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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Last week, the Oregon Employment Department (OED) launched a new online form for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) initial claims and weekly certifications. The goal of the new platform is to provide the following improvements:
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Speed up weekly benefit processing. By reducing application errors and automating the application upload process, OED can process claims and get PUA benefits out to Oregonians faster.
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Prevent delays due to the uploading of blank PDFs. In the previous format, OED received many blank PDF forms, which delayed processing. The online platform makes it so no one can accidentally upload a blank PDF form.
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Prevent delays due to incomplete claims. Important information, like the COVID-19 reason that makes an applicant eligible for PUA, is required. However, OED received many PDF forms without this information. The online PUA application and weekly certification alerts applicants that the information is required in order to submit.
People who previously filed weekly claims via PDF and who have not yet received payment are encouraged to re-file their weekly certifications through this new online claim form. People can continue submitting their initial application and weekly certifications by PDF upload, mail, fax or phone if they wish. However, please note that OED said these formats will take longer to process than the online claim form.
After many long, stressful weeks of doing things a certain way, I know it can be difficult to switch to a new system. So, if you have any questions, OED is hosting a Zoom webinar tomorrow, July 23, at 1:00 p.m. Their program expert will provide an overview of the new PUA online form, and you will be able to ask questions through the chat feature.
Please register in advance via this link. Once registered, you should receive a confirmation email. Please note, OED only has 500 spots available for this webinar. If you are unable to attend, they will post a recording of the webinar afterwards. All past webinars along with additional information and FAQs can be found on OED's Facebook and website.
Finally, my last newsletter included additional information about unemployment, which you can read here. As always, please contact my office if you are experiencing delays with OED, need further assistance with your claim, or need help accessing additional resources.
Sincerely,
 Andrea Salinas, State Representative
email: Rep.AndreaSalinas@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1438
address: 900 Court St NE, H-485, Salem, OR, 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/salinas
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