CLEVELAND — Ohioans whose unemployment accounts were frozen after being flagged for fraud said they are experiencing frustratingly lengthy wait times to restore access to their benefits.
"They are not providing any mechanism whatsoever to help us connect with someone within the department," said Stephen Lessick, an Olmsted Township resident who has been unable to reach anyone at the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services, despite spending hours on hold with the agency.
"Four hours and 12 minutes was how long I was on the phone today," he said. "Give me a mechanism to connect with somebody...Not a miracle. Just guidance."
ODJFS short-staffed
News 5 Investigators found the surge in calls from Ohioans locked out of their accounts is not the only reason the agency's call wait times are lengthy.
We found ODJFS's Office of Unemployment Insurance Operations is currently short-staffed.
Prior to the pandemic, the office had 550 employees. Now, there are 530, according to ODJFS Communications Director Bill Teets.
At the height of the pandemic, the office employed as many as 2,700 workers.
"As a consumer, my answer is, 'Hire more people for customer service,'" said Alex Hamerstone, Advisory Solutions Director at TrustedSec, an information security consulting company based in Northeast Ohio.
Hamerstone also recommends the agency increase staff because it is likely cybercriminals will continue targeting Ohio's unemployment system.
"Thieves go where the money is," he said. "And there's a lot of information there, a lot of data there."
Accounts locked
News 5 Investigators first reported Ohioans were locked out of their unemployment accounts after they were flagged for fraud last week.
For the week of July 2 – 8, Ohioans filed 23,090 initial claims. Approximately 15,045, or 65%, of the claims were flagged for more stringent verification, Teets said.
READ MORE: Unemployed Ohioans temporarily locked out of accounts
Ohioans who cannot log into their accounts are advised to call 1-866-576-0006 to restore access to their accounts, despite long wait times.
ODJFS also advised workers to go to unemployment.ohio.gov to report possible fraud.
Workers frustrated
Jeffery Wayne Adams, President, UAW Local 2019, said approximately 100 of the union members he represents have complained about being locked out of their Ohio unemployment accounts, including workers who are still on the job at the Ford engine plant in Lima.
"Our people are just frustrated and just want to know ‘What can I do?’," Adams said. "Don’t just tell me to call a number that nobody’s going to answer. What can we do to fix this?"
He said one of his workers waited on hold for more than five hours before reaching an ODJFS representative on the phone.
He said others have been unable to reach ODJFS and cannot afford to go weeks without receiving unemployment benefits.
"They’re laid off anyways, through no fault of their own through the parts shortage situation right now," he said. "Then, now, they’re stressed dealing with this, trying to figure out how they’re going to feed their families and pay their bills. "
Adams said he reached out to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's office on behalf of union members. He said no one has answered him either.
"I still have never received a phone call back from them," he said. "It just seems like nobody cares."
