Your government at work.

[gridlore]

As most of you know, kshandra was laid off a few months ago. She applied for, and got, her unemployment insurance. We figured out a budget and decided that she'd hold off on the serious job hunt until after we got back from Montreal.

Things were going well, until the check we were expecting after Baycon failed to show up. Instead, a notice came that phone interview was required to determine her eligibility. WTF, over?

The best part? That notice came nearly three weeks ago. The interview was this morning.

So, what was the huge issue? Kirsten, filing out the paperwork in a pre-con rush, had accidentally checked that she had not been available for work in the prior period.

Now I deal with paperwork screw-ups all the time. It's part and parcel of the construction industry. Know what we do? We pick up the phone and make the call. I'm trying to figure out why a single question about a single box couldn't have been handled the moment it was noticed. Call Kiri, ask her why she marked that, note that it was an error in filling out the form, and move on.

I wouldn't be quite so pissed about this, but this bureaucratic sloth means that we've not been getting money we need for three weeks! Big check is coming, but sheesh!

Comments

[caraig.livejournal.com]

It would not surprise me if the unemployment office really is that overworked, but there's probably a good portion of just plain bureaucratic nonsense in there, as well.

[malohin.livejournal.com]

I've been hearing this kind of story a lot over the last year from all sorts of folks dealing with the EDD (http://www.edd.ca.gov/). Minor paperwork snafus followed by major lag in dealing with it.

Attempts to call the office result in automatically being sent to the "leave a message (better yet, use the web site) and we'll call you as soon as we can and no, don't bother coming into the office, because we won't talk to anyone without an appointment, so use the damend web site to make an appointment" queue.

I know someone that had exactly the kind of paperwork kerfuffle you're describing in November. They JUST had their "hearing." Based on their experience:

• scan everything, including received paperwork and envelopes with postmarks
• Return any paperwork ASAP, as in that day, as in now, right now,
• Document any contact; dates, times, names, etc.,
• If possible, use your mobile phone, or some other phone number that tracks INCOMING calls and numbers, as a contact point,
• Be "relentlessly polite" -- they're totally swamped and banging the rocks together as best they can.

Also, the bureaucratic nonsense is there because We The People want to make sure every penny is accounted for and (unfortunately) to deal with the monumental fraud and stupidity they are confronted with every day.

On the other hand, folks that finally get everything de-snafu'd report a much smoother experience. You certainly know how to deal with paperwork, bureaucracies, and government types, so I expect you will have this sussed out ASAP.