New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions issued the following announcement on April 7.
The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions (NMDWS) has heard the concerns from workers affected by COVID-19 and are implementing changes to increase access for New Mexicans applying for Unemployment Insurance (UI).
Starting tomorrow, Wednesday, April 8, 2020, the Unemployment Insurance Operations Center will implement extended hours. The Operations Center will open at 7am and take calls until 7pm for the rest of the week. The department is working on a strategy to extend hours beyond this week and on weekends, and will make an official announcement on Friday, April 10.
The department continues to strongly encourage anyone with internet access to apply and complete weekly certifications using our website at www.jobs.state.nm.us.
Under guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor, NMDWS will waive the “waiting week” for claimants who have applied for benefits since March 15th. By waiving the waiting week, claimants will receive an extra week of benefit payments to their accounts while allowing for new applicants to receive their benefits faster.
NMDWS will begin an auto-adjudication program this week that will clear specific pending issues that will result in a release of held payments to claimants. The auto-adjudication allows the department to process issues systematically rather than one by one. This will allow many claimants who have been waiting to receive benefits faster.
To increase accessibility for people with general questions about Unemployment during the COVID-19 Pandemic, NMDWS will be hosting a virtual Town Hall.
The virtual Town Hall will be directly available to 1,000 participants, and can be accessed via Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/428982300 or by dialing in to 1-346-248-7799, using Webinar ID: 428 982 300. It will also be simulcast on the NMDWS Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NMDepartmentofWorkforceSolutions.
Department experts in Unemployment will be on hand to provide information on frequently asked questions since the COVID-19 public health orders were enacted and will be answering live questions asked within the webinar and from Facebook.
“Governor Lujan Grisham wants us to use every tool at our disposal to help the public get through this time,” said Bill McCamley, NMDWS Cabinet Secretary. “We understand that there has been frustration felt by many applying for Unemployment and we have been working hard to get more resources so New Mexicans can stay home and safe during this time. If we all stay patient, kind, and work as a team we will get through this together.”
Virtual Town Hall
WHO: Secretary Bill McCamley & Unemployment Insurance Experts
WHAT: Virtual Town Hall, open to 1,000 participants
WHERE: Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/428982300 or by dialing in to 1-346-248-7799, using Webinar ID: 428 982 300 and on Facebook Live www.facebook.com/NMDepartmentofWorkforceSolutions
WHEN: 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 7th
The Virtual Town Hall will be available as a recording on the department’s COVID-19 website at https://www.dws.state.nm.us/COVID-19-Info following the event.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up