Unemployment Insurance (UI) Improper Payments By State

[Ross]

Unemployment Insurance (UI) Improper Payments By State

Hover over a state for a summary or click on a state for more detailed information
at https://www.dol.gov/dol/maps/map-ipia.htm

And you might wonder what's wrong with our Governments managers and management style.

It's just a few dollars, huh?

[Patriot]

And since paid claims effect the contribution rate required of an employer, every unauthorized/overpaid claim costs the employer more in the long run.  When that employer is your county government, you, the taxpayer, are paying more.

I notice that the DOL says the cause of some 30% of the causes for over payments is "Separation Issues — Information regarding the claimant's separation from work is received after a claim is paid that disqualifies the claimant from being eligible for benefits and creates an overpayment (employer sends inaccurate or late information or a ruling is made on appeal)."


Did you know that Elk County does not routinely respond to unemployment claims made by employees terminated 'for cause' (fired) or employees who voluntarily quit?  In fact, I've been told that past employees who are not legally entitled to unemployment are actually encouraged by county officials to file for it even though they are not entitled to the benefits!  And because our county managers don't properly file the appeal cards when they arrive in the mail on these claims.... the unemployment benefits get paid..... legally deserved or not.  Verified by our county clerk at a recent county commission meeting, I kid you not. 

Bend over Mr. & Mrs. Taxpayer because local 'management' strikes again.

For Kansas unemployment rules go here scroll down and read about Disqualifications:
 https://www.uibenefits.dol.ks.gov/HelpEligibilDisqual.asp

[redcliffsw]

Unemployment insurance is another thing forced upon us that should not be.

It's our liberty that is being compromised for a benefit to those not earning/working.

[Ross]

Did you read this weeks paper "Area Leaders Gather to Assess Future of SE Kansas". What 250 of them. I believe a lot of information was left out of that article. For instance who were those distinguished individuals?

They talked about unification of the different county's economic growth.
Sounds like another step towards combining counties. The state does have a group studying it.
Perhaps, if they consolidate the counties our property taxes may go down, especially since we have the largest levi in Kansas. But don't you suppose along with that our road maintenance and other services will go the same way?

Well then Gov. Brownback talks about Brain Drain. Kids growing up in SEK and moving away. Not good for the area they grew up in. Wait a minute the Governor himself did that didn't he? He moved away from Parker, Linn County, Kansas - Population 200, where he grew up. Dog gone ain't that something?

And they talk about welfare, it was a government designed and they traped people into the program. The states collect money from the Feds and that improves their Economics, right. Now the money is going to go away because of Federal Cuts and now we blame the welfare reciepients. Wow.

The State is considering doing away with Income tax, but that will have to be replaced by something, right?

How about state property taxes on windfarms?

Oops there goes the PILOT for Elk County.

Just something to think about.

[srkruzich]

The State is considering doing away with Income tax, but that will have to be replaced by something, right?

How about state property taxes on windfarms?

Oops there goes the PILOT for Elk County.

Just something to think about.

This is how texas has no income tax. They tax the oil coming out of the ground.  Shouldn't windfarms be done the same way since they are making a fortune on them.   

[Janet Harrington]

Ross, what paper were you talking about reading an article in?

[larryJ]

Not sure if it varies among different states, but this is California's overview:

The Unemployment Insurance Program, commonly referred to as UI, provides workers, who lose their jobs through no fault of their own, with weekly unemployment insurance payments. The UI program is 100% funded by employers who pay taxes on wages paid to employees.

That said, when I retired I was told that because of the short notice to ask for voluntary separations, in my case, retiring, we would not be denied six months of Unemployment Insurance.  The company was probably protecting itself from possible lawsuits in my mind.  But even though my pension and SS were sufficient, I did not turn down the extra income for the first six months.  As it turned out it took a month or two for the retirement benefits to kick in.  There is no involvement money wise from the state.  

Larryj

[Patriot]

...The UI program is 100% funded by employers who pay taxes on wages paid to employees...

...There is no involvement money wise from the state.  

UNLESS the employer is the local, state or federal government... then it's all taxpayer money.

[Ross]

Ross, what paper were you talking about reading an article in?

Did you read this weeks paper "Area Leaders Gather to Assess Future of SE Kansas".

This article was on the front page of the local paper, Prarie Star.

[Ross]

Not sure if it varies among different states, but this is California's overview:

The Unemployment Insurance Program, commonly referred to as Unemployement Insurance, provides workers, who lose their jobs through no fault of their own, with weekly unemployment insurance payments. The UI program is 100% funded by employers who pay taxes on wages paid to employees.
Larryj

I don't think so. There are a lot of misconceptions about UI. Each state does have their own requirements to meet to qualify for UI and each state may pay a different amount into UI but read on:

Costs are Truly Shared by Federal and State Government
Operating as a federal-state partnership, Unemployement Compensation is based on federal law, but administered by the states. The UC program is unique among U.S. social insurance programs in that it is funded almost totally by either federal or state taxes paid by employers.

Currently, employers pay federal unemployment taxes of 6.2 percent on the first $7,000 earned by each of their employees during a calendar year. These federal taxes are used to cover the costs of administering the UC programs in all states. In addition, the federal UC taxes pay one-half of the cost of extended unemployment benefits (during periods of high unemployment) and provide for a fund from which states may borrow, if necessary, to pay benefits.
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/federalbenefitprograms/a/ucprogram.htm

Purpose
In general, the Federal-State Unemployment Insurance Program provides unemployment benefits to eligible workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own (as determined under State law), and meet other eligibility requirements of State law. Unemployment insurance payments (benefits) are intended to provide temporary financial assistance to unemployed workers who meet the requirements of State law.


Each State administers a separate unemployment insurance program within guidelines established by Federal law.


State Unemployment Insurance Benefits (from Department of Labor)
http://workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/unemploy/uifactsheet.asp