“New Yorkers have stepped up incredibly over the past eight weeks, saving countless lives and supporting frontline healthcare workers by obeying the most restrictive government orders issued during peacetime in over a century. Even more incredibly, countless New Yorkers obeyed these directives even though it meant certain financial devastation for them and their families.

“Millions trusted their elected leaders when we explained that staying home was necessary to contain this deadly pandemic. They also trusted us when we assured them they would receive the unemployment benefits and other assistance they would need to weather this storm. Yet, nearly two months since the state enacted its Pause order, thousands of New Yorkers still have yet to see a penny of unemployment insurance.

“We all understand that some delays were inevitable. The system was not prepared for this influx of unemployment claims, which has been exponentially larger than at any time in the history of the unemployment insurance system. Delays of two, three, four weeks are understandable. Delays of nearly two months are not.

“Every day I get agonizing phone calls from hard-working folks who don’t know how they’re going to pay for food, medication, or other essential needs. I know of at least 100 people in my district who have yet to collect a single unemployment check. Most of my colleagues report similar statistics. These uncompleted claims that we know of likely represent only the tip of the iceberg.

“That’s why I’m now calling on the New York State Department of Labor to immediately approve any unemployment insurance claim that has been pending for over 30 days. If the Department of Labor doesn’t know whether these individuals qualify for unemployment insurance, they should approve the claims anyway. If it turns out that some claimants were not entitled to benefits, the Department of Labor can recoup that money later on.

“The Department of Labor can resolve any unemployment discrepancies later on. The hard-working folks who have been devastated by the COVID crisis cannot afford to wait a minute longer. The Department of Labor must approve their claims and get money into their pockets immediately.”