I emailed all 18 attorneys listed at NACA, the National Association of Consumer Advocates:
https://www.consumeradvocates.org/find-an-attorney
As of today, 8/9/21, I’ve received two responses, both negative, and one of the emails was returned undeliverable.
So, I’ll be sending a followup email to the 15 attorneys I haven’t heard from, hopefully tomorrow. Having a hell of a time setting up this new website and learning a new theme while suffering from “Covid congestion.” Don’t have Covid, but extremely S L O W internet.
Here’s my email:
7/22/2021
Hello …,
I am contacting Arizona NACA attorneys for assistance with unemployment issues and to find out why apparently no lawsuit has been filed in Arizona to reinstate our $300/week federal benefits:
1) Reinstate the $300/week federal unemployment benefits.
Do you have any information on a pending action similar to the suits filed in other states?
If not, why haven’t you or any of the other consumer attorneys filed yet?
There is no shortage of plaintiffs who need these payments to pay their bills and greatly suffer and will continue to suffer until they get their back pay. Hopefully, PLUS damages, such as late and overdraft fees, having to sell property far below market value, having to move in with friends or relatives or even move into their cars, etc.
Many of the damages cannot be undone. People are literally dying from the stress.
2) The DES deliberately frustrates the unemployed and unjustly denies legitimate claims or simply does not pay approved claims with NO unresolved issues.
The DES website does not work properly. Many people haven’t been paid in MONTHS and are owed thousands of dollars!
What are your thoughts?
3) Have you represented any unemployed to secure their benefits?
If so, what does it take to retain your services?
4) Please provide any information that might be helpful to the thousands of Arizonans who have been stressed and frustrated by the DES.
Should they file small claims suits?
This entire unemployment process has been a giant shitshow for well over a year! What is our legal recourse?
For example, I have screencasts of my failed attempts to submit my PUA weekly claim certifications at the DES website.
The first of the four required work searches / contacts was saved, but subsequent entries disappeared after I clicked the button to submit and only the first entry was visible.
The first time this happened, I entered about 10 contacts! The next day I tried again, the first new entry was saved, but subsequent entries dissappeared again. Apparently, all entries are actually in the system, as I have been asked about earnings from these contacts during subsequent weekly certifications.
I was able to submit some weekly claim certifications without any problems, but a few weeks ago I couldn’t submit my weekly claim at all because again my work search entries would not appear.
The following week I called the DES. I have audio recordings of the first two DES employees hanging up on me. While I was promptly paid after the 3rd call (was advised to upload the paper certification), the DES failed to fix its website.
Last week the exact same thing happened again. I was too frustrated and stressed, with my blood pressure way up, so I just submitted the paper form again last Friday.
Yesterday I called the DES and the issue was NOT resolved, but I was told to wait for an adjudicator to contact me. When I asked how long that takes, the lady didn’t know.
Fortunately, I am NOT desperate as I received an inheritance last winter. But there are THOUSANDS who NEED those benefits to survive and they need them yesterday!
There are even people claiming that they were not paid AFTER they prevailed on appeal!
In the Facebook unemployment groups are countless posts about the DES refusing to pay legitimate claims.
I started a new Facebook group specifically for Arizona unemployment litigation:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/arizonaunemploymentlitigation/
I decided to research why this is happening. I almost committed suicide in 2008 / 2009 when I lost most income and the only help I got was food stamps. How can we survive on food stamps unless we’re begging and/or stealing?
We greatly appreciate your assistance and any information to help us to not only get the back pay we deserve, but also damages, and of course the federal benefits.
Thank you,
Christine Baker