Arizonans who are out of work because of shutdowns related to coronavirus are experiencing serious delays and other issues as they try to collect jobless benefits from the state.

The problems come as the number of people applying for jobless benefits surges far beyond records set during the Great Recession, with more than 129,000 claims last week alone. Before the surge in job losses from the pandemic, about 4,000 people applied per week.

As jobless records are set both in Arizona and nationally, the state is trying to implement new guidelines from the U.S. Department of Labor that loosen the requirements for who qualifies, extend the time they can be paid by 13 weeks, and boost the weekly maximum paid by the states by $600.

But Arizona has made little headway in dealing with the crush of new applicants, according to data released Monday.

While the state has received 247,251 new applications for unemployment insurance in the past three weeks, it has only added about 64,000 people to the dole.

The total value of claims paid by the state has almost doubled from about $3 million a week before the pandemic to about $5.5 million last week.As more applications are accepted, that figure should swell.

Some applicants describe weeks of delays. Before the coronavirus-related business closures, it took the Arizona Department of Economic Security about two weeks from the time someone made an application for benefits until they would get the debit card in the mail with their funds.

That lag has increased with the surge in applications.

DES officials previously said jobless people may start to see the $600 in additional benefits as soon as this week, but department spokesman Brett Bezio said on Monday it is looking more like it won't be until the week of April 13 before the changes are programmed into the DES application system.

"DES is evaluating guidance from DOL regarding the extended eligibility for those who historically have not been eligible," Bezio said. "However, implementation of this provision will require significant system changes. No guidance has yet been received from DOL regarding the 13-week extension. All of these changes are critically important and will be implemented as quickly as possible while meeting all program integrity requirements."

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Forty-five-year-old Clifford Davis of Phoenix was working as a waiter when he was laid off three weeks ago and filed for jobless claims. He has struggled to get answers from DES regarding his application.

Davis received a debit card in the mail from DES last week, which is how benefits are paid. But there was no money in the account. He received a message that his application has an outstanding issue to be resolved, but no hint as to what that issue is or how to resolve it.

He's called the department only to be disconnected after waiting on hold or running out of time to sit on the line.

"It just seems like so many roadblocks are in the way," he said. "The communication is nonexistent."

Struggles seen in other states

Michael Wisehart, a DES assistant director in charge of the unemployment insurance program, told The Arizona Republic on April 1 that state workers were relocated to help process applications, which is normally staffed by about 13 people.

More than 100 are working on applications now, he said, with more on the way.

"We are empathetic to their situation and their need for financial resources," Wisehart said. "We are going to get them the dollars they are entitled to."

The situation is similar in other states, where the agencies that screen benefit applications are buried by new applications as they simultaneously try to implement major changes. California, for example, is bringing in retired workers and transitioning about 850 workers from across state government to help process jobless claims.

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak said his state was struggling with claims because it has done a poor job in the past of funding the jobless office, according to the Associated Press.

“Yes, you are going to get a busy signal (and) yes, you are going to have problems,” Sisolak said, according to the AP.

Dave Wells, a research director for the Grand Canyon Institute, said people in Arizona who are out of work because of the pandemic face a tougher road than other states, starting with the $240 a week cap on weekly benefits from the state, the second lowest in the nation.

"Our benefits are the worst in the country, and that is a serious concern we've had, especially if the federal government doesn't extend the $600 supplement after July," Wells said.

"In Arizona we underfund everything, so I would expect DES, just like every other state agency, barely has enough employees to operate normally," Wells added.

He said that Arizona has historically higher requirements for people to access unemployment benefits, and in normal times the state makes it harder for people to get help, which could be amplified during the pandemic.

"There's a lot of people in this state that would not qualify for benefits here but would in another state," Wells said.

'Give it a full day' to get a hold of DES

Geri Hixson of Scottsdale recommends putting on a good movie while waiting on hold to speak with someone at DES over the phone.

"You have to give it a full day," Hixson said.

She has worked as a massage therapist for more than 30 years and never had to apply for jobless benefits until late March. She had her adult daughter in Seattle help her with the online application.

But after initially only having her hours cut, she later was put out of work entirely. She got through to a DES worker on the phone on Friday after about four hours on hold, she said.

The worker told her that while she didn't qualify for benefits under the old rules because much of her work history was as a contractor, she might qualify under the new federal guidelines, which the state has not yet put into action.

"He said his advice, they are going to change this, so keep sending in my weekly application," she said. "I'm just living day to day right now. I've never been unemployed before. This is all new to me. One of my kids paid my rent this month."

Reach reporter Ryan Randazzo at ryan.randazzo@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4331. Follow him on Twitter @UtilityReporter.

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