This was an extra bad week for Coloradans who lost their jobs at the start of the pandemic. We just ended week 39 — the maximum number of weeks one is eligible for unemployment pay currently. Last spring, ski and resort workers were the first to be impacted by Gov. Jared Polis’ March 14 order […]
unemployment overpayments
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What’s Working: As coronavirus cases increased, so did the number of Coloradans filing for unemployment
As coronavirus cases in Colorado are on the rise again, so are business restrictions and, ultimately, the number of Coloradans finding themselves newly unemployed. The number of folks on unemployment for the first time increased 25% during the week of Halloween from the prior week, pushing over 10,000 for the first time since July 25. […]
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What’s Working: A new $375 stimulus, small business grants and tales from Colorado’s unemployment queue
With just a few days before the election, Congress appears to be not one bit closer to another round of COVID-19 relief than it was in late July, when special pandemic unemployment benefits ended. Hence, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis figured out how to offer a one-time $375 payment to almost anyone on unemployment between March […]
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What’s Working: Colorado unemployment rate drops to 6.4%, $19 million for small businesses, plus “Lost Wages” leftovers
The deadline to claim up to $1,800 in bonus federal unemployment benefits is today for thousands of jobless Coloradans. But political differences continued to thwart any new coronavirus relief plans from moving forward in Congress to help struggling Americans, businesses and industries. On Wednesday, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, pushed a $500 billion […]
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What’s Working: Unemployment backlogs, backdates and overpayments in Colorado
The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment first dealt with the onslaught of coronavirus-related unemployment claims, now nearing 750,000 new claims. Then it had to figure out how to pay gig workers, who became eligible for the first time, thanks to the federal CARES Act. Then came the barrage of fraudulent claims by scammers trying […]
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What’s Working: “Lost wages” gets a new deadline, overpayment forgiveness, small business updates and more
Remember M. Hurley, who started a petition last month to bring attention to the plight of jobless Coloradans suddenly facing a massive bill from the unemployment office? The M was Meggan, and I spoke to her the day after President Donald Trump told officials to stop negotiating a new relief plan until after the election […]
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Colorado won’t try to collect the $1.4 million in overpaid unemployment benefits it distributed after all
About 9,000 Coloradans who were overpaid more than $1 million in unemployment benefits and told to pay it back may not have to after all, Colorado Department of Labor and Employment officials said on Thursday. Confusing forms for gig workers and the self-employed had many applicants overstating their earnings, which were supposed to be based […]
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What’s Working: Thousands of fraud holds lifted for Colorado unemployed, while more face pricier health insurance
Thousands of unemployed Coloradans found financial relief in the past week, but not because the first Lost Wages Assistance payments were issued. Rather, the months-long holds on their unemployment claims were finally lifted. Some hadn’t been paid a penny since July and they couldn’t figure out why, no matter how many times they called the […]