Many frustrated people are trying to contact EI over stalled claims , coming from people complaining of constant busy signals on the EI line , which is getting swamped by thousands of calls from anxious , unemployed Canadians. Others describe getting past a marathon of menu options and inputting their social insurance numbers — only to be told to call back later because call volumes are too high.
” I can’t believe that they’re only open regular business hours … from 8:30 to 4:30. It was shocking to me” said Jason Shewchuk , who works in film production in Vancouver.
Since the online EI application did not mention the pandemic , Shewchuk listed “other ” as the reason he was out of work. His application generated an automated reply from Service Canada telling him to call a 1-800 number and provide more information.
Ten days and more than 1,700 calls later ( his phone kept a tally ), he finally got through around 2 p.m. late last week.
” It kicked me through and I stared hearing the elevator music ” he said. ” And I was like , ‘I’m in. This is awesome.'”
OH ! Jason , Jason , Jason !!! … The only thing you’re ” in ” is the Twilight Zone buddy !!!! … Now I don’t know if Jason meant stared ‘ while ‘ hearing elevator music or ‘ started hearing … ‘ I’m thinkin’ ‘ started ‘ … So as soon as I read ‘ started hearing elevator music … ‘ I thought to myself , Jason buddy , ya might as well hang up the phone !!!! … Sure enough …
Then he heard an automated message telling him the wait would be more than two hours. He ended up staying on the line until the call centre shut down for the day.
At least the 1700 plus calls came to bear the tiniest of fruit …
He got through again the next day ( 57 redials , two and a half hours on hold ). The agent he spoke to was able to figure out the problem with his application — and told him the revised application would have to be processed all over again.
Service Canada is telling him he should get his first payment roughly within two weeks. If not , it’s back to phone queue hell.
Jason , buddy , I admire your perseverance !!!…
Source: EI claimants are going weeks without income as federal call system slows to a crawl | CBC News
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