‘You can hear the desperation:’ California unemployment backlog boils over in Capitol
The state’s embattled unemployment department will hire 1,800 people — including 600 phone agents — over the next two weeks as the state frantically scrambles to help respond to frustrated out-of-work California residents who continue to get jammed phone lines and lengthy waits for answers.
Sharon Hilliard, director of the Employment Development Department, heard a barrage of complaints from California Assembly and Senate members Thursday at budget hearings.
One by one, Assembly members described constituents’ frustration getting through to the agency, which manages the state’s unemployment insurance program.
“It is the number one issue hands down. It is a big issue. We get calls every day from our constituents about it,” said Assemblyman Jim Cooper, D-Elk Grove, chairman of the state Budget Subcommittee on State Administration. He described people waiting a month or even eight weeks for answers.
Hilliard repeatedly sympathized with his and other stories.
“I totally agree with you it’s not acceptable and we are working hard to make sure we are addressing all the concerns as quickly as possible,” she said.
But the lawmakers and the public have been hearing these sorts of complaints — and promises — almost since the coronavirus outbreak sent the economy reeling in mid-March. EDD has processed a total of 4.7 million claims since the pandemic gripped the state.
Almost instantly, phone lines were jammed and quick responses became nearly impossible to get. Gov. Gavin Newsom in April pledged quick action, beefing up the EDD staff and creating a new, 12-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week phone line.
At a news conference April 10, Newsom said, “We have hundreds more staff that are also now being reprioritized...and that is to expand the hours of our call center.”
Five days later, he issued an executive order directing call centers to be staffed 12 hours a day. The new line went into service April 20.
But constituents continue to find frustration. The new line offered only general advice. For individual cases, people had to rely on the existing line, which still operated five days a week, four hours a day.
Hilliard said the agency is considering merging the two lines.
Her assurances didn’t stop the complaints from the Assembly members.
“You can hear the desperation, the frustration, it’s extreme,” said Assemblyman Tom Lackey, R-Palmdale. “One of the biggest frustrations I’m having repeated over and over are hangups, for Pete’s sake.”
Or, he said, people call and get a recorded message. “You can’t leave a message. You can’t get any interaction,” he said. “Even (on) some of the live calls we’ve had hangups. That is really unacceptable.
“ Are you aware of this? Is there Any plan in place to try to minimize this?” he asked.
Yes, Hilliard said, and a quality control program has just started. She said she’s well aware of the complaints.
Lackey persisted in a polite but firm way. “The sense of urgency is really unparalleled in most of these people’s lives and hopefully forever,” he said, “but they get no explanation as to how to resolve any resolution. I’m hoping there might be some plan in place to change that, give some explanation as to why they’re disqualified and some other options. Is that possible?”
“We are exploring that,” Hilliard said, adding “We understand the frustration.”
EDD’s staff has been urging people to consult its website, and it has expanded the site with new questions and answers and detailed guides on how to apply for benefits. But readers have told The Bee that the site is often confusing.
There has also been concern that constituents often have to wait for certain notifications to come in the mail.
That should change. “We have starting using email for outbound communications and we tend to do more of it,” Hilliard said.
Her assurances did not end the frustration.
“We literally have people who are figuring out how they’re going to feed their family, how they’re going to feed their children. They are not getting help where they know they’re supposed to be getting it,” said Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, D-Berkeley.
“I have a certain level of sympathy there but I have more sympathy for folks in my district,” she said, “many of whom were living on the brink of poverty or experiencing don’t have a lot of savings to begin with and are going through really really tough times.”
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