Since March 2020, the division has processed 20.7 million claims and paid a complete of $126 billion in unemployment advantages – an quantity that exceeds 5 occasions the variety of claims filed through the worst yr of the Nice Recession.
Roughly one-third of those funds are a part of the brand new Pandemic Unemployment Help, or PUA, program applied by Congress final yr – a federal program for people who find themselves not eligible for state unemployment insurance coverage advantages.
About two-thirds embody state Unemployment Insurance coverage advantages, advantages underneath Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, or PEUC, extension or the Federal-State Prolonged Length extension, which gives as much as 20 weeks of additional advantages for individuals who used all their common Unemployment Insurance coverage or PEUC advantages.
Final week, the division accomplished including as much as 11 weeks of advantages to PUA or PEUC claims, ending the work by the Division’s dedication to finish Part Two by March 7. Part One in all this rollout was completed in January.
Roughly 185,000 claimants included in Part Two have all now been given the chance to certify and obtain these advantages if eligible. These prolonged advantages will help the greater than 1.5 million Californians who would have in any other case misplaced advantages after the federal CARES Act ended on Dec. 27, 2020.
Name heart workers full specialty coaching to strengthen customer support
For the reason that onset of the pandemic, EDD has seen an unprecedented rise in calls to its contact heart.
Final week, the division graduated 260 top-level name heart workers specifically educated to analysis and resolve complicated claims, reply questions, and assist claimants.
In whole, 3,436 EDD brokers are serving to reply claimant calls and the common wait time to speak with a consultant as soon as within the queue is about 40 minutes.
As well as, the division lately expanded translations of its English and Spanish Kind 1099-G truth sheets to incorporate Simplified Chinese language, Conventional Chinese language, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Korean and Armenian. These guides present claimants necessary details about the annual tax season means of receiving
Kind 1099-Gs from EDD.
Company seeks to assist claimants keep away from pointless delays in profit funds
EDD has expanded the supply of data to assist claimants who should certify their eligibility for advantages each two weeks to be able to get funds.
Claimants will see expanded data out there once they go to finish their subsequent certification. This new language assists the claimant with keep away from frequent errors within the software course of.
The division will proceed to launch extra instructional supplies to assist people who find themselves confused by the certification questions in gentle of the distinctive challenges created by the Covid-19 pandemic. EDD gives “Step by Step Directions” and the “Understanding the Continued Declare Certification Questions” on the web site for useful recommendations on certifying.
Curbing fraud utilizing new instruments and methods
Final yr, California was hit exhausting by fraud from worldwide and nationwide crime syndicates – notably these concentrating on the Federal PUA program, which didn’t require revenue or employment verification and allowed claimants to backdate claims to February 2020.
In response, California launched a brand new identification verification system, ID.me, to cut back fraud on the entrance finish of the appliance course of. The division mentioned it additionally thwarted scammers by not backdating PUA claims mechanically.
The division has additionally invested in new fraud prevention know-how and investigative instruments to help the method of stopping and catching acts of fraud.
EDD gives sources for Californians on the Assist Struggle Fraud webpage.
Between March 2020 and January 2021, the division mentioned its fraud screening measures and new safety protections prevented as much as $60 billion in funds to fraudulent claims.
Serving to victims of identification theft
The division arrange a chosen telephone line and on-line reporting system for anybody who will get a 1099-G kind with an inaccurate report of advantages and believes identification theft was concerned. Data to assist fraud victims is posted right here.
Anybody who receives a 1099-G from the EDD that’s not correct due to suspected identification theft ought to report this as fraud by going to Ask EDD, deciding on “Kind 1099G” after which selecting “Report Fraud.” EDD will examine and problem a corrected 1099-G as acceptable.
The IRS has made clear that taxpayers who’re unable to acquire a well timed, corrected 1099-G ought to nonetheless file an correct tax return, reporting solely the revenue they obtained.
Assets for identification theft victims are additionally out there by reporting the crime to the Federal Commerce Fee and IRS.
