RICHMOND, Va. -- The Virginia Employment Commission's (VEC) claim system has been down for an upgrade for the past nine days, but now a new phone system is up and running to help those in need of unemployment benefits file a claim.
The VEC launched an Interactive Voice Response system (IVR) late Tuesday, which allows those who have a current claim on file to call and certify their weekly claims.
If you fall under this category, you can call 1-800-897-5630. You will be asked to enter personal information like your personal identification number (PIN).
According to a VEC spokeswoman, claimants who file continued claims this week will still receive payments on time this week, but the agency encourages you to file through the new IVR system as soon as possible to avoid any delays.
Those who need to file a new or initial claim will still have to wait until the new system is fully operational in order to file for unemployment and start receiving help. The VEC website says that will happen soon, and CBS 6 asked the agency for an exact date or estimate, but did not receive a response.
The VEC Tax System and the Customer Contact Center are both still closed until the new system is up and running.
