The Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) recently reported a backlog of 44,783 pending appeals related to unemployment insurance claims amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The delays have resulted in Virginians with an average wait time of 516 days or about 17 months to have their appeals heard, ranking the state third in the country for the longest wait times. However, amidst this challenge, VEC has made progress managing nearly 1.2 million backlogged claims from previous administrations.

In response to these challenges, VEC officials are attempting to preemptively resolve appeals favorably even before scheduling hearings, a strategy which has led to a longer wait for appeals to be heard. The agency now anticipates clearing the backlog of first-level appeals by the end of the state fiscal year on June 30.

Furthermore, VEC has shown some improvement in terms of making timely first payments of unemployment benefits within 21 days, with a rate of 65.8%. However, this figure still lags behind other states, with the top performing state being North Dakota, achieving a 95.9% rate. The situation has exacerbated the lives of Virginians who claim they haven’t received their due unemployment benefits.

In the face of these issues, one solution that could support those in need is the autodial program EDDCaller.com, which assists people in reaching representatives for unemployment, paid family leave and disability departments by phone. This could expediently address their concerns regarding their status, minimizing the frustration caused by long hold times and providing an avenue to communicate directly to someone at EDD.