Out-of-work Virginia man 'hasn't seen a cent' since December; VEC blames extension delay on feds Northam: 'Some people still have not received these benefits' and last updated 2021-02-06 19:13:54-05 RICHMOND, Va. -- When the arcade Alex Branch worked in shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic last March, he immediately applied for unemployment and received it. But when he tried to go back to work there "the arcade eventually opened back up, but the owner couldn't really hire anyone else back. It was a bare bones machine," Branch said. So Branch, who lives in Collinsville, Virginia, continued to search for work and receive benefits.