Rhode Island appears to have the second highest unemployment rate in the country, and their unemployment system is broken. They use a system called teleserve, (you call in and state the hours you worked for partial unemployment ,or if you did not work that week you get full benefits determined by their system). First, you can not file a claim with an agent through their so called “call center” . When I filed my claim for partial unemployment, (UI), I could not use teleserve without first calling the call center. I called for nearly two weeks and there automated system told me that all agents were busy, to call back later, and hung up on me. Hundreds of calls were made , all of which I was hung up on, two hours of calls this morning, (50-75) phone calls. Everyday it’s the same thing! There is no way to get a response from these people.
If being out of work is not degrading enough, the state would add insult by failing to speak with me, or respond to my emails. Everyone I’ve talked to has said they received the same treatment and the call center is unavailable. While I reference my dealings with UI , This petition seeks to serve all those who appear to be oppressed by the system.
On Oct 1st 2012 my hours were cut in half and my pay about 60%, and I was collecting partial unemployment. On November 11th, the Store I worked at closed and I sought to collect full unemployment, as I now am not working, well the automated system told me I had to call the call center. I have been calling , and or, emailing the call center since then and have failed to receive a response and have been unable to collect full payment despite my claim has approximately three thousand dollars left in credits, ( the amoun t you have in your claim to draw from).
Well today I heard from unemployment by mail, the letter stated that mine and others emergency unemployment compensation WILL END DECEMBER 31 2012!!!! DESPITE THERE ARE CREDITS ON THE CLAIM.
I understand that this may rub people the wrong way, But I am not the type of person that thinks I can just skate by. I live in a tourist town and am in the hospitality industry and after the tourists leave, hundreds of us suffer based on the lack of tourism in the winter. Our hours are cut as well as our pay. I also understand that unemployment is swamped, especially after the affects of Sandy. However, I have a family of four, and we have bills and have to meet our basic needs. Although when I eventually do get in contact with the call center, the pay I have failed to get over the past few weeks may be retroactive, does nothing for those I owe money too. The electric company and the gas company don’t care that my money is held up by unemployment. I have worked so hard to maintaim both my and my wife’s credit, and its all in jeopardy based on the refusal of UI to contact me, or provide a adequate means I can contact them.
Times are tough, but social injustice is not the answer, I paid into this program, how can they now terminate mine and others benefits despite we still have credits, or monies remaining on our claims
I ask that you sign this petition because this appears to be taxation without representation, and it’s the right thing to do. End the degrading, insulting, and oppressive treatment, and give us a chance to get back on our feet. Thank YOU!
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