Imagine trying to do anything for 11 days straight. A Colorado woman attempting to get unemployment benefits from her state had to stay on hold for 278 hours waiting for answers.
Lisa Craig lost her job in May 2023 and said that she had called the department dozens of times but only got a chance to speak to a customer service representative about five times. In November 2023, she spent the equivalent of 11 days on hold waiting for answers about her unemployment benefits.
“It’s been a nightmare,” Craig said. “It is absolutely ridiculous.”
After her story made headlines and she spent hours on the phone, Craig finally received a payment in mid-November from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. “I was just like hallelujah, praise God,” Craig said. “I literally ran through the house doing a dance.”
On the day the state finally paid her, Craig could finally sleep peacefully. “That night I slept the best I slept in months,” Craig said. However, she still expressed concern for others who are still stuck without payment after months without a job.
State representatives reported in November that the department had moved resources around in order to help claimants’ experience and began providing additional training to call center representatives.