Unemployment problems worries small business owner

Unemployment problems worries small business owner

THE STATE'SREQUIREMENTS FORREOPENING.20 MILLION AMERICANSLOST THEIR JOBS LASTMONTH.FOR THOSE FAMILIES --THE REOPENING CAN'TCOME SOONENOUGH... AS THEYHOPE TO SOON GETBACK TO WORK.UNTIL THAT DAYCOMES -- WE AREHEARING FROM MANYOF YOU -- STILLWAITING FORANSWERS ABOUTWHEN YOU'LL GETYOURUNEMPLOYMENTBENEFITS.7 EYEWITNESS NEWSREPORTER ED REILLYSHARES ONEWOMAN'S NIGHTMARESTORY... WHILEWORKING TO MAKESURE THE STATE ISDOING WHAT'S RIGHTTO HELP FRUSTRATEDFAMILIES.I HAVEN'T EVEN HADTIME, AS THEY SAY, TOPROPERLY MOURNTHE PAST SEVERALWEEKS HAVE BEENHEARTBREAKING ANDFRUSTRATING FORARLENE KAYE-WASSERMAN FROMBUFFALO.HER HUSBAND "MARC"OF 32 YEARS DIEDSUDDENLY ONFEBRUARY 28TH.SHE CLOSED HERSMALL SEWINGBUSINESS - CALLED"FASHION LAB NEWYORK" ON HERTELAVENUE - TO MOURN.WITH A FULLSCHEDULE OFCLASSES BOOKEDFOR YOUNG PEOPLE -SHE PLANNED TOREOPEN IN MID-MARCH .

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BUTCOVID-19 CHANGEDEVERYTHINGSO MY BUSINESS, ICOULD LIVE OFF OF MYBUSINESS, I HAD TOSHUT DOWNCOMPLETELYWITHOUT HERHUSBAND'S INCOMEAND HER BUSINESSCLOSED .

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ARLENEHOPED NYSUNEMPLOYMENTWOULD KEEP HERAFLOAT FINANCIALLYBUT AFTER WEEKS OFTRYING AND APPLYINGTHREE TIMES -ARLENE STILL CANNOTGET HER BENEFITS.YOU CAN'T IMAGINEHOW STRESSFUL IT ISJUST TO CALL THENUMBER OVER, ANDOVER, AND OVER, ANDOVERTHE BIGGESTPROBLEM IS THEPHONE SYSTEM.THEY ASK ME TO PUT INMY SOCIAL SECURITYNUMBER AND MY CODEAND I GET HUNG UP ONARLENE IS NOT GIVINGUP.BUT DESPERATE TOPAY HER BILLS .

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SHEIS NOW MAKING ANDSELLING FACE MASKS.I STARTED HITTING THEGROUND AND TRYINGTO SUPPORT MYSELFMAKING MASKSWE HAVEADMINISTERED THREETIMES MORE THAN THESTATE PUT OUT ALL OFLAST YEARTHE STATE HASINCREASED THENUMBER OF PEOPLEHANDLING CALLS ANDPROCESSINGAPPLICATIONS FROM400 PEOPLE WORKING5 DAYS PER WEEK .

.TO 3,100 PEOPLEWORKING 7 DAYS PERWEEK.EVEN WITH THATOFFICIALS KNOWTHERE ARE PEOPLESTILL NOT GETTINGTHROUGH.IN THE COMING DAYS,WE ARE GOING TOROLL OUT A NEWEFFORT TOPROACTIVELY INFORMNEW YORKERS ABOUTTHE STATUS OF THIERUNEMPLOYMENTAPPLICATION THROUGHEMAILS AND TEXTSONE OF THE BIGWORRIES IS COVID-19COULD FORCE THECLOSURE OF MANYSMALL BUSINESSES.ARLENE WASSERMANWORRIES IF SHECANNOT GET HERBENEFITS .

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."FASHION LAB NY"MIGHT END UP BEINGONE THEMIS THERE ANY CHANCEYOU MIGHT NOT BEABLE TO MAKE IT WORKAND YOUR BUSINESSWILL HAVE TO CLOSE?YES, YES, ABSOLUTLEYTHE DEPARTMENT OFLABOR'S POLICY IS NOTTO DISCUSS INDIVIDUALCASES .

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.BUT WE SENTARLENE WASSERMAN'SINFORMATION TO THEDEPARTMENT IN HOPESSOMEONE THERE CANHELP HER OUT.

EDREILLY 7 EWN