By Andrew Latham.

The scandal of overpaid unemployed workers that recently hit the news has not spared the state of Washington. According to the Obama administration unemployed workers were overpaid over 17 billion dollars. This, quite predictably, triggered an onslaught of complaints about the entire system and created the picture of an army of cheats milking an incompetent unemployment insurance agency.

As is usually the case, the real story is not so simple. Certainly, there are workers who have purposely cheated the system and received payments they knew they were not entitled to. Yet, in many cases the reasons for overpayment are more technical than malicious and do not necessarily involve willful wrongdoing. To get a better picture of the situation, let us look at the figures.

Washington Overpayment Figures

According to the figures published by the United States Department, the State of Washington overpaid nearly $793 million over a period of three years. This is a significant percentage of the entire unemployment insurance bill for Washington; 14.26 percent of all payments during this period were improper. Of these improper payments  71 percent were caused by work search issues. This means the unemployment insurance agency was unable to prove workers met the state’s work search requirements, which automatically disqualifies a candidate from receiving unemployment benefits. Needless to say, failing to meet the requirements of the state of Washington with reference to unemployment and work search issues is extremely easy. For instance, failure to report or misfiling your proof of work search for any given week is enough to disqualify you.

The other big culprit for the overpayments were benefit year earnings, which was responsible for 12 percent of all improper payments. This is a case where fraud, although not the only explanation, is much more likely. Workers who are overpaid due to benefit year earnings are those who continue to claim for benefits after they have returned to work. Although it is harder to justify this “error”, it is easy to see how workers struggling to make ends meet may feel that declaring a part time that wouldn’t be enough to pay for their bills and may disqualify them (often it doesn’t) from receiving benefits may fail to mention their new job to the unemployment agency.

The rest of the improper payments were mostly caused by employers sending inaccurate or late information about their workers or workers being unavailable for work because they were otherwise engaged, such as convalescing in a hospital room or locked in a prison cell.

However, the reason for these payments is hardly the most pressing issue for those who are informed they were overpaid and now have an unexpected bill to repay. What can you do if you realize you have been overpaid? What is the process to repay the money and set the record straight? This will be the theme of our next article.

If you are struggling to find a job and fear you may run out of unemployment benefits before you find one, the problem might be your training. Studies show that workers with more education and training have a better chance of finding and keeping secure jobs with higher wages. Even skilled and educated workers who have enjoyed productive and lucrative careers may find that their skills are no longer required. If this is your case, you have two options: move to a place where your skills still are in demand or reinvent yourself and train for a new career which is in high demand in your area.

Great idea! I hear you say. Just one problem, college and vocational courses cost money and how will I care for my family while I am training? The Washington Employment Security Department understands these issues are a major obstacle for unemployed workers who seek to improve their chances of finding suitable employment and offers special training and education courses for eligible workers. Find below direct links to programs managed by the state of Washington, which may provide you the key to free education and a better chance of finding the job you and your family needs.

E-Learning

Free Microsoft training – WOW!
The Washington State Employment Security Department has contracted with Microsoft to offer more than 1,000 different online courses to WorkSource customers – for FREE. From first-timer to basic user to expert user to computer professional, you have the opportunity to go as far as you want.

Training Benefits

Training Benefits Video
Learn about the Training Benefits program which offers additional weeks of unemployment benefits so eligible claimants can train for careers in a high-demand field.

Program Directories

WorkSource Career Centers & Affiliated Sites
WorkSource Centers provide the information, technology and services job seekers need to achieve successful careers. They represent a unique concept in the labor market – everything in one place.

WIA Workforce Development Councils (WDC)
Workforce Development Councils are responsible for implementation of the Workforce Investment Act, providing workforce development planning and coordination between education, training and employment efforts in their communities.

Eligible Training Providers

Career Bridge
Career Bridge is the Web site for Washington state’s Eligible Training Provider (ETP) list. The ETP List ensures that certain performance standards are met for programs receiving federal workforce funding under the Workforce Investment Act. Career Bridge matches each job with education and training programs offered throughout the state. Future students can see at a glance the cost of tuition, books and other fees, the location and length of training, entrance requirements and more, as they consider pursuing a particular career path.

Colleges and Universities

Washington State Colleges and Universities
A complete list of degree-granting colleges and universities legally operating in Washington.

Training and Education Center

Career InfoNet
Determine your training needs, finding training, impact of training and more.

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