PHOENIX — Issues with unemployment payments here in Arizona are persisting, as some who have filed claims say the payments they were supposed to have received weeks ago still have not hit their bank accounts.
“I’m just kind of being left out high and dry,” one man, who asked to remain anonymous, told 12 News.
The man says he’s self-employed and says work has been non-existent thanks to the pandemic.
He found hope in the jobless benefit, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, or PUA. After applying, he received a letter saying he’d get funding, but since May 21, his payments have been listed as “in progress” on the PUA portal.
“Nothing came through,” he said.
Over the weeks since he says he’s received varying responses from the Arizona Department of Economic Security, or DES.
First, he says he was told there was an unresolved issue with his account. He said that was fixed, but still no payment.
He then said he was told there was a “glitch” in the system, then he was told his account was flagged by the fraud department.
“He said that somebody had opened up a second account with my same information,” he said.
The man said he hasn’t opened up a second account with DES, and his payments still show “in progress."
“Here I’m completely running out of money and maxing out credit cards,” the man said.
DES has had issues getting benefits to Arizonans since the pandemic started.
In May when PUA launched in the state, payments were delayed, even after the state paid a contractor in Florida $2 million to do work DES’ outdated computer systems couldn’t handle.
Other issues have persisted into Tuesday. DES tells 12 News payments weren’t going through for “fewer than 7,000 claims” because the PUA system had “performance issues.”
DES added the issue was resolved Tuesday afternoon and payments will go out.
As for the perpetual “in progress” issues, DES said their system has since been enhanced and they have issued “payments for processed claims without issue.”
On the fraud side, DES said the DES Office of Inspector General and the integrity unit of the Unemployment Insurance program, “are continuously vetting methods and tools for detecting and preventing identity theft within the Arizona unemployment programs.”
Adding they “appreciate our claimants’ patience while we continue to protect the integrity of our programs and ensure individuals receive the benefits to which they are entitled.”
