WEST BEND, Wisconsin. – A West Bend family joins millions of Americans who lost their increased unemployment benefits during the pandemic. The money helped Jillaine Kowske and her family reach two heads.
Jillaine Kowske
“I could use unemployment yet, yes, it will be a little difficult,” Jillaine said.
The mother of two was working as a nail technician at a hairdresser when the pandemic hit in March 2020. She lost her job. Then her husband lost and even her 17-year-old son was moved from the restaurant where he worked.
The I-Team first spoke with Jillaine in December 2020. She had to borrow money from her son because she had not yet received any unemployment benefits. It was almost ten months before the family saw money.
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“When you wake up in the morning and you feel like you’re struggling to keep your apartment, to keep the car, to keep the bills, to keep the electricity, to keep the water running, you can outdo yourself on a person.” , Jillaine said in December.
Most Wisconsin residents who applied for unemployment received unemployment benefits for a federal pandemic. Her unemployment benefits are an extra $ 300 a week.
But Jillaine said it still wasn’t as much as she did while working. In addition, Jillian said that due to the department’s delay in getting help, her family is still trying to recover the bills.
“All these months and the whole family is fired and you know he’s stealing from Peter to pay Paul. You’re asking your cell phone company, your electricity company, your water bill, everything. the world that you ask for some kind of payment agreement with you, for the circumstances, ”Jillaine said.
Jillaine isn’t the only one still using unemployment benefits. Nationwide, 7.5 million people lost their profits over the weekend according to the Century Foundation. In total, the federal government has spent $ 800 billion in unemployment benefits.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Labor’s Development Department, last week, DWD received 43,420 claims for pandemic unemployment benefits.
Breaking this further, DWD receives 492 requests for pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA), in addition to 18,777 weekly claims. It also received 697 new pandemic emergency unemployment benefits, in addition to 24,643 weekly claims.
Since March 15 last year, DWD has paid $ 24 million in FPUC benefits, $ 7.5 million in PEUC benefits and $ 3.2 million in PUA benefits.
Now Jillaine is trying to find work, but the road to regular employment has not been easy. Just two weeks ago, her husband hired COVID.
“I’ve had COVID in the past, now my husband just said he had COVID. It really makes you spend some time and puts you in a circumstance where you have to go around to get to know different arrangements,” Jillaine said. .
Those who are considered eligible can still receive regular unemployment state insurance. The DWD notified the claimants that the pandemic benefits ended as of Saturday.
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