Gov. Northam directs VEC to invest $20M to speed up processing of unemployment claims The money will support new staff and modernization of the benefits system Published: Tags: Some still aren't getting unemployment benefits in Southwest Virginia RICHMOND, Va. – Virginians who filed for unemployment may not have to wait as long as anticipated to receive benefits. Gov. Ralph Northam directed the Virginia Unemployment Commission (VEC) to invest $20 million to improve how quickly unemployment claims are processed. Northam created this executive directive in order to speed up the resolution of cases flagged as potentially fraudulent or ineligible, which account for about 4% of all Virginia claims.