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Having trouble filing an unemployment claim? Help is on the way

So far, the Division of Employment Security has dished out 10-million dollars in unemployment benefits this week.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — WCNC Charlotte has gotten countless calls and emails of people saying they have been trying to file an unemployment claim, with little to no success. On Friday, Governor Roy Cooper said he’s heard that too and wants DES to fix it immediately.

Approximately 370,000 North Carolinians have filed for unemployment insurance since March 16. The Division of Employment Security has dished out $10 million dollars in unemployment benefits this week alone, but that’s only to the people who've been able to file. 

“All the stimulus package expansion of the benefits, that's all great," said Nancy Turner, "but if you can’t file a claim, you’re out of the loop."

Turner was laid off from her job in HR on Wednesday and has been trying to file an unemployment claim ever since. "At first, I went online like you're supposed to do, and it would get to a certain point and then stop and you’d get an error message," Turner said.

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After trying a few times on different browsers with no luck, Turner said she tried to call. “You just get a list of options for assistance, but then the call disconnects,” Turner said.

She and a few others she was laid off with even tried in the middle of the night
“We were trying to go online at like 3 o’clock in the morning thinking there’d be less internet traffic," Turner said, same thing happens.”

At a press conference, Governor Roy Cooper addressed those concerns.
“I know that it's been a struggle to file claims and to get questions answered on the phone,” Gov. Cooper said.

Gov. Cooper said the problem is that there's an unprecedented strain on the system. “More than 100 times as many claims, as usual, have been filed," Gov. Cooper said.

To help with the volume, the North Carolina Division of Employment Security has made arrangements for 850 people to be working to process claims and payments. This includes hiring 50 new staff members, adding 100 employees from the, contracting with a 200 person call center, buying 500 computers for employees to process from home, and adding computer servers to accommodate the large number of people filing online.

“I expect them to do this quickly," Gov. Cooper said. In a statement, DES said they understand for people who've lost their jobs assistance can't get there soon enough and are taking immediate action to be there for North Carolinians who need their help.

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