.00 a week working full time, are receiving MY TAX money.
They won't even go back to work because they are netting so much more.
Regretfully,
Joanne McDonagh [REDACTED]
Unemployment benefits can be the lifeline for people who lose their jobs. In this time of upheaval, do everything you can
05/18/2020 Ms Carol Cox
to prioritize plans that bring immediate help to our citizens! Thank you.

I have been unemployed since 8/2019. My first claim was denied for reason if my own, which I accept. I applied again in
05/18/2020 Theresa Chapman-brown the midst of Covid 19 because no one is hiring in my industry. that re-register or application was in early March I have
heard nothing. I have been without income since August of last year and it is impossible to get anyone on the phone or any
updates online. I am living on my savings and I can only imagine how life is for those who are less fortunate than I.
05/18/2020 Jonathan Stepnoski I applied May 1st and have yet to hear anything or get in contact with anyone

05/18/2020 UI Tyrone Cheek I have been out of work since February 14 I was unable to get through to anything or anyone until Motherâ€™s Day finally I
was able to certified for my first week Sunday pass was my second week and Iâ€™m just at wits end
05/18/2020 Ms. Leslie Cousin It takes to long for you to get your m

I filed on 4/12/20. I lost my job due to Covid-19. It has been 5 weeks and the website still says my claim is pending
05/18/2020 Mrs Brenda Spence
resolution. I am behind on my bills and have $100 left. Everyone I have spoken to on the phone has been very nice,
polite, etc. However, I still have no resolution even though I've done everything possible on my end.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I am the GM of two local restaurants. Today is 5/18/2020. On 5/16/2020, I received SEVERAL (meaning more than 10)
requests and/or documentation with the mail date: 3/16-3/27. That is TWO MONTHS difference. Besides the common
issue of taking a long time, pending requests and such, your representative at DES told me that our employees could work
05/18/2020 General Manager Lee Scott up to 60% of their normal hours. I believed them. This is inaccurate information that I have given to my employees. Now,
none of our employees that we could even get to come in, want to work because I â€œbetrayedâ€•them. My word means
something, and I trusted you. I have SEVERAL (meaning more than 10) employees that have quit and are working for other
restaurants in town and filed under us. I am really struggling staff-wise and have gone above and beyond to help them get
their money, indirectly shooting my self in the foot. This whole process has been a challenge for all, but approaching open,
I canâ€™t, because there isnâ€™t anyone to work, even though we are paying more per hour than we can even afford.
05/18/2020 Tabatha Jackson Yes I filed a claim but it is still pending
05/18/2020 Home health care Ashley Burnwell I need Insurance for me and my children

filed initial claim 3/25- today is 5/18 - have not received $1 !!!
finally got thru to talk to a person and they say my claim has been approved but still no money another 5 days later.
05/18/2020 mrs dorothy sprowles
This is a pathetic system!
calls were place to all levels and branches of goverment with the only office to respond was Congressmen Bishops office
who was not able to provided any help.

It took me over 10 hours to file my initial claim. I dutifully filed weekly certifications waiting for DES to be able to process
claims for gig workers. I was denied, which surprised me. I have no idea why and I have tried to call the office over 100
05/18/2020 Shannon Smith times to get my questions answered. Additionally there is no real way to appeal my decision in the computer system, so I
submitted a written appeal, which has been ignored. I donâ€™t know what else to do but keep trying to get through to
someone. Itâ€™s a shame that with all of the people out of work that the DES office could not have trained additional
temporary workers to handle the influx.

I have worked for the same company for 5 years. Up until January 2020 I was paid as a 1099 employee. In January 2020
my employer switched me to a w2 employee. March 26th was my first day not working for reasons related to covid-19.
On April 4th I applied for unemployment. On April 7, I received notification that I was denied based on â€œinsufficient
wages in your base periodâ€• . I believe this was because I did not have enough quarters in 2020 as a w2 employee.
05/18/2020 Mr. Stephen Ball
On April 24, 2020 I applied for PUA. Some of the questions were confusing because of the way my pay changed from a
1099 employee to a w2 employee. I answered the best I could and attached extensive documentation to support my
answers. I also included a letter that explained the situation and why some of the answers may have sounded confusing.
As of today, my application is still pending. I am unable to pay many of my bills as it has been so long now since I have
received a paycheck. I have 5 children at home. I have not been able to get a hole of anyone at the unemployment office.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed almost 2 months ago and my unemployment claim has not been approved. It says that I am ineligible, but itâ€™s due
to a mistake that happened because the system was glitching when I filed. It also says that Iâ€™m pending. Iâ€™ve called
05/18/2020 6239106837 Jodi Ogle hundreds of times and not been able to get through to anyone on the phone. Iâ€™ve also emailed numerous times and get
automatic email saying someone will respond within 72 hours. Itâ€™s been two months and Iâ€™ve not gotten anywhere
nor received any help. I lost my job due to Covid and am at a loss on how to provide for my family. Weâ€™ve exhausted
our savings. This will have serious implications for our family if I canâ€™t get some help or find a job.

I was furloughed from my retail job March 30. I applied the same day I received the email notice from corporate. I filed &
used the Coronavirus as the reason. I have yet to receive anything but a notice for monetary determination. It's been
almost two months & every day I log in & it's still showing pending - even though I uploaded the email from my job. It's also
showing "six times test." Within a week of filing, I was able to get another retail job at an "essential retailer", but have yet
to get resolution on my claim. I should be eligible for one or two weeks of pay - which of course will be retroactive. I have
not even bothered trying to call or chat, because of what I've read about hold times. I am thankful I was able to get
05/18/2020 Angela Patterson
something else, or I would have been in sad shape, waiting for unemployment. Even what I was going to make would have
not been enough - I was showing only eligible for $68 a week, which thankfully federal stepped in for everyone, with the
extra $600.
Our system was broken before - as I've sadly had to apply (& receive) benefits a few times before in my life. The online
system is outdated. Instructions & FAQs are not clear, even under normal circumstances. There should have been & still
needs to be better communication coming from the Commerce office - via social media, since it seems the best way to get
info out.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
Good Morning,

My name is Renee Brady and I am a healthcare worker. I am a traveling xray tech. On April 2 I was notified by my employer
that my last day on my contract would be April 10 due to COVID19.

Now one would think that being in healthcare your job is secure, but because of the restrictions put in place with elective
surgeries and stay at home orders, our hours have been affected. I am happy that these restrictions were set in place. They
are doing what is needing to be done. One thing I am unhappy about is our unemployment system.

I know that not one single person could have predicted this pandemic or what everyone would face. That being said, I have
still yet to receive unemployment. All of the travel positions have been canceled and none of the local hospitals are hiring
because of the hours that have been reduced.

I applied for unemployment a week after I returned home. My status has been â€œpendingâ€•since. I have tried to contact
05/18/2020 Renee Brady the unemployment claims department multiple times. Sometimes being on hold for 5 hours and 19 minutes to be
disconnected and try and get through again.

My intentions of this email is to make you aware and bring light to the situation of how our unemployment system works.
I have heard that there have been more people hired in order to help with the phone calls. The people that have been
hired to help with the phone calls are not allowed to access your actual claim. They are only allowed to see what I see on
my end online. Just wondering how that exactly helps when we are all trying to figure this out.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
One extremely frustrated, physically and mentally tired healthcare worker

Renee Brady
I have still not received my benefits. I filed March 27 I help and live with my mother who has stage 3 cancer and
05/18/2020 Caitlin Lock
compromised liver
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My last day to work was April 3. My employer closed on April 4 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I waited until the first of
May to apply, thinking that the 'crowd' of folks applying would be less. (Guess that didn't work!) I applied online. On May 3,
I went online to check the progress, but nothing had changed. I tried calling many times. When I did get thru to a
gentleman, he said he would have to transfer me to another department and in doing so, the line went dead. I tried calling
again many times and finally was able to speak to a woman. She stated everything 'looked good' to be processed but that I
should call back in 2 days 'just to check'. In 2 days, I called again. After many attempts, I spoke with another woman who
stated the first woman had not 'completed' my application but that she would and I should be hearing/seeing something
05/18/2020 Brenda Coen
soon. So far, I have seen nor heard anything from anyone; no information or updates on the web site, no requests for
more information, no phone calls or emails.................nothing. I was not able to even able to look at my claimant
homepage for the past several days! I have been trying to call. I see no updates on the homepage. I tried to do the "chat"
thing yesterday afternoon...I was #167 in line when I sent my request in....hours later, I was #22 in line at 7pm.........that #
never changed...I guess everyone went home but 'forgot to turn out the lights' or let people know!
I understand that the system is overloaded but certainly there should be some way, some how people can get a little
information.
Thank you for your time!
Please stay safe during this pandemic.

There is a glitch on the website making it impossible to complete my PUA application. I have tried to get someone from
DES on the phone and have yet to be successful. I am among many that are experiencing this issue.

I have done all that I can do to file for NC Unemployment and have yet to receive assistance. I am getting worried as funds
05/18/2020 Kimberly Patchen for our household are running out. I am a 1099 employee. The website said I could file on April 24th. I was routed to a
general UI claim and received a response that I am uneligible for that. After going through that process, I should be routed
back to the PUA application. My Homepage still says "incomplete" but there is nowhere to click for me to complete this. I
have uploaded my taxes as the verbiage requested. I have also filed weekly certifications in a timely manner. I do not know
what else to do. I have reached out to the community on Facebook and see there are several groups that have formed
regarding NC unemployment insurance. Upon reading in these groups, I see there are many people experiencing the same
website glitch. I have connected with a couple of others to share experiences. This is what has led me to write my
Representative and Senator. We just want to notify DES that the website is not working properly.
this has been a total DISASTER. I got furloughed on april 3, of this year due to covid-19. I went online to file for
unemployment the following week and have not recieved a single payment yet. I have been with my company for 20 years
05/18/2020 misty welborn and have never been laid off or furloughed by them or anybody else. this is hitting us all very, very hard both mentally and
financially. i personally are not getting help or anwsers in order to get my financial benefits. there are so many in the same
boat as me. we need answers and help!!!!!!!!!!!!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

NC unemployment is a really bad joke. It took me over 3 weeks working daily to get on the system. A system in which no
one can understand. I didn't even know I had got threw til I received a check at the end of April (a month later). I hadn't
received a notice or online notice til I received a Notice of Monetary Determination. What is this, what do I do with it, so I
05/18/2020 salon owner Robin Riddle
tried to call (wasn't an easy task. No one could explain it to me and 5 times they would transfer me to someone that might
help and then the line went dead (Transfer never worked). My call was dropped every time. So I just waited it out and kept
check online for any other notice. This whole ordeal was a COMPLETE NIGHTMARE!
I have been a hairdresser 33 years never received unemployment in my life. Hope I never have to go through this again. I
am thankful for the unemployment money and I am thankful for Lee Zackary Office for all their help.
This experience was hours and hours of stress and getting no where. I prefer to work than unemployment anytime!

The system does not accept my bank routing number. I do not wish to use your debit card, I would like a direct deposit. I
05/18/2020 Claudia Lopez attempted to call multiple times on 4/27/2020 and finally tweeted on the NC Commerce twitter feed, but have not
received a reply. My bank routing number is still not accepted. When I type in the bank routing number for Wells Fargo,
that is accepted. Why are other bank routing numbers not accepted?
I was receiving benefits before COVID19 and then the benefits stopped. I've been filing my weekly certification for the past
05/18/2020 Exhausted benefits Dawanna Snellings
six weeks and no payment have been received.
We need to extend our duration to 26 weeks and increase our benefit rate so we can get Fed funds again.
05/18/2020 Mary Sewell We need to help employers by allowing the to batch file claims for their employees and provide them support for work
share or short term effect so they can keep their workforce trained and ready.

05/18/2020 Mrs Wendi Williams Filed for PUA 4 days after it started. Didn't really get any instruction on how to do it...can't get anyone one the phone or on
chat no matter when I call or go online. Got hung up on the one time I was able to get into the cue. This is unacceptable.
It's been a nightmare. Getting through on the phone is impossible. My claim was rejected, then I applied and was
approved. Now my payments have stopped ( 5-18) with no explanation. I have tried to call 24 times this today. I
05/18/2020 Jonathan Sapp
understand that this situation is unprecedented. But two months in this is unacceptable. I just want to know what
happened.

Itâ€™s depressing to check my unemployment claim daily with what seems to be no update in sight. Trying to access
someone through telephone or the chat thatâ€™s set up seems pointless because thereâ€™s such a gridlock you canâ€™t
get through. To save myself the headache and stress I stopped checking to see if thereâ€™s an update and Iâ€™ll just start
05/18/2020 Mr KAHREE JONES
checking it once a week or once every other week to see if something improved. Fortunately Iâ€™m still able to earn a
check and have somewhat of an income, but my hours were reduced significantly due to COVID19. This has been a mess
from the get-go and puts things into perspective if I should move to a different State and help revitalize their economy if
this is the way North Carolina treats is taxpayers.
i only got paid for 5 weeks then it stopped. i cant get through to anyone. most of what i got payed came from last year. Do i
05/18/2020 stephanie scott
have to keep waiting and run out of money
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

To whom it may concern. I am writing this comments on my half of my daughter Hannah Mills. The experience with the
unemployment office was one of the worst experiences that Iâ€™ve ever had. We would go online get halfway through in
the system would crash . Then we would call and then immediately get booted out of the phone call. After about 10 tries
05/18/2020 Mr William Mills on the web we finally got her claim to go through. We sat there for five weeks with no correspondence. We tried calling we
tried going to the website nothing worked. We got through a couple of times and the people on the lines they could not
help with that they were just hired and they did not know what they were doing. Finally after about five or six weeks it got
resolved on its own. She could not pay her car insurance And had to choose some days how many meals to eat. If the
government Itâ€™s going to make people stay home they got to be much better prepared in the future. I realize you said
you get overwhelmed but what did you expect? This is why I am against big government . Thanks for listening

Hi there, I have been out of work since March 13 due to school closing and I filed for unemployment on March 22. My
claim is still pending resolution after 8 weeks of filing weekly certifications. I have emailed multiple times and have not yet
to get a response. I have called and have spoken with different people and they go through my claim and say that
05/18/2020 TORI GUNN everything is fine and everything should go through by the end of the week. Unfortunately my claim is still pending and I do
not know what to do. I am begging for help and I can't get any.

Thank you
Tori Gunn
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I initially filed an unemployment claim on 3/22. On April 23, I was found ineligible due to being self-employed. I attempted
to filed a wage protest online and sent via fax copies of all documentation proving my 2019 income as an independent
contractor including uploading my documents to the DES website. I was not notified that I needed to reapply for Pandemic
Unemployment Assistance as I waited for an answer to my wage protest. It was only after hours of research for over a
week that I discovered I needed to reapply and did so immediately.

During the process of reapplying, I once again uploaded all documentation including my tax documents, bank statement,
and a self-created document providing a detailed breakdown on my 2019 earnings. I have called multiple times for days
along with putting a request for a callback and at one point, was finally able to reach an agent who could provide no
information except everything looks fine and I just need to continue wait despite the fact it is now going on two months
05/18/2020 Ms Wayna Morant
since my initial claim.

At this point, as a single parent, I have no income coming in due to COVID-19 and if this continues, will not be able to pay
my bills. I've been patiently waiting since March. I won't be able to pay my car insurance next week and quite soon, my
phone bill. When work is finally available, what would I do for transportation if I no longer have car insurance or how will I
even operate if I do not have a phone or internet service?

I feel utterly helpless. Any assistance to move this process along would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your assistance,
Wayna Morant
Claimant No. [REDACTED]

My benefits exhausted 4 4 20. Been certification as for 6 weeks. I work seasonal restaurants in hatteras cannot return due
05/18/2020 Unemployment James Vinson
to covid. No pending issues. Cannot get a des agent to complete process. Call center reps are not agents and have no
clue what to do to process my payments. Please help resolve this. It's been 6 weeks. Please
I was laid off from a restaurant when the Governor ordered them closed. I've received 3 letters from the unemployment
office. They all say I'm entitled to 12 weeks of benefits. Every week I complete my certifications but never receive any
05/18/2020 Mr. Jeffrey Huneycutt
money. I provided direct deposit information. You cannot get through to their phone number. It is always busy and the
queue is always full.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I filed for Unemployment when my business was closed on March 18, my claim was deemed ineligible as self-employed and
I waited until PUA and finally got through via telephone on April 30. The representative filed my PUA claim over the phone
and I have received my weekly deposits since May 4. But I have not been able to get through to DES to speak to anyone
05/18/2020 Kimberly Perry about my back payment due. I finally called the PUA telephone number again and was told I would receive the back
payment if I could speak with a representative. I have emailed a contact to NC DES and I have emailed several DES
employees and my legislatures to no avail. The only call back I received was Noreen from Terrence Everettâ€™s office, she
said my back payment would be released but there has been no change to my claims status and I have yet to receive the
weeks due to me. I do however continue to incur expenses and my business remains closed per the Governor so I am
desperately reaching out for some type of assistance. My email is [REDACTED]. Thank you.

Just disappointed! Understanding these are unpresidential time but, Most of us worked all our lives! Wait on phones for
05/18/2020 Kelly Storms hours with no more information then before call. Get hung up on. Telling us wait 2 weeks for payments. Iâ€™m over 3
weeks. I need my State and Federal unemployment. If they would update people email telling us how our claims being
processed. Just keeping people updated would slow the call volumes.

I had to make ends meet the best way i could because working 24 hours did not provide me with unemployment benefits.
Meanwhile some people have 40 hours and the ones sitting at home are making unemployment but nothing is being done
05/18/2020 Ms. JaKita Whitehead
for those of us who hours were cut at 60%. Not even the pandemic relief was given to us and after speaking to about 30
representatives that all told me different answer, I've come to the conclusion that i won't be getting pandemic relief for
those weeks my hours were cut and that's disheartening.

On March 10th I was a fully employed technical professional, working for good union wages for live theatrical and televised
sporting events, looking forward to a lucrative spring schedule of work and upcoming opportunities to move into a more
skilled and higher paying position. On March 11th, the NBA cancelled the rest of their season, the world as we know it
changed and every gig I had scheduled was cancelled one by one, until I was suddenly totally unemployed. Not only am I
unemployed, the industry which I have spent my entire working life training in, is decimated. No one can definitively say
05/18/2020 Mx. Ashley Hawkins
when a vaccine will be ready or when life will return to "normal" but I think it's safe to bet that people who make their
living in the entertainment industry (and you'd be surprised at the number) won't be going back to work anytime soon.

There are so many of us working people in this boat, not just entertainment folks but restaurant workers, event staff and
gig workers, so many of us have our livelihood based in the economy of "before" and until we know what's next, extending
unemployment, taking care of the health and well being of our communities by providing a safety net for families, should
be the top priority of the state legislature.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My name is Otis L. James. I haven't worked since March 24, 2020 due to the coronavirus. I applied for unemployment
benefits. Initially, I entered the wrong email address which delayed me registering. After 4 weeks of calling and emails I
finally spoke with a claim's agent. Then I discovered that I have an overpayment I received in 2014. With the back pay in
05/18/2020 Mr. Otis James my current claim, why wouldn't they just take the amount of the overpayment which is $1312.00 from my current claim. I
keep getting correspondences (emails that I can't reply) from the DES reagarding my overpayment andeven that an offset
payment has been issued for $134.00 against my current claim. I have been notified that almost $6,000.00 has been
approved as payment to me, but it reads ISSUES REGARDING PAYMENT. I cannot speak with anyone. I call everday and on
hold for hours then to have the call disconnected. I try to call at exactly 8AM and it's like the agents aren't turning on their
phones. In my opinion the remedy is simple but I can't speak with anyone.

05/18/2020 Ms Sheryl Davis I have been trying to file my claim since March 17th. A wrong email was entered. System will not allow me to renter email.
Was told Iâ€™m on waiting list for call back from unemployment office. Please HELP ME 336 988-0030

Hi I am really disappointed that I have been told by several agents that any amount of hours reduced due to Covid- 19 will
qualify you for benefits/ funding. So I went from working 40 to 24 hours per weekly (grossing $720 to $432).
I had to make ends meet the best way I could because working 24 hours weekly the relief package did not provide me
with any unemployment benefits. Not even the pandemic relief was given to me to help support my financial needs.
I've come to the conclusion that I won't be getting pandemic relief for those weeks my hours were cut and that's
05/18/2020 Monica King
disheartening.
I am now going from 24 to 32 hours and this week 40 hours, thank God, but for what was lost it will take a while to
recover.
I really wish that something can be done to fund those working under 40 hours, and it be retro-dated, it's only fair!
I don't want to sound envious to my co-workers that were laid off, but they are receiving $950 weekly, until they are to
return to us to be re- hire once the company recovers financially. I don't want to sound ungrateful, but I had to take my
vacation pay, only to get rejected. Had I known I wasn't going to be supported i wouldn't have filed and kept my vacation
pay to take a vacation in the future. Now I have to pay for that! So this end up costing me than helping me.
Thank you for listening to my concern/ complaint!
05/18/2020 Self employed Erica Speller Still have not received any fund's.

05/18/2020 Mrs Melissa Ragan I tried to file but someone has used my ss# I have been waiting over 2 weeks for someone from the fraud department to
call. I haven't heard from anyone. When you call the "que" is full or you are on hold for 2-3 hours. It is very frustrating.
05/18/2020 Mr Derrick Polk This is helping me and my family get by thank you
What is the expected wait time to receive UI benefits. Will there be an additional $600 one time payment or reoccuring
05/18/2020 Ms. Denise Swann payment..
When will the US Senate make the decision for the increase.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I havenâ€™t heard anything back Iâ€™ve been filing for 6 weeks now it just keep saying pending issue Iâ€™ve called no
05/18/2020 Cashier Tameaka Ervin
answer I emailed last week it sent me an email back that said do not reply but some one will contact me with information
on my claim in 72 hours that was last Wednesday still have heard anything, I even tried to use the chat option still nothing
Perhaps part of the problem is in the regulations created by the NC legislature to control this insurance. Should we also be
05/18/2020 Thomas Smyth
proud of the fact the NC has one of the lowest insurance payments in the US?

My unemployment claim is "on hold" and I am unable to get in touch with anyone to find out why. When attempting to
call, I am never given the option to hold until someone is available...which I would gladly do. I have not received any funds.
05/18/2020 Allison Jurgens
In a press conference, the governor announced that there is a chat feature available on the unemployment site. I am
unable to locate the feature anywhere on the site and doubt that it exists.
05/18/2020 Mariah Spina I have not received my weekly payment for May 18, 2020
My first time ever drawing after a furlough from my employer if 21 years. Nightmare is my description. Hours upon hours
05/18/2020 Terri Fritts upon hours on phone with never speaking to a person that can help me. It is horrendous and I am so disappointed in you,
Governor for allowing this to happen.
the whole system needs to be revamped and the time to receive benefits extended. Trumps bungled handling is going to
05/18/2020 Unemployment Deborah Krueger impact NC for a LONG time. Vote to expand Medicaid as well. For once do something to benefit the citizens, not your
handlers!
I haven't received any of my unemployment. I called, and even gone to the office to get support and haven't received any
05/18/2020 Miss Emily Nganga communication back. I filed it back in March. I can't get anyone on the phone. I have even tried the chat and all say are
busy. Please help me.
I filed for unemployment on March 27th.
Have not received a determination yet.
I have called at least 5 times a day to get updates or any kind of help. Nothing.
05/18/2020 Thomas Miller The one time I did talk to someone they transfer me and the system hung up on me. Trying the chatsystem is useless
because you can never get on the claims status update part, I don't care how long you wait. I am getting desperate. Please
just release the money on all pending cases. You can collect it later if not eligible but people need the money now and
cannot wait for the system to catch up months from now.
My claim is STILL in pending mode and I have not been able to get through on the 888.737.0259 number. It always says the
05/18/2020 Unemployment Claim Robin Powell reps are assisting others and the queue is full and hangs up on me. I have needed to file claims since 4/26. Can someone
please assist me?
Still haven't received any notifications except still pending already had a claim but exhausted benefits just need to make
05/18/2020 Unemployment Timothy Cook
payments in may but have no income due to the shutdown
I accepted a position with a local law firm on 2/27. Proceeded to work my notice till 3/13 and was scheduled to start on
3/23. Due to the Corona virus my start date was delayed. On 3/27 I filed a claim and have yet to show my status as any
other than "pending resolution"
05/18/2020 Claim still unresolved Michael Hoffman Now I am scheduled to start on Wednesday nearly 2 months later, but have yet to see any benefit.
Thank you for your time.
Michael Hoffman
[REDACTED]
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I made a list on April 25th benefits weeks.. Done everything I was suppose to do to fix it and still havent got nothing. Beem
05/18/2020 Comments Jim Jacobs
over a month. This is just ridiculous
The website was often clogged in late March and early April, though I did get through at 3 am.

It is very difficult to understand the questions and the interface--they seem to be purposely confusing, which means access
to the phone line is all the more important.
05/18/2020 Mr. Jim Barton
It is very difficult to get through on the phone. And more than once, on being tranferred, I was hung up on. I am reading on
facebook (which has become the main info source for many people as they trade experiences) that being hung up on is
very common.
Thank you so much for listening to our needs at this time. I have not qualified for any Federal emergency funds. Without
05/18/2020 Rita Parillo unemployment I would be at a complete loss during this pandemic. Please continue to support unemployment emergency
funds until we can resume work. Thank you.

05/18/2020 Jan After trying daily for weeks to file for weekly certification I finally was able to get on the customer menu site to file. I
emailed my senator twice about the problem that i was having and just a few days later the problem was resolved.

When initially filling out the forms it was extremely difficult to add any employment into the system. One has to go through
too many steps including hitting "validate" to all the addresses to advance to the next page. This was not explained
properly and it took me an entire day to figure out why I wasn't able to add my employmets. When everything I entered
was correct, the sites "suggestions" where worded exactly like mine just in a different font but on the page itself, it
wouldn't let me change fonts size so there was no inclination to know that was the problem. The system also crashed too
many times and there was never an agent to talk to when I was at my wit's end with frustrations. The entire process took
me over a week to fill out completely. The page that states, "needs more information in order to complete" didn't initially
05/18/2020 Miss Roxana Jara have Covid-19 related issues as to why I was furloughed and laid off. It actually didn't have any of the reasons as to why I
had become unemployed. Also on that same page it was impossible to click the box that had me state what my position
was as an employee. This site also did not recognize my bank information so I wasn't able to opt for direct deposit. Lastly
there is never an email that specificly states I've either been approved or denied benefits. In general the process is too long
without proper assistance or word guidance as to how to fill out. The site doesn't have enough or all of the issues one
might have experienced as to why they were being laid off, fired etc. At the end submitting was also awful in the sense it
wouldn't let me finish, it kept giving me error messages. When I would log back into the system I'd have to go through
every page once more not where I left off and that too was annoying in the process. In general the process to file is
tedious, not well designed, and difficult to navigate. I hope these comments will be put to good use so that you all may
develop a better site for those whom need it most.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I lost my job on 4/14/2020. I filed an unemployment claim on that same day. My claim is not covid related, mine is just
regular unemployment. I tried numerous times the week of May 11-May 15th to contact about the status of my claim. No
luck on the phone, so I tried to chat online, but the topic I needed was always busy. I managed to make contact online one
05/18/2020 Mrs Sara Tanner
day, but could only find out that resolution on my claim was past due. Which I already knew. Then we conveniently got
disconnected. I waited until the following morning so I could once again get in line for the correct topic for online chat.
After waiting in line for over an hour, I find out absolutely nothing, except my claim was past due. As of May 18th 2020, I
have still not received any payment, nor any further information.

I filed weeks ago and have not been approved yet. There are errors on my claim that should not be there (i.e: they claim I
am currently part time employed and drawing from my retirement). I have called multiple times and refuted both (I am not
employed at all and I am in no way taking any money out of my retirement). I have also reiterated this numerous times via
chat and email. Yet, the issues delaying my decision/payment remain the same. I have not been able to get in contact with
anyone who can help me. I wait hours on the phone on hold only to be disconnected, hung up on, transferred to someone
else and hung up on or just told they cannot help me. My emails go unanswered. My documents uploaded to my online
claim go unanswered. The chat function is of no help at all. They can not edit your claim or help in any way. You are simply
told "Sorry, we understand your frustration. We'll have someone call you." I've been told on 3 different occasions that
someone would call me in 48 hours to correct my claim and help me. No one ever called. The most recent time I was told
someone would call me back within 48 hours was over 4 days ago.
05/18/2020 Kenneth Flye

I understand the system is swamped, but this is completely unacceptable. There should be a better way to edit and update
claims and get in touch with someone for help. It has been over 8 weeks since the system became "overloaded" due to
COVID-19. It is time to put measures into place to help people more quickly. The most frustrating thing is, if I could get
someone on the phone who could actually help, or get someone to look into my account after reading one of my
numerous emails, they could likely fix my claim in 5 minutes. I am appalled by the lack of help and care during a time that is
already stressful. Many people are depending on this assistance for rent, bills and even to feed their families. To be
dismissive to that and give people the run around when they are desperate to provide for their families is outright
SHAMEFUL.

Thank you for allowing us to have our voice heard. I can only hope it will help improve things and speed things up for
myself and others.
05/18/2020 Adjust Professor Nicole Sainworla Myra Beatty was a real help. She held my hand throughout the this painstaking process.
Waited 8 hours on hold to speak to a representative then finally it disconnected on their end.
05/18/2020 Terry Smith Got thru 2 different times after waiting at least 4 hours and was hung up on both times.
Got thru an additional time, was told to hold for transfer and the line disconnected on their end.

I filed my unemployment claim on March 18th it still says open and it's almost two months later, I also file for the
05/18/2020 Unemployment Benefits Jeanna Rinehart pandemic unemployment insurance benefits because an agent from the department told me to do so and that one says
pending. My family and I are in desperate need and I have no idea what is taking so long. I contact them by phone email
and chat multiple multiple times per day and can never get ahold of anyone.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I tried to apply early but was unable to get on the website. About 5 wks ago I was able to get in the site and apply. Finally
05/18/2020 Casey Thornton on the 8th I was approved but as of today, the 18th, I have not received any benefits. This is ridiculous. I was on hold on
the computer which stated I was number 229 in line.

I applied for COVID benefits (federal only, not seeking state unemployment as I am a self-employed independent
contractor) on April 23. I submitted evidence of prior year earnings (tax return Self Employment schedules) and lost
income (cancelled contracts and association verification) for May - August 2020, both via US Mail and via computer system
05/18/2020 Mr. Howard Kirkwood
document upload. I have received several computer generated letters about "Monetary Determination" showing $0.00,
but I have received no benefits and no human contact. I have spent MANY hours trying to get through the telephone
system without success. This is simply not helpful. I hope that you are able to do something to cause DES to perform in a
more expeditious manner. Thank you.

In this time of deep health and economic crisis, it is urgent that our state raise the cap on unemployment benefits and
extend their duration. I write as someone with a full-time job and continuing salary, but far too many of my fellow citizens
05/18/2020 Professor Nancy MacLean
don't. And if they are not receiving adequate income to sustain themselves at this challenging time, the whole economy
and our public health will suffer, likely grievously. I say this as a historian of the United States who has studied past such
crises. Money invested now will be well-spent.

im still waiting for my claim to be recognized. I was previously on Unemploymet last year so it wouldnt let me file a claim
till may. the whole situation has been a nightmare. Not only mentally but physically. Being cooped up in a house alone with
05/18/2020 Ms. Tracy LaSala
NO source of income and no one to help answer questions has been rough. The phone lines are always busy and its
impossible to get someone to help. When you do get someone on the phone they say they have to transfer you and soon
as that happens you get disconnected. So utterly defeating and disheartening.
05/18/2020 Mrs Cindy Page My unemployment ended the first week in April and I was wondering about the extension.

I am an airline employee that filed on April 19th. I have been calling ever since with absolutely no success. I have spoken to
a live person 8 times and every single time they are unable to do anything and transfer me. Each time I am disconnected,
05/18/2020 flight attendant Bonnie Wydeven
without fail. Most times after holding it will hang up on you. I cannot seem to get to a person with the authority to help
me, I am always told they will get help and get disconnected. Every single time. It seems it is not possible for them to
transfer. I cannot even express the frustration of day after day with the same results and lack of resolution.

I am a nurse that tested positive after working in a facility that last checked ranked 3rd in the highest cases in NC with 53
positive cases and 10 deaths. I am at a hotel that I have to pay out of pocket because I canâ€™t stay with family due to my
covid positive status. I have no money coming in, no phone due to no money to pay bills, late fees added to over due
05/18/2020 Janet Hickman-Barr accounts, no medical insurance, in moving my things to this hotel my truck broke down I was charged 100.00 to tow it less
than 5 miles and then the company wouldnâ€™t touch it because of my covid 19 status. I was cheated in court and pay
ungodly amount of child support per month so claimed 0 on taxes (which I pay back taxes every month) BUT I donâ€™t get
to receive a stimulus check. Essential employee takes care of others contracts covid 19 and now is homeless and loses
everything. How does that sound for reality?!!!!!
Unemployment agency should be completely ashamed on how they have handled things. Iâ€™m beyond thankful to finally
05/18/2020 Unemployment Darien Dancy be receiving benefits, but waiting almost 2 months for it was ridiculous. My mental health drastically declined due to stress
and worry. I was also 9 months pregnant during this time.
05/18/2020 Mr Raschie Lane Lost job 3/31 due to covid. Finally approved effective 5/3 what happened to the month of april? ?????
Please help I canâ€™t make it another day. Itâ€™s been 2 months. I canâ€™t get through to anyone who will help. Iâ€™d
05/18/2020 Mrs Ashley Marble
rather be dead than this. I canâ€™t feed my family.

To whom it may concern

I applied for unemployment due to the Covid-19 on March 28th and have gotten the run around with getting my
payments. When I speak to someone they tell me sorry I'm unable to help you need someone at the DES Department. I
have yet been able to get anyone from this office to call me for assistance on how to resolve this issue. I've sent in copies
of NCDL and SSC and told it would be resolve unfortunately it is not. I have just been informed someone has totally
messed up my claim and put me down as a PUA I'm not self employed I work for a company. The people taking phone calls
05/18/2020 Angela Darstein have messed my claim up I have 3 children at home to support I really need my payments. Please help ke in getting this
issue resolved this process has put a strain on my marriage and Family situation.
Leaving messages for the DES like the message says does not work I have left 3 messages and not one person has returned
my calls.

Thank you for your time

Angela Darstein.

05/18/2020 Ms. Frances Ross This is not about me, but about all the younger people who are out of jobs right now - please think of them as close
relatives, if not your constituency, and do whatever you can to keep them solvent and in the market.
05/18/2020 Tylicia Stevenson I never received a payment for this week.
I am so frustrated!! I have already submitted a comment yesterday but decided to submit an addition comment bc of the
frustrations I dealt with this morning. I have called over and over and only to hear a busy dial tone when I choose my
05/18/2020 Unemployment issues Bridgett Davis category, if they hired all
Those people then why are there still so much lag within the system? This is so unacceptable I hope my claim gets
approved soon or things will get even worse than they are right now for me and my family.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My effective date is March 22nd. The issues delaying payment are pension/retirement pay, pending resolution.
05/18/2020 Ms. Elizabeth Snow
I have tried to call many times a day and cannot get into the que for speaking to a representative.
What must I do to solve the issue?
I am self employed orginally filed on march 29 not knowing self employed claims would not be looked at till april 25 since
then have refiled twice still pua is pending. No answer yet about unemployment. when I call des put on hold for hours. I
need some answers soon.
05/18/2020 mrs cynthia mcneill
Thank You
Cindy McNeill
My comment is a question. Why are all of the elected officials in the General Assembly allowing the governor to
unilaterally decide to keep private businesses closed? Why is my wife's business any different than Walmart? She pays
tens of thousands in taxes each year, employs over 40 workers,
05/18/2020 Mr. Kristopher Ward
all while supporting the local community, sports programs and churches. The governor is not protecting all North
Carolinian's constitutional rights. Your job is to not allow the governor to over-step his power under the NC Constitution.
Please help your constituents by doing the job you were elected to do.
As of to date I still haven't been able to speak with anyone at the head office that can help make actual changes to claims
05/18/2020 Glenda Shearin and have only gotten two payments Since April 6 2020 . Will continue to call each day all day on hopes to get it all cleared
up is all I can hope for at this point.
I am a valet at Pinehurst Country Club. I also have Type 1 diabetes and take 3 shots per day. I have applied many times and
was unable to get thru. The last time I applied I realized there wasn't a category for valets. Nothing even similar to it, no
05/18/2020 Mr William Ormsby
greeter, nothing. It's May now and if it wasn't for the support of my family and getting to work odd jobs at my church then
I wouldn't be able to buy my meds, food, gas, or anything.

I called to apply for the Covid-19 Crisis. Each time I called I would be asked same questions over and over by a different
person each time. I would tell them someone has already ask me these questions why again. I have been trying to get a call
through ever since I applied to check the status and the message was all Q are full. Call back. I keep calling and never get to
05/18/2020 Manager/President Shirley Pope
talk with anyone. So I have been sending an e-Mail to see if I can get anyones attention to advise me about my claim and if
I need to send more info to them. I file a weekly claim certification every week. I should benefit as much as other
business. I hear different business owners say they get a check. Why can't I. What is taking so long. I am following the
guidelines to close my business due to the virus, otherwise I would be working.

My claim is currently sitting in limbo. I have literally spent my day on hold, as I am currently as I type this. ( well over an
hour) I have spoken to numerous Unemployment associates today, and other days that have said that I have met all criteria
on my end, and there is no reason for the delay. Apparently, some that I have spoken to have failed to make any notation
05/18/2020 April Carter
in my account notes. I was even instructed to not call back until June 3rd. I simply at that point was just inquiring about the
status. They have needed to transfer me and then I am disconnected. I have been out of work since March 20th ... I need
help. I am desperate at this point. My situation seems to be an easy fix, I just need to make a connection. Everything
seems to have already been approved. This photo system is ridiculous. There has to be a better way.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

Still awaiting my unemployment claim to get approved. The bar that I work at has been shut down since March 17th. After
weeks of trying to get signed up on the website finally got through, have been doing weekly certifications for close to a
05/18/2020 Morgan Bridgers month now and still havenâ€™t received anything. I know that these are difficult times for everyone but when your
livelihood has been taken away and you go through all of the right processes to try and get some assistance that you have
never needed before in your life and you are just stuck waiting and hoping that you will have enough food, money to
survive it is and has been frustrating to say the least.

You would not believe the problems I am having from a simple error I made on a Weekly Certificate submitted on 5-2-20. I
inadvertently entered my weekly benefits as out of state wages. A common error that people make on these certificate I
am told by DES agents. This "DUA Weekly Certificate Review has put an end to me receiving any benefits moving forward.
I freely admit to the error and if you want to disqualify my benefits for that week that's fine. However, don't hold my
05/18/2020 Mr Richard Weinberg
benefits moving forward. I can't get to much information has to how and when the embargo on my benefits might be
lifted. Try calling 1-888-737-0259. I have not received benefits since 4-26-20. The DES agents I have talked to (3 to be
exact.) tell me that the only thing they can do is kick it up stairs to their supervisor to act on. Not much help when you
have waited 3hr 20 min for one conversation and a record 4 hr. 15 min wait for my most recent call today. Please please
help me. I am not asking for anything that I am not entitled to.

I have been trying to file for unemployment since mid-March when my educational consulting job laid me off due to Covid-
19. I struggled over many days to be able to fill out my application due to the continual crashing of the website. I tried to
call (because I had questions), but was NEVER able to reach a live person despite trying every day for weeks. I was only
hung up on by a recored message. My initial claim was denied due to insufficient wages, but did not take into account the
money I earned as a consultant. I filed a protest, faxing it into the office when the website would not let me file it online
due to refusing to upload and submit the .pdf of my 1099 form. When the word went out that the pandemic assistance
05/18/2020 Mrs. Catherine Anderson
plan was available, I tried to file again. My unemployment claim was - AGAIN - denied due to insufficient wages because -
AGAIN - my consulting wages were not taken into account. I was able to file a digital protest, but have yet to hear back on
its status after a week and a half. I get emails saying that I have new documents when there are none posted and I received
a hard copy of my initial wage determination by mail ONE MONTH after it was printed. My claimant homepage indicates
that I am eligible to receive a whopping $132 a week in PUA, and claims to have paid out over $1,000 - none of which I've
seen. Yet I have a random $4,000+ payment that was deposited into my account with no indication of what it's for or
whether or not I need to set aside state and federal taxes on this amount, or whether they've already been taken out (as I
asked for them to be). I spent 15 years as a teacher and have a master's degree, and this process has been confusing and
frustrating for me. It is certainly not designed to be user friendly or accessible, which is incredibly frustrating.
05/18/2020 Kimberly Barnard
PLEASE I have called over a 100 times. I have talked to multiple people please release my money I have been approved
I have repeatedly dialed the phone number for DES but usually receive a message that the hold queue is full and that I need
to call again. Every time I have finally reached a person, that person has told me that they are unable to answer my
05/18/2020 Ms. Donna Miller
questions and that I need to talk to someone else. When they have offered to transfer my call, my call has been
disconnected.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

05/18/2020 Ms. Nancy Brown
My friends and neighbors are suffering because of this economic mess. We, the people really need help out here.

So many of my friends, family, and neighbors are out of work and struggling to get the help they need. While their
immediate frustration is with customer service, the truth is that barely matters when the assistance they get is barely what
05/18/2020 Ms. Gwen Frisbie-Fulton
they need. Of course, customer service is hard and frustrating when the only answers they can give are insignificant. Why is
NC's benefit so low? It's not less expensive to live in NC than other places-- why is our unemployment at rock bottom? My
neighborhood is about to be gutted because of this. Evictions will start in just a matter of weeks.
North Carolina unemployment weekly benefits are far to low ! 350 dollars a week isnâ€™t nothing . We need the payout to
05/18/2020 Unemployment Willie Walker
be higher ; 500 dollars a week and restructure the how itâ€™s paid out (length of time).

I am going on a month now since I had filed for unemployment due to a reduction an hours as a result of the coronavirus. I
was led to believe that if there were no issues with my claim and after the 10 day wait period to confirm my claim with my
employer, payment would be released by the 14th day. Information on the site and various news articles also confirmed
and reported it would take approximately 14 days to receive the first payment. It even states that if your employer
doesnâ€™t respond within the 10 day timeframe, the system will automatically adjudicate the claim. Now going on a
month, I am still reading articles posted within the last 24 hours still making claims that payments are being deposited after
05/18/2020 Ms. Christine Driver
14 days. This is clearly not factual and given the various forums and social media comments from other NC citizens, there
seem to be more like me who are not seeing these funds in the time promised. My claim still is listed as pending resolution
on the 27th day, even though my determination was processed merely days after I submitted my claim. I am still with the
same company that the information was pulled from and feel maybe I am being penalized since
I had a reduction in hours versus a total layoff. If this is the case, folks like myself are the ones hurting the most as we see
those around us with the $600 kicker make more they did when they worked whereas those of us with reduced hours get
no bonus. No help. Nothing. I sincerely hope these comments submitted by NC citizens are read, respected and taken into
consideration.

I am a Charlotte NC based Flight Attendant. I am writing to make known how drastically and devastatingly our industry and
its employees have been affected by this disaster if a pandemic. We are picking over scraps, and striving to remain resolute
05/18/2020 Ms KARMEN LISONDRA
and professional during a most turbulent and terrifying time. Many of us expect not to have jobs come the fall. Any and all
relief you are compelled to afford us will be most greatly appreciated. We maintained steadfast and ready at our stations
THROUGHOUT this disaster, please do not forget us.
I would like to thank our legislators for helping with the Unemployment I received while being out of work during the Covid
19 crisis. I only ask that you continue to help small businesses and workers displaced during this pandemic. Donâ€™t let our
05/18/2020 Mr Joseph Smith stare fall behind other states.
Thank you,
Joseph Smith
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I originally applied for unemployment on April 6, and my application is still pending 6 weeks later. I have not been
contacted about the reason my application is pending, nor do I know what to expect regarding the timing of my application
review/approval. This process has been frustrating and it is impossible to even be added to the phone queue for the
"existing claim" phone line. I received a letter on May 15th, postmarked May 13th, and dated April 8th. It says that I have
05/18/2020 Pittman
10 days from DATE of letter (April 8) in order to respond. I understand that the volume experienced by the UI office is
unprecedented and unforeseen; however, as an applicant I don't understand how I'm able to comply with the 10 day
response window when the letter is not postmarked until several days after the end of the response window. Additionally, I
found out that call centers have been outsourced to Ohio, Utah, and California. Is it a conflict of interest to hire call center
employees in our own state?

I am a self employed musician. I have an LLC. I have been denied once before self employed was allowed, back in March.
Reapplied as self employed on 4/12 and was denied as well. Just reapplied under PUA portion as of May 17. That is now
05/18/2020 Greg Adair pending and I feel they'll probably deny again. Have called every day to wind up hanging up after I couldn't get an answer
and couldn't leave a callback number, because recording said "call back at a later time." I have actually reached into their
cue on only two occasions. Both times I held for over an hour, someone answered, and couldn't help me, so they put me
back into cue, where recording came up and said "call back later." It has and continues to be, an outright hassle!

On March 17, 2020, I received an e-mail from my director of food and beverage that services at our restaurant would be
discontinued until further notice. The same day, I attempted to file for unemployment via the Internet, but I was met with
an issue. My claim did not contain information pertaining to COVID-19 directly; therefore, it remained pending, and it was
placed on the back burner. Naturally, I made several attempts to contact a representative at the call center. The following
05/18/2020 Gretchen Beauchamp
was my daily routine: (1) My alarm woke me at 7:59 A.M.; (2) I dialed the phone number at 8:00 A.M.; (3) I sat on hold
from 8:00 A.M. until 12:00 P.M.; (4) at 12:00 P.M., the line would disconnect; (5) I would wait an hour, assuming the call
dropped for lunch; (6) at 1:00 P.M., I resumed my efforts; and (7) my attempted calls would be intentionally disconnected.
I allowed this to go on for three weeks until finally, I just couldn't take it anymore. If it wasn't for my apartment complex's
relief fund for current residents, my family and I would be homeless. This obstacle has caused me to lose faith in the U.S.
government. It is now May 18, and I have not received any funding pertaining to unemployment.
Worthless system with or without a pandemic.
Always favor the employer against the employee so not to pay benefits.
05/18/2020 sam sal
Customer service manager and agents did not pass second grade.
The head of this joint should be fired period.
05/18/2020 None payment Shidaisha Dailey Slow on payment /havenâ€™t received one yet
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

The experience has been TERRIBLE! No communication, urgency, care, information or people with the ability to make
things happen! DES has added phone callers and chat but they have an extremely limited function and knowledge about NC
unemployment. They end up transferring to DES that has an automated message about the queue being full and it hangs
up on you! 7 weeks now for me. No income.

DES does NOT answer phone calls (only PUA outsource agents will who cannot ultimately help you), does NOT return
05/18/2020 Alisha Mobley
emails and will NOT view or take action after uploading docs in My Documents account portal. I have sent an email today
to my NC House and Senate rep with no reply yet. I have sent an email to a federal level senator who cannot help me with
my claim.

This sends a message loud and clear that NC residents CANNOT depend on their own services meant to help in the time of
need. Enough with the excuses, this state has failed it's people.

Not interested in pointing fingers or assigning blame, more interested in having a solution provided. It has been a three ring
circus from the get-go, spent almost two weeks trying to get somebody on the phone to continuously be met with "we are
experiencing a higher than average number of callers, all of our representatives are currently busy helping other
05/18/2020 Ui benefit flop Ryan Ingle customers, and our hold ques are full please try again later"

I understand we are only human trying to work through this pandemic, however we should be borrowing employees from
states with similar systems, expediting applications for unemployment insurance that have been log jam for a ridiculous
amount of time, and supporting the residents of our fine state
I filed unemployment benefits on March 20rd, 2020. By March 23rd, 2020 I received my determination that stated I was
not eligible and showed no income in 2018 or 2019, although I had worked at the same place for over 2 years. Per the
instructions on the determination I submitted all of my paystubs and w2s into the portal on March 27th, 2020. I have
continued filling out my weekly certifications.
05/18/2020 Mrs Regina Alessandro I determined it was probably due to a name change in December.
I have not heard anything from them via the website. I have emailed and called daily with no results. I got a hold of a
contractor last weekend who was very nice but couldn't assist since I had a unique situation. He requested a call back,
which I still have yet to receive.
Please contact me if you need further information, i'm happy to share my experience.
I STILL havenâ€™t received any unemployment benefits despite making a claim towards the end of March. My
unemployment is a direct result of the Corona virus, not a lack of wanting to be at work. I am a master barber and love my
05/18/2020 Mr Douglas Hawkins job. The state needs to be better at responding to peopleâ€™s immediate needs. I know the unemployment system is
overwhelmed right now, but the lack of help from the state is what I would definitely deem as unacceptable. Still waiting
for some compensation...
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

It's really a shame and a disgrace to the working community because the Senate has limited us to just making pennies on a
dollar if that . I remember back in the day whereas you would at least get a good amount of what you would make for that
week instead they limit us to 350 and think that they're doing us a favor when they're really not ! You can barely pay a
light bill with that or maybe a water bill and then have a few dollars for grocery and they wonder why there's so much
crime going on today where people are being Rob and Killed just because of some individuals that doesn't have enough
money to provide for their families and then they wonder why most people credit is getting worse this is why because
people are loosing their jobs during this new normal whereas they can't even walk with it costing them. THIS IS REALLY A
05/18/2020 Mr. David Jackson SLAP IN THE FACE TO THE WORKING COMMUNTIY BEING THAT THEY ARE DOING ALL THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO AND
WHAT TO DO TO GET BY . BABIES HAVING BABIES THAT CAN'T PROVIDE FOR THEMSELVES EVEN WITH THE LITTLE HELP
THAT THEY'RE GETTING . WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CARING PEOPLE THE ONE'S THAT STAND FOR LOYALTY TO ALL
NOT JUST FOR THE ONE WHO ARE ALREADY ON TOP AND DON' T NEED ANYTHING BUT THE ONE'S THAT ARE DOWN THAT
YOU ALL CONTINUE TO KICK AND WALK OVER INSTEAD OF GIVING THEM A HAND AND HELP THEM UP AND BE THAT
CRUTCH FOR THEM UNTIL THEY GET BETTER THEN THEY CAN DO THE SAME FOR SOMEONE . NOW THATS REALLY BEING
YOUR BROTHER' S AND SISTERS KEEPER AND LENDING THAT HELPING HAND TO SOMEONE DURING THE MOMENT OF
CIRCES . WE AS A WHOLE TO STAND UP AND FIGHT AND SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH AND TAKE THAT STAND AND SAY IT'S
NOT WHERE YOU FROM, WHO YOU ARE OR WHAT YOU HAVE IT'S ALL ABOUT STANDING WITH UNITY AND SAY TOGETHER
WE WILL STAND AND IN UNITY WE WILL GROW .
It's VERY difficult to fill out the application as a self-employed/freelancer.
05/18/2020 ms J.A. Perry
But THANKS for all you're doing
I filed 3/31 and still have not received anything nor have I got an answer. It says open but there is an issue delaying
05/18/2020 Miss Kellie Lewis payment that is pending resolution. Iâ€™m about to go under at this point with 3 children to take care of. Iâ€™ve watched
ppl around me get theirs!
Can you give me an update as to when someone will be calling me?
05/18/2020 Lisa totten
[REDACTED]
When I filed in march I put my employers name in, which I thought was the correct one. Since it was on my check stub I
called 2 weeks ago and the agent said they were trying to contact the employer before the one I had put in when I got laid
off. So I thought everything was done but it keep saying pending resolution, so I called today, I would call get hung up on
05/18/2020 Mrs Wendy Anderson over and over, have a long wait, get someone who can't help and if they can't help me they transfer me, then I get hung up
on again and have to start over again. I did get thru only to find out that I had to get my employer to confirm that im not
working. But its under a different name so I had to get back on the phone to call des and never get back in touch with an
agent.
I have spend so much time on the phone waiting and everybody gives u a different answer. 5 different people and all said
05/18/2020 Unemployment BARBARA PRICE different things. They need a separate number for des u wait all day to get disconnected.Chat room was a waste of our tax
dollars. They know nothing. 8 weeks still waiting.
It took 7 weeks top get approved.
After hours on hold, getting cutoff and no help.
05/18/2020 Ms Donna Toth I finally emailed Stanley Arnold Ave he approved my claim.
Also they need to give a choice if you want to have your debit card expedited. We wait all that time, to then wait another
7-10 days to get your card.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

I signed up for PUA weeks ago & have received $13. I am a self-employed massage therapist & haven't worked since 3/16.
The DES system is user unfriendly. There is no way to know if you have made a filing mistake & impossible to talk to a live
person. The Governor has stopped me from earning a living & I have complied. But the government has totally let me
05/18/2020 Ms Cynthia Lambert
down & has not kept their promise of providing compensation. Even if the compensation comes through, it is still less than
what I would be earning. I want to get back to work & am capable of doing my best to make my clients as safe as I can.
This shutdown should not continue. Vulnerable & older people should stay locked down & anyone else who feels unsafe.
But the rest of us should be able to return to work.
8 weeks and still no payment. More so, I was dismissed from my state job because of an illness which only now has been
identified as likely Covid-19. Can you do something for people like me who have hardships due to illness. Also, please get
05/18/2020 Pre-Covid-19 resources RICARDO AGUILAR
employers to be better about following clearance policies and procedure, especially now with everything thatâ€™s going
on.

I only received a one time payment out of 8 weeks so far and I am struggling there is NO help from DES there is only 1 line
you can call and you wait for hours on hold for them to tell you they canâ€™t help. They forward you to someone â€œwho
can helpâ€•and the call drops every time because holding queue is full. I am beyond stressed out and upset and I know
05/18/2020 Jessica Wright
many many others who are in the same boat. Therefore it feels to me that no one is truly doing anything. It would be
helpful if there were multiple ways to reach someone who could help, other phone lines or emails for example! Also I
reached someone two times in one week (after hours on hold) and the assured me my simple issue would be fixed in a few
days. Itâ€™s been weeks. Still no pay. Everything says pending. Unacceptable.

I applied on 3/29/2020 and didnâ€™t get a formal response until 4/15/2020. After numerous calls and the line being
dropped, I became very frustrated. After finally getting through on the pandemic line, unfortunately they had no answers.
05/18/2020 Dr. James Love Itâ€™s very awful that no one answeres the telephone and itâ€™s also awful that the line is disconnected after it rings
forever. Iâ€™ve been waiting for over a month for a response and any benefits. Iâ€™m frustrated and upset about all the
taxes I pay every year and I canâ€™t get any help from the agency I pay into. I recently received a letter stating Iâ€™m
approved, but no funds and no further correspondence. I hate that I canâ€™t speak with anyone. Please help me!!!
I have sent in a story about my claim being pending on 5/16 they gave me the chance to file Pua today 5/18 the
determination amount was WRONG they said I had a $0 dollar amount for my adjusted gross last year and they DID NOT
look at my uploads in my documents where my schedule câ€™s are. I should have received the maximum but they put me
05/18/2020 Mrs Laura Clodfelter
in for 132.00 a week I canâ€™t get through on the phone itâ€™s been 8 weeks and Iâ€™m STILL waiting they also had a
security breach with my account , they mailed my info to another claimant. This has been a HORRIBLE experience. Can
ANYBODY help me

I am trying to contact someone about two weeks of my backpay that I have not received and I think itâ€™s because I
05/18/2020 DES Elizabeth Dycus didnâ€™t finish certifying but for two out of the four weeks it will not allow me to certify for those other pastors says I
have no more to be certified for so therefore I need to speak to someone but it will not even let you sit on hold when you
called the number they tell you to if someone could contact me back that would be gratefully appreciated thank you
Filed my claim March 30,2020 and as of May18,2920 I have not received any money!
05/18/2020 Mr William Wooten
I tried for 4 weeks to get through to someone and finally did! Very disappointed in the DEC!!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

The system is a joke I'm self employed cleaning house nobody wanted me to come because they are afraid of contacting
it..Filed March 20th refiled April 25 and my claim is still saying pending I've uploaded all my info....The only thing the call
05/18/2020 Ms Donna Jernigan center can do is give me the same info that I can see myself when I log in...Can't talk to a real DES agent which is very very
frustrating.Get disconnected all the time....All the money wasted for all the people answering the phone that can't really
help you could have went to train people to process the claims and get people their money sooner....8 weeks and still
waiting and haven't been able to talk to a real agent yet....Donna

The issue that I have had. Is never been able to get threw to talk to a representative and that's still till this day.. It also
stated that once claim was accepted we will get out cards. Well my claim was accepted on April 15,2020 and I still haven't
05/18/2020 Tanisha Smith
got my card. I talked to a Bank of America representative 2 weeks and ahe said that my card wasnt sent out till May the 1st
wow really.. So I had to verify my account address, date birth at the being of the call. WHY did they still send my card to
and old address from six years ago. Well here it is May the 18th and still no card still waiting..
It is time to make it easier for the people who are unemployed to receive their unemployment payments. Rent payments
05/18/2020 Ms. Rachel Campbell
and Food for the family doesn't wait.

I first tried to file and was ineligible... then filed the PUA just for it to come back with only half the year I work. Now since
05/18/2020 PUA - Wage Protest Alyssa Mattson
protesting the wages I havenâ€™t heard anything at all.... I have tried calling numerous times... waiting on hold just to be
hung up on!! Honest this has been a nightmare and Iâ€™m not sure what else to do!
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
I have now filed 9 weeks of certifications for each of the following weeks ended on the dates: Mar 21, Mar 28, Apr 04, Apr
11, Apr 18, Apr 25, May 02, May 09 and May 16 of 2020. There must have been an issue with the Reason for
Unemployment on one or more of my employers and I have tried for the last 6 weeks to get in touch with the ESC to help
fix the problem, Phone calls all went into automatic answering system and the final message was that all agents were
assisting other clients and the queue was full . It suggested that I call back at a later time. I tried this several days in a row
and got no response. I called the NC Works office in Forsyth County and spoke with Lisa Lamb. She sent me an email link
to the Employment Security Commission and told me to send an email and give details about my identified issue regarding
one of my employers, Joseph R. Listman, CPA. I had put down that I would be working on an as needed basis and I
explained the circumstances to the ESC. I thought I would be working a few hours for him to help him with the April 15th
deadline for filing his 1040 forms for his clients. However, the deadline for those filings were pushed out to July 15th, so I
never was called in to work for him. I did not work for him at all in 1st qtr 2020 and have not worked for him at all in 2nd
qtr 2020. That created issue #1 and held up my payments. Now it looks as though they have an issue with my employer,
The Deuxamis Corporation. When I filed my initial claim on March 23, 2020, I listed them as "Cut back hours due to COVID-
19". Little did I know that they were laying me off and on Mar 27th, that was my last day of work. When I filed the
05/18/2020 Judy Thompson Certification for the week ended Mar 28, I designated that I made $30.00 that week because I only worked 3 hours for the
entire week of Mar 23 through Mar 28th. I have not worked at all for any employer since that date. I sent 2 emails to the
ESC asking for help to get these technicalities straightened out and never heard from any one in Raleigh. So I made at least
50 phone calls(no response and could not get through), spoke with Lisa Lamb in the NC Works office in Winston-Salem at
least 4 times ( she tried to help me but to no avail.....I sent 2 emails to the ESC per her directions and she even sent one on
my behalf.....no response) and finally I called Joyce Kraewic's office and filled out a form they sent me which was sent to
the liason at the legislature ( responded back to Joyce Kraewic's office after a week of hearing nothing. The representative
in Joyce Kraewic's office said she forwarded my email to Phil Berger's office ( still nothing). I have been 9 weeks now
without any unemployment remuneration. I was not denied because I received a letter of Wage Transcript and Monetary
Determination Letter showing me how much I am qualified to receive weekly. I don't know what else I can do without
someone from the ESC explaining to me what the problem is and tell me how to fix the information to release my funds. If
there is anyone who can help me, I would greatly appreciate it.
Judy Thompson, Kernersville, NC
Cell # [REDACTED]

05/18/2020 Cosmetologist Michelle Carroll Since March 19th I was laid off due to corna virus and since I have filed 2 times for unemployment and I was denied
benefits both times. I finally filed for PUA and I am waiting to hear back. As of yet I have not had any type of compensation.
I submitted my claim when it was estimated to be 45,000 claims. I have not been able to reach anyone by phone (system
05/18/2020 Mr James Jernigan
hangs up) or email. I have not had ANY income since March.

I found out They did not look at my uploaded documents to determine my amount of unemployment per week they did
not look theyâ€™re showing me as having no income for 2019 and I canâ€™t get a hold of DES and PUA cannot fix that
05/18/2020 Mrs Laura Clodfelter problem for me they can only transfer me to DES which DES says they are dealing withA heavy load of calls and the line is
for for waiting so I canâ€™t get through to the DES to get them to change that I tried to dispute the claim amount and they
wouldnâ€™t let me they said there was an error they created an error problem every time I clicked on that Iâ€™m so
Frustrated Is there anyone that can help me
05/18/2020 Mr Michael Hall Do the right thing please
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

My son isnâ€™t eligible for unemployment but heâ€™s been unemployed since late December. But heâ€™s been unable to
05/18/2020 Mrs Sandy Russell obtain gainful employment due to Covid-19. So how is he suppose to pay his house payment, utilities, car insurance, gas
and support his two teenage girls?

My name is Thomas Dosier Jr., I originally filed on March 23rd and have yet to receive my first payment. Dozens and
dozens of hours of calling in and never getting through and going back and forth with my employers and I have still not
gotten anywhere. With my primary employer, Go Time Inc., an event management company, every other employee has
received their benefits and has been for several weeks now. With my secondary employer, the Town of Carolina Beach,
where I am a pay per call firefighter, essentially a volunteer being paid $11 per call and typically average less than $60 per
05/18/2020 Mr. Thomas Dosier Jr.
month. The dashboard of my account with the Division of Employment Security says that my payment has been delayed
due to the "As Needed" basis of my employment with the Town.
So essentially because I am a volunteer for my community my benefits have been delayed and I currently have no course
of action other than to continue spending hours and hours per day attempting to get through on the phone. I thank
whomever reads this for your service to our State as we all navigate this trying and troubling time.
Sincerely,
Thomas Dosier Jr.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments
Allow â€œattached claimsâ€to be filed by employers. In 2013, changes made to North Carolinaâ€™s UI laws severely
restricted the ability of employers to file attached claims for their workers. Allowing â€œattached claimsâ€•will be more
efficient and allow greater access to benefits.
Change North Carolinaâ€™s weekly benefit calculation. This will put more benefits in workersâ€™ pockets and will be most
needed after July 31 when the federal weekly supplement of $600 ends. Before 2013, North Carolina based benefits on a
workerâ€™s highest quarter wages â€“ a system that appears to be in use, for example, in Florida and South Carolina.
North Carolina should base benefits on either the highest quarter wages or the average of the two highest quarters.
Increase the maximum benefit amount, putting more money in workersâ€™ pockets after July 31 when the federal add-on
of $600 ends. North Carolina set its maximum benefit at $350 in 2013. It was not indexed in any way to increase over time.
Before 2013, the stateâ€™s maximum weekly benefit amount was 66.7 percent of the stateâ€™s average weekly wage.
Currently, 40 states have higher maximum amounts than North Carolina, including Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, and
Arkansas. North Carolina should set the maximum weekly benefit at 50 percent of the stateâ€™s average weekly wage,
$850, so the maximum would be $425 and would increase as wages increase over time.
Increase the maximum duration someone can receive benefits, as Georgia and Michigan have recently done. North
05/19/2020 miss ajfkdalf lafkdjsalf Carolina has a sliding scale of 12-20 weeks. Most states have a maximum duration of 26 weeks.
Address roadblocks created by the stateâ€™s low â€œearnings disregard.â€•At a recent House Committee meeting,
lawmakers discussed the problem of employees who have their hours cut but are denied benefits because of North
Carolinaâ€™s low â€œearnings disregardâ€•(1/5 of weekly benefit amount or $70). For instance, if a worker makes $750 a
week and has their hours cut so that they make only $420, they would receive $0 in UI because North Carolinaâ€™s
maximum weekly benefit amount is $350 ($420-$70=$350). Lawmakers should increase the earnings allowance and
increase the maximum weekly benefit amount.
Adopt Work-Sharing/Short-Time Compensation Option for Employers. Work-Sharing/Short-Time Compensation allows an
employer to reduce the hours of all or some workers instead of laying off a portion of the workforce. Workers with the
reduced hours are then eligible for partial unemployment benefits to supplement their paychecks. For example, instead of
laying off five workers, an employer can reduce the schedules of 25 workers by 20 percent. Approximately 40 states
provide this option to their employers. The CARES Act provides $100 million in grants to states to implement, improve, and
promote Work-Sharing. Recent Guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor recommended states adopt Work-Sharing.
Click here for more information.
I have had a rough time trying to get my initial claim week approved for me to get payment. Alot of people having issues
05/19/2020 Unemployment Amanda Green
too. I have never seen such a mess.
I submitted a claim in March and to this day my application is still marked pending resolution. I am an independent
contractor and the state is sitting on federal funds owed to me (not state funds....). This is wrong, I was also told by DES
05/19/2020 Mr Mark Aman along with every other applicant for those funds to lie saying I was looking for work. What is that all about? I hope anyone
prosecuted for fraud by this fraud agency has a defense attorney aware of this fact. Nothing is being done about this
problem and no one cares.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

The unemployment system is broke. Iâ€™m on week 6 right now and havenâ€™t received anything. I have to work two
jobs to provide for my family. My finance is currently in college so my income from both jobs is the only income we have.
We have 3 children and still havenâ€™t received anything from unemployment. I have stayed on hold for as long as 6 hours
05/19/2020 Horrible Chris Barrier
and still no help, horrible customer service when I do get thru, or either the person says they cannot help me. I had a
person help me and then tell me 24 to 48 hours and still havenâ€™t received a payment. I have answered all the questions
correctly and still no payment. Itâ€™s horrible very stressful everything is behind in bills right now. Iâ€™m trying to stay
positive but it just seems like itâ€™s no hope.
The process has been long, Iâ€™m now waiting on the delaying payment issue process to be resolved! And once that is
05/19/2020 Unemployment Starr Massaquoi
finished, I Should be all set. I just pray it doesnâ€™t take 3 additional weeks.

I have been denied stating since I did not pay in for third and fourth quarter.
I didn't because my money as clearly stated was supposed to start again when our first order was given to us.
I have not been able to make money in order to be paid.
I paid into this system since I am 15.
I am now almost 51.
I was told by my Congressman that I as a 1099 am entitled. Yet nothing.
I thank God my husband is still working. However, under this shut down my foundation can have no events to make
money to support what we do or even pay me.
05/19/2020 President Christine Livingston I have two working K9s who started school yesterday and one more in July. No income means no safety equipment for my
dog's. They need their ballistics vest, truama kits, Narcan kits, hot n pops and the training paid for.
We are out 20k.
That unemployment insurance would have helped pay for my gas to and from kennel to keep up with them and to offset
the above items out of my own.
These dogs didn't ask to be shit down they have to work.
I am not the only person in JOCO who is self employed that has been denied. Family members of mine also who are
hairdresser have been denied.
We should have never been told we were entitled to this when we actually aren't.
This is a disgrace to all of us.
Do you all realize what this has done to all of us who work tirelessly to do good for others.

For a state claiming to be ahead of the curve on many fronts this is not one of the governor Cooper has done a terrible
handling the unemployment situation in North Carolina it took me 5 weeks to receive benefits from the day I applied for
05/19/2020 Covid unemployment Matt Hampton
unemployment to receiving the funds I can never get a person on the phone at a call center I once was on the phone for 2
hours and 30 minutes on hold for someone to pick up and nobody ever did I stopped waiting after that this is unacceptable
And governor Cooper Should be ashamed of the job heâ€™s done

self employed individual - Filed Apr 25- system was inadequate, outdated, and not informative when errors made. Would
05/19/2020 Mrs Frances Shore get part way through and system would crash. System would not allow me to update fact finding for PUA, finally had to
call. While operator was helpful completing form, had no information when my claim would be resolved. I uploaded all
necessary documentation (tax records), while I heard others did not and received payment already where I have not.
North Carolina Senate
Unemployment Insurance Public Comments

05/19/2020 tammy sosoo Haven't receive anything about when i was out of work.

I was approved for NC unemployment on 04/19/2020 and have received no money. My hours were reduced so I get partial
income from my employer. The state said I am not eligible for NC funding because my weekly gross income is higher then
the state max of $350. (even though my check is short each week $200) The problem is this- the federal government is
paying the state $600 each week under CARES ACT (since I am technically listed as unemployed but the state is not giving
05/19/2020
me that help that the president has given. My question is, where does the $600 that was meant to help me from the
federal government going? My income has been reduced by $800-$1000 and I cannot get any help. I have bills that need
to be paid too. This is definitely a loop pole in the ESC system. I also spoke with PUA and they agreed. I am not self
employed or a contractor so they could not help me either. I have paid into unemployment for 34 years and when I need
to get help, I get nothing.
It's not Rocket Science to fix existing claims! Should take about 30 seconds to fix my claim but nobody wants to do it, all
05/19/2020 Richard Tyson they do is kick the xan down the road for somebody else to fix. Hiring people who dont know what they are doing or just
dont care what they are doing isnt the best strategy!!!

In addition to my previous comment, I again tried after being on hold to have my problem resolved so that I may continue
receiving payments and I was actually hung up in this time by a Caroline on line 2 for questions about my claims after she
05/19/2020 Jessica Wright
put me on hold quickly after answering. The call was dropped and now that it is 30 minutes later I cannot get through at
ALL. Holding queue is full. This is all a joke. So infuriating that I am doing my part and I canâ€™t get ANYONE to just fix my
(what I was told was an easy fix) problem!

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