PUTTING FORTH.
THE GOVERNORS STRIKE TEAM IS OUT WITH A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT.
>> IT DOCUMENTS, IN EXCRUCIATING DETAIL, HOW EDD HAS BEEN FAILING CALIFORNIANS AND SEMI-DIFFERENT WAYS.
REPORTER 109 PAGES TRYING TO GET OUT WHY MILLIONS OF CALIFORNIANS ARE EXPERIENCING EXTREME DELAYS AND BENEFITS THEY APPLIED FOR AND WHY OTHERS HAVE NOT RECEIVED DESPERATELY NEEDED
UNEMPLOYMENT CHECKS AT ALL.
>> IT HAS BECOME AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT IS WORST ABOUT GOVERNMENT.
REPORTER: NOT HOLDING BACK ON KEY FINDINGS.
KCRA 3 HAS INVESTIGATED SEVERAL INSTANCES OF STACKS OF FRAUDULENT CLAIM SHOWING UP IN SACRAMENTO MAILBOXES.
THEY NEEDED TO BE VETTED FOR MANUAL PROCESSING.
ALL OF THIS AS FRAUDSTERS BEAT THE SYSTEM, GETTING CLAIMS FULFILLED, FEDERAL FUNDS THAT ED WAS TASKED WITH ALLOCATING.
>> THE ANTIFRAUD MEASURES ARE ACTUALLY PREVENTING EVERYDAY CALIFORNIANS FROM ACCESSING THE BENEFITS THAT THEY ARE DUE WHILE NOT DOING ANYTHING TO STOP THE SOPHISTICATED CRIMINAL
ENTERPRISES.
REPORTER: OVERWHELMED AND UNDERSTAFFED PHONE LINES.
>> THE CALL CENTER SYSTEM IS ENTIRELY BROKEN.
REPORTER: THE ORIGINAL LINE WAS OP WHEN THE STRIKE TEAM VISITED.
NEARLY 7 MILLION CALLS SWAMPED THE PHONE LINES EACH WEEK DURING JULY.
>> THEY ARE CALLING DOZENS, IF NOT ONE -- HUNDREDS OF TIMES.
THE STAFFER HAS JUST BEEN HIRED AND DOES NOT KNOW THE ANSWER TO THEIR QUESTION.
REPORTER: NOT EVEN AN ADDITIONAL PHONE LINE COULD HELP.
PHONES ARE ANSWERED BY EMPLOYEES NOT ADEQUATELY TRAINED.
>> IT LOOKS LIKE FOR A LOT OF CALIFORNIANS THERE IS NO IMMEDIATE RELEASE INSIGHT.
REPORTER: A LIG SHOWN ON A BACKLOG OF CLAIMS.
>> IT IS SHOCKINGLY HUGE.
IT IS AT LEAST 1.6 MILLION, AND LIKELY LARGER.
REPORTER: RECOMMENDING THAT THEY TAKE ON A BURNED DOWN PLAN.
A HOST OF ISSUES PLAGUING THE AGENCY.
>> MANY ARE CONCERNED THAT THIS WILL BE TOO LITTLE TOO LATE SINCE THE EARLY PART OF THE PANDEMIC.
REPORTER: THE BURN DOWN PLAN INCLUDES SHUTTING DOWN NEW CLAIMS FOR AT LEAST TWO WEEKS.
NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO FILE A CLAIM UNTIL OCTOBER 5, AT THE EARLIEST.
AS FOR THE BACKLOG, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT I EDD FOLLOWS RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW TO HANDLE THE BACKLOG, IT WILL NOT GET TO ZERO UNTIL JANUARY 2021.
A BIT OF TIME BEFORE THINGS GET WORKED OUT.
WALTER: B SHEARING IN RESPONSE TO THIS REPORT?
REPORTER: WE HAVE TRIED TO REACH OUT TO EDD FOR AN ON CAMERA INTERVIEW.
ALTHOUGH NO ONE WAS AVAILABLE FOR AN INTERVIEW TODAY, WE DID GET A STATEMENT LAST NIGHT FROM EDD AFTER THIS REPORT FROM THE STRIKE TEAM WAS ISSUED.
THEY SAID THEY ARE COMMITTED TO TAKING SOME OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS.
EDD SAID THEY ARE COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH THE STRIKE TEAM AND IMPLEMENTING THE BURNED DOWN PLAN, STOPPING THE ACCEPTANCE OF NEW CLAIMS FILED AND REDIRECTING TH HIGHEST SKILLED STAFF TO
FOCUS ON THE PROCESSING OF EXISTING CLAIMS.
THEY ARE COMMITTED TO THE ID ME SYSTEM.
THAT IS IN USE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES AND IT IS A WAY TO VERIFY PEOPLE’S IDENTITY.
THEY PLAN TO START USING THAT SYSTEM AS WELL.
WA