Fox Undercover (MyFoxBoston.com) — For one Cape Cod ferry worker, the end of the tourist season started as always: laid off on Columbus Day, followed soon by his applying for unemployment. Because his weekly benefit is usually around $100 a week, he didn’t rush to see how much he was getting.
When he finally checked the state-issued debit card a few weeks later, he got a shock: instead of a few hundred dollars, the state Department of Unemployment Assistance had sent him $11,397.
So he wants to give it back. He’s trying to give it back. He just can’t get anyone from the state to do anything.
“I’ve called probably eight or 10 different numbers. I once got a hold of a woman and I told them my story and she said to me, ‘Oh my God.’ Then she said, ‘Well that’s way above my pay grade to deal with it just went nowhere,” he said. “It’s wicked frustrating.”
First off, I hope this dude was part time. $100 a week? That doesn’t seem like enough to live on during a Cape Cod winter. That’s like two cases of beer and an 1/8th of good weed. What the hell do you do the other six days of the week?
Really though, how fucked is our government. It’s not even so much the mistake. Sure it’s a ridiculous mistake that a privately owned business would NEVER make, but the real eye opener is that he can’t get anyone to take the money back? Shouldn’t there be one simple way to teach every employee of the unemployment office to deal with a situation like this? I’ll do Massachusetts a favor and write out the protocol for the handbook right now.
23 A sec. b-4: What to do if someone calls in and says they received $11,397 in extra benefits:
Stop whatever the fuck you are doing and immediately instruct this person to either come directly to our office with that money or put it in the mail immediately c/o Ron*. Ron is in charge of all voluntarily returned funds.
*I am positive there is a guy named Ron that works in the unemployment office that doesn’t do shit all day. Sorry Ron, whoever you are, I put you in charge of returns. You have to do something once a year now.
Problem solved. You’re welcome Deval.
P.S. T-minus 28 minutes until Deval gives Ron a raise.
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