Woman says she never applied for unemployment benefits that letter asked her to repay
By Barry Simms
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BALTIMORE (WBAL) — A Maryland woman says she got a letter telling her she received unemployment and was overpaid, but there was a problem: She never applied for the benefits.
Now, she’s concerned about identity theft and proving she didn’t apply for or get the money.
“At first, I thought it was a scam,” said Donna Shoppert.
But Shoppert is one of hundreds of people who received the letter from the state.
“You received an overpayment of Unemployment Insurance benefits,” the letter reads.
Using bold print and capital letters, the state said the “Claimant filed an initial claim for unemployment benefits… but failed to supply the appropriate documentation to prove their identity…”
Shoppert’s letter said she was overpaid more than $1,400.
“I never applied for unemployment. I was employed,” Shoppert said.
Another woman, who declined to speak on camera, told WBAL-TV 11 News she did receive unemployment benefits of $13,000 from April through July 2020. She said federal and state taxes, along with social security, were deducted. Now, the state wants the money back. She is trying to work it out after receiving the funds at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement, state officials said, in part: “The Maryland Department of Labor is in the process of addressing a backlog of unemployment insurance overpayments from prior years that were not pursued by the previous administration… recovering overpayments is a legally required part of the unemployment insurance system.”
The Labor Department said overpayments could have occurred for several reasons, including identity theft or fraud committed by a third party, especially during the pandemic.
Shoppert said she’s going to appeal and is worried someone else got the funds using her name.
“Apparently, our ID was out there and used for this purpose,” Shoppert said.
The Department of Labor said if a person’s identity was stolen and used to commit unemployment benefits fraud, that person will not be held responsible for returning the funds.
Anyone who receives a Maryland Department of Labor notification of overpayment that was due to their identity being stolen and used to commit UI fraud will not be held responsible for returning those funds.
Anyone who receives an overpayment letter but believes they are the victim of identity theft is advised to refer to the agency’s Unemployment Insurance Fraud information page for instructions on how to report the issue for resolution.
Additionally, claimants who received an overpayment but are experiencing financial hardship may request a waiver.
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