Department of Labor

Unemployment Insurance Benefits

Our Office examined payment requests and related payments processed by the Department of Labor (DOL) for Unemployment Insurance Benefits (UI) during the period January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010 to determine whether the payment requests and payments were appropriate and in accordance with applicable Federal and State laws and DOL regulations. We also conducted a statistical analysis of claimants receiving UI payments processed during the period January 1, 2010 through September 30, 2010 to determine the estimated total overpayments during that period. We also conducted file matches to determine if UI benefits were paid to deceased individuals and to identify past overpayments that can be recouped from New York State employees.

Our examination identified 1,510 inappropriate payment request and payments totaling almost $1.6 million. This includes $950,456 in overpayments made by DOL and over $627,000 in potential payments that would have been paid over the life of the UI claim had DOL not taken corrective action based on our findings. In addition, based on a statistical sample from a population of almost 1.2 million UI claimants receiving $7.4 billion in payments, we estimate DOL could of processed $7.2 million in over payments to these claimants. Furthermore, we identified $3,772 in inappropriate payments to 11 claimants after their date of death as well as 102 newly hired NYS employees that owe $146,508 to DOL for UI overpayments. During this same period, DOL recovered $462,569 from employees identified by our past matches of NYS employees.

For a complete copy of Report 2011-BSE-3A-005, click here.