EI update, Online application useless!

Having found out that it is necessary to provide a copy of your separation papers to your local EI office before your claim can be “processed, and having done that prior to filing our last biweekly report we were still left wondering where our cheque was.

Guess what folks, all that online application and sending in our reports for the last 16 weeks was a total waste of time. We have been informed that it takes 28 days to “process” our application AFTER they get the hard copy!! Only then will we START receiving benefits. Why then did they ask for, and receive, biweekly reports as to our status without ANY indication that the application had not, and would not, even be looked at until physically put in their hand.

I will repeat here that there is no mention of this ANYWHERE in the online application OR in the online biweekly report submission. The only thing the online application does is save a couple of minutes of the staffs time and mislead the worker into thinking that things are in hand.

That the phone in help line to check up on your claim continues to say “your claim has been received and we are working on it” during this period is just one more insult. They are lying, they are NOT working on it but simply ignoring it!!

I note also that my letter to the Minister, the EI web feedback, and to all the political leaders AND my local MP have all thus far gone unanswered.

So much for all the BS about helping all the thousands of recently laid of workers, if you are a regular and know the system you are fine but those who have held down a steady job for years and are first time applicants, and who assume the online application is just that, are screwed!

Here is what they say - After you complete the application
A confirmation number will be generated as proof of filing after you submit your application. If you have any additional information, changes to make or if you do not receive your confirmation number, please call 1(800) 206-7218 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Do not complete another application on-line.
http://www100.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/ae-ei/dem-app/english/preamble_info.html#After

“Do not complete another application on-line” simply wait around whist we do absolutely nothing with it!

Thanks Service Canada, some service!

Update – it seems that when visiting the EI office to see the status of your claim, the staff CANNOT ACCESS THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU!!
Our claimant was given the phone on a direct line to some distant location and still had to wait on hold for about 30 min to get an update. WTH is this, are these frigging folk still in the dark ages, you go to the EI office they cant tell you where you stand and they cannot give you access to your claim information and their direct line has a ½ hr hold.

I am stunned, this story gets weirder and weirder by the moment!

Update Mar 3rd - The good news is that after they have examined your paperwork that within about two weeks you should recive payments backdated to when you first became elegable. We are pleased to report that we have now recived payment back to aproximatly two weeks after the period our seperation pay covered.