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UI Integrity / Improper Payments Joint Federal/State Task Force

UI Integrity / Improper Payments Joint Federal/State Task Force. State Presentation: Massachusetts. October 14 , 2011. Areas of National Focus:. Benefit Year Earnings (BYE): Root Causes Identified: Agency Causes Failure to stop payments when UI receives a Report of Hire cross-match hit.

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UI Integrity / Improper Payments Joint Federal/State Task Force

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  1. UI Integrity / Improper PaymentsJoint Federal/State Task Force State Presentation:Massachusetts October 14, 2011

  2. Areas of National Focus: • Benefit Year Earnings (BYE): Root Causes Identified: • Agency Causes • Failure to stop payments when UI receives a Report of Hire cross-match hit. • Failure to run SDNH daily. • Failure to stop payments when UI has a Return to Work date. • Failure to inform/educate claimant on reporting rights/responsibilities. • Claimant Causes • Incorrect and/or failure to report earnings during the Benefit Year. • Employer Causes • Delay in Protest information from Employers.

  3. Areas of National Focus: • Benefit Year Earnings (BYE): • Planned actions to address: • Stop payments when UI learns a claimant may have returned to work • - Automatic “Congratulations” Letter • - Return to Work Automatic Stop Policy • - SDNH & NDNH Cross-match Hits Stop Payments • Allow Employers to protest charges immediately upon receipt of charge statement and set up stop payment issue on the claim. • Principal milestones: • Automatic “Congratulations” Letter: 4th Quarter 2011 • Return to Work Automatic Stop Policy: 2nd Quarter 2012 • SDNH & NDNH Cross-match Hits Stop Payments: 2nd Quarter 2012 • Employer Charge Statement Immediate Protest: 2nd Quarter 2012 3

  4. Areas of National Focus: • Separations (SEPs): Root Causes Identified: • Agency Causes • Failure to maintain on going training as a reminder of the importance of gathering accurate separation information • Failure to immediately request employment information when there is a change in employment status during the Benefit Year • Claimant Causes • Withhold pertinent separation information • Employer Causes • Failure to provide timely separation information 4

  5. Areas of National Focus: • Separations: • Planned action(s) to address: • SIDES Implementation • Training of UI Staff • - Adjuster Timeliness and Quality • - Interviewing Techniques • Immediately request Employment information if there is a change in status during the Benefit Year • Principal milestones: • SIDES: Start 1st Quarter 2012; End 3rd Quarter 2012 • Adjuster Timeliness and Quality: 4th Quarter 2011 & Ongoing • Interviewing Skills: 4th Quarter 2011 & Ongoing • Immediate request of Employment information if there is a change in status during the Benefit Year: 2nd Quarter 2012 5

  6. Base Period Wage Issues Root cause(s) identified: Agency Causes Monetary Determinations made before sufficient wage information is available Employer Causes Inaccurate Reporting or Modifying of Wages Not Reporting Quarterly Wage information timely Agency/Employer/Claimant All Employment not included in claim (Self Employment/1099) Improper filing of combined wage/interstate claims 6

  7. State-Specific Issues • Base Period Wage Issues • Planned action(s) to address issue • Mandate that all 1099 and “Self-Employment” wages be subject to a determination of the employer/employee relationship. • Obtain missing Quarterly Wage data when the claimant’s length of employment is greater than 2 quarters. • Immediate generation of letters to employers and claimants when an initial claim is filed and there are incomplete base period wages reported. • Investigate Discrepancy between modified wages submitted by Employers and TPAs. • Automatic notice to Employers with information of potential penalties for failure to provide Quarterly Wage information. • Upgrade the ICON hub connection to the WIC2 screen. • Principle milestones • 1099/Self Employment Mandate Due: 1st Quarter 2012 • Obtain missing Quarterly Wage Due: 1st Quarter 2012 • Immediate Requests for Base Period Wages Due: 2nd Quarter 2012 • Policy for Investigating QW and New Wage Discrepancy Due: 2nd Quarter 2012 • Automatic Letters to Employers requesting QW Information Due: 4th Quarter 2011 • ICON hub connection to WIC2 screen Due: 3rd Quarter 2012

  8. Everybody Owns Integrity • Strategies to Support Owning UI Integrity: • Create “Everyone Owns Integrity” campaign • Incorporate Ownership of Integrity in all trainings to UI Staff • Incorporate Ownership of Integrity message into scripted/non scripted interaction • Continue Improper Payment Task Force • Schedule semi-monthly meetings to monitor progress and initiate new key strategies and action steps

  9. Communications • Communications Strategies: Claimants Employers Improve Claimant’s awareness of their responsibility to report any work, earnings, separation information while claiming benefits. Improve employer’s awareness of their responsibility to respond to a request for separation information, earnings, wage information, and to notify DUA of any change of employment status. Solutions • Website • Print/TV/Radio Campaign • Incorporate Messages into Online System • Develop Message on Social Media • Deliver Messages in Print Form • Presence at Job Fairs

  10. Summary and Q&A “Integrity: Own It!” • Questions? • State Contact for follow-up: Nancy Hartnett: NHartnett@detma.org Phone: 617-626-6326

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