The state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations said more than $2.6 billion in unemployment insurance claims had been paid to claimants as of Thursday.
Ninety-four percent of the claims that have come in amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have been processed and paid out, according to DLIR Deputy Director Anne Perreira-Eustaquio.
“Currently our biggest challenge is the staff and resources required to address the high level of imposter and regular fraud in the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program,” she said.”
To help reduce the backlog of identity verification, DLIR is asking PUA claimants to submit a picture of their Social Security card or other government issued document with name and Social Security number, front and back; government-issued ID with official photo and birth date, front and back; and a selfie with picture ID next to the face.
“There’s also been a significant uptick in workers still attached to an employer being fully released from employment,” noted Perreira-Eustaquio.
These individuals will need to report the separation when filing a weekly claim certification. After filing a weekly claim certification, these individuals then reactivate their claim and select “Report Separation from an Employer” in the online portal at www.huiclaims.gov.