Wisconsin shed 439,000 jobs in five weeks; claims overload unemployment benefits system – Madison.com

According to DWD spokesman Tyler Tichenor, the computer programs for processing claims date back to the 1970's.

"Our current systems are inflexible, which makes it slow and costly to implement even the smallest changes in federal or state law and policy," he said.

While the number of claims is tapering off 31,851 claims last week compared to 116,129 in mid-March about a third of 2.1 million claims still havent been paid.

I have four weeks pending of unemployment due to the coronavirus layoff and can't get any assistance, one reader wrote on a Capital Newspapers tip line, adding that when the phone lines arent crashed because of the volume, callers are put on terminal hold. I've used the contact form in the unemployment website multiple times and that's been just as worthless with no reply. When we need our government they are failing us.

Heather Pettenger, of Madison, puts the number of calls she made to the Department of Workforce Development in the hundreds. But the out-of-work YMCA accountant never reached a live body.

She tried email, to no avail.

She finally sought help from state Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, and after six weeks finally hit pay dirt.

After continuous contact with my state Senator Risser and the emails I sent out this weekend, my determination was finally approved and I got all of my back pay yesterday, she said in an email on Wednesday. I'm not sure why a liaison was needed to get my determination approved but I'm just thankful it finally worked out after weeks and weeks of waiting.

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Wisconsin shed 439,000 jobs in five weeks; claims overload unemployment benefits system - Madison.com