Ohio Fraud Crackdown Hurts Those Needing Jobless Benefits
August 06, 2020
The state’s crackdown on fraud involving a federally funded unemployment benefit is harming those who legitimately and desperately need the money to survive the coronavirus pandemic, social services advocates say.
The investigation couldn’t come at a worse time for the unemployed, the advocates say, given the expiration of the extra $600 a week federal benefit.
“It puts people in almost a homeless situation,″ said Michelle Wrona Fox, an attorney with Community Legal Aid Services in Youngstown.
To prevent additional fraud, the state is requiring a second, more comprehensive round of identity verification that many workers’ advocates say can be onerous.