I may have accidentally file a fraudulent claim and am really worried. (collect, receive)
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I’m currently a student in college and for the past two summers I have worked a child care job. I also worked this winter. My last day I believe was January 3rd. I was never fired or let go to my knowledge. It was my plan and I believe my employer’s plan for me to return again this summer to work when I got home from college. Unfortunately due to COVID-19, I haven’t been able to do that and thought that there wouldn’t be any harm in seeing if I qualified for unemployment. I applied and answered each question truthfully. For the reason I can’t work, I remember checking the box “my employer closed due to COVID-19.” However, Someone brought to my attention that it is possible I wasn’t still on payroll and wasn’t still technically employed. I got approved within a few days for the PUA and have already received my money. The last thing I want to do is to make a fraudulent claim and receive money that I don’t deserve. I am quite worried that I accidentally committed fraud and don’t know what to do. I also was unaware that PUA claims are automatically approved and thought that someone would actually reverse my case and be sure that I qualify.
At this point, I have an immense weight on my shoulders and feel like I have done something wrong. Is there a way I can contact support and ask them to review my case to ensure there were no errors in approving my claim? Could I just tell them I no longer feel I need it and return the money? I received the money today and of course haven’t spent any of it. I would like to get this resolved very quickly thought and am wondering what your opinions are. Thanks.
The issue you face is that at the time you filed, you selected the employer closed due to Covid-19. If your employer does not answer the same way, troubles will start. Complicating this is you said you are not even slated to possibly resume until the summer, but the summer hasn't even come, so what does a Covid closing have to do with you when you had no employment to begin with during this time?
I don't know how this will play out, but I'm more curious about the child care jobs as they could have been qualifying just on their own.
Well when I said summer, I meant my own summer vacation when I got back from school, which was May 4th. When I got back from school I would have started working again but can’t because my place of employment has closed dude to COVID-19.
I really don’t want this weight on my shoulders. Do you think it’s possible for me to contact UIA and give the money back or communicate a mistake? How difficult do you think that process would be?
If you were scheduled to restart employment on May 4th and you could not because they were closed for Covid-19, your unemployment claim is valid. But if you applied before that date, you could be in trouble. So quick questions:
1. When did you apply for benefits?
2. Did you get anything from your employer before your schedule return date saying they were closing due to Covid -19?
3. Before applying, did you seek suitable employment (and can document it) but wasn't able to find anything due to Covid-19?
Also, I need you to explain the child care employment timeline going back 18 months along with quarterly wages. You may have qualified with that employment alone without all this game playing.
As for not wanting the weight on your shoulder, maybe you should have through about it before applying for government benefits. States are not in the business of loaning money while you see how it turns out. If you are in the wrong, getting caught or confessing is all the same to them.
If you were scheduled to restart employment on May 4th and you could not because they were closed for Covid-19, your unemployment claim is valid. But if you applied before that date, you could be in trouble. So quick questions:
1. When did you apply for benefits?
2. Did you get anything from your employer before your schedule return date saying they were closing due to Covid -19?
3. Before applying, did you seek suitable employment (and can document it) but wasn't able to find anything due to Covid-19?
Also, I need you to explain the child care employment timeline going back 18 months along with quarterly wages. You may have qualified with that employment alone without all this game playing.
As for not wanting the weight on your shoulder, maybe you should have through about it before applying for government benefits. States are not in the business of loaning money while you see how it turns out. If you are in the wrong, getting caught or confessing is all the same to them.
I applied a few days ago and did not apply before. There were two internships I applied for but got emails saying that the position is no longer available due to COVID-19. Yes I did get a text message from my employer saying that they were closing due to Covid. I wasn’t trying any game playing, it was my understanding and interpretation that I genuinely qualified.
"I also was unaware that PUA claims are automatically approved and thought that someone would actually reverse my case and be sure that I qualify."
Under normal State unemployment benefit programs, the State is required by both federal and State laws to follow an established procedure to verify unemployment needs. States have systems that check everything from wages to length of employment to reasons for termination to work searches to out-of-country checks to identity to .......
Under the Federal pandemic benefits, it's more of a free for all. There is very little verification of anything. States were pretty much handed a sheet saying pay this and that but all the in between procedures were missing. Since the Federal government is using general taxpayer funds to pay for all the pandemic measures, States have no reason to investigate as it's not their own resident State tax money being squandered.
You will notice that claimants still have major holdups primarily over the States portion of approving or denying State Unemployment benefits. On State regular state benefit portion, it's processing as usual with all the verification being checked off and all the required processes still being followed. But, once a claimant reaches the federal pandemic process, it's fast. The vast majority of initial delays related to the federal pandemic benefit was due to no guidelines from the feds. The feds just threw out benefits with no instructions. That was finally fixed and States are flying through the backlog. But it's still a delay for a reason nobody wants to openly speak about. Because of problems with the current administration over honoring funding promises made, States are refusing to use any of their funds to pay federal payments to claimants until they get the check form the feds and it clears the bank.
So States are processing as normal with all the safeguards required under state laws for their money, but the federal portion is a fraudsters dream come true.
So States are processing as normal with all the safeguards required under state laws for their money, but the federal portion is a fraudsters dream come true.
You say this as if I am intentionally trying to commit fraud. That was never my intention. Even now, I genuinely believe that I qualify based on the truthful conditions that I selected. There was no other information provided on the application and it didn’t delve into any nuances.
More and likely, you will get away with it. It's a damn warzone out there right now, with depression like unemployment rates. You may or may not get questioned eventually. If you do, act like you didnt know the procedures. Best case scenario noone finds out and the money is yours, worst case scenario you're forced to pay back what you recieved and wont be able to collect unemployment in the future until you do.
I agree with Rabrrita, you probably knew what you were doing was a bit outside the lines. Which is why you came on here and asked the question. However, what's done is done. Give it some time, that's see how it plays out.
I agree with Rabrrita, you probably knew what you were doing was a bit outside the lines. Which is why you came on here and asked the question.
Probably exactly the case; the moral side woke up and fear is setting in. But, with the OP so focus on if they did wrong, they have not fully examined if they are indeed legitimately qualified.
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