Indiana is making progress getting state unemployment benefits to those who qualify for it.
Many people who were waiting on the state to verify their eligibility for unemployment benefits reported them being resolved last week. Others said they even got an extra $300 Lost Wages Assistance payment a few days earlier than expected.
DWD Chief of Staff Josh Richardson says as new claims for state unemployment benefits decrease, they’re able to allocate more staff to resolving eligibility issues with federal benefits from the CARES Act.
“It’s just a confluence of factors,” he said. “We’re six months in, we’ve learned a lot about it. Obviously claims volumes are going down, the unemployment rate is getting lower, so all those things are combining I think to have some effect.”
Richardson also said while the state has been approved for interest-bearing federal loans to bolster the unemployment trust fund, it will only withdraw what it needs to minimize the debt.
To help combat fraud and speed up the verification process for unemployment claims, the state is set to pay the identity verification company ID.me up to $500,000.
Contact reporter Justin at jhicks@wvpe.org or follow him on Twitter at @Hicks_JustinM.