UI Integrity / Improper Payments Joint Federal/State Task Force

1. UI Integrity / Improper PaymentsJoint Federal/State Task Force State Presentation Montana October 24, 2011

2. Areas of National Focus: • Benefit Year Earnings (BYE): • Agency Causes • Inadequate claimant and employer education • Lack of some system edits on continued claim questions • Not effectively detecting or preventing errors early • Claimant Causes • Claiming UI benefits incorrectly after returning to work • Confusion on how to calculate or when to report earnings • Willful misrepresentation • Employer Causes • Untimely or non-response to agency requests • Misunderstanding of requirement to report to National Directory of New Hire • Incorrect information given to employees on reporting requirements

3. Areas of National Focus: • Benefit Year Earnings (BYE): Planned action(s) to address: • Develop and/or improve instructional material for claimants and staff • Clarify continued claim certification language • Incorporate required fields, additional edits and system checks • Provide additional staff training Principal milestones: • Complete all BYE projects by March 2013 3

4. Areas of National Focus: • Separations (SEPs): • Agency Causes • One week break in filing • Fact-finding and adjudication errors • Untimely action on issues • Claimant Causes • Incorrect separation information • Confusion of what a separation means in UI law • Employer Causes • Worker misclassification • Inadequate, late or incomplete information provided 4

5. Areas of National Focus: • Separations: • Planned action(s) to address: • Address one week break in filing • Clarify laws, rules, policies and procedures and provide on-going training to staff to address deficiencies • Evaluate areas that will assist with timeliness • Educate claimants on reporting information • Communicate to employers on response importance • Continue to refine extracts and educate employers on worker misclassification • Principal milestones: • Compete all Separation projects by September 2013 5

6. Areas of National Focus: • Work Search Issues: • Agency Causes • Inadequate verification of work searches • Inconsistent application of job and union attached policy • Enhance and require on-line submittal of weekly work search • Claimant Causes • Not understanding UI Rules and Laws • Does not read information sent (Claimant Handbook) • Does not understand what constitutes a work search 6

7. Areas of National Focus: • Work Search Issues : • Planned action(s) to address: • Formation of a job and union attached committee • Enhance training to staff • Review laws and rules on work search requirements • Require work search information on weekly certifications • Conduct random verifications • Principal milestones: • Complete work search projects by December 2013 7

8. State-Specific Issues • Enhanced On-Line Required Fields • Cause • No human interaction to detect issues or clarify information • Planned action(s) to address issue • Analyze and develop programming priorities and plan for implementation of required on-line fields • Additional information distributed to claimants at REA appointments on areas of concern • Develop and/or improve website and podcasts • Principle milestones • Complete state specific issues by December 2013

9. Everybody Owns Integrity • Strategies to Support Owning UI Integrity: • Communicate Integrity • Maintain Task Force/Committees • Develop a unified message and campaign that “I Own Integrity (IOI)” to staff, agency partners, claimants, employers and public • Communicate specific issues identified during BAM/BTQ reviews • Communicate and celebrate milestones • Include more fraud explanations on notices/on-line

10. Everybody Owns Integrity • Strategies to Support Owning UI Integrity: • Process • Task force members continue to evaluate areas in need of improvement and measure results • Implement an educational campaign on the importance that everyone is responsible for integrity • Oversight • Monthly update to Senior Management from committees • Quarterly meeting with Task Force for progress updates 10

11. Communications • Communications Strategies: • To claimants • Develop and market podcast availability • Update website with pertinent “integrity” information • Review forms to ensure simple and easy to understand language • Post integrity posters in Workforce Centers To employers • Review delivery of integrity message in our Assistance to Business Clinics/JSECS • Enhance information in quarterly reports and post to website

12. Communications • Communications Strategies, Continued: • To state UI staff • Roll out “IOI” -- “I Own Integrity” campaign • Create a logo of “IOI --“I Own Integrity” for a physical reminder • Emphasize integrity in new employee training • To the public • Work with the Department Public Information Officer to “get the message out” in several forums and printed material • Utilize partner groups and media to spread information • Incorporate UI Integrity into Department presentations • To state leaders (Governor, state legislature, etc.) • Information readily available for distribution

13. Summary and Q&A “IOI” -- I Own Integrity!” • Questions? • State Contact for follow-up: Roy Mulvaney: rmulvaney@mt.gov Phone: (406) 444-2749