Gilbert says she even got up at 3 a.m. in an attempt to file for unemployment online, and still couldn’t get through. She eventually managed to lodge her claim, but then watched as her status mysteriously changed from “pending” to “ineligible.” She finally received an official denial on Wednesday, for reasons that she’s pretty sure boil down to a technicality but will take time to address. Meantime, she’s not getting the help that she and her elderly mother, who now lives with her, are badly in need of.
“It’s already a difficult situation, to stay inside,” she said. “Yet you know your family suffers because you’re not being able to support them. And that’s rough. It’s just really rough.”
--With assistance from Alex Tanzi, Michael Sasso and Anita Sharpe.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.