Better Late Than Never: Texas Workforce Commission Gets A Phone Messaging System

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - When Yovanne Boggs desperately needed to reach the Texas Workforce Commission last year to report her unemployment account had been hacked, she got a busy signal.

"Someone had changed the bank account information and was stealing my money," explained the Dallas resident. "I called hundreds of times and couldn't get anybody on the phone."

Boggs was not alone.

The TWC handles the state's unemployment claims and when unemployment spiked last spring, its outdated phone and computer systems were overwhelmed and ill-prepared.

Thousands of unemployed Texans were delayed benefits because they were unable to reach the state agency.

Reports of identity theft were often also delayed because of an inability to reach the state agency by phone.

This month a new Texas law went into effect that requires the TWC to set up a phone messaging system where a caller is able to leave a phone message that will then be returned.

The new law also led to changes on the TWC website.

Now there's a link on the homepage where a claimant can enter their phone number to request the TWC call them back with an update of the status of their claim.

Boggs said she was surprised a phone messaging system was not in place before.

"It would have made a big difference because that means somebody is going to actually listen to what you have to say, at least eventually," she said.