So I'm a seasonal worker who gets laid off every winter. In the meantime I apply and collect unemployment until work starts back up and it's been a pretty straightforward thing for years.
Then COVID happened and all the hackers and identity thefts took place.
Now it's a clusterfuck where they changed their systems so drastically it's ALWAYS making mistakes.
See a catch with applying for unemployment is you need proof that you are job searching…unless you have a return to work date like me.
Unfortunately their system is so fucked this year I keep being asked “WhY aReN't YoU lOoKiNg FoR a JoB?????” and now they are threatening to take away my UC unless I answer a questionaire that looks tailored to make me out to be an ass so now I'm trying to call them but look at that, line busy! I've called exactly 448 times since 8am and still can't get through.
What's really insulting is they trick you into hanging up your phone. They say “Text Help to (insert numbers) for additional assistance” so you think “Oh cool, I don't need to wait 4 hours to talk to someone IF I mange to get through” but when you text HELP you get a message back saying “Call us at (insert numbers)” which is the number you just heard “Text us” from.
Like, WHAT?! What is the fucking point of having a text line open if all you do is tell people to call you?
This is the third issue I've had this year and I just started UC last month!
My god they really fucked it this year.
Last year I had an unresolved issue and couldn't get through for months. Turns out the unresolved issue was a bug in their system, big surprise. This year they keep telling me to look for a job when I have a goddamn job, the place just isn't open all year! I have a callback date ffs.
Ugh.