By Nevada News Bureau Staff: A computer glitch that caused some jobless benefit recipients to have their claims mistakenly rejected this week has been fixed, and claimants who had problems are encouraged to re-file using the state’s website.
Claimants should go online to file their claims as soon as possible, said Frank Woodbeck, director of the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR). The telephone claims center will still accept claims, but due to the already high call volume, claimants may experience longer than usual hold times, he said.
“Staff worked during the night to correct the problem that may cause some claimants to receive their benefits about two days late,” he said. “We understand the magnitude of this situation as so many depend on unemployment benefits for their livelihood during this tough economic climate.
“We are in the midst of a five-year overhaul of our computer system, but in the meantime, we continue to struggle with 30-year-old technology, that unfortunately doesn’t function well 100 percent of the time,” Woodbeck said.
The agency on Tuesday discovered a computer error that was causing issues processing claims for benefits for this week.
There are currently about 86,000 people who received unemployment benefits weekly. The department traditionally receives a greater number of calls than usual, during this post-holiday season, which is further causing delays for callers accessing the telephone claims system.
The Unemployment Insurance Call Center hours have been extended as a result of computer system issues and a seasonal increase in demand by our customers. However, the center will be closed, as will all state offices, on Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
All calls received prior to 5 p.m. each day will receive assistance from one of our customer agents. The Unemployment Insurance Call Center will be accepting calls Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
