NJ Top News 3/11 - Still Waiting for Unemployment Benefits?

When President Joe Biden signs a $1.9 trillion COVID relief measure Friday, it will include more help for New Jersey's millions of unemployed.

For millions of jobless receiving benefits in New Jersey, the inclusion of enhanced federal unemployment benefits should be seamless. A proposed added unemployment benefit of $400 per week was ultimately reduced to $300. The benefit will continue through Sept. 6.

When President Donald Trump delayed signing a relief bill last January, it resulted in the disruption of benefits to hundreds of thousands in New Jersey and left the state Labor Department scrambling to get those claims adjusted. A spokesperson for the state Department of Labor told NJ.com that should not happen this time because President Biden will sign the bill before the current benefits expire on March 13.

Unemployment remains at historic levels in New Jersey. When Gov. Phil Murphy shut down the economy a year ago, it threw millions out of work. The Labor Department has processed 2,034,337 claims and paid out over $23.8 billion in benefits.

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With many approaching a year of joblessness, claimants typically would have to file a new claim to continue receiving benefits. Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo announced that would not be necessary. He says the department has been proactively reviewing all claims, and advised individuals receiving benefits not to re-file as it would actually delay their payments.

While the vast majority of claims filed over the last year have been processed successfully and residents are receiving benefits, there remains tens of thousands who have yet to receive any assistance. The reasons for this are varied. It could have been an input error on the original claim, an improperly answered question, questions about the type of work, the need for a department review or other extraordinary circumstances.

Asaro-Angelo has repeatedly apologized for these delays, and promised everyone who is eligible will be paid retroactively what they are owed.

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