ARIZONA, USA — Thousands of Arizonans are getting some relief after the Department of Economic Security (DES) said they were overpaid pandemic-era unemployment benefits by DES.
The department began issuing waivers in November, more than a year after the federal pandemic-era benefits ended and months after DES began telling thousands of Arizonans the department overpaid them.
A DES spokesperson told 12News, as of this week, $29 million had been waived for more than 4,100 Arizonans who received pandemic unemployment assistance.
Debbie Mulgrew, who DES had told that she owed back more than $13,000, received two letters saying she no longer owed the money back.
"It's a big relief," Mulgrew says.
It was benefits that Mulgrew said she needed in 2020 when her contract job shut down in the pandemic. Eventually, Mulgrew's paperwork shows she did qualify, and she said she did receive some benefits.
Mulgrew applied for an appeal and got help from Community Legal Services to prepare for a hearing that was rescheduled.
"I sent over 171 pages of the documents from DES; I scanned them one by one; it took hours," Mulgrew said.
Still, from the beginning, Mulgrew faced a lack of communication from DES and confusion.
While the letters contain relief, Mulgrew said both didn't have an apology.
"Which would have really helped, just a one-liner in the letter about, 'We're sorry for the inconvenience.' Three years of disruption, anxiety, sleepless nights worrying, and difficulty in planning my future, all of that was in there. And there was no acknowledgment of that," Mulgrew said.
What's still on Mulgrew's mind is those who haven't had the outcome she did.
"What about the people that don't have the resources? Didn't keep the records? Don't have the time to fight for themselves? Can't afford an attorney and don't get one?" Mulgrew said.
A DES spokesperson said there is information on DES' website on overpayments and waivers for those who have received an overpayment notice.
If waivers aren't granted, Mulgrew would like to see what was missing from those two letters sent to her.
"I think an apology, some accountability for what happened, would help ease the upset of the whole thing," Mulgrew said.
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