NORFOLK, Va. — Virginia Senator Mark Warner says he expected the expanded federal unemployment benefits to be available to all eligible applicants by now.
"Folks are waiting too long and the idea of this great promise of enhanced unemployment benefits, if you don’t have those checks right now it’s creating hardship on a lot of Virginians," Warner said.
Warner criticized the U.S. Department of Labor, saying it took nearly three weeks for the DOL to help state unemployment agencies work out how to process expanded benefits.
He said that was an attempt to slow down benefits, not with the spirit of the unanimous legislation and a reflection of priorities within the Trump administration.
“The federal Department of Labor could’ve come out with a national set of guidelines or template, they did not, they drug their feet," Warner said. "I think that was because, candidly, this administration did not want to see the extension to the gig workers.”
More than 26 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits since mid-March, including 4.4 million in the most recent reported week.
In Virginia, self-employed workers and independent contractors have recently become eligible to apply for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, but the Virginia Employment Commission says benefit payouts could take another two weeks.
Unemployed workers seeking benefit extensions provided by the CARES Act said they don't have options to apply or receive money right now as VEC implements a new system.
Senator Tim Kaine said Thursday that lawmakers knew these groups of workers would be "significantly affected" by the economic crisis so they "expanded the universe dramatically."
Kaine said VEC challenges in processing an unprecedented number of unemployment claims are understandable, but he'd still like to see a quicker distribution of benefits.
"If you’re asking me am I completely satisfied, do we have everything we need to have right now in the process, no I think we’re still climbing the ladder," Kaine said.
Warner also recognized the VEC was outmatched from the start, saying the agency was "not set up to absorb" nearly 500,000 unemployment claims in five weeks. He said the agency also didn't have the server capacity and computer systems to process this many claims quickly.
"I say this as a former Governor, the VEC has been working their tail off," Warner said. "I do wish VEC would've brought more workers in to process the claims."
Based on new DOL statistics reported Thursday, the number of Virginians filing for unemployment decreased for the second straight week, with 84,387 filings between April 12 and April 18 -- the most recent reported week.
Warner said he's pushing Virginia state leaders for quick access to unemployment benefits.
“I’m going to be talking to [Governor Northam] later today continuing to urge whatever assets he can throw at this problem," Warner said. "People need these checks as soon as possible.”
Warner said the only good news is that benefits will be retroactively paid, once processed.
“I’d love to get more assurance that it’s going to take shorter than 2 weeks [to process self-employed benefits], I’m going to do all I can to urge VEC to move that up," Warner said.