'We would be homeless': Aurora couple say they can't afford home amid unemployment payment delays

A married couple in Aurora say they are on the verge of losing their house due to delayed unemployment insurance payments. 

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A married couple in Aurora say they are on the verge of losing their house due to what they describe as delayed unemployment insurance payments. 

It’s just the latest chapter in a saga KOIN 6 News has been investigating in recent weeks involving dozens of people reporting similar issues — and unable to get ahold of anyone for help — seemingly ever since the Oregon Employment Department merged their U.I. system to a new website, Frances Online. In some instances, people told us they only got paid after one of our news reports that highlighted their case went public.

KOIN 6 also received an update from OED saying in part that Frances Online "is working" but other factors could contribute to delays, such as when investigations are necessary when individuals quit or are fired, rather than being laid off. An OED spokesperson also told KOIN 6 a downturn in federal funding has led to OED having a smaller staff than in the past, and less employees available to take calls, an issue that predates the new site launch.

Laurie Boyce and Lowell Boyce told KOIN 6 they've gotten unemployment benefits in the past in a matter of days after applying. But when Lowell was let go from the sawmill where he worked more recently, it seemed to be taking a lot longer — more than they could take — with bills piling up and contributing to stress for the couple. Laurie said she's convinced it has to do with the new site launch.

Now their home payments hang in the balance.  Should they be unable to make those payments, "we would be homeless,” Laurie said.

Laurie said they’ve tried to call OED but got put on hold for hours only for it to be dropped. Boyce’s husband even went to an OED office in person, with representatives telling him he was doing everything right. Now they’re wondering why he hasn’t received the money his family needs so desperately.

As part of OED's response to KOIN 6's inquiry, they said they couldn't comment on Boyce's specific case. However, they did offer some alternative reasons why people, in general, might be experiencing delays as of late, including lack of federal funding leading to less staff and the need for lengthier investigations in some cases.

OED Communications Director Rebeka Gipson-King told KOIN 6 in part:

Regarding the length of time, this depends on the complexity of the claim. Some claims can be approved very quickly, like when someone is laid off due to no fault of their own. Others, such as when someone quits their job or is fired, take longer because we have to do an investigation to see if they are eligible. This has no relation to Frances and everything to do with the amount of people we have to do these investigations.

[...] OED is receiving less federal funding, which has led to a significant drop in our workforce, which has led to not enough people to process claims, investigate them, and answer the phones. [...] This was a problem before we launched Frances Online, but the launch has certainly drawn more attention to it. The online system is working.