The Washington Post’s Breaking News Blog noted a Washington Examiner article alleging an overpayment of $46 million to partially or completely ineligible workers in fiscal year 2010. Allegedly 5% of all benefit payments were improper according to this report.
In my law practice I have noted a significant uptick in calls from workers seeking help with overpayment collection issues or even fraud allegations, which if sustained may under § 8-1301 and -1305 of the Maryland Unemployment Insurance Act (Md. Ann. Code Labor and Employment article, Title 8, multiple sections) result in a 1 year disqualification from receiving ANY unemployment benefits at all, in addition to theoretical criminal penalties. I recent represented a worker in an appeal whose weekly wage reportings to UI lagged behind her actual receipt of benefits due in part to peculiarities of the academic school year; she was essentially reporting pay for the wrong weeks but did not realize it, resulting in an allegation of fraud. (To clarify, part-time work while receiving unemployment benefits is permitted though with an adjustment down of the benefits received.)
I strongly urge any Maryland worker receiving benefits to report all earnings including self-employment earnings with fanatic, penny-strict accuracy at all times, and to make a prompt correction to any identified error or misstatement.
