L&I: 500 new staffers will improve unemployment compensation service

WILKES-BARRE — The Department of Labor & Industry this week said it is taking action to make it easier for Pennsylvanians with questions or issues to reach the department.

Acting Secretary Jennifer Berrier announced at least 500 new customer service representatives will be added to the unemployment compensation call center and experienced existing staff will transition to resolving claims full time.

“To the individuals on unemployment programs who’ve struggled to reach one of our customer service representatives, we’ve not only heard you — we listened,” Berrier said. “Adding at least 500 new customer service representatives accomplishes two important goals. It will make it easier for people to reach us via phone and will enable more experienced staff to focus solely on resolving and processing claims.”

Faster assistance

L&I is transforming customer service to provide faster assistance by phone and to resolve claims.

Hiring and training a minimum of 500 new customer service representatives to answer calls, collect information and build claimant inquiries by June;

Hiring and training between 50 and 100 new customer service team leaders;

Reassigning the existing UC staff members answering calls to begin processing claims full-time; and

Implementing a customer service tracking portal that will assign a ticket number to claimants outlining ongoing UC staff work related to their ticket number as well as their place in “line.”

Increasing call center staff

L&I is working with its call center vendor, InspiriTec, to hire the initial round of new staff by June. If needed, L&I is prepared to hire up to 1,000 total new staff to take claimants’ calls and improve UC customer service.

InspiriTec is working with L&I’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and PA CareerLink® to hire the additional customer service representatives. Interested job seekers can apply by contacting their local PA CareerLink® office.

The total cost of the UCSC improvement will not exceed $58.6 million and will be paid for primarily using federal funding.

UC COVID-19 statistics

Since last March, L&I’s Office of Unemployment Compensation has:

Paid nearly $38.2 billion in benefits to unemployed Pennsylvanians;

More than doubled the total number of staff in all UCSC roles – from 775 employees last March 15 to the current total of 1,730;

Answered nearly 1.12 million total calls (32,977 last week) – an approximate 581 percent increase from the beginning of the pandemic;

Responded to more than 2.36 million emails (57,098 last week) – an approximate 1,782 percent increase from the beginning of the pandemic;

Handled close to 245,000 online chats (3,491 last week) – an approximate 56 percent increase from the beginning of the pandemic.

For more information and updates on unemployment benefits programs, visit www.uc.pa.gov or follow L&I on Facebook or Twitter.

Toomey, colleagues reintroduce

bipartisan gun safety legislation

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Lehigh Valley, this week joined a bipartisan group of his colleagues in reintroducing gun safety legislation that will help states enforce existing laws against individuals who attempt to purchase firearms by lying on their background checks.

The NICS Denial Notification Act would require federal authorities to alert state and local law enforcement within 24 hours when an ineligible individual tries to purchase a firearm and fails a background check, which can be a warning sign of future criminal behavior.

“When a convicted felon lies about his criminal record while attempting to purchase a gun, he is committing a new felony. This happens regularly in America, and is a crime that largely goes unprosecuted,” Toomey said. “The NICS Denial Notification Act makes progress on gun safety while respecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners, and will help make our communities safer by better enforcing existing gun laws and responding to warning signs of criminal behavior.”

The bill was introduced by Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas).

Federal officials are notified when individuals who are legally prohibited from purchasing a firearm (such as convicted felons, fugitives, and domestic abusers) try to buy a gun but fail a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) background check. These attempted purchases often violate federal and state laws. Toomey said the federal government rarely prosecutes any of these individuals.

In the 13 states that run their own background checks, state authorities are already aware when prohibited persons fail a background check, and local law enforcement can then investigate these cases. However, in the 37 states and the District of Columbia that rely on the FBI to run some or all of their background checks, local authorities generally are not aware when a person in their area fails a background check.

The NICS Denial Notification Act would:

• Require federal authorities to alert state law enforcement of background checks denials, so that state authorities can decide whether to investigate, prosecute, and/or keep an eye on these denied individuals for signs of future criminal activity.

• Require DOJ to publish an annual report with statistics about its prosecution of background check denial cases, so Congress and voters can hold federal officials accountable.

DCNR opening additional state

park campsites for trout anglers

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn this week announced campsites will be available at an additional 16 state parks to accommodate fishing enthusiasts who want to stay overnight on April 2 for the new statewide trout opener the following day.

A total of 34 parks throughout the state will provide camping at this time.

“We know how trout fishing and state park camping often go hand in hand and we are doing our best to facilitate these traditional recreational pursuits,” Dunn said. “This is a one-time extension reflecting pandemic-related changes to trout season’s opening day set forth by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.”

Dunn noted anglers will have more than 2,300 campsites from which to choose for the season opener. For the 2021 trout season, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will operate under a consolidated statewide schedule for all counties. Under this revised plan a single Statewide Mentored Youth Trout Day will occur Saturday, March 27, and a single Statewide Opening Day of trout season will take place Saturday, April 3.

Campgrounds open for the first day of trout season (additional parks are denoted with an asterisk):

Caledonia, Franklin County; Chapman*, Warren County; Clear Creek*, Jefferson County; Colonel Denning, Cumberland County; Cowans Gap*, Fulton County; Fowlers Hollow*, Perry County; Frances Slocum, Luzerne County; French Creek, Berks County; Greenwood Furnace*, Huntingdon County; Hickory Run*, Carbon County; Hyner Run, Clinton County; Kettle Creek, Clinton County; Keystone, Westmoreland County; Kooser, Somerset County; Lackawanna*, Lackawanna County; Laurel Hill, Somerset County; Little Buffalo, Perry County; Little Pine, Lycoming County; Locust Lake, Schuylkill County; Lyman Run*, Potter County; Ohiopyle*, Fayette County; Ole Bull, Potter County; Parker Dam*, Clearfield County; Penn Roosevelt, Centre County; Pine Grove Furnace, Cumberland County; Promised Land*, Pike County; Raccoon Creek; Beaver County; R.B. Winter*, Union County; Reeds Gap*, Mifflin County; Ryerson Station, Greene County; Sinnemahoning,Cameron and Potter counties; Sizerville*, Potter County; Trough Creek*, Huntingdon County; and Worlds End*, Sullivan County.

Gov. Wolf: American Rescue Plan

provides residents needed relief

Gov. Tom Wolf this week celebrated the passage of the American Rescue Plan in the United States House of Representatives. The governor released the following statement:

“Thank you to all of the federal lawmakers, in both the House and the Senate, who worked so hard to pass the American Rescue Plan. I am glad that this crucial bill has passed the House and is on its way to President Biden’s desk, because it will provide much-needed help to Pennsylvanians who are struggling because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This bill will provide more than $13.7 billion for state and local governments in Pennsylvania. It will provide direct payments to more than 5.5 million households. It will provide $671 million in emergency rental assistance. It will extend federal unemployment insurance benefits that help more than 480,000 Pennsylvanians make ends meet.

“Pennsylvanians have worked hard to survive this pandemic and reduce case numbers, hospitalizations and deaths throughout the commonwealth. Although hope is starting to grow as vaccinations increase, we aren’t out of the woods yet. Our people and our communities are still being battered by the economic and health consequences of this pandemic, and they need and deserve help. I thank our federal government for recognizing that need, and working hard to provide relief.”