Congresswoman Matsui Statement on EDD's New Initiatives to Improve Processing of the Unemployment Insurance Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, February 7, 2014

CONTACT: JONELLE TRIMMER
(202) 225-7163

Congresswoman Matsui Statement on EDD's New Initiatives to Improve Processing of the Unemployment Insurance Program

Plan provides for hiring of additional staff and implementation of new technology to improve payment system and call center

Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-06) issued the following statement regarding a new plan released by the California Labor Secretary David Lanier today that directs the Employment Development Department (EDD) to immediately implement a number of steps to address payment delays and unanswered phone calls in the operation of the Unemployment Insurance program:

"I am pleased that EDD is taking action to rectify the problems that have been plaguing the Unemployment Insurance program. The delayed unemployment benefits are affecting many Californians who are out of work and rely on these benefits to keep their families afloat while they look for work. I continue to hear from constituents whose lives have been negatively impacted due to these payment delays.

"It is my hope that the hiring, rehiring and retaining of program staff, coupled with the assistance of the Department of Labor experts, will allow EDD to move quickly to fix the problems, get the computer system working, and the processing of all unemployment benefits back on track. The additional staff should also have a positive impact on helping the EDD call centers handle the volume of calls it receives.

"As these steps are implemented, my staff and I will continue to stay on top of this issue to ensure the situation is fixed and that all Californians who rely on these unemployment benefits are able to receive them in a timely manner."

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