SAN DIEGO — Unemployed workers sounded off Friday during a live, online news conference in Southern California.
State Assemblymember Mike Gipson from Carson, California sponsored the event, aimed at focusing attention on the problems workers are having with the state Employment Development Department (EDD).
“These workers are unemployed through no fault of their own and through no fault of the employers,” said Gipson, who represents the 64th District.
Roger Lazoya lost his job as a pipeline welder five months ago due to the pandemic.
“Since I've been off of work, I've had no money come in at all,” Lazoya said during the Zoom meeting.
“I’m a welder. I travel nationwide to keep our country going and I pay a lot of taxes. I don’t know what to do anymore. EDD, I lost hope in them,” Lazoya said.
The unemployed welder had his identity stolen and has been unable to get EDD to approve benefits.
“They told me I owe them $69,000. How do I owe $69,000? At the time that they were saying I was claiming it, I was working,” he said.
Lazoya said he was forced to sell his work truck and tools to support his family.
“I’ve done everything the right way. I don't know what else to do,” he said.
Assemblymember Gipson called on EDD managers to step in and start handling the backlog of claims themselves. He also wants EDD to open their phone lines seven days a week and on evenings.
“When you call and speak with someone regarding the solution, you're not given the same information,” Roneisha Williams, an unemployed department store worker, said.
“You can call one representative and they'll tell you to submit documentation. You submit that documentation and you call to confirm that it has been received. The other representative will tell you that you weren't supposed to submit that documentation but really you need to go to this step, and we need to see this documentation,” she said.
Williams finally received her benefits from EDD, but the amount was incorrect. Now, she's waiting on an appeal to go through.
“There are multiple elements that make this process very daunting for constituents, for hard working Californians, that just want to get through the day and pay their bills and pay their rent until this pandemic is over,” Williams said.
EDD recently added instructional videos to its YouTube channel and updated its website to make the claims process easier.
If all else fails, call the offices of your State Senator or State Assemblymember and they can help you resolve your EDD issues.
You can use the Find Your California Representative page to enter your address and find your legislator.
News 8 reached out to EDD and asked the agency to respond to the issues raised during Friday's online news conference.
The agency’s Media Services department responded with the following:
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We understand how challenging this pandemic has been for millions of people. Since April 2020, EDD call centers are and have been open 12 hours a day, seven days a week—which includes evenings and weekends—among many other efforts to continually work to improve the customer experience.
EDD offers useful self-help information including a 24 hour self-help line 1-866-333-4606, AskEDD and an online chatbot answering frequent questions, a YouTube channel with helpful videos, and many articles on at EDD.ca.gov. The call center can be reached 8:00 am to 8:00 pm seven days a week at 1-800-300-5616.
UI Online is the fastest way to ask a question about a claim. Customers can log in, then select Contact Us to get started. Customers who don’t have a UI Online account can quickly register for one.
The Department's strategy for managing call center demand includes directing people to online resources and increasing permanent state staff with high-quality training necessary to help customers. The Department is actively recruiting, hiring and training hundreds of new employees to assist claimants and answer their questions. Staff can earn overtime now that call centers are running 12 hours days, every day of the week.
The Department has also launched new tools to enhance customer service, including a multimillion dollar investment in language interpreter services.
Other actions the Department has taken to improve the customer experience include:
• Improving the online help text to clearly explain what is required by the bi-weekly certification questions to help claimants avoid delays.
• Continually improving the mobile phone-ready version of the Department website so claimants can file claims and easily access information on their phones and devices.
• Deploying document upload, including a mobile-friendly version, to help claimants save time over mail.
• Calling customers directly from the remote virtual call center to seek clarifying information and resolve claims.
• Launching a new feature that allows a caller to hold their place “in line” when contacting the call center until the Department calls the claimant back.
• Continuing to monitor customer areas of confusion and trending issues and addressing them with improved public information.
WATCH RELATED: Having trouble with EDD? You're not alone (March 2021)