The Employment Development Department (EDD) has is doing a two week reset period starting September 19. 2020 to help expedite new claimant payments, reduce fraud and tackle backlog issues. The reset period is in response to the EDD Strike Team report. The Strike Team found that there are 591,016 backlogged initial claims, and over a million claims where claimants received payments and then payments stopped.
During the two week reset period, people attempting to apply for unemployment insurance for the first time will be directed to a temporary webpage where they can submit information so EDD can invite them back to EDD Online when it is ready. New claims will be backdated to cover the reset period. Claimants will be able to certify for benefits more quickly so that eligible claimants will get their first payment within 21 days. People who have existing claims will still be able to use UI Online to manage their claim.
During the reset period, EDD will implement a new identity verification tool called ID.me. People will be required to upload identifying identification documents along with along with a self-photo that EDD will validate. In addition, the most experienced EDD staff will redirected to work through the oldest and most complicated cases. Staff will also be redirected to process mail and email, and will call claimants to request additional information.
EDD will also expand the capability of the document upload feature for mobile devices, and will allow for providing wage information and filing military and federal employee claims online. (EDD News Release 20-49, September 19, 2020.)