Nevadans to get unemployment benefits retroactively from March 15, Sisolak says

Nevada will backdate unemployment claims to March 15 with hopes of providing some financial relief to residents who are enduring hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Steve Sisolak announced today.

Many residents have run into delays submitting claims because of a staffing shortage. In the last 30 days, 300,000 Nevadans have applied for unemployment benefits to overwhelm the system, Sisolak said.

“The reality is this: During the good times nobody can ever imagine it being bad again, certainly not as bad as this,” Sisolak said. “As a result, attempts to upgrade the unemployment insurance system or increase staffing or even maintain staffing levels were not approved in past legislative sessions.”

The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation has tripled its staff over the last weeks and has distributed nearly $200 million in unemployment claims since March 15. The state will also disperse an additional $600 weekly to recipients from the federal coronavirus stimulus bill. Those monies will also be backdated to March 15.

More help could be on the way for the office. The governor announced last week that a vendor has been selected to staff a 100-person call center to help with the influx of claims. That vendor’s name has not been released.

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