United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2002-06-11 monographic deposited born digital GA 1.13:GAO-02-820T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-820T P0b002ee1803862a9 f:d02820t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-820T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-820T GAO-02-820T Claims processing Eligibility determinations Fraud Income maintenance programs Insurance claims Overpayments Performance measures Social security number Unemployment compensation programs OCSE National Directory of New Hires SSA State Online Query System DOL Unemployment Insurance Program DOL Wage Record Interchange System DOL Benefit Accuracy Measurement System DOL Benefit Payment Control System Social Security Disability Insurance Program Testimony A03550

The Department of Labor's Unemployment Insurance (UI) program is a federal-state partnership designed to partially replace lost earnings of individuals who become unemployed through no fault of their own and to stabilize the economy in times of economic downturn. The health of each state's UI program depends, in part, on the ability of the states to control benefit payments by accurately determining eligibility for UI benefits in a timely manner. Labor's Office of Inspector General (OIG) and others have identified numerous aspects of the UI program that may be vulnerable to overpayments and fraud. Of the $30 billion in UI benefits paid in calendar year 2001, Labor estimates that this includes about $2.4 billion in overpayments, including $560 million attributable to fraud or abuse. Labor's analysis also suggests that the states could have detected or recovered $1.3 billion of the total overpayments given their current policies and procedures. The management and operational practices at both the state and federal level contribute to overpayments in the UI program. At the state level, many states place a higher priority on quickly processing and paying UI claims than on taking the necessary steps to adequately verify claimants' initial and continued eligibility for UI benefits. At the federal level, Labor's policies and directives emphasize quickly processing and paying claims, with only limited attention given to payment accuracy. Although paying benefits to individuals in a timely manner is important, Labor's performance measurement system does not provide sufficient incentives and sanctions for states to balance the need for payment timeliness with the need for payment accuracy. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-820T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-820T.htm GAO-02-820T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-820T Testimony GAO-02-820T; Unemployment Insurance: Enhanced Focus on Program Integrity Could Reduce Overpayments; Claims processing Eligibility determinations Fraud Income maintenance programs Insurance claims Overpayments Performance measures Social security number Unemployment compensation programs OCSE National Directory of New Hires SSA State Online Query System DOL Unemployment Insurance Program DOL Wage Record Interchange System DOL Benefit Accuracy Measurement System DOL Benefit Payment Control System Social Security Disability Insurance Program Title 42 Section 653 42 U.S.C. 653