Complaints continue over Service Canada closure
By GILLIAN SLADE on May 13, 2020.
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade The local Member of Parliament says his office is dealing with several complaints from people struggling to reach Service Canada, which has temporarily closed its regional offices. Local resident Garry Schmidt says he’d been struggling to reach a Service Canada agent by phone since March 17 when he attempted to sign on for Employment Insurance. He made an error on the online form and says it would not allow him to correct this. He says he called more than 30 times and in some cases was on hold for more than four hours. Glen Motz, MP for Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner, says Service Canada exists to serve the interests and needs of constituents in the best way possible. He says navigating an appropriate and safe delivery system during the pandemic continues to create challenges. Motz’s office has received “numerous complaints and concerns from constituents about the Service Canada office being closed,” and there is a record number of people seeking assistance. “While we have not been tracking the specific Service Canada requests for assistance during this COVID-19 pandemic, the number of those calls has increased significantly over the last two months,” said Motz. Schmidt says banks, grocery stores and pharmacies have continued to serve the public with protective measures in place and feels Service Canada should be doing so, too. Motz says every effort should be made to ensure the needs of constituents are being met in a safe and timely manner. “Given the extreme frustrations constituents are experiencing not being able to connect with a live Service Canada agent, it may be time for Service Canada to reconsider their decision,” said Motz. Recently, after a lengthy wait, Schmidt was able to speak to an agent at Service Canada on the phone. He says it took all of five minutes for the agent to correct the error Schmidt had made on his original form. Within days of that correction his unemployment insurance payment was in his bank account. Schmidt feels Service Canada has had enough time to train new agents, and if that is taking too long, he wonders why regional offices couldn’t open to at least accept phone calls. The News requested information from Service Canada but there has been no response. There is an undated notice on Service Canada’s website about the “temporary” closure of its regional offices. “Service Canada is ready to help. Our priority is the health and safety of all Canadians, while maintaining service to the public. In response to COVID-19, all in-person Service Canada Centres are closed until further notice.” 15-14
