Ossoff, Warnock, Bourdeaux want Georgia families to receive benefits quicker
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock joined Georgia Congresswoman Carolyn Bourdeaux (GA-07) and fellow members of Georgia’s Congressional delegation in calling on the Department of Labor to investigate why it is taking so long for Georgia families to receive the unemployment benefits they earned through years of work.
Last month, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported roughly 180,000 Georgians were still waiting on their applications to be reviewed, and the 400,000 currently receiving the benefits experienced months of delays and frustration. Hundreds of thousands of Georgians remain out of work through no fault of their own because of the pandemic.
These Georgia leaders are calling on Larry Turner, Acting Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Labor, to review the reported delays and perform an audit.
The letter was also signed by Georgia Representatives Sanford Bishop (GA-02), David Scott (GA-14), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Lucy McBath (GA-06), and Nikema Williams (GA-05).
“[M]embers of the Georgia General Assembly have contacted our offices about the ongoing issues, citing a ‘lack of transparency, discrepancies in data reported in press releases and on the website, and violations of federal statutes requiring timely payment of Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits,’” wrote the Members. “The breakdowns in the system are so egregious that we are requesting that your office perform a true audit of the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) Unemployment Insurance claims processing and payment system.”
Click here to read the letter.
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