The federal government and the states are coping with striking a balance between battling fraud in unemployment insurance claims and making sure qualified applicants can access benefits to which they are entitled. Some experts warn that anti-fraud measures can curtail access to benefits among those who legitimately need them.
Identity verification is a new area for unemployment programs, said Michele Evermore, deputy director for policy in the Department of Labor’s Office of Unemployment Insurance during a conference on identity technology on Monday. It wasn’t something done before the pandemic for normal unemployment insurance, she said.