Finding:
The Employment Security Department made improper payments to ineligible beneficiaries of the Unemployment Insurance program.
Questioned Costs: Assistance Listing #
17.225
17.225 COVID-19 Amount
$603
Status: Corrective action not taken
Corrective
Action:
The Department does not ...
Finding:
The Employment Security Department made improper payments to ineligible beneficiaries of the Unemployment Insurance program.
Questioned Costs: Assistance Listing #
17.225
17.225 COVID-19 Amount
$603
Status: Corrective action not taken
Corrective
Action:
The Department does not concur with the finding.
The State Auditor’s Office (SAO) made the assertion that the Department incorrectly interpreted guidance in the Unemployment Insurance Program Letter (UIPL) No. 16-20 requiring claimants to provide proof of employment to receive Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) payments. However, the section cited by SAO was paragraph b(ii) which only lays out the requirements for establishing the respond-by dates for providing documentation for review. The deadline for responses is different depending on whether the PUA claim was filed before January 31, 2021, or on/after that date. This paragraph does not establish the requirements for payment or non-payment of PUA weeks.
In our finding response, the Department cited section C.2 of the UIPL, which states:
If, in that timeframe, the individual fails to provide documentation or fails to show good cause to have the deadline extended, an overpayment must be established for all of the weeks paid beginning with the week ending January 2, 2021. This is because the individual cannot be deemed ineligible for a week of unemployment ending before the date of enactment solely for failure to submit documentation.
Therefore, the three cases identified by SAO should not be exceptions under this guidance.
Further, the Department received guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor on January 11, 2021, which confirmed the proper methodology used by the Department.
Completion
Date:
Not Applicable
Agency
Contact: Jay Summers
External Audit Manager
PO Box 9046
Olympia, WA 98507-9046
(360) 529-6718
Joshua.Summers@esd.wa.gov