State working to help get unemployment due to COVID-19 job losses

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The state has already suspended a requirement that you visit a WorkOne office for help with your job search. And it’s encouraging you to file your claim online. The department expects to roll out looser eligibility guidelines this week to take into account it’s hard to look for a job when the schools are closed and you’re supposed to stay home.

Department of Workforce Development chief of staff Josh Richardson says one example is someone who says she can’t look for work because she can’t find appropriate day care. Under normal circumstances, that person would be ineligible. Richardson says the department is working to accommodate people who can’t find child care because their kids are home from school or day care unexpectedly. But he says it’s taking time to makre sure the state has legal authority to change them.

In the meantime, Richardson says if you’re out of work, go online and fill out the form. That way, once the rules are ready, the application will already be in the system, and the department can determine your eligibility and start paying your benefits more quickly.