UPDATE: The Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) launched their new Virginia Unemployment Insurance System (VUIS) in November 2021.
The Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) is cutting over to a new, modernized system beginning on Wednesday, September 29 at 12:00 pm EST for VEC online systems and at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 30 for VEC telephone services. This transition will last approximately 5-7 calendar days. This transition period will impact both claimants and employers. Claimants and employers should take any necessary time-sensitive actions prior to the changeover period. If this is not possible, you will need to complete these actions once the changeover period has ended.
VEC will be in a changeover period after the dates mentioned above. The “changeover period” is the period of time in which the current Unemployment Insurance system, including Gov2Go, will be down in preparation for the go-live of the new Virginia Unemployment Insurance system (VUIS).
Employers and third-party administrators like Thomas & Company will not have access to any VEC services other than Appeals during the changeover period. Appeals functions (such as filing an appeal, participating in a scheduled appeal hearing, and registering a telephone number for an upcoming appeal hearing) will continue without interruption.
- This means that VEC will not be issuing claims during the changeover period so you may see a decrease in activity temporarily in VA. We will not be able to receive or respond to SIDES claims during this time period and will resume normal correspondence with the state once the new system is operational. If you have any claims that have a due date between September 29 and October 6, 2021, please try to provide the information to Thomas & company prior to September 29th to minimize any delays in adjudicating the claims.
- Thomas & Company will be able to submit evidence, a request for postponement, letter of representation, or withdrawal letter concerned with a pending appeal or hearing before First Level Appeals or Commission Appeals during the transition using all means of correspondence outlined on the Notice of Appeal.
- During normal operation hours, Thomas & Company will only have access to the staff in the Administrative Law Division to discuss procedural matters concerning a pending appeal case or how to file an appeal. All other questions concerning a claim (including resumption of payments based on an examiner’s decision) will be directed to the Customer Call Center by T&C once the changeover period has ended.
- If you have a VA Gov2Go account, you will no longer have access after the cutoff date. The new Virginia Unemployment Insurance System (VUIS) will completely replace Gov2Go and all actions you previously took in Gov2Go will need to take will occur in VUIS.
Claim Activity will also be halted during this transition. Claimants will not be able to file a new, additional, or reopened claim while the system is offline. Once the new system is online, claimants will be able to request the claim be made effective for the week originally filed while the system was down.
- Claims in pending status will remain in this status and VEC staff will not have access to claims or benefit information during the transition.
- Claimants will not be able to upload any documentation or forms during this period. It is suggested to upload any documents prior to the September 29 cut off.
- Claimants will not be able to file their weekly claims during the transition. In order to avoid a delay in payment, it is suggested that weekly claims for the week ending September 25 be filed between September 26 and September 30 before the changeover period initiates.
- Claimants will not receive benefit payments during the transition. Individuals who have not yet filed for the week ending September 25 prior to the changeover period will be able to file a weekly claim following the changeover period.
- The Customer Contact Center will not be able to take any calls during the cutover period.
For more information on the transition, please visit https://www.vec.virginia.gov/node/13530. We will continue to monitor the VEC website for updates and will notify you when normal operations resume.
