Lawsuit alleges D.C. government denied or withheld unemployment benefits from workers without explan

Four D.C. workers who lost their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic and experienced gaps in unemployment benefits filed suit against the District on Wednesday, alleging the city failed to explain why their payments were withheld or denied as they faced financial distress.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington by the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia and the firm Alston & Bird, marks the latest indicator of public frustration with the city’s Department of Employment Services (DOES) — which over the past 22 months has faced a torrent of scrutiny from workers and lawmakers who cited insufficient communication and efficiency as the agency struggled to handle an unparalleled flood of new unemployment claims.

In addition to making up the missed payments, the complaint also asks the court to issue an injunction that would prevent D.C. from terminating, reducing or denying an unemployment claimant’s benefits in the future without providing a written rationale.

Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D), the D.C. government and DOES Director Unique Morris-Hughes are named as defendants in the complaint. Spokespeople for Bowser and DOES did not return a request for comment on the suit.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/01/05/dc-unemployment-lawsuit/