Glitch Fixed, Disability Checks Going Out

Technicians fixed a vexing computer breakdown at a state office in Van Nuys on Wednesday, clearing the way for about 5,000 San Fernando Valley residents to receive disability insurance checks delayed for up to nine days by the glitch.

The Nov. 10 computer failure at the Employment Development Department’s office produced a wave of phone calls. The constant busy signals led many insurance recipients to visit the Van Nuys Boulevard office to find out what happened to their checks.

“They promised the check last Wednesday, but you can’t get through on the phones,” said Therese Byrne, 29, of Canoga Park. “I can’t pay any bills. My brother’s had to write me a check.”

“It’s just been chaotic,” acknowledged supervisor Elizabeth Donnelly. “Thank God the computer system is up.”

Department officials said the office had issued 1,800 checks in the first four hours after the system went back on line at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. The staff will work nights and Saturday to clear the backlog of overdue checks, Donnelly said.

Even as computer printers began turning out checks, officials remained at a loss to explain how the problem began.

“We’ve had trouble determining where the breakdown started,” said Valerie Reynoso, a spokeswoman for the Employment Development Department. “Information had to be restructured and reentered into the computer.”

The state’s insurance disability program serves California workers who are ill or injured for reasons unrelated to work. Disability checks are usually issued once every two weeks, and the weekly payment ranges from $50 to $224, Reynoso said.

The Van Nuys office handles payments to San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valley residents, and the breakdown affected only people from those areas. Officials said 23,241 checks were mailed in October.

To ease the cases of greatest hardship, about 650 checks were written by hand in the last week after clerks consulted files on those disability recipients, Donnelly said.

Still, several people who came to the office Wednesday expressed frustration and anger. Some complained that bills were in danger of going unpaid.

“I need to pay water and power and telephone bills,” said Shehadeh Issa, 40, of Sepulveda. “I have a couple of days left before they put a note on the door or turn something off.”