California Lawmakers Slam Employment Agency For Slow Payouts

Speaker 1: 00:00 At least 7 million Californians have lost their jobs. Since the pandemic began earlier this year, many of those struggling to make ends meet and feed their families still haven't gotten their unemployment benefits. Antonio Raphael had to make a full time job out of fighting for his benefits. KQBD reporter Mary Franklin Harvin has the story last week, Antonia Rayel finally got an employment development department worker on the phone who could recertify his claim. I told him, I go, you dude, you're going to rail a makeup artist and TV stand in who lives in West Hollywood says he'd called EDD 5,600 times since March. Speaker 2: 00:42 I have it on speed dial. Let me tell you, I have it on speed dial. I even know like the codes you press one seven one six, seven three to get through you put in your social security number, press one. And then, and now they have it where it just hangs up on you. Sorry, we can't help you. You know, once you do all that Speaker 1: 00:59 Is 56 in the last five years, he says he survived cancer and a heart attack. He'd just gotten back into a routine with work last July. Speaker 2: 01:08 I was starting to get, you know, my mojo back cause uh, you know, um, I was trying to get on top of my bills because the cancer had bankrupt me pretty much. Speaker 1: 01:17 Then COVID-19 hit first. He applied for regular unemployment, but EDD said he wasn't eligible Speaker 2: 01:25 Because I, you know, I guess, cause I had cancer. I hadn't put in enough time. Um, they go 18 months previous and I was sick. So, um, they said that I didn't have enough hours. Speaker 1: 01:36 He kept trying and finally got eight weeks worth of pandemic assistance. Unemployment recipients are required to recertify their applications. Every two weeks. It's a process. Even EDD says is confusing. And if the applicant makes a mistake on the form, it won't go through and their payments will stop. And there's another hurdle. The people who have the most direct access to update those forms generally just work morning hours. Speaker 2: 02:03 No, the only people that can really change your account unless they call you back for an appointment. So the lady I had to go question by question my question and I I'm telling you, I had her on a phone for an hour and a half and I said, okay, what do I want Speaker 1: 02:18 For Antonio to get recertified? It took more than 2000 calls and hours on the phone with seven different representatives. He says he also got some assistance from his assembly member. Richard bloom. Now rail is working on squaring. The debt he's built up while trying to get through to EDD. So far, he saved from eviction because of a state moratorium, but that may end as soon as next month, he also got a thousand dollar grant from a local nonprofit to put towards his housing costs, Speaker 2: 02:48 But I'm still three months behind on my rent. I owe $600 and like utility bills, a probably shouldn't be saying all this, but um, I, you know, I'm, I'm behind on everything. My credit score is a hundred shot, 150 points down Speaker 1: 03:02 And he still doesn't think he'll be able to get work in his field anytime soon. Speaker 2: 03:07 They're like, you know, Oh, well they don't want to go back to work. There's no work to go to dude. You know, the entertainment industry has shut down. I mean, I can't go to a job. I mean there's jobs as a grocery clerk, but why should I put myself in harm's way Speaker 1: 03:21 Waits for jobs in his industry to open up again, rial is spending his time organizing classes for kids stuck at home right now. Speaker 2: 03:28 I'm actually starting my online art classes for children right now. I'm actually, I was just assembling some shelves that I went to Ikea and purchase. I'm not spending a lot of money cause I needed it to pay, you know, make sure I have the rent and I'm an artist. So I just, I can do it really inexpensively and I'll start filming the art classes, posting them on Udemy and, and also on, uh, on YouTube. Speaker 1: 03:52 He's also staying active on social media, posting about his experience to try to help others who may be even worse off than he is. I'm Mary Franklin Harvin. Speaker 3: 04:08 [inaudible].