A closed sign in Engelberg Antiks in downtown Salem on Thursday, March 19. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter)
Out-of-work Oregonians waiting for unemployment benefits may see their payments sped up.
Since the coronavirus pandemic hit, the Oregon Employment Department has seen a record number of claims for unemployment insurance as the state has shed jobs.
The department has made progress in processing the backlog of claims. But there remain tens of thousands of applicants who are awaiting benefits because their claims are in adjudication, meaning more work to be done to determine if the applicant is eligible.
On Friday, the department announced it had found a workaround to pay applicants their benefits while they wait for their claim to be adjudicated that it’s calling “Benefits While You Wait.” The department has estimated that many individuals whose claim is stuck in adjudication may be eligible for a new program created to help workers who’ve lost jobs because of the pandemic.
The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance was created by Congress this spring to extend benefits to self-employed and gig workers not covered by traditional unemployment insurance.
The program also extends unemployment benefits to workers who had their employment upended by the pandemic, including those about to start a job but couldn’t or have had workplaces closed. It’s also extended to people diagnosed with the virus or are caring for someone who has, as well as parents unable to work because of school closures.
According to the department, it will pay benefits to people waiting for adjudication as long as they qualify for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and continue filing weekly unemployment claims.
If the department determines that the applicant is eligible for regular unemployment benefits, they will continue getting payments as long as they are eligible. If they are instead eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, their claim will be moved to the program and could qualify for a higher amount.
The Employment Department said it’s reaching out to those waiting for benefits through emails and robocalls.
From the third week of March to the third week of July (the most recent data provided by the department), there have been 29,307 initial claims for unemployment in Marion County, 18% of its labor force. For the same time period, Polk County saw 6,691 claims, 16.7% of its labor force.
SUPPORT ESSENTIAL REPORTING FOR SALEM – A subscription starts at $5 a month for around-the-clock access to stories and email alerts sent directly to you. Your support matters. Go HERE.
Contact reporter Jake Thomas at 503-575-1251 or [email protected] or @jakethomas2009.
