coronaville

“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. (more…)

“Dear PoPville,

Basic timeline of events:

– scheduled an appointment on 2/27 for 3/27 at 2:15p. I got my first vaccine at a Safeway originally (took 10 minutes!) and then had to sign up online for my second at a different location through a link Safeway gave me to. I picked this senior center at 3001 Alabama Ave SE.

– 3/27, 2:15p: show up at the site. Incredibly long line that wraps around the building. Everyone in line has scheduled 2p or 2:15 appointments.

– 2:30p: the 2:30 appt people start showing up and stand behind me in line. The line has not moved

– 2:35p: they finally let everyone in the building, they corral 50-100 people into hallways (more…)

“Dear PoPville,

I seem to have run into a new form of DC bureaucratic dysfunction. Last week, I received a summons to appear in person for jury duty at the DC Superior Court at the end of April — a week before the earliest I would be eligible to get the Covid vaccine needed to appear for in-person jury duty safely. The court’s announced policy (which still appears on its website) is to routinely allow deferrals of up to 90 days, but the staff there tell me they’ve disabled the ability to request deferrals during the pandemic and are requiring all jurors to show up in person on the date assigned, no exceptions, and won’t even entertain any requests otherwise. The jury services office says that they “will practice under the CDC guidelines,” although it’s hard to imagine how forcing dozens of potential jurors to gather together in a room all day could actually do so.

So I seem to be stuck between two different arms of the DC government: (more…)