State extends phone hours for unemployment claims

Let me get this straight - The state is putting more resources and extending hours to make it easier for people that are unemployed and thus have all day to conduct business. At the same time that they are cutting hours at the RMV, forcing working people to take more time off from work to renew their license or registration. That is, if they remember to renew, since they are no longer sending renewal forms out!!

Only in Massachusetts!!

Thanks a lot Duval!!

A whole four hours extra!?!?

I once had the choice of giving up a job interview or going to the unemployment office to make sure I got this week's check. The unemployment office was so unaccommodating that was my only choice. I had to give up the job interview. A bird in the hand, you know. Great way to help people get work.

Brilliant TeleClaim Service

You call, and are requested to enter your SSN, then DOB. You are then transferred. You are now asked if you have dependants, if so, you are asked to then key in their SSN's. After all this effort, you are told "Sorry, we can not answer your call at this time, please try at another time". You are disconnected.

Pfft. I'd be happy with a long wait on the phone. As it is, I call, go through the phone menu entering in my info, then get "we regret that we cannot take your call at this time" and get hung up on. Give me a goddamn queue! I'll sit for 5 hours, just put me in a queue!

I'm about ready to suck it up and wait the 6 hours at the unemployment office (my cousin waited 5 1/2 hrs after getting there at 8:35a.)

Why can't this be done online like in many other states?

I took a job interview instead of trying to file my weekly claim, after NEVER reaching the TeleCert line in two weeks of phone calls, and never being able to log in to WebCert (and being told by a DUA employee that she'd "never seen that" when following my WebCert "phone support"). Eventually got the job, but still waiting to be processed into payroll. I am still trying to reach the DUA--by any means--to claim my final two weeks of unemployment. "Having all day to conduct business" only applies to half of this equation--and it's not the job seekers who need the extra time, it's DUA who needs to be able to process us. Maybe DUA should leverage us unemployed IT workers to make WebCert work!

I agree with Joe! How about making it so that unemployed people can somehow quickly take care of this type of business online so that they can get out there and work on getting a job and getting off unemployment. And while we're at it, how about drug testing them so I know my tax dollars are at least going to people who are actually trying to support their families and not their bad habits!

I can't even get a question answered over the phone. I called Monday. Hit choice 4 for "Customer Service". Entered my social security number. Was told "call back Thursday". Tried again on Tuesday, was again told "Call back Thursday". Well, now it's Thursday. I called, chose "Customer Service", entered my social security number, entered my year of birth, get transferred someplace where I'm told "Due to the large volume of calls, we cannot take your call now, please call back later." And then the line goes dead. As "wtb job pst" posted above, I'd be happy as a clam to sit in a phone queue for the entire day, if they actually had a phone queue. I JUST WANT TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT MY CLAIM! I have stuff going on today that will keep me from going to one of the centers to wait, but clearly I'm going to need to spend tomorrow there. All to ask a question that should take less than a minute to answer... If I could email the question to someone, I would be a very happy camper!

i have been having the same problems with the phone line -- it seems impossible to get on queue, no matter what time of day you call. This makes me think there are a lot more people recently laid off than the numbers we are seeing -- how many others simply can't file?

Besides trying to find a new job, some of us are now taking on child care duties so we can save money on day care costs. This makes it hard to give up a whole day to wait on line -- besides the fact that the Woburn center nearest to me is not even open all days of the week to take claims!

I have been trying over and over day after day at least 20 -30 times a day for the past week with no help. I understand put in your ss# and then the "were sorry bit" well im sorry! You think I like having to do this stuff!! Some acknowledgement would be great a live person a time on hold instead of a call back tomorrow. I did call back tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow the only thing is that when it comes to Saturday there won't be open tomorrow but the same message will play. Is there a form you can fill out on line? Does anyone know. This is insane. And for people who think I sit at
home and do nothing we'll between two little girls, cleaning, laundry,grocery shopping, filling the wood box, bathing them going online to every website like craigslist, monster job, worcester works. I would much rather getting paid for what I am doing. So thats all.
If any one knows of unemployment offices of a website I could fill out the paper work it would be a gift from santa.

Kelley

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hello everyone! question? does anyone know if there were delays in this weeks checks? i have not recieved a check yet this week and i called in on sunday. also, the website and phone centers are closed today due to the weather. if anyone can answer me it would be greatly appreciated!! thanks!!! alison

Now imagine how much harder it is for me, an out-of-stater, trying to put a claim in against a state whose unemployment account went bankrupt during the shallower recession of 2003! Good luck to me and my family!