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Audit finds more details in unemployment overpayment and fraud
By: Andy Chow | Jo Ingles | Statehouse News Bureau
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — A state audit says changes to the federal requirements for unemployment compensation and a lack of controls led to the state doling out $3.8 billion in overpayments and fraud for jobless claims. State Auditor Keith Faber (R-Ohio) says there were nearly 86,000 potential instances where the payments went to someone… Read More
Ohioans Who Lose Jobless Benefits To Scammers Can Apply To Get Money Restored
By: Karen Kasler | Statehouse News Bureau
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COLUMUBS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Ohioans who lost money when their unemployment accounts were taken over by scammers can start applying to get that money back on Friday. That’s also when the state will start processing requests from people who got a share of $3 billion in non-fraudulent overpayments who have asked to be… Read More
Ohio Democrats Want A Cybersecurity Investigation Into Fraudulent Jobless Claims
By: Jo Ingles | Statehouse News Bureau
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Some of the victims whose identities were stolen for fraudulent unemployment claims say they are getting notices to pay back that money from the state agency that handles those payments. Some Democratic lawmakers say they want that agency to focus its energy on figuring out how the fraud happened instead…. Read More
Judge Orders ODJFS To Review All Denials For Unemployment In 21 Days
By: Karen Kasler | NPR
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has 21 days to decide appeals from people who were denied federal pandemic unemployment assistance, according to a ruling from a Franklin County judge. This could have a big impact on the backlog of 150,000 appeals at ODJFS. William Hummel filed the… Read More
Ohio On The Hunt To Recover $465M In Unemployment Fraud
By: Andy Chow | Statehouse News Bureau
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COLUMBUS (Statehouse News Bureau) — After nearly a year of dealing with massive fraud, Ohio is launching a multi-agency operation to search for the people who bilked the state out of hundreds of millions of dollars in unemployment claims. Leaders say the probe will likely find scammers within Ohio and around the world. David DeVillers, former… Read More
Unemployed Ohioans Want Representation On State Unemployment Panel
By: Jo Ingles | Statehouse News Bureau
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Late last month, Ohio ended the extra $300 unemployment benefit that had been coming from the federal government, saying it would encourage Ohioans to get back to work quicker. Advocates for unemployed and low-income Ohioans disagree, saying that decision is shortsighted and hurts families. The Executive Director of the… Read More
Half Of States Are Ending Pandemic Jobless Aid Early, And The Economy Could Suffer
By: Avie Schneider | NPR
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Citing a severe shortage of workers, half of the nation’s governors have decided to end extra federal jobless benefits months early. But an economist says that will set back households and businesses.
Ohio Pandemic Unemployment Overpayments Hit $2.1 Billion
By: Associated Press
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio’s human services agency says overpayments in both the state and federal unemployment insurance program topped $2.1 billion during the coronavirus pandemic. That includes both overpayments made due to fraud and overpayments due to mistakes. Those errors could have been on the part of the filer, an employer or the state…. Read More
Roaring Back: Employers Add 916,000 Jobs As Economy Emerges From Winter Slump
By: Scott Horsley | NPR
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Hiring by U.S. employers accelerated sharply amid an improving public health outlook and a new round of $1,400 relief payments.
State Senate President Calls Unemployment Issues ‘Catastrophic Government Failure’
By: Andy Chow | Statehouse News Bureau
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — The top leader of the Ohio Senate says the issues with the state’s unemployment compensation system represent a catastrophic government failure. Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) says Ohio’s unemployment compensation fund has been plagued by insolvency, technical issues and long wait times. “This catastrophic government failure is the result… Read More
More Unemployment Claims Flagged For Possible Fraud, Slowing Down Benefits
By: Karen Kasler | Statehouse News Bureau
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Filings for unemployment benefits had been slowly ticking up in January. But the last two weeks of reported numbers show an explosion of claims. And the state’s job and family services agency is now flagging tens of thousands of claims filed in those last two weeks. Around 50,000 jobless claims… Read More
Ohio Is Finding More Cases Of Fraud In Its Unemployment Processing System
By: Jo Ingles | Statehouse News Bureau
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Some of the more than 140,000 Ohioans who have recently filed for unemployment may not be getting their checks soon due to another problem with fraud in the system for processing those claims. Many claims have been put on hold while the state investigates why there’s a 200% spike… Read More
DeWine Previews Change Coming For Unemployment Filing System
By: Andy Chow | Statehouse News Bureau
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — People around Ohio are lodging complaints about the state’s unemployment compensation filing portal. Gov. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) says an unprecedented influx of people applying for benefits continues to weigh down the system. DeWine says the state will soon be entering into a partnership with the private sector to help run… Read More
State Working On Plan For Private Sector To Help Run Unemployment Filing System
By: Andy Chow | Statehouse News Bureau
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Thousands of Ohioans says they’re struggling to file unemployment claims through the state’s system that is slow and unresponsive. Gov. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) says the state is doing a complete overhaul to address the issue. The high number of people in Ohio filing for unemployment, the extension of unemployment benefits,… Read More
Why Ohio’s Unemployment System Might Not Be Fixed Soon
By: Jo Ingles | Statehouse News Bureau
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Ohio’s unemployment system continues to be a challenge for thousands of Ohioans who say it is slow and non-responsive. And the system has needed some major updates. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says when he took over, there was a big problem with Ohio’s unemployment system – it was not… Read More
Ohio Jobless Claims Rise Again Amidst Pandemic Uncertainty
By: Associated Press
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The number of Ohioans filing initial claims for unemployment compensation during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic jumped last week, according to state data released Thursday. The latest figures show Ohioans filed 42,975 initial jobless claims for the week ending Jan. 16, a 15% increase over the previous week, the Department of Job… Read More
Why Many Ohioans Are Not Getting Federal Unemployment Dollars Yet
By: Jo Ingles | Statehouse News Bureau
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — The federal government has authorized $300 weekly unemployment bonus checks, but many Ohioans say they are not getting them yet. Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Director Kim Henderson says people who have been getting unemployment benefits are seeing the $300 weekly bonuses. But she says it’s more… Read More
Nearly 13% Of Ohioans Received Unemployment Assistance At Some Point This Year
By: Jo Ingles | Statehouse News Bureau
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau)– More than 1.5 million Ohioans – nearly 13 percent of the state’s population – have received some sort of unemployment assistance since the pandemic began last spring. And some of those people could still be receiving benefits. Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Director Kim Hall says 853,000 Ohioans have… Read More
Ohio Valley Economic Outlook Grim As COVID Aid Programs End
WHITESBURG, Ky. (OVR) — With hundreds of thousands across the Ohio Valley struggling to make ends meet, a suite of coronavirus aid packages, including rent and utility relief funding, eviction moratoriums, and expanded unemployment benefits, is set to expire at the end of December. The consequences could be far-reaching. Poverty rates have soared as some federal programs,… Read More
12 Million To Lose Jobless Benefits The Day After Christmas Unless Congress Acts
By: Chris Arnold | NPR
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If Congress doesn’t compromise and pass another relief bill, a new study finds a staggering number of Americans will lose a critical financial lifeline as the pandemic worsens.
‘I’m Still Unemployed’: Millions In Dire Situation As Savings Start To Run Out
By: Scott Horsley | NPR
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Many unemployed Americans have been tapping into their savings to pay bills. But those savings are going fast, and hopes for a new round of pandemic relief before the election are fading.
Changes Being Made To Make Filing For Unemployment Easier
By: Jo Ingles | Statehouse News Bureau
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Since the pandemic began in March, Ohio paid 821,000 regular unemployment claims and 608,000 for federally funded Pandemic Unemployment Assistance to people who don’t normally qualify for jobless benefits. At times, filers have experienced frustration over not being able to file or get questions answered. But leaders of the state agency that handles unemployment says… Read More
Auditor Will Look Into Unemployment Application Process Under New Law
By: Karen Kasler | Statehouse News Bureau
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — A new law that sends $650 million in federal CARES Act money to Ohio communities to help with pandemic-related costs also includes a potential overhaul for the process to apply for unemployment benefits. The law requires Auditor Keith Faber to review and make recommendations on the efficiency of the unemployment… Read More
Pandemic Has Many Turning To Legal Aid Lawyers For Help
By: David Forster
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — Three weeks ago, Jason walked out of a Marietta courtroom under orders to move out of his home. He, his wife and two children were being evicted. (WOUB is not using Jason’s last name to protect his privacy) Jason had been laid off from his job at an auto dealership in… Read More
Ohio COVID-19 Deaths Spike, State Launches Effort to Help Unemployed
By: Sarah Taylor | WKSU
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WKSU) — Cuyahoga County has the highest unemployment rate in the state at 12.9%. That statistic has led the state to pilot a new program there to help connect people to training and available jobs. Called Ohio to Work, the program has been developed by the state’s JobsOhio agency, which its director J.B…. Read More