California’s unemployment rate remains among the highest in the nation as more residents turn to state benefits for financial support — but some say they’re struggling to get help from the agency responsible for processing those claims.
At a California Employment Development Department office near the Oakland Coliseum, people seeking assistance with disability, parental leave, and other benefits described waiting hours in person, sometimes without knowing whether they would even be seen.
David Heard, who lives about 25 miles east of Oakland in San Ramon, said he has been relying on disability benefits since a car accident in March…