Michelle’s Story

A single mother of two children, “Michelle” worked as a personal care assistant, a job that gave her flexibility to work around her children’s school and daycare schedules. In early March 2020, the school and daycare her children attended closed due to the pandemic. With no one to watch her children, Michelle was forced to stop working. After her employer, incorrectly, told the Department of Unemployment Assistance that Michelle had stopped working without reason, she was denied unemployment benefits.

She contacted Community Legal Aid for help. Staff Attorney Daniel Bahls assisted Michelle with her appeal at the Department of Unemployment Assistance, and Michelle was able to demonstrate that she had been forced to leave her job due to the necessity of caring for her children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hearing Officer reversed her denial and awarded her benefits dating back to early March.