Increase In Refusal To Work Claims

Time's running out for people collecting an extra 600 dollars a week in unemployment benefits.

New at six... tonight, time's running out for people collecting an extra 600 dollars a week in unemployment benefits.

The federal government set a july 31st deadline to help people who lost their job because of the coronavirus.

Critics complain the extra money could stop people from returning to work.

Today, waay 31's max co-han learned how alabama is making sure that doesn't happen.

"today we learned that the alabama department of labor has received over 3,000 refusal to work claims - which is a person who's claiming unemployment but does have employment opportunities available."

"if you are receiving unemployment compensation benefits and you are recalled to work and or offered suitable employment, then you must accept that employment or risk having your benefits disqualified or it could be potentially considered fraud."

Refusal to work violations are nothing new, but the department told me it received an overwhelming number of claims since the state's reopening almost two months ago.

Tara hutchinson of the alabama department of labor says companies filed more than 32- hundred complaints about employees trying to double-dip.

Collect a paycheck and unemployment.

"more than likely, that will grow as the reports continue to come in and we're able to make more determinations."

The labor department says refusing to work because you're worried about coronavirus isn't the same as not being able to work.

"there's about ten of those instances and they all must be covid related and those are prescribed by the us department of health."

"reporting in hunstville, max cohan, waay 31 news."