Call 4 Action team helps resolve unemployment claim issue

FRANKLIN, TN (WSMV) - The year 2020 has been hard on several people having trouble with unemployment.

For some of those News4 profiled, things are improving.

“Life is a lot better,” Robin Rouille said.

Rouille is a Williamson County Schools bus driver. She reached out to the News4 Call 4 Action team in September after she said she couldn’t get through to the Department of Labor.

“It’s not fun when you’re driving a school bus with precious cargo and you’re worried about your bills,” Rouille told News4 in September.

News

Bus drivers seeking Unemployment assistance feel helpless

• Caresse Jackman

News4 called the Department of Labor and it was able to fix her issue which involved getting them proof that her scheduled work was canceled. Three months later, News4 checked in with Rouille.

“Today I have paid off pretty much all of my credit cards. There’s still a little bit more,” Rouille said. “We’re back to work, but not at full pay yet because we’re still doing online learning. I can’t do some of my driving and they pay us, and we do not field trips, but I can pay my bills and thank God for you cause I don’t know what I would be doing if you didn’t help me.”

Department of Labor and Workforce spokesperson Chris Cannon told News4 last week that one thing Tennesseans can do is double-check everything before you hit submit on your claims application for recertification.

“Be very careful when you’re going through and doing your certification, that you’re answering everything correctly so no red flags go up, which can delay your claim,” Cannon said.

Cannon said with nearly a million claims filed, they don’t have a direct number, but it’s safe to say thousands have incorrect information and errors that have delayed processing times.