COVID-19: ETA and States Did Not Protect Pandemic-Related UI Funds from Improper Payments Including Fraud or from Payment Delays

Date Issued

Friday, September 30, 2022

Submitting OIG

Department of Labor OIG

Other Participating OIGs

Department of Labor OIG

Agencies Reviewed/Investigated

Department of Labor

Report Number

19-22-006-03-315

Report Type

Audit

Special Projects

Pandemic

Agency Wide

Yes

Number of Recommendations

Questioned Costs

Funds for Better Use

Additional Details

Open Recommendations

This report has 3 open recommendations.

Recommendation Number	Significant Recommendation	Recommended Questioned Costs	Recommended Funds for Better Use
1	Yes	$0	$0
We recommend the Acting Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training: Use data collected from monitoring and BAM reports to identify the areas of highest improper payments including fraud and create a plan to prevent similar issues in future temporary UI benefit programs.
3	Yes	$0	$0
We recommend the Acting Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training: Work with NASWA to update the IDH Participant Agreement to require state to submit the results of their UI fraud investigations.
4	Yes	$0	$0
We recommend the Acting Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training: Work with NASWA to ensure the IDH cross matches are effective at preventing the types of fraud that were detected during the pandemic and regularly update using the results of state fraud investigations.