Father of seven finally gets $6,000 in jobless benefits

U.S. money (WDIV)

(CNN) – Thousands of Georgians have emailed Better Call Harry for help in receiving their unemployment benefits during the pandemic.

But one of them never realized how quickly Harry would get him results.

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Marcus Sumlin is outside the Georgia Department of Labor's College Park office. Though the office is closed to the public for safety concerns, people looking for answers about their benefits are there. An hour earlier Sumlin had sent Better Call Harry an email.

“Hello, Mr. Samler. My name is Marcus Sumlin. I don’t like to bother anyone about my problems but I’m in a real dilemma. Mr. Samler, I’m a family man and I do all I can for my family. Could you please help me? I’m running out of all options.”

Better Call Harry was outside that GDOL office also, helping another man. Sumlin approached him to tell him his story.

The married father of five boys and two girls was working as a forklift operator. But when Covid-19 started spreading, he wasn't willing to put his family at risk. Under the CARES Act he qualified for benefits but needed a little help.

"Well, we just got you to the top of the list," Harry told him. "How do you feel about that?

"I’m loving it, thank you thank you, I really appreciate it," Sumlin replied. "I really do need it."

A short time later Sumlin received a call.

"We’ve been working on your claim and I think we’ve got a solution in place and we will be releasing eight weeks worth of payments tonight."

The call from the GDOL representative was a bit of a surprise, then came a shock when Sumlin found out how much money.

More than $6,000.

“Woo, thank you Jesus!” Sumlin said. “Yes, yes, yes. That will help a lot!”