Cole, who has been a resident of the island for the past seven years, said he has neither received a direct deposit nor a printed check.
“I’ve had enough,” he said. “Whether or not it’s gross negligence I cannot take it anymore.”
Cole said he made numerous calls to the CNMI Department of Labor hotline, but no one was answering.
He said when his call finally went through, the person who answered told him to be patient and that they were very busy.
Cole said if he does not get paid by Monday, he will stage a protest outside the CNMI Department of Labor on Capitol Hill starting on Tuesday at 9 a.m.
He said other residents in a similar situation can join him.
“I’m sure I’m not the only one, but I have some rainy day funds. A lot of other people waiting for their PUA payments do not.”
Cole said he also asked the Department of Finance regarding his PUA payment, and according to the person he talked to his name “is in the system, but said they are awaiting approval from DOL for the fund’s release.”
Approved claims
Asked for comment, the administration issued a statement from Labor Secretary Vicky I. Benavente.
She said, “Claims with zero errors have already been paid with the exception of recently approved claims that will see payouts in subsequent batches.”
She added, “Every eligible CNMI claim with zero errors have been paid or will be paid as soon as possible through this next batch. It is in all of our best interest as a community to help eligible PUA claimants support their families, find gainful employment, and ultimately overcome this pandemic. The CNMI DOL has applied for additional federal grants amounting to $12 million through USDOL to expand employment opportunities beyond PUA and [Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation] as well. We are being proactive to address unemployment caused by the global pandemic.”
She said, “The work has not stopped, and while PUA continues to be a complex program to administer across all states and territories, the CNMI DOL continues to manage this program in line with federal statutes and USDOL regulations. There is a strict process outlined by our federal partners in order to ensure accountability of funds and to prevent fraud. We want to see all eligible PUA claims receive their benefits — that has been the goal from the start, and we will continue to work to get all eligible CNMI claimants their benefits.”
Claims with errors
CNMI DOL also stated that a majority of claims have been denied due to various errors.
Common errors with PUA claims that have delayed disbursement or led to denials include:
- Lack of eligibility requirements.
- CWs and non-Qualified Aliens are unfortunately not eligible for PUA, despite the request of the CNMI government.
- Claimants have not demonstrated that their unemployment was a result of the pandemic.
- The claims lack employer verification and other supporting documents.
- Employer notification of CNMI DOL that their employee “refuses to work. Refusal to work makes the claimant ineligible to receive PUA benefits.
- Filed incomplete information.
- Miscalculated earnings computation.
- Wrong banking information.
Clarification
On Wednesday, the CNMI DOL clarified the number of PUA and FPUC claimants in the Commonwealth.
As of Nov. 14, 2020, the department said it received 36,602 claims through the HireMarianas.com portal, but 17,931 of these claims are from the U.S. mainland and Hawaii and therefore outside the jurisdiction of the CNMI PUA program.
“The official number of PUA claims in the CNMI is 18,671. Of that number, 11,785 (or 63% of all claims) have been adjudicated, meaning claimants have received an approval or denial notification in line with federal program requirements.”
As of Nov. 18, 2020, CNMI DOL said it paid over $108.4 million in PUA and FPUC benefits. Since June, more than $72 million in PUA funds and more than $86 million in FPUC funds have been obligated for current, ongoing, and future payments after adjudication, CNMI DOL added.
“Payments to ‘approved claims with zero errors’ are ongoing as an additional $25.9 million in PUA benefits will be paid out through the Thanksgiving week. Claimants with direct deposits will see funds as early as next week, while paper checks take additional days for processing,” CNMI DOL stated.
For more information
Eligible PUA claimants who need assistance are encouraged to e-mail info@puamarianas.com or call 322-8870/8871/8872/8873/8874/8876/8877/8878/8879/8880 or 989-9089/9090/9093/9192.
Press Secretary Kevin Bautista, for his part, said the CNMI government “has fully prioritized the proper administration of the PUA program in line with federal requirements and standards.”
He said, “Along with the overall Covid-19 response, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, and this entire administration have prioritized PUA payments to eligible claimants by mobilizing personnel and resources to fit the demands of this very complex program. Over 100 employees from across government, including [employees recalled from furlough], have been assigned to assist in adjudication and troubleshooting errors in order to expedite payments.”
Bautista said “USDOL has praised the CNMI Department of Labor as a model program in the country because of its compliance with federal requirements and is set to receive additional funding for unemployment relief in order to further expedite payments. As a government, this administration is doing everything it can to get payments out to eligible claimants in the most expeditious way possible within the requirements of the program. While many states and territories are in worse conditions and some are still months behind in payments through their PUA programs, CNMI DOL is slated to have 81% of all claims adjudicated by the end of the month. We ask all eligible claimants to remain patient as over 100 employees at the CNMI PUA program are reviewing claims and expediting payments from Monday to Saturday until 7:30 p.m.”
