Complaints continue to pour in from workers who are still waiting to get their unemployment benefits.

They says calls to the state’s Labor Department go unanswered even though they repeatedly try to get through.

The state’s Labor Department said Monday morning it has processed benefits for about half-a-million people, but as of last week, had more than 718,000 claims filed in the past month in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

We asked the agency to explain why it’s taking so long for some applicants to receive benefits, knowing that every case is different and some may be anything but simple.

It said there are many reasons a worker who has applied for unemployment may not have received benefits yet.

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Why is it taking so long?

Volume is part of the challenge.

“Everyone’s claim cannot be processed at once,” said Angela Delli-Santi, a spokeswoman for the department. “We have received more than 150,000 claims per week for each of the past four weeks, when under 10,000 claims is `normal.’”

The agency said last week it has upgraded its technology, gotten laptops delivered so more employees can process applications from home and expanded its call center capacity to manage the high demand.

How long should it take?

Claims that contain all required information and have no complications, such as multiple employers or conflicting start/end dates, are being processed in three weeks, same as before the pandemic, Delli-Santi said.

Others are taking longer, she said.

Workers should check their claims carefully before hitting “submit,” she said, noting that inverted Social Security numbers and work history errors will delay payment.

“Some workers are under the mistaken impression that once they file, they should receive money immediately,” she said. “We must follow federal and state law when issuing benefits. The process from application to benefits takes about three weeks if there are no errors or flags.”

Some who apply are ineligible because they don’t meet the work or income requirements, she added.

Why are some benefits taking longer?

Independent contractors, freelancers, self-employed have not contributed to the unemployment system. Normally they would be ineligible for benefits.

But because of the coronavirus pandemic, they may be eligible for federal benefits.

These are separate and different from regular unemployment benefits and are funded by the federal government.

Delli-Santi said no one in New Jersey has received the expanded federal benefits yet.

“The states are working with the federal government to set the parameters for the program. That should happen soon,” she said.

She said these workers should start by applying for unemployment. The claim will most likely be deemed ineligible, but that’s okay. The denial for traditional benefits is a prerequisite for the special pandemic benefits.

The amount they receive will be based on their income, she said.

What about the extra $600 benefit?

Everyone who is now receiving unemployment benefits in New Jersey is also receiving the $600 supplemental federal benefit as of last week, Delli-Santi said.

Gig workers and freelancers and others who will be eligible for the expanded federal benefits will also receive the $600 weekly supplement through July. Those people will get the full $600 no matter their income level, she said.

“And, of course, we are working hard to serve all our customers as quickly as possible,” she said. “We continue to improve our systems and backdate claims so no one loses any benefits they are entitled to.”

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