Unemployment Benefits Integrity and Access: Longer Fraud Pursuit and Easier Overpayment Waivers
This Act aims to strengthen the integrity of the Unemployment Insurance (UI) system by extending the statute of limitations for pandemic-related UI fraud to 10 years. Simultaneously, it improves access for citizens by making it easier for state agencies to waive non-fraudulent overpayments if repayment would cause financial hardship. The law mandates technological modernization and new data-matching tools to ensure timely payments for eligible workers while effectively detecting and preventing improper payments.
Key points
Fraud Prosecution Extended: The statute of limitations for criminal and civil actions related to pandemic unemployment fraud (PUA, FPUC, etc.) is extended to 10 years, increasing accountability for fraudsters.
Overpayment Waivers: State agencies are given expanded authority (and in some cases, mandated) to waive the recovery of non-fraudulent pandemic overpayments if repayment would be contrary to equity and good conscience (e.g., causing financial hardship).
Enhanced Program Integrity: States must use the National Directory of New Hires and designated cross-matching systems to verify employment status and incarceration records, aiming to quickly stop improper payments.
Improved Access: States must ensure that online claim filing systems are accessible, user-friendly, available 24/7, and support multiple languages and alternate filing methods (phone/in-person) to help eligible workers file claims easily.
Status:
Expired
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