Ohio unemployment payments top $1B; phones still clogged

Ohio distributed more in unemployment compensation in the past six weeks than in four months at the height of the Great Recession, state officials said Monday, though many people claim they are still facing obstacles getting paid.

The state has paid more than $1.2 billion during the coronavirus pandemic to roughly 447,000 people, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Director Kimberly Hall told reporters Monday. The fastest the state reached $1 billion in payments was after four months of recession in April 2009, she said.

“Very sobering when you look at the magnitude of this crisis,” she said.

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The payments this year include $509 million from the state’s unemployment compensation fund as well as $735 million in federal funds going out as $600 weekly payments under the federal CARES Act.

Hall said about 82,000 people have filed pre-applications for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, a temporary federal program that provides unemployment benefits to people who don’t qualify for traditional unemployment. PUA claims won’t be processed until mid-May though.

Hall said the state has resolved 80 percent of the 974,000 claims they have received, though about 54,000 claims from March are still pending.

Hall said the state has spent more than $25 million making upgrades to Ohio’s antiquated unemployment system, including adding a virtual call center and adding 1,500 people to help answer the phones.

But many people are still having problems getting help with problems they are having with their claims.

Chris Vickers applied for unemployment after he was laid off from an Eddie Bauer distribution center in Groveport on March 28. He said he started receiving benefits a couple weeks ago, then they stopped and he can’t get through for an explanation.

“When you try select the option to wait for a person, it goes ‘We’re experiencing a high volume of calls at this point. Please try your call again later,’ then hangs up,” he said. He said he called several times Saturday and again Monday morning.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve called. Every single time you get that message.”

Vickers said he contacted his creditors and most of them agreed to suspend billing for two months, but he needs to know if he can rely on unemployment to help make those payments when they come due.

Vickers asked why the state can’t create a system like many companies have that calls someone back when unemployment worker becomes available.

Asked that question by a reporter Monday, Hall said they are looking at a call-back option and working with companies such as Amazon to identify the best options, but they would need close to 4,000 workers to answer every call. She said they get half a million calls a day on average, though on Friday call volume was closer to 1 million.

“Across the country this is a challenge, and we have some of the best and the brightest… to help us through solutions,” she said. “We’re committed to getting everyone the benefits they need.”

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About the Author

Josh Sweigart

Josh Sweigart is an investigative reporter at the Dayton Daily News. His stories have focused on government waste, fraud, abuse and accountability in southwest Ohio, as well as the statehouse and U.S. Capitol.