Where are your unemployment benefits? Plus: tips for navigating the system

COMMITTED TOBRINGING YOU ANDYOUR FAMILY THECRITICALINFORMATION YOUNEED... SO WE CANALL BOUNCE BACKFROM THESEUNCERTAIN TIMES...TOGETHER.IT'S WHAT DRIVESOUR REBOUND IDAHOCOVERAGE.OUR MADELINEWHITE... HASTRACKED THEUNEMPLOYMENTSITUATION IN OURSTATE... FOR MONTHSNOW.SHE'S LISTENED... ASMANY OF YOU HAVESHARED YOURCHALLENGES WITHTHE SYSTEM.SHE SPOKE WITHTHE IDAHODEPARTMENT OFLABOR... TO GETANSWERS TO SOMEOF YOUR MOSTCOMMONQUESTIONS.THE WAIT FORBENEFITS ISFRUSTRATING ANDSCARY FOR MANY."WE'RE IN LIMBOSTATE.

AND THEUNKNOWN IS MORETERRIFYING THANTHE KNOWN."SADLY EVEN IFYOU'RE ON THE EDGEOF LOSINGEVERYTHING, THESYSTEM STILLMAKES YOU WAIT INLINE."WE KNOW PEOPLETHAT FILED AFTERWE DID AND THEY'VERECEIVED THEIRS."SO WHAT IF YOUWERE ONE OF THEFIRST TO APPLY,STILL HAVEN'TGOTTEN YOURS, ANDYOU DON'T FALL INTHE SELF-EMPLOYEDCATEGORY?

SHESAYS IT COULD BEBECAUSE THERE'SSOME KIND OFINTERVENTIONNEEDED."IF THE CLAIMANTPERHAPSMISUNDERSTOOD AQUESTION, OR IFTHERE WEREQUESTIONS ABOUTTHEIR AVAILABILITY,SOMETHING LIKETHAT WE ACTUALLYHAVE TO REACH OUTTO THEM ANDCLARIFY THATINFORMATIONBEFORE WE'RE ABLETO PAY BENEFITS.""OR IF THEIRDRIVER'S LICENSEINFORMATION ISINPUT CORRECTLY,WE HAVE TO FIXSOMETHING LIKETHAT BEHIND THESCENES."OTHER REPORTS I'MHEARING?

PEOPLEBEING FOUNDINELIGIBLE BUT NOTUNDERSTANDINGWHY."I THINK IT'S VERY YAKNOW A COMMONMISUNDERSTANDINGAND A REASONABLETHAT YOU THINKUNEMPLOYMENTCOULD BE BASEDOFF YOUR MOSTRECENT EMPLOYER,BUT IT ACTUALLYCOULD GO BACK TWOOR THREEEMPLOYERS.AND WE'RE SEEING ALOT OF FRUSTRATIONFROM PEOPLE INTHAT BOAT."SO IF YOU QUIT YOURSECOND TO LAST JOBFOR INSTANCE,COULD THAT MAKEYOU INELIGIBLE FORTHE BENEFITS?IT COULD, IT COULDMAKE YOU INELIGIBLEFOR IDAHO REGULARUNEMPLOYMENTINSURANCE, BUTWHAT WE'RE ABLE TODO IS POTENTIALLYTHEN PAY YOUUNEMPLOYMENTUNDER THE FEDERALPROGRAM IF YOU'VEBEEN AFFECTED BYTHE COVID VIRUS.THAT PROGRAM'SCALLED PANDEMICUNEMPLOYMENTASSISTANCE ANDIN IDAHO IT PAYS AMINIMUM OF 168DOLLARS PER WEEKTHEN YOU CAN ADDAN EXTRA 600 A WEKKFROM FEDERALPANDEMICUNEMPLOYMENTCOMPENSATION.TO FIND OUT IFYOU'RE ELIGIBLE YOUMUST FIRST FILE ACLAIM ATIDAHO.GOV/CLAIMANTPORTAL.

ONCE ADETERMINATION ISMADE ON YOUR CASETHEY SAY THEY'LLCONTACT YOU.MADELINE WHITE.IDAHO NEWS 6.WE DID LEARN SOMETIPS... THAT MIGHTHELP YOU GET YOURCLAIM SUBMITTED...AND GET YOUR CALLANSWERED.THEY TELL US THEEMAIL SYSTEM IS SOSWAMPED... THEY'VEBASICALLY STOPPEDCHECKING IT... SOCALLING IS YOURBEST BET.WHEN YOU DOCALL... AVOID PEAKTIMES IF POSSIBLE.THE WORST DAY OFTHE WEEK TO CALL ISMONDAY... AND THEWORST TIME... ISAROUND LUNCH.CALLING ANY OTHERDAY AND TIME... GIVESYOU A BETTERCHANCE OF GETTINGTHROUGH.MAKE SURE YOU'REABLE TO RECEIVE ACALLBACK AND YOURVOICE MAILBOX ISNOT FULL.YOU PROBABLYWANT TO ANSWERTHOSE CALLS FROMUNKNOWN NUMBERSFOR NOW -- JUST BECAREFUL OF SCAMS.AND FINALLY... IFYOU'RE SUBMITTINGINFORMATIONONLINE... THESYSTEM WORKS BESTIF YOU'RE USING THE"CHROME" BROWSER.