VEC makes some progress, but thousands are still waiting on benefits

A new status report filed by Legal Aid groups and its pro bono partners showed since May, the VEC has shrunk the backlog of around 90,000 people waiting on benefits to 40,000.

FILING FOR UNEMPLOYMENT...TENS OF THOUSANDS OFVIRGINIANS HAVE RUN INTO ISSUES,DELA AYSND HOLDUPS WITH NOAVILABLE HELP ORPLEXAINATIONS--- INHET MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC.NOW...A CLASS ACTION LAWSUITHAS BEEN FILED...AND A JUDGE HASGIVEN THE V-E-C A STRICTDEADLINETO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS.OUR TEAM H DASONE EXTENSIVERESEARCH ON THE ISSUES AND FOUNDDIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.THANKS FOR JOINING US...I'MCANDACE BURNS...AND I'M BILL FITZGAERLD.I'VE GOT AN UPDATE ON A VIRGINIAVETERAN'S NEARLY YEAR-LONGEFFORT TO GET THOUSANDS OFDOLLARS IN BENEFITS HE'S OWEDBUT FIRST OURCAROLINE COLEBURN JOINS US TODESCRIBE WHAT PROGRESS THEVIRGINIA UNEMPLOYMENTCOMMISSION CLAIMS TO HAVEMADE...AND WHAT OTHER OBSTACLESHAVE SURFACED...CAROLI?NETHIS NEW STATUS REPORT ALSOSHOWED THE VEC HAS IDENTIFIEDNEARLY 42- HUNDREDVIRGINIANS WHO WAITED MORE THANA YEAR FOR THE BENEFITS.WHILE THESE CLAIMANTS WERE JUSTPAID LAST MONTH..LEGAL AIDGROUPS SAY THE DAMAGE ISSIGNIFICANT...AND THERE ARETHOUSANDS OF OTHERS WHOSEBENEFITS HAVE BEEN ILLEGALLYCUT OFF."LEFT OUT IN THE COLD, TAKEN FORGRANTED AND USED.I'VE WORKEDFOR 30 ARYES." YOU CAN HEAR THEFRUSTRATION IN CHARLESSTALLINGS' VOICE..."IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT." IT'S BEENNEARL TYWO MONTHS SINCE THECHESTERFIELD RESIDENT SAW HISLAST UNEMPLOYMENT CHEC.K"IN MAY, THEY JUST STOPPED."AFTER SMISING HIS FIRST A WEEKLYPAYMENT, STALLINGS SAYS HE GOTAN EMAIL..ASKING HIM TOREAPPLFY OR BENEFITS AND UPLOADHIS IDENTIFICATION TOA SITE CALLED ID..ME"I UPLOADED THE DOCUMENTS, ANDTHEN SOMETHING N OTHE SCREENCAME ON TO SAY THAT WE WILL GETBACK WITH YOU VIA EMAIL OR PHONEWITHIN THE NEXT WEEK.ID MENOBODY HAS CONTACTED NOBODY"AFTER SCHEDULING TWO PHONEAPPOINTMENTSWITH THE VEC AND CONTACTING IDME...HE STILL CAN'T GET ANYANSWERS.IF YOU ADHERE TO THEIR PROTOCOL,AND AND EVERYTHING THATTHEY'VE ASKED YOU TO DO.WHATMORE IS THAT TO SAYAN, D DO YOUAT THE MERCY OF VEC" ANDSTALLINGS ISN'T ALONE..INFACT, THE LEGAL AID JUSTICECENTER'S MOST RECENT STATUSREPORT IN THE CLASS ACTIONLAWSUIT AGAINST THE VEC CITESEMPLOYMENT AND IDENTITYVERIFICATION AS TW OOF THE TOPREASONS VIRGINIANS' HAVE HADTHEIR BENEFITS ILLEGALLYSTOPPED.CHANGED BYTE FOR 6: "PEOPLE INFACT ARE GETTING THEIRBENEFITS STOPPED AS SOON ASTHEY'RE INFORMED ABOUT THEPROCESS, AND STO HAT EVEN PEOPLEWHO ARE WORKING AS QUICKLY ASPOSSIBLE AND PRESENTINGEVERYTHING IMMEDIATELY, AREGETTING THEIR BENEFITS STOPPEDFOR AT LEAST A WEEK OR TWO, IFNOT MORE, AND FOR PEOPLE WHO ARETRYING TO KEEP A ROOF OVER THEIRHEADS KEEP FOOD ON THE TABLE FORTHEIR FAMILIES.IT'S NOT FAIR.WE THINK IT'S INCONSISTENT WITHFEDERAL LAW" PAT LEVY-LAVELLEREPRESENTS FIVE PLAINTIFFS INTHE LAWSUIT...AND SAYS THE VECHAS MADE PROGRESSSHRINKING THE BACKLOG OF AROUND90- THOUSAND PEOPLEWAITING ON BENEFITS TO 40THOUSAND..BUT OVER THE PASTTWO MONTHS, LEGAL AID GROUPSESTIMATE 30- THOUSAND NEWCLAIMS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THEBACKLOG."A L OOTF FOLKS ARE STILL OUTTHERE WAITING, WONDERINGWHAT'S GOING ON NEEDINGEMERGENCY AID" THE VECPREVIOUSL YSTATED THEY AREINCREASING STAFFING BECAUSETHEY MUST START PROCESSING20,000BACKLOGGED CLAIMS A WEEK BYAUGUST..."I CERTAINLY HOPE AND ANTICIPATETHAT THEY WILL""IF THEY DON'T WHAT WOULDHAPPEN?""IF THE VC DIDN'T HIT THAT20,000 PERWEEK FIGURE, I SUSPECT THATTHAT'S SOMETHING THAT JUDGEHUDSON WOULD WANT TO KNOW."CAROLINE LIVE: BY LABOR DAY, THEVEC MUST ALSO CLEAR UP 95PERCENT OF THE MORE THAN 92THOUSAND UNPAID CLAIMS THAT WERESTATED IN THE LAWSUIT FILED INMAY.I REACHED OUT TOA VEC SPOKESPERSON TO SEE WHERETHEY ARE WITH STAFFINGAND TO FIND OUT MORE ONSTALLINGS CASE AND WAS TOLD NOCOMMENT.WORKIN