Washington, DC – On Monday, September 15, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced that the District of Columbia will receive $1.5 million dollars to improve the performance and integrity of its Unemployment Insurance (UI) program. The grant will enable the Department of Employment Services (DOES) to fully integrate its UI tax and benefits systems, improve business efficiency and customer service, and continue implementation of its technology-based prevention detection and collection activities to recover improper UI payments, among other core integrity activities.
“I am delighted that the Department of Labor continues to recognize the District of Columbia’s commitment to restoring fiscal responsibility, the integrity of our systems, and our efforts to reduce unemployment insurance fraud and increase overpayment collections through improved technologies,” said Mayor Vincent C. Gray. “The reforms put in place by DOES and my administration will maximize the precious economic resources needed to assist unemployed D.C. residents and will have a positive impact for years to come.”
In addition to the District of Columbia, 46 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands will receive more than $87 million dollars to enable state agencies to upgrade and enhance their UI programs by adopting new technologies; to improve overall program quality, performance, and integrity via five state consortia projects; and to implement and/or expand their Reemployment and Eligibility Assessment (REA) programs.
A number of integrity activities must have been executed by state UI programs or committed to be implemented by states in order to qualify for a UI Performance and Integrity Grant. These integrity activities include the implementation and expansion of the State Information Data Exchange System (SIDES), a web-based system that allows electronic transmission of information requests from UI agencies to employers and/or Third Party Administrators; an enhanced National Directory of New Hires cross-match strategy, which reduces the potential for fraudulent overpayment of benefits by stopping benefit payments when wage and employment information is verified and directing claimants to contact UI offices to provide information regarding their hire status; SIDES Monetary and Potential Employer Charges Data Exchanges to improve the UI information exchange process; Unemployment Compensation for Ex-service members automation; as well as other optional strategies identified by DOL that result in overall performance and system improvements.
“DOES continues to improve its technologies and infrastructure with every dollar DOL invests in the District,” added DOES Acting Director Tom Luparello. “This grant, like our most recently awarded grant to enhance our Reemployment and Eligibility Assessment Program, will provide the agency with vital resources to continue our efforts to help put our customers on a path to reemployment while allowing us to continue to enhance our efforts to detect, reduce, and prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in our UI program.”
About DOES:
The mission of the Department of Employment Services is to plan, develop, and administer employment-related services to all segments of the Washington, DC metropolitan population. We achieve our mission through empowering and sustaining a diverse workforce, which enables all sectors of the community to achieve economic and social stability.
