Labor agency officials defend new claims system

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Officials with the state's labor department continue to insist its new tax and unemployment system is OK, but thousands of unemployed New Mexicans think otherwise.

KRQE News 13 is still receiving phone calls and e-mails from people frustrated by the new unemployment insurance claims system the Department of Workforce Solutions launched Sunday. Since then, thousands of callers have been trying to get paid and trying to get through to someone who can help.

"I played around with the online for about an hour, and then I got frustrated, so that's why I'm here," said Theresa Hollowell outside a Workforce Connections Center.

Hollowell is one of dozens of people who came to the employment center trying to get help with the state's new system. About 94,000 calls flooded the state's unemployment call center Monday from people like Theresa.

Workforce Solutions Secretary Celina Bussey says despite all the phone calls and frustration, the new unemployment-claims system is "flawless." But she calls events around the launch the perfect storm.

On Jan. 2, the federal government extended Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits for one year. This means benefits for 7,000 unemployed New Mexicans were extended, and all 7,000 need technical support from a customer service agent.

"We know that 80 percent of all those frustrations, 80 percent of the people who are experiencing any type of problem, it's related to the type of claim they're involved with," Bussey said. "That EUC program and the passage of the extension is very complicated."

On top of that, New Mexico's 26,000 weekly claimants have to get used to the new system, and there was a big banking issue.

"I tried from home and then we checked the banks and the money never got there," Darlene Thompson said Tuesday morning.

Claimants like Thompson who were certified for their weekly unemployment check Sunday and Monday didn't get paid on time.

Bussey says it's been resolved, and she expects the phone lines to die down by Thursday or Friday.

"Once we get through that in the first few days, we don't anticipate any delays or any necessary changes at all," Bussey said.

Of the 26,000 New Mexicans who rely on Workforce Solutions for unemployment benefits each week, department reps say a little over 16,000 people have certified for benefits since the new system launched Sunday.

Wells Fargo representatives say the banking issue for those who were certified on Sunday and Monday was caused by a coding error. Banking reps are still trying to pinpoint what happened, but say the issue was resolved by 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.