Losing their jobs in Whatcom to coronavirus was tough, getting benefits was tougher

May 4--The swift, knockout blow the coronavirus pandemic dealt the local economy has strained state agencies trying to help. One of the biggest strains is on the agency tasked with helping those who have lost their jobs.

Earlier this week, Employment Security Commissioner Suzi LeVine said the agency had received more initial claims in the past seven weeks than the previous 3.5 years combined. During the week of April 19-25, the Employment Security Department paid out over $988 million, but admitted that many more residents are waiting to receive payments.

"While the team at the Employment Security Department has helped hundreds of thousands of people get unemployment benefits since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, we know that there are still many who are awaiting their payments," Levine said in a news release last week. "It is beyond frustrating for these individuals and we will continue to work night and day until everyone receives their benefits."

Along with the crush of jobless benefit applications, Levine said one of the more common problems in recent weeks is conflicting information between what an employee has entered and what their employer submitted. When that happens, it leads to a process that has meant delays in sending out checks.

Many Whatcom County residents have fallen into this situation, usually for reasons that are out of their control. One resident described it as a "black hole," because once you are in it, getting information or updates is extremely difficult. As many have discovered, reaching someone by phone or email is difficult; many have learned that the best time to navigate the website is in the late-night and early-morning hours.

With no money coming in and no answers on when it might come, it's created stress and strain for people. Some are tapping into savings; others are getting help from family. There's also other governmental help such as food stamps, but those are also strained and it can take time getting into those systems.

While it's a frustrating period of uncertainty, many are adjusting. Dan Fitzgerald, a local cook who received some benefits before they were halted, said he's learned not to fixate on the issue and stay busy, knowing that it's the system that's broken and not his fault.

"There are so many people out that are worse off than I am. I am unemployed and running out of money but I am grateful I have food in my fridge and a roof over my head," said Fitzgerald, who has worked at several Bellingham restaurants for nine years, including Swim Club in Fairhaven.

What follows are some of the stories of local residents trying to navigate the unemployment system. Even those who are in the "black hole" have picked up some tips that might help others who are eligible for financial assistance but haven't received it yet.

One break in the chain

Jauomal Lewis arrived in Bellingham in December, having been hired as a chef at Anthony's at Squalicum Harbor. He worked in other restaurants across the U.S., including in Texas and Oklahoma. It offered a good salary and he enjoyed being in the Pacific Northwest.

As the coronavirus pandemic restrictions took effect, restaurants such as Anthony's had to shift to a pared-down, to-go menu. Lewis was laid off March 15 and soon after filed for unemployment.

At first, there were some challenges getting into the system, but he was able to navigate through that and get to the point where his file was being processed, Lewis said in a phone interview. In order to process the claim, Lewis said, the Washington Employment Security Department wanted records not just of his work at Anthony's, but from the other places he worked in 2019.

Lewis said Anthony's and other places he's worked for have been great about providing that information, but said one of his employers, in Oklahoma, had not submitted documents and that held up his benefits. That business said they would send it, but Lewis said he hasn't heard back on his file's status.

With no money coming in, it's been challenging to try to find other work, he said. He's starting to receive food stamps, but now much of his time is spent at home.

"It's a wait-and-see period for me," Lewis said.

The one thing he's learned from the experience is that paperwork is important to hold on to. He believes keeping hard copies of things such as income statements from Oklahoma may have helped him get assistance sooner.

One wrong checked box ...

When Fitzgerald lost his job as a cook, he immediately filed for unemployment and was successful at getting through the process. He started receiving his weekly unemployment checks, which greatly helped his financial situation.

Last week, the checks stopped coming. He learned that he had been disqualified. The notice said that he hadn't given information about an employers' name that he did not recognize.

"I realized what happened was when asked if I had worked for that company I said no," Fitzgerald said. The problem is that company uses that name for payroll, but it is not the actual title of the establishment, prompting him to answer the question incorrectly.

He is now being asked by the Employment Security Department to return every payment he's received because he is suspected of giving false information. Fitzgerald filed an appeal through the website, but he had to do it at 2 a.m. because that was the only time he could get on to the website that is so busy during the day. He's now waiting to hear back about his appeal.

Dust off the fax machine

It's not just laid-off workers that come across challenges navigating the system; employers can face problems trying to provide information.

Tianne Baker, general manager of Bellingham manufacturer Travax, has looked for ways to keep employees working. As the "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" restrictions took hold in March, the company had employees work from home if possible. The owner, Mark King, even came up with build-kits to assemble some of the products at home, including its slim wallets and outdoor gear.

Even so, some workers had to be furloughed, so Baker started the process of providing documents to the Employment Security Department. She learned she needed to access e-service in order to manage employees' unemployment claims or provide documentation. Without access to e-services, Baker said, all correspondence comes by mail and the only options to respond are via fax or mail.

She applied for access to e-services on March 26, but finally gained it on April 28. In the meantime, she was working from home and her only option was to write the response on the forms they mailed her by hand, scan them in and fax them.

"The faxing was an ordeal on its own. We do not typically fax anything, but had to get that service set up specifically for these unemployment claims. I have an inbox full of failed fax attempts," Baker said in an email.

Eventually, she discovered that faxing after 11 p.m. worked.

Now that she has e-service, the process is working much more efficiently.

"I wish I had this four weeks ago when the all the claims were coming in," Baker said.

Some successes

Many are making it through the process, particularly if they don't have unusual situations with missing documents or information.

Since the job losses from the pandemic began in early March, the employment department estimates 787,533 Washington residents have filed a claim, with 504,284 getting a payment.

One key to success is persistence. Julia L. Bonsignore, a substitute teacher in Bellingham, began applying for unemployment insurance in mid-March. She got to the point where she was able to get a call back from the department, and from there, things flowed well.

"But the initial two weeks of waiting and wondering were especially nerve-wracking, even up to my call-back date," Bonsignore said in an email.

During those two weeks of waiting, she found it impossible to get someone on the phone or access the website. Eventually, it got better and recently she was able to access the website to check her eligibility for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.

"What I learned from the experience is to be persistent and keep plugging away until you find a loophole or path to what you need. To be patient, but also demand service," Bonsignore said.

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