CARSON CITY - The Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation has corrected issues with the Internet claims filing system and urges claimants who were having difficulties to try the system again before attempting to call the unemployment call center to speak with a representative.
As part of the transition to the new UINV claims filing system, a new online component was implemented which requires claimants to establish or enter already-established pin numbers, usernames and passwords.
Many claimants are calling to speak to claims examiners because they are having difficulties remembering these identifications or have had trouble establishing new identification numbers, said Frank Woodbeck, DETR director.
"We understand that this has been a difficult process for those claimants who have found this new system of claims filing to be challenging," Woodbeck said. "Anytime new systems are implemented, there will inevitably be a period of adjustment. We are very close to having all the kinks in the system worked out and just ask our customers to be patient a little longer. Each day we are processing more and more claims online and via the automated system, diminishing the hold times and busy signals on the phones."
Since the system went live on Sept. 4, DETR has received nearly 258,000 calls and has issued more than 100,000 payments since going live. About 34,000 payments were made last week.
Claimants are urged to use the Internet to file their weekly claims, leaving the phone lines clear for customers who have issues with their claims that need to be corrected by a claims examiner, Woodbeck said.
Many of the calls are claimants calling back to check the status of their claims, or to express concern about required sequestration cuts. DETR notified claimants last month that their unemployment benefit payments would be cut by 59 percent for the month of September. Cuts will then be 7.2 percent beginning in October until the EUC program expires at the end of December, Woodbeck said.
"When you consider we have approximately 50,000 claimants, the number of customers who have still been unable to file their claims or get through to speak to someone is relatively small," Woodbeck said. "However, we do not diminish the importance of the need for every customer to be served in a timely manner. We are doing everything within our power to complete this transition and work out any issues that the system may have. Once all of those remaining customers have been served, the congestion on the phone lines will ease and claimants will find the system to be quite user friendly. The new system replaces a program that was more than 30 years old, with archaic software and limited security measures."[[In-content Ad]]
