FORGOT TO HIT PUBLISH – so this dropped the next day…
APRIL 22, 2020 – Well, I have gone and gotten myself out of a routine and now I’m posting every 3 days it seems. Maybe it’s just a NEW routine? Either way, I have looked at stats and from the looks of them, not like there’s daily viewers missing what nonsense I have to say anyway.
So, these past few days have been pretty much the same. A day or two spent watching some favorite TV shows, surfing the net, paying a few bills, a few crafty things, an outdoor project or two, more spring cleaning, porch sitting and fighting with Kentucky unemployment – for my youngest.
Since I kinda ended with the unemployment, let me share the frustration with that. My youngest was the first hit with shutdown because of the CORONAVIRUS. A college junior and horsefarm employee. Double whammy. So, as soon as access was available, unemployment was file. Got a letter, not dated, but it clearly shows the following:
EFFECTIVE DATE: 03/15/20
LOCAL OFFICE: 60
MAIL DATE: 03/23/2020
“…if you meet all qualifications, you will be eligible for $XXX.XX per week with total benefits of $XX,XXX.XX”.
Here we are now, April 23, 2020 and no check. NOT EVEN THE MAGICAL $600.00 ! I did file, with effective date of 03/22/20 mail date of 03/30/2020, first check was 4/19 and extra $$ was within 24 hours of that. We have called the numbers given, left messages because this is the only option. Emailed addresses available, gotten an automated response. There was an automated call back but nothing since.
Folks out there bitching about paychecks, jobs etc and even an honest working college student can’t get a simple unemployment check. I mean I get it. We are ALL living in desperate times. We are thankful for the things we have. We are thankful for the things we get.
Understanding that the unemplyment systems across the country is overloaded. Maybe those that have jobs processing the claims could spend time fixing an alternative claim system that cuts out some of the “standard” questions, because we are not dealing with “standard times” folks. The links given on the letter takes you to another page that makes you click on a big ol red box that takes you to the same page you filed the original claim. I’ve read where folks say that they just “call in” their claim “WEEKLY”…and I have seen nothing that said I have to call weekly. I have a letter telling me of my next claim date and review date. No phone numbers. Every number called is busy. The system is so messed up and no one seems to be trying to fix it even at the basic level of lingo. I’ve thought about doing a video on the process here in KY and showing how it can actually be so frustrating that most people just give up and don’t fool with it at all. I was unemployed last from 2010 to 2012. I had worked for the school system and was unfairly let go because I wasn’t part of the “good ole boys’ network”. The new principal did what all new administrators do, they get rid of folks so they can bring in their friends. You can bet I was going to ride the unemployment train as long as I could. Back then, it was ‘normal’ circumstances. I had to drive to a local office. Sit. Wait. Talk. Leave with a slip of paper. Submit my job searches on line, track those searches and repeat this process weekly. Meaning that I spent more time doing the requirements to get my money than actually being able to improve myself for a job, prepare for interviews or be lazy. Having to drive to/from the office for the sit down was wasteful because I had to spend money on gas. Eventually, one lady told me, “oh, you can just call in you don’t have to come in“. That was NOT made clear until about a month of this. It is almost like they are trained to make you beg and grovel for the money. Being told this early on would mean their offices wouldn’t be so crowded and they couldn’t whine about it. THAT is what is wrong with the system folks. They are so used to doing it ONE way that they cannot fathom doing it more streamlined. As with EVERYTHING, we have to think outside of the box in order to improve. Even if thinking outside the box does not improve, we learn from it.
So…all in all…we are still waiting on an old system that is taxed to handle “normal” traffic and being over taxed to handle the excessive traffic.
Have you tuned into the “Sass with Cass” podcast? Listen to me, your host, Cass talk about things such as this blog. A podcast that is more detailed and sassy than the blog. Tune in today! Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
After this post, I am going to change to blogging less often. The next blog will be on the 30th day. I’ll bring ya up to speed on how I am handling the “LOCKDOWN” and ramble on about whatever flows through my busy brain. I’m sure I’ll talk about the podcast and I would LOVE to hear from listeners. Let’s get a dialog going? Call or text me…email me. Give me YOUR common sense – I’m listening!!
CLIMB ABOARD MY SOAPBOX 