“Problems with DC Unemployment (still)”

“Dear PoPville,

I’m wondering if any other readers are having the similar problems with the DC Department of Unemployment Services (DOES) that I am. Like many others I found myself out of work when the pandemic hit a year ago. Being that I was self employed I was fearful that I wouldn’t be eligible for unemployment benefits. Luckily the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program was put in place which allowed those who were 1099/gig workers to be eligible. To expedite the roll out of the PUA program all claimants were given the DC’s minimum weekly benefit amount of $179, but would receive an email asking if they would like their claim to be reevaluated for a higher benefit amount that was based on their previous income.

That email never came, but at the end of August and after multiple email inquiries over several months I was finally told the information I needed to submit in order to begin the reevaluation process. I was also assured that any higher benefit amount would be paid retroactively to when my initial claim was filed. I quickly submitted the information and began the waiting game once again.

At the end of October I was contacted by a DOES contractor requesting the same information that I had already submitted, but was relieved that it at least appeared as though someone was working on moving things forward. Unfortunately I haven’t heard anything else since my interaction with her, and my email inquiries into the matter have gone unanswered for the last five months. I’ve tried calling into DOES to find out as to what’s going on but the operators were unable to provide me with any information.

This week I found myself calling into DOES again due to receiving an error message when I tried to file for my weekly benefits on the DOES website. Apparently “a glitch in the system” was preventing some people from being able to file electronically or over the phone. I was transferred over to a supervisor to handle the situation, and while I had her on the line I took the opportunity to ask her about the status of my benefits reevaluation. She quickly told me that my claim wouldn’t be eligible for a higher amount, and by the formula they use (highest quarter of wages in your base period, divided by 2, and then divided by 26) I should actually be getting less than the $179 minimum amount they were giving me.

Shocked by this I had her repeat the formula so that I could jot it down and do the math myself. Sure enough it worked out to being less than the $179 minimum, but something still didn’t seem right. I had previously utilized the DOES provided Unemployment Benefits Calculator to estimate my benefits and had also calculated it using the information they provided on the DC Unemployment FAQ sheet, both of which gave me a benefits amount that was twice the amount of the formula she was using. After double checking by putting my information into the benefits calculator again, and triple checking by looking up the FAQ sheet information I was left wondering why she had told me that I needed to divide the highest quarterly wages by 2 first before dividing it by 26. The FAQ sheet clearly states that “Your weekly benefit amount is calculated by taking the highest quarter of wages in your base period and dividing it by 26.”

MWBA FAQs_Effective (PDF)

After nearly ten months of going back and forth with them about having my claim reevaluated, I’m at my wits end. Going off of the DOES Benefits Calculator and the calculation formula they provide in their published FAQ sheet, I’m retroactively owed nearly $10,000. While I’m very appreciative of the benefits that I have received, getting what I’m owed retroactively and receiving the proper benefits amount moving forward would go a long way towards getting things back on track during this crazy time. At this point I’m left wondering if there is any other option left to pursue this further aside from getting a lawyer involved.”