'Get something done': Mississippians express frustration over unemployment system

Officials acknowledge swamped system, say they've added staff and extended hours

Mississippi Clarion Ledger

It's been two weeks since Cynthia Thompson lost her Hattiesburg dental office job due to the coronavirus, and she still has not been able to file an unemployment claim.

The 56-year-old tried to apply online, but forgot her password and got locked out. So she left voicemails, sent emails, even stopped by a WIN Job Center to see if she could get assistance. She was turned away: Even though Mississippi's job offices remain staffed, they have been closed to visitors due to the virus.

"I'm tired of the system glitch," Thompson said Thursday. "It's been two weeks — get something done."

A resident copies down the Mississippi unemployment benefit website after being unable to enter the state WIN Job Center in north Jackson, Miss., Thursday, April 2, 2020. The job centers lobbies are closed statewide to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The agency encourages residents to apply for their benefits on line. Some centers have made paper unemployment applications available to those people without computers, for them to mail back or push through the centers' mail slots or doors.

State officials say they are scrambling to keep pace with the unprecedented demand for unemployment benefits as the virus has triggered mass layoffs around the state. Two weeks ago more than 5,000 people filed claims, about five times the usual number. Last week, the number of applicants surged again, to about 31,000.

"I don't think it's hit its peak," said Jackie Turner, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, or MDES.

Companies around the state are still making decisions about whether to lay employees off, Turner said. One recent report by the Economic Policy Institute estimated the state could lose about 110,000 jobs due to the virus over the next several months.

MDES is trying to adapt, Turner said. The agency more than doubled its staff answering unemployment phone calls and handling applications in recent days. As of this week its hotline hours were expanded from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.

Next up, Turner said, the agency must integrate federal changes to the unemployment system. Those tweaks, recently passed by Congress in response to the virus, will eventually grant unemployed people an additional $600 per week and allow additional types of workers to qualify for benefits. Turner said MDES is still waiting on guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor on how to proceed.

Many Mississippians still can't get their claim filed, even after trying for days, and some have encountered other problems in the application process. Many say the hotline doesn't even ring. Sometimes, after being placed on hold, the call seems to hang up automatically.

One woman who lost her casino job said she was able to file her claim online — only to be told her claim was being audited. To proceed, she needed to call an overwhelmed phone line. She finally heard back from an MDES employee after seeking help from U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo's office.

Clinton resident Belinda Woods-Johnson, left, looks at the call log on her cell phone on Wednesday morning. She and neighbor, Darla Kemmerer, right, have made repeated attempts to get through a busy unemployment phone line. Wednesday, March 25, 2020.

Brent Elmer of Grenada was recently laid off from a restaurant job. "They said when this is over, you'll have a job to come back to," he said of his employer, but he added it's unclear when that will be. Like many, he'd applied for unemployment years ago, and the MDES system would not allow him to sign in again.

So Elmer, 42, started calling, but he said the hotline often "hangs up before it even rings." He tried sending emails, but got no response. He finally filled out a form online, saved it on a thumb drive, and tried delivering it to one of the job centers, where he wasn't allowed inside. Eventually, he said, he was able to directly email the same office a filled-out application Friday, and he was awaiting a response.

"It's more than just a hassle," Elmer said.

Gov. Tate Reeves said at a news conference this week that unemployed Mississippians are "justified" in their complaints about the system, but he urged patience, and said many other states are facing the same challenge accommodating so many new applicants.

"Keep trying, be patient," Reeves said. "We are working hard to solve all of the challenges that come from this and you will get paid."

"We're all in this together in Mississippi," Turner said. "MDES needs help from the public — help your neighbors and families and friends (file their claim). Some people out there have more tech expertise, or have filed for unemployment in the past — they can be a great help to others in need of unemployment, who thought they would never need to file unemployment and find themselves in this situation."

Here are several resources for filing a claim and virus-related changes to the system:

Claims can be filed by setting up an account on the MDES website, mdes.ms.gov. The website also offers a downloadable unemployment application form, which can be emailed to UIClaims@mdes.ms.gov. Unemployment questions can be sent to cv19@mdes.ms.gov. The primary MDES hotline number for filing claims is (888) 844-3577, with hours of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
While local WIN Job Centers are closed due to the virus, they are now accepting unemployment applications by phone and email, Turner said. A list of emails and phone numbers for offices around the state is available on the agency's website.
Officials continue to remind people that, if approved for benefits, they will be applied retroactively to whenever the person lost their job. Under an executive order signed by Reeves, there is no longer a one-week waiting period to receive benefits, and recipients are not required to prove they are searching for another job. Benefits can be paid two ways: direct deposit or an MDES-issued debit card.
Despite waived work-search requirements during the virus, people approved for benefits must still file a weekly "certification" online to keep getting paid. The agency describes those requirements and offers several other answers to frequently asked questions on its website.

Last week, Congress passed a $2 trillion stimulus package called the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to help workers and businesses facing hardship due to the virus. One way it will help unemployed people in Mississippi is by offering an additional $600 per week, through July, to the base amount of more than $200 most already receive in benefits. In addition, the legislation allows gig economy workers such as drivers for Uber or Lyft, independent contractors and freelancers to qualify for unemployment.

Turner said MDES and other state unemployment agencies are still waiting on guidance from the federal government on how to integrate the new payments and eligibility to their systems. That means it's possible some gig economy and freelance workers will be denied if they apply for unemployment right now, but could be approved in another week or two.

In addition, Turner said, people have not begun receiving the additional $600 in their weekly benefit payments, but she expects payments will likely be applied retroactively to this week. This means recipients could receive a check for $1,200 or more in some future weeks.

Thompson, the Hattiesburg resident, said she's hopeful she's approved for benefits quickly. She was laid off as the manager of a dental office on March 17, and it's unclear when she'll be called back into work. The coronavirus continues to spread quickly in Mississippi, with another 181 cases and three deaths reported Friday.

"It's just hard, I need an answer," Thompson said. "I have no monies coming in. I'm not married — that was my only income."

Did you lose your job in Mississippi due to the coronavirus? I want to hear your story — and how our state's unemployment system works for you. Send me an email, lramseth@gannett.com, or give me a call, 601-317-7476. You can also find me on Twitter, @lramseth.