HARTFORD, Conn — Nearly 20,000 people in the state have a claim into unemployment that has not been processed, yet.
Others, while processed, still haven't received any money.
The Department of Labor is building out a contact center that is supposed to be available to people in mid-July. It will have live chat features, text, email, and phone lines. But, people are unsure of how to get in contact with the Department of Labor for the next month while that system is being built.
The Department of Labor has the following resources they would like you to be aware of.
List of DOL Phone Numbers:
- (203) 809-9847
- (203) 892-6036
- (203) 723-3817
- (203) 723-3818
- (203) 723-3820
- (203) 723-3821
- (203) 720-6971
- (203) 720-6905
- (203) 720-6931
Spanish Lines
- (203) 723-3819
- (203) 450-9268
There are phone numbers, including, Spanish speaking lines. These numbers give basic unemployment information but can't help with your specific claims.
The DOL says more people are being trained on the system the department uses to be able to fix basic issues, like if someone's account is on hold.
But, as of this week, we are still getting emails saying a claimant's phone rings for hours and no one answers.
Email:
You can also contact the Department of Labor via email. They say they will respond in 3-5 business days. They also say they are training more people to respond to emails in a timelier fashion.
"They've told me to do a couple of things, which I've already done, and the system comes back and says that's already been done. I'm still waiting on this last email that's come out," says Glastonbury resident, Gwendolyn Tompkins. "They at least respond to the email, but there's no real help there. It's kind of like a band-aid just to get the email through the system and get rid of if, but not taking care of the problem. And you can sit for days on end trying to call in there and no matter what number you call, it's busy."
As of this week, we are still hearing from people who are not even getting an email response.
The Online Assistance Center is another place where you can find links to common problems.
You fill out a form and it alerts the department of labor of your issue.
But, some people, like Cynthia, say they fill out the forms as directed for weeks and still do not hear from the Department of Labor.
Lastly, the Department of Labor has built out a frequently asked questions page, which can be useful resource to learn why a problem may be happening to you.
They also have tutorials on how to file at filectui.com.
The Department of Labor in the past has told FOX61 News every single claim is specific, which is why they say the best way to get an answer is to contact them directly.
They are continuing to add more staff to man the phone lines and answer emails in the next coming weeks.
If you have a question that hasn't been answered, send us an email to share61@fox61.com.