The Charlotte Center in North Carolina is providing free help to unemployed workers struggling to file benefit claims. | Stock Photo
The Charlotte Center in North Carolina is providing free help to unemployed workers struggling to file benefit claims. | Stock Photo
Weeks have gone by and unemployed workers in North Carolina are still finding it difficult to contact the unemployment offices.
Legislators have now joined the fight after the weeks of struggles and a Charlotte-based legal center are teaming up to help residents get their unemployment settled, for free, WCNC Charlotte reported on May 18.
Several thousand residents in North Carolina continue to say that they are unable to get in touch with the unemployment offices while others note that they cannot file a claim due to being kicked off of the website during the process, WCNC Charlotte reported.
A salon lash artist, Amanda Reeves, had been trying to file for over two weeks. She has been out of work since late March, like millions of American's and is just trying to make feeding her son possible. "It's been a wave of emotions," Reaves told WCNC Charlotte. "You were going to rob from Peter to pay Paul for certain bills."
The Charlotte Center provides free legal advocacy for residents and that is who Reeves eventually contacted to straighten out her unemployment, WCNC Charlotte reported. Once she had access to the website, Reaves still had the frustrating wait on the payment. Before COVID-19, unemployment payments were made 14 days once approved, WCNC reported, however, it can take at least a month.
Staffing at the unemployment centers remains a problem, WCNC Charlotte reported.
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