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The state Department of Labor & Industry expects that when it eventually begins handling unemployment claims through its long-anticipated -- but now delayed -- new electronic system, some problems that have bedeviled the current system will shrink or disappear.
Ironically, some of those current problems are the very ones that have come to the fore because of COVID-19 -- which in turn is the reason for postponing the launch from October to some indefinite date, to avoid the potential for additional havoc in the stressed UC claims system.
The new system will make it easier for claimants to interact with the department, especially in cases where there are eligibility questions and in cases where the department sends information or makes requests for information, Susan Dickinson, director of unemployment benefits compensation policy, said in a virtual news conference Monday.
Currently, that information may be sent by mail or email, and if the claimant loses it, they can be "out of luck" -- forced into time-consuming communication exchanges with the department, Dickinson said.
Under the new system, the information will become part of the claimant's electronic dashboard -- a battery of information connected with the claim, easily accessible by computer, Dickinson said. "If there is a question, and we need answers," the exchanges can be made through the dashboard.
The new system will eliminate the worry about lost emails, including emails that have disappeared into claimants' spam folders, Dickinson said. And it will give claimants more of a sense of "control over what is happening."
Filing under the new system will be fairly simple, she said.
The new system will also make it easier for claimants to contest denials, because it will allow them to add attorneys or witnesses electronically, so when the department schedules a hearing with a referee, the referees' office can be sure all the parties are "invited."
"It will make sure everything is tied together nice and neatly," she said.
The new system will also enable employers to log in electronically, so they can track claims and charges on their accounts, Dickinson said. Currently, employers need to call the department to get such information printed.
Many of the new system's features will be like those of the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program for the self-employed. PUA has some innovative characteristics, although it has turned out to be susceptible to attack by fraudsters, she said.
The department plans to use the extra time created by the delay for additional training and for "cleaning up of issues that arise with any new IT launch," said Labor Secretary Jerry Oleksiak. "We're hoping it will be months (rather than longer)."
The department is also putting together guidelines for using the site, so users can learn how to open claims, file continuing claims and in general be prepared for the launch, Dickinson said.
Some beneficiaries may need to reapply when the changeover eventually occurs, although the department hopes to keep the need for that to a minimum, Dickinson said.
Maintenance of the old system's data in read-only mode should enable the department to make the shift manually for those whose data doesn't transfer automatically, she said.
There could be delays in payments for a few beneficiaries under the new system, given that payments will be weekly, rather than the current every two weeks, but the number of those should be minimal too, she said.