(Indianapolis, IN) - Governor Mike Braun has signed two executive orders aimed at getting the unemployed back to work faster and finding any fraud that exists in the state’s unemployment insurance program.
According to the governor’s office, Executive Order 25-33 directs the Department of Workforce Development to take steps to identify fraud and abuse in the unemployment insurance program.
These measures include:
- Verifying applicant eligibility through the use of state and federal new hire directories;
- Cross-checking applicant eligibility through state and federal incarceration records, state death records, and the Multi-State Integrity Data Hub;
- Conducting additional review and investigation of claims filed from a single internet protocol address using a similar mailing address or bank account;
- Ensuring claims made from out-of-state applicants are appropriately verified prior to approval and payment
The Department of Workforce Development will provide quarterly progress reports to the Governor on their findings and the amount of improper payments prevented by these data-focused efforts to prevent fraud and abuse.
“We need to crack down on fraud in unemployment insurance to protect the integrity of the program and the taxpayer dollars that fund it,” Braun said.
Executive Order 25-32 requires additional work search activities for recipients of unemployment insurance and tasks the Department of Workforce Development to more rigorously audit work search activities to ensure compliance.
“Unemployment insurance is an important temporary safety net, but it should be exactly that: temporary assistance while searching for a new job. Research shows more rigorous work search requirements lead to unemployment recipients finding work faster,” Braun said.
