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Many Georgia unemployment hiccups due to certification issues

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Published  May 6, 2020 11:18am EDT
COVID-19 and the Economy
FOX 5 Atlanta

ATLANTA - It’s been weeks now that many of you have tried to file for unemployment. And we know it hasn’t been easy. 

Many Georgia unemployment hiccups due to certification issues

In the end, most of the unemployment problems come down to certification issues, which means, requesting payment the right way. 

There aren’t new developments in the state or federal programs, but questions remain. One of them is about why you got one check but not the previous week’s check. Or you get one check then no more. In the end, most of these come down to certification issues, which means requesting payment the right way. 

According to the Georgia Department of Labor, these are the three big problems: not requesting payment at all, skipping weeks between certifying, and certifying on the wrong certification page. 

If your employer is filing on your behalf, you don’t do anything. But do make sure they are putting new dates in and not using the same one from the original claim. This is a key factor in receiving one check but not subsequent checks. 

If you are filing as an individual, though, then there’s work to do.

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You have to request payments (certify) weekly. You must wait until the current benefit week has ended to claim benefits for that week. The unemployment benefit week begins on Sunday and ends the following Saturday at midnight.

Let’s talk now about PUA – that’s the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. This provides emergency assistance to people not eligible for regular unemployment benefits. This runs through the end of the year. 

Know how the COVID-19 outbreak is impacting Georgia

Issues of note here: You don’t certify or request payment on the regular unemployment benefit section. You do it on a page dedicated to PUA. Do it for all of the weeks that you are eligible, which means since your business was closed or impacted by the coronavirus slow down. If a week is not certified in the system, you can’t get money for that week. It must be in the system. 

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FOX 5's Dana Fowle have answered many of your questions in posts on her Facebook page. And please check out the Dept. of Labor’s website. It’s loaded with easy-to-understand information.