The coronavirus pandemic has been deeply damaging and has presented a difficult situation for millions of people around the world, and that is no different for the citizens and business owners in Hawaii.
A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the labor department in the state is still having trouble paying unemployment benefits, which are extremely needed among the general population. Economic stimulus in the way of expanded unemployment benefits has been one of the few things holding the economy and workforce together. In Hawaii, however, this system is very broken.
The department has cited both lack of manpower as well as an outdated computer system as the result of these struggles, but they don't appear to be making any measurable progress on solving that issue. One of the worst effects of these issues is discrepancies in payments that need to be reviewed. For instance, "overpayments" have to be processed manually, creating a lot of strain on the system. So far, the department has been having trouble finding additional help to process these cases.
All this strain on the system has left many unable to extend their UI benefits and gain access to crucial resources in the midst of a global pandemic.
Melissa Davenport, a citizen of Hawaii, has been impacted by these delays.
“Weeks passed. I was being patient because I had seen through the (Hawaii Unemployment Updates and Support Group) that the (time) average people were waiting was about seven to eight weeks to be processed. That time came and went," Davenport said.
Last August, the department called upon the public to help them solve some of these issues, eliciting 20 individual attorneys willing to work pro bono on the project. However, they have all since left. The department said that the extraordinary workload meant that these volunteers quickly became burnt out.
The department is hopeful that they can solve these problems while it still matters, but so far there has been no sign of meaningful progress.