Follow-up Letter from DOES Director on Unemployment Insurance Issues

On March 11, Councilmember Elissa Silverman, chair of the DC Council's Labor and Workforce Development Committee, sent a letter highlighting four ways for the District to resolve unemployment insurance issues. The letter to Department of Employment Services Director Unique Morris-Hughes came after the Department's performance oversight hearing, where councilmembers heard from dozens of witnesses who could not get issues resolved with the Department.

Director Morris-Hughes initially responded with a letter to committee members on April 7, and we received follow-up correspondence on April 19.

In the most recent letter, Director Morris-Hughes pledged to develop more comprehensive communication for all claimants that will go out at least once a month to guide them on the next steps of their claims. The Director also promised to continue to reinforce call taker standards. Additionally, she wrote that the DOES website is being updated this week to incorporate relevant provisions of the federal American Rescue Plan. It will be updated again as more information becomes available.

Read the full text of the follow-up letter here.