Thousands Apply at S.S.B. for COVID-19 Unemployment Relief
As you heard, today many unemployed Belizeans applied for the COVID-19 unemployment relief from the government. We spoke with General Manager of Corporate and Customer Relations, Chandra Cansino about this first day of applications. She says that the S.S.B.’s records show that approximately seven thousand hard copy forms were distributed at their branch offices across the country. Added to that, some five thousand applications were submitted online before the site crashed. Here’s more from Cansino about the first day of application submissions.
On the Phone: Chandra Cansino, GM, Corporate & Customer Relations Service, S.S.B.
“We issued close to seven thousand forms across the country today and that is the physical forms. The forms are available online and we prefer persons do the online option and the website has been down all day. We were anticipating that our largest crowds would come today because there were a lot of people simply waiting for the forms to be available. But time will determine that going forward. I know as well that a large percentage of persons who are able to apply can access the online version. So, I am thinking they are waiting for the online version. I think this morning Ms. Barnett said that before the site went down they had already received five thousand online applications. So, I am thinking that when that comes back up they will be receiving another influx of application. I looked at the application form and one of the fields is asking for banking information. My guess is if you don’t have banking information then you just leave it blank. I don’t know if on the online version if that is a required field or not. I will have to wait until that comes back up to check. But if you don’t have banking information you leave it blank. I believe the oversight committee mentioned something about debit cards from heritage bank and perhaps that would solve that problem of not having a bank account. But I think they will be speaking a little more on how to address that. We want the public to be aware that we are here to provide as much support to the process but we advise that the social distancing requirement be respected. I don’t think there was much of a problem with that today. I think initially there was a little bit of crowding and then everybody realized we have to space out but we are strict with that and likewise when you go to return your application completed that you do so quickly and efficiently within the social distancing regulations or the rules.”
Cansino notes that all day their communication channels were inundated with queries about the process, but she advises persons to use the website www.covid-19.bz as it provides the relevant information.
