Naples, FL—On Thursday, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, Attorney General Jason Miyares, and the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) announced an agreement to more effectively prosecute fraudulent unemployment claims.
The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) applauds the decision of Virginia’s leadership. For the last three years, the Commonwealth’s unemployment system has had one of the nation’s worst program integrity track records with a 38 percent improper payment rate. While not all of that stems from fraud, VEC has indicated fraud is at an unprecedented level. The agreement is an important step in protecting Virginia’s unemployment system.
“This agreement is a strong show of leadership by Governor Youngkin, Attorney General Miyares, and VEC,” said Joe Horvath, a State Government Affairs Director at FGA. “Stealing unemployment money is not only robbing the jobless but also picking the pocket of employers whose payroll taxes fund the system. Even worse, unemployment fraud makes a state’s trust fund less solvent, risking higher unemployment taxes on top of the initial theft. So really, a single case of fraud can hit legitimate claimants once and employers twice. The fact that Virginia leaders are taking the problem seriously is highly encouraging.”
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The Foundation for Government Accountability is a non-profit, multi-state think tank that specializes in health care, welfare, and work reform. To learn more, visit TheFGA.org.
