For the jobless in Arizona, the wait for benefits is agonizing

Shirley Whattler lost her job at DHL a year ago and was living on $265 per week in unemployment benefits.

The Chandler resident was able to make partial payments on her mortgage until the money suddenly stopped in July. For weeks, she called and called the Arizona agency in charge of the program.

The few times she reached a live person, she was promised that the money was on its way. It never arrived.

Then came the bank notice.

Whattler had to make a payment on her house or foreclosure proceedings would start.

Tens of thousands of struggling Arizonans have been stuck in limbo trying to collect unemployment.

And the waiting is painful. They're unable to find jobs. Their savings are gone.

They can't pay bills. People have lost homes, apartments and vehicles. They've resorted to hocking valuables and skipping meals.

The Arizona Department of Economic Security manages unemployment benefits, and it has been overwhelmed by the worst recession in decades. Department officials are apologetic and say the recession is to blame.

Operations are jammed with new and continuing claims, phone lines are flooded each day, and delays in paying out money are among the worst in the country.

The U.S. Department of Labor mandates that at least 87 percent of first-time payouts should reach people in 14 to 21 days. In the past year, Arizona met that deadline 68 percent of the time. Thousands of first-time filers in the state have waited months to receive their funds.

When people try to resolve problems, it can take hours to reach a real person at a DES call center. About a decade ago, Arizona stopped accepting unemployment claims in person and moved to a phone system.

The online experience is no better. A computer problem earlier this month left an estimated 46,000 Arizonans unable to file continued claims on time. The DES Web site continues to function at minimal capacity.
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And this is the state of the party of No: Senators Ensign, Kyl, and McCain?