Virginia photographer has been waiting nearly two years for answers from VEC

RICHMOND, Va. — The pandemic could also be moderating however the Virginia Employment Fee remains to be struggling to course of tens of hundreds of appeals of claims they denied.

Their efficiency in that regard is almost the worst within the nation.

One Prince George man stated that he has turn into an unlucky member of this group.

“I needed to undergo the method the place I put my financial institution card info again in to allow them to ship it. I believed it was good after which nothing ever occurred,” Richard Bullock stated.

Bullock is a contract photographer and has been ready virtually two years for the VEC to inform him why his federal advantages abruptly stopped in July 2020 on the top of the pandemic after simply three months.

“So I actually acquired upset after which type of petty and I ponder why they don’t seem to be responding, is it the precise electronic mail? I began sending every certainly one of them about 5 emails an hour,” Bullock stated.

With no weddings or events to schedule through the lockdown, the 45-year-old Prince George father of three spent hours and hours with a whole lot of calls and emails, all to no avail.

Nobody on the VEC may inform him something.

“I did get in contact with a consultant on the telephone. And she or he acknowledged that they’d employed some new employees I assume. And that is what they’re ready for. So I assume they’re telling everyone whoever they acquired, get educated sufficient, that is once they’ll do it,” Bullock stated.

Finally, Bullock was informed he needed to file an attraction although he by no means acquired a denial letter or any clarification in any respect. So, in September 2021, greater than a yr after he was reduce off, he appealed. Now one other 13 months later, he’s nonetheless ready for his case to be heard.

“Somebody inform me what occurred. That is it. what I can perceive. And so they may simply say hey, I am sorry. We was overwhelmed. We simply was caught off guard. I can settle for that. Cuz this was one thing nobody was ready for. However do not get on TV and act like that. Every thing is glory. Every thing is sweet and the residents TV like what are they speaking about?” Bullock stated.

Sadly for Bullock, Virginia has one of many longest wait occasions for unemployment appeals hearings within the nation. In keeping with the U.S. Division of Labor, in July the VEC had a median listening to wait time of 299 days.

Solely three states have been worse.

The DOL stated it ought to take not more than 30 days.

These numbers additionally present that Virginia has a backlog of about 85,000 instances with greater than 1 / 4, an astonishing 22,000, taking greater than a yr for a listening to.

Solely California, a state with 5 occasions Virginia’s inhabitants, has extra appeals pending.

It was solely after CBS 6 contacted the VEC this week that Bullock even acquired a name with a promise that he’d be taught the date of his listening to quickly.

“She lastly contacted me yesterday and informed me that she was going to get my listening to date. She stated I am gonna name you again by the top of the day, which was yesterday, or very first thing tomorrow morning with the listening to date. Right here It’s now I haven’t got a listening to date, I have never heard from her,” Bullock stated.

Bullock did obtain a name from the VEC late Thursday and realized that his attraction shall be heard on October 27.