SERINO: FIX BROKEN UNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM IMMEDIATELY

HYDE PARK, NY–Senator Sue Serino today is demanding immediate action to clear the backlog of unemployment insurance claims that have left too many Hudson Valley residents in limbo for weeks. In a letter to the Governor, Serino is also urging a daily update on the status of these claims in be included in his daily press briefings to increase transparency and accountability of the broken system. 

“Like most legislators, my office is being inundated with calls and emails from residents literally pleading for someone to help them access their unemployment benefits. These are real people, with real families to support, who are being pushed to their financial breaking points as a result of bureaucratic dysfunction and it’s just not right,” said Senator Serino.“These New Yorkers are unemployed because they are doing their part to promote public health at the request of our government. New York needs to step up and immediately provide them with the relief they have been promised.”

According to a 2019 report by AARP, more than half of American households do not have an emergency savings account. The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in over 1.4 million unemployed New Yorkers. Serino notes that far too many of the residents her office is assisting have gone between five and eight weeks without receiving their benefits. While the state has promised to provide residents with benefits dating back to their last day worked, the weeks-long delay is creating significant financial hardship for many. 

In the letter, Serino commends the NYS Department of Labor for their ongoing efforts to clear through the persistent backlog, but urges the state to dedicate additional resources to more effectively process the claims. Serino suggests temporarily moving even more state employees to the Department of Labor to assist, cutting red tape that requires far too many New Yorkers to call the Department, and including a dedicated update on the status of claims at the daily press briefing to limit the confusion that is driving countless New Yorkers to unnecessarily call and email the Department. 

Serino’s letter can be viewed by clicking here.

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