1. There's great frustration out there about the unemployment claims process right now, and understandably so. We took more claims in March than in all of 2019. Here's what I know about where we are...

2. We have extended claims center call hours from 7am-6pm, but call center employees work around the clock to file claims and get everything in.

3. We have added dedicated email addresses so people can send questions without having to wait on hold. Teams of additional staff are working to answer those questions as they come in. [email protected]

4. We have approximately 1,000 calls coming through in every two hour period of time. Calls do end up getting dropped because the system can only handle so many calls at once.

5. We are working as fast as we can to upgrade our systems to allow even more people to file online. Currently, federal employees and people who have worked in multiple states cannot file online.

6. **NO ONE will lose benefits or be penalized in ANY WAY because they missed the deadline for weekly certification.** We will be sending messages to those claimants giving specific instructions on how to fix this issue and file their certifications for previous weeks.

7. Late Sunday evening, USDOL finally sent us the guidance for implementing the CARES Act, which includes new eligibility for independent contractors and self-employed Marylanders.

7a. We have added a button to our website so people can submit their email address so that we can send a message to them when the system is up and running.

7b. No state has this function fully up and running yet. We are working with our lawyers and IT to reprogram the system for this. We hope for this to be ready next week.

8. One piece of the CARES Act implementation is getting the $600 plus-up payment out to current and new claimants quickly. We hope to have an update on this soon as well.

9. The feds added a server to the SSN valdiation portal this week (this has been one of the things slowing us down) so there is some improvement there.

10. We are in the process of training more state employees to take claims. This isn't something that can be done remotely. Trying to get 10 people in at a time to be trained.

11. Also understand that it takes approximately 25-30 minutes to file one claim, and longer than that if it's a combined wage claim in multiple states or there is some other complication.

12. On average right now, it takes 21 days total to process claims and then get the first benefit payment out, which always includes all payments from the date of eligibility.

13. There is a lot more information on the process, FAQs, e-mail addresses to use here: https://www.dllr.state.md.us/employment/unemployment.shtml

14. We want to assure Marylanders we are working on all of this around the clock. I know it's not enough, but I want you to have the information that I have. Thank you for your patience as we work through all this.