Woman details issues getting unemployment payments

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – One local woman is sharing frustrations while waiting for unemployment payments. She hasn’t received any in the five weeks since filing.

The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) says a “clean” claim, without any issues, can take an average of 21 days.

The office is backed up and they’ve hired an additional 160 people to work their call center.

Carol Moore has worked as an inspector at Honda Manufacturing for the last 25 years. She was furloughed at the end of March and immediately applied for unemployment.

Moore says it would be $355 plus an additional $600 a week. But she hasn’t seen any of it.

Moore says she has called the office multiple times and never got a response, until last Thursday when she says someone finally answered the phone.

“I’m sure I’m not alone in this world, not being paid by unemployment,” Moore said. “But with the government stating that I do believe there are other people besides myself in the same situation that, you know, are waiting. I just feel I shouldn’t have had to do that. I was just told just Thursday that my pay would be seen within 12 hours and that was Thursday of this past week.”

Moore is going back to work on May 11. She was told she would receive back pay.

The DWD says not only are they adding staff, but more technology to help with the dramatic increase in claims.

DWD says Sunday is actually the busiest day for claims. This past Sunday, 270,000 vouchers were filed for unemployment.

Out of the 92 counties, Marion county has filed the most claims.