California faces an unprecedented number of unemployment claims amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has left the state agency that handles jobless benefits scrambling to meet demand.
California faces an unprecedented number of unemployment claims amid the coronavirus pandemic, sparking emergency actions by the state agency that handles jobless benefits and a waiting game to see whether the state can keep up.
“To have an organization be able to ramp up overnight at that high of a level is very difficult,” said state Assemblyman Phil Ting . “We’ve had a significant number of constituents say they are having a hard time reaching EDD on the phone or, due to the shelter in place order, being able to go into the office for help.”Frustrated filers took to social media to vent about problems reaching a “real person.
Officials at the California Employment Development Department, which handles state claims for unemployment, disability and paid family leave benefits, said so far they are not expecting major delays in getting checks to those who are out of work. Due to the crushing caseload, the department reassigned hundreds of workers to help process claims while moving to an around the clock operation.
“We are still hoping that this onslaught can be streamlined and that people won’t see much of a delay,” Levy said. The department shifted its employees to help process the claims while asking former staff members and state workers with claims processing experience to return to work. Levy said retirees are filling some positions and that the department will hire where it can, but the immediate need makes it difficult to train new staff on unemployment laws.
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