Voices Unheard – Victims of State Government – The COVID-19 Unemployed

State governments shut down businesses to protect the most vulnerable from contracting the virus, COVID-19.

To get the citizens to agree with stay at home orders, we were promised unemployment benefits coupled with $600 federal stimulus added onto our U.I. pay.

As of April 30, 2020, there are 308,000 New Jersey citizens without any income. Unemployment Insurance has not paid us. Nor have we received the federally funded unemployment stimulus from the CARES Act.

To date, no one has received any of these monies. The phone lines are not manned. The email contacts bounce. Governor Phil Murphy, @GovMurphy of New Jersey only avoids the issue, answers different questions then asked, or changes the subject.

Email contacts bounce

I, like many others, registered for unemployment on March 15, 2020.

Date of registration with weekly certification

But many of these victims have variations of their stories. No one with authority will answer their questions or address their issues.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, @elonmusk, in an interview with CNN said that people were forcibly imprisoned in our homes. What needs to be added to that statement is, we are without any source of income.

I hear their stories. I am one with them. Who will listen?

Where do we go to get help and guidance? State communications have been exhausted. Federal level doesn’t even show up to their own scheduled meetings.


Justice Department@TheJusticeDept
AG Barr will be participating in the nationwide #AskTheAG Q&A session on May 1 at 12pm ET Send us your Qs on how DOJ is protecting public safety & combatting fraud, price gouging, hoarding, & more during the #COVID19 pandemic. Reply below or tweet your question with #AskAGBarr

Thanks! Ask another? 10:28 AM · Apr 29, 2020·Twitter VIT App for iOS5.9K Retweets7.7K Likes DenvilleCommunity @iDenville·11m Replying to @TheJusticeDept Hellloooo??!!! You scheduled a Q&A1DenvilleCommunity @iDenville·14m Replying to @TheJusticeDeptHello? It is May 1st, 12:06pm. There was suppose to be a Q&A you scheduled for 12pm.11 DenvilleCommunity@iDenville·11mHellooooo???!!!!DenvilleCommunity@iDenville·24mReplying to @TheJusticeDept#AskAGBarr Thank you for the time. I know I am bringing a state issue; but we have exhausted all state level communications, with no results. As of 4/30/20, there r 308,000 NJ citizens w/o any income. Unemployment Insurance hasn’t paid.DenvilleCommunity@iDenville·1hReplying to @TheJusticeDeptAs of 4/30/20, there are 308,000 New Jersey citizens without any income. Unemployment Insurance has not paid us. Nor have we received the federally funded unemployment stimulus from the CARES Act. Nor have we received the federally funded unemployment stimulus from the CARES Act.113DenvilleCommunity@iDenville·1hAll traditional state level hoops, loops, phones, forms, emails have been exhausted with no response. We need help.1132 more repliesDenvilleCommunity@iDenville·7mReplying to @TheJusticeDept@TheJusticeDept schedules a meeting and doesn’t show up. https://twitter.com/TheJusticeDept/status/1255504332763598849…@NoobChic@Eyerishgirlkk@GROOT44477669@jbat1987@BajekEdward@ivicesariviarq@FCKOFFRONA@Patriot70472090@FilipponeJill@ayannal11331803@dgsp9@bsbeamer@fourdeje@dgsp9@bookies_worstQuote Tweet

Justice Department @TheJusticeDept · Apr 29 AG Barr will be participating in the nationwide #AskTheAG Q&A session on May 1 at 12pm ET Send us your Qs on how DOJ is protecting public safety & combatting fraud, price gouging, hoarding, & more during the #COVID19 pandemic. Reply below or tweet your question with #AskAGBarr

@aliepierce : @GovMurphy @SenatorMenendez @CoryBooker – silent in terms of #CancelRentNJ#CancelMortgages & #unemployment – you are a public servants in a role that has the ability to represent ALL New Jerseyans. The state of New Jersey continues to be in a state of emergency. Represent your state. Shouldn’t famlies mourn their loved ones without aditional burden?!? Read your constituents comments and serve them: http://chng.it/TkBN7LWz #WeThePeople #CancelRentUSA #CancelRent #cancelrentnj #BailOutPeopleNotCorporations #WeNotMe

Alie even has created a petition. Phil Murphy: Cancel Rent, Mortgage, and Utility Payments in NJ During COVID-19 Crisis.

“New Jerseyans have enough anxiety trying to just weather the storm of this pandemic. For so many, rent/mortgage is already due. PLEASE put a moratorium on all evictions/foreclosures.” http://chng.it/bDPHnZ7r via @Change#CancelRentUSA

There are more voices from victims on the petition: “I’m not working at the moment and won’t have money to pay rent http://chng.it/dTMmH5RK #CancelRent #CancelRentUSA #BailOutPeopleNotCorporations #WeNotMe #HumanRights and “I am a first time home owner and this pandemic has made really hard to pay.” http://chng.it/LMZFLnXd #BailoutHumansNow #CancelRent #CancelRentUSA #WeNotMe #WeThePeople #HumanityFirst #WeNotMe

@stvnplm: People who filed later than us are receiving benefits whereas me and many others filed on 3/15 and haven’t received a penny only automatic email replies and no one answers the phones on 201-601-4100 PLEASE HELP US AND INVESTIGATE THEM, push them to pay us.

@jzparker: Replying to @stvnplm@iDenvilleand 20 othersI filed on 3/18. No one answers the phone, no e-mails are responded to and @GovMurphy@NJSenatePres@NJDOLCommish@CoryBooker@SenatorMenendez will not respond to the numerous pleas for help! I hope some1 picks up this story b/c none of them are any help! @njdotcom@News12NJ

@jbat1987: I filed 3/25/20 after COVID19 lay-off. I got a letter to start claiming benefits. status is filed with an amount. Every week I claim it says “not payable, call an Agent.” I’ve called #njunemployment 1000s of times with no luck. Not a penny yet and I’m pregnant. 🙁

@mimiwit: Replying to @TODAYshow What’s very scary is that I tried to change some personal Info just to kind of look around the site to see if I could figure anything out. The response was no claim under this social security number! The question is do I file another claim? Can’t reach anyone

@pasquarella_t: Yes 7 weeks out, not able to get any information via phone, email is generic response. Claim went from pending to filed, I certified for the weeks , claim not payable at this time. Like thousands of other people who paid into ui their entire working lives.

@rich8859: My benefits expired on March 22nd, still waiting on federal extension to come through. NJ DOL keeps saying they are waiting on federal guidance on how to distribute. Meanwhile I’m broke with no answers

@bookies_worst: Replying to @TODAYshow Yes. Single dad with 2 children under 9. If you review my tweets i have even tweeted to both NJ Senators and told them i had to have my children witness me steal rameen because we have nothing to eat! Yes this has affected us greatly in a horrible way

@Karla12082018: Replying to @TODAYshowI have been certifying for 7 weeks, That means that in these 7weeks I did not receive a penny, and that means that all the bills are on me! I have sent many emails, I have called a thousand times and there is no way to communicate with them, is it fair for our families? @NJLaborDept

@asvanhorn: Replying to @TODAYshow That would be the majority of Americans including me. I’ve been on hold for 6 hours every week day since the last week in March and get disconnected multiple times. I’ve filed 5 weeks and no payment yet. No one answers emails. No correspondence.

@bsbeamer: Replying to @TODAYshow According to @GovMurphy, #freelancers & self employed were supposed to be contacted by @NJLaborDept by end of day yesterday. Online says need to call to “certify”. When calling, you’re told by message to go online or call tomorrow due to volume. Been this way for 4+ weeks.

@caitliinbrennan: Replying to @TODAYshow Yes!!! Filed 3/22 and still have not been able to receive any of my payments!! “Claim not payable at this time”. It’s impossible to get through on the phones or emails, no one is answering our questions!!! We need help!!

@phd95: Replying to @TODAYshow Yep, 5 weeks ago, applied for partial unemployment. Haven’t recevied one dime despite receiving ppwk confirming that I am eligible. Each time I certify, i get a “not payable at this time” message so I try to call to sort it out & get a phone message “..call back tomorrow”

@AuNaturalle2974: Replying to @jbat1987 @kurtsiegelin and 3 othersI applied March 26th and my claim is still pending. They haven’t even began to process it. It’s now 5 weeks of waiting with no answers.

@Juli21532035: HELP!!!! Do I qualify for PUA benefits instead? Please let me know!

Senator Cory Booker, @CoryBooker
your website resources (which we thank you for) says
@Juli21532035
Should qualify.
https://www.booker.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Unemployment%20insurance.pdf “● Individuals who rely on a school, day care, or another facility to care for a child, elderly parent, or another household member so that they can work”

These are just samples of the voices of victims begging for help.