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Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) invited El Pasoans to share their experiences applying for unemployment benefits through the Texas Workforce Commission. The online survey asks El Pasoans to rate their experience with the application process and to provide feedback on any problems they encountered. 

Over 300 El Pasoans have already responded to the online survey, which was launched on Friday, May 29 and announced on Congresswoman Escobar’s e-newsletter. The online survey is available at escobar.house.gov/survey until June 6, 2020 at 9:59 p.m. MT. 

“To help hard-working El Pasoans, I voted in Congress for robust unemployment funding intended to ensure residents have the money they need to pay their bills if they were laid off or furloughed due to COVID-19. Unfortunately, my office has been flooded with calls from constituents who lost their jobs and have had problems accessing the unemployment insurance benefits they so desperately need,” said Congresswoman Escobar. “To gain a better understanding of the challenges that El Pasoans face and the solutions we need, I am asking them to share their stories and experiences.”

Signed into law on March 27, the CARES Act provides additional relief for unemployed El Pasoans, including an additional 13 weeks of assistance, expanded eligibility for self-employed workers, independent contractors, and gig workers, and an additional $600 weekly Pandemic Unemployment Compensation benefit. However, it has been reported than many Texans have been denied benefits and cannot get assistance from the Texas Workforce Commission, who is tasked with overseeing unemployment insurance matters.

On April 3, Congresswoman Escobar and members of the Texas Democratic Congressional delegation urged Governor Greg Abbott to provide the necessary funding to invest more resources and capacity into the Texas Workforce Commission. Their letter is available here. 

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