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‘US Labor would waive recovery of any PUA/PFUC overpayments’
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Posted on Feb 14 2022
Gregorio-C.-Sablan
Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) said over the weekend that the U.S. Department of Labor would waive recovery of unemployment benefit overpayments in cases where applicant was not at fault.
In his e-kilili newsletter, Sablan, however, stated that cases of fraud will still be subject to action for recovery of overpayments.
According to U.S. Labor, when states waive recovery of overpayment, collection activities cease.
The delegate said that, in its announcement Monday, U.S. Labor outlined five scenarios in which an individual applying for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance or Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation would not be required to repay excess benefits.
The scenarios are the following:
An individual responded “no” to being able and available for work and the state or territory failed to adjudicate the eligibility issue.
An individual was eligible for payment, but was issued payment at a higher rate than entitled.
·The individual responded “no” to being unemployed, partially unemployed or unable or unavailable to work due to the approved coronavirus-related reasons, and the state or territory paid a benefit anyway.
·The state or territory incorrectly calculated the weekly benefit amount.
The individual submitted a proof of self-employment earnings and the stat e or territory incorrectly processed the information.
As of Jan. 15, 2022, unemployed individuals in the Marianas have received $261 million from the PUA and FPUC programs U.S. Congress created in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
Last August, Labor Secretary Vicky Benavente disclosed that they have traced $31.3 million overpayments in PUA, PFUC, and Lost Wages Assistance, and collected $28 million from such overpayments.
