"It’s fair to say that the COVID-19 pandemic affected us all differently. Personally, it took away my ability to work due to long-lingering symptoms of the illness. My job duties at Boeing were simply not doable for me as I struggled with severe and persistent vertigo. I applied for unemployment benefits and focused on my recovery.
Then, about one year ago, I received a notice in the mail from the unemployment department stating I needed to reimburse over $20,000 in unemployment assistance I had already received. Adding to the confusion, I was still getting letters announcing that I was eligible for benefits and encouraging me to apply.
I needed someone to straighten out the situation and provide some unbiased advice. My friends encouraged me to call the free CLEAR hotline, operated by Northwest Justice Project (NJP) and complete a brief screening over the phone. I had never heard of NJP but their professional attitude gave me a good first impression. After a quick income screening, I was in touch with David, an NJP attorney. He showed concern and compassion for my situation and communicated by text, email, and phone.
As David started examining months of my unemployment claims, I was alerted to yet another potential legal issue in my life. Related to some old credit card debt following my divorce many years ago, a debt collector had me served with a court summons.
I was impressed and relieved that David agreed to assist with this situation while working on my unemployment benefits case. He asked the collections agency for proof of the debt, which they refused to provide. Instead, the collectors dropped the case and the judge dismissed it. With thousands of dollars in potential debt no longer a threat to me, I felt more confident in tackling the unemployment case.
David’s legal assistant, Bobby, was always kind and prompt when keeping me updated through several continuances and delays in the case. Bobby and David explained to me that I had mistakenly applied for regular unemployment benefits instead of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits I was eligible for. Despite this mix-up, they worked hard to advocate for me and my rights to the benefits. Finally, the hearing was completed via a conference call and we waited for a response from the judge. It had been over nine months since I had contacted NJP, and David had been transparent and honest through every setback and success.
The judge ruled that, since I had been eligible for the correct program, I did not have to payback the unemployment assistance I recieved.
Not only did David represent me in both legal cases, but he gave solid advice on how to proceed after the resolution. I would not hesitate to reach out to NJP in the future, should I need any sort of legal assistance or advice. If you are considering reaching out to NJP or the CLEAR hotline, don’t delay; it could save you significant time and money."