NEVADA (KTNV) — On June 1, the PUA adjudication line became operational and responsible for reviewing and resolving PUA eligibility issues presently holding back payments.
And the Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation said that the call center received nearly 140,000 PUA claims and adjudication calls and continues to experience high call volume.
The adjudication line phone number is provided to individuals who received additional notices and updates through their EmployNV client portal mailbox instructing them to call.
Nevada's PUA website available for weekly claims after technical issues
Claimants requiring adjudication of issues are notified to contact the PUA Adjudication center for assistance in the order by which they filed their claim.
"With Nevada's staggering and unprecedented unemployment rate, it's no surprise the demand for PUA is high. We know there have been challenges reaching a live agent or frustrations when agents didn't have all of the answers. We are working with our vendor to address the demand by hiring and training as quickly as possible. Given the current call volume, claimants may experience a long wait or difficulty getting through, so we encourage claimants to check the status of their claim online," said DETR director, Heather Korbulic.
Calling the dedicated adjudication line when you have not been instructed to do so will not expedite your claim and prevents other claimants from reaching adjudication and receiving their payments in a timely manner.
Also, the unemployment staff said trying to secure assistance by reaching out directly to DETR or vendor employees tie up phone lines and prevent claimants from receiving necessary support.
"This new system was launched in a short period of time, while DETR staff was already paying out a significant increase in the number of traditional UI claims. We remain steadfast in our commitment to improving the system and the overall experience of claimants. At the end of the day, our goal is to help as many Nevadans as possible obtain the assistance they are eligible for," Korbulic said.
Individuals with general questions about claims and the PUA process should call the general hotline at 800-603-9681 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, and Saturday between 8 a.m. and noon.
Nevada unemployment office offers Pandemic Unemployment Assistance filing system
Claimants can also view the newly updated PUA Claimant Guide for information on the weekly filing process and access other resources.
As of June 3, 90,756 initial PUA claims have been successfully filed, and 716,964 weeks in claims have been successfully filed with DETR paying out nearly $119 million in combined PUA and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) assistance representing 18,445 claims.
DETR says it continues to remove barriers, process, and release funds on PUA claims daily, in the order in which they were received, and works closely with law enforcement to identify, track, and prevent payment on a significant number of fraudulent claims.
Individuals who received a W2 from an employer for 2019, should go here and select "File a UI Claim" to determine if there is traditional UI benefit eligibility.
Any person who may have UI eligibility must file for traditional UI benefits before filing for PUA, according to the unemployment office.
If you are not eligible for a traditional UI claim, then you may be eligible for a PUA claim.
To file for a PUA claim, you must have exhausted any other types of UI, including Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) and State Extended Benefits (SEB).
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