But some people are still having problems with it.
Annapolis, Md (KM) The website set up by the Maryland Department of Labor to handle unemployment claims has been up and running since it crashed last year, but some people are still having problems with it.
Governor Larry Hogan addressed that last week during a news conference in Annapolis. He noted that the number of claims being handled by the Department is unprecedented, and Maryland, like every state, is struggling to keep up. But he says progress is being made. “The good news is that Maryland is now successfully handling an average of 33 new accounts every single minute, and an average of 780 claims are successfully filed every hour,” he said.
“While we have been able to handle this volume better than many other states in the country, ” he continued. “It’s simply not good enough.”
The unemployment rate in Maryland, and in other states, went up rapidly following the COVID-19 pandemic when a lot of businesses closed their doors to help stop the spread of this virus
Despite these improvements in the website, several citizens who’ve tried to apply for unemployment benefits, are having problems using the website. Andy was a recent caller to WFMD’s “Mid-Maryland Live” recently. “I’m been unemployed for six weeks now, and have not gotten anything because unemployment hasn’t processed all my paperwork that’s been e-mailed to them six weeks ago,” he said. ‘I’ve got three-dollars left in my checking account. What am I supposed to do.”
Richard, who also called in, said he and his wife spent 16-hours on the computer, and all that they’ve received is “error, error, error.” “When you go on to their website, it is a disaster,” he said. “The average person cannot read it. I’m a college graduate. I should be able to follow that. My wife’s a college graduate. She should be able to follow it. She used to do IT for Montgomery County Schools.”
Governor Hogan said his Administration is working hard to get this website functioning to a level where every Marylander whose entitled to unemployment receives it. “The IT contractor who developed this site and the Department of Labor have fallen short of the high standards that we have set. The people of Maryland deserve better, and the buck stops with me,” he said.
By Kevin McManus