NC jobless aid office addressing millions in overpayments

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — North Carolina official says tens of millions of dollars in jobless benefits have been paid during the coronavirus pandemic to people who don’t actually qualify for them.

The head of the Division of Employment Security told lawmakers on Tuesday about how nearly $70 million in benefits had been overpaid during the first nine months of 2020.

Most of that happened after COVID-19 lockdowns sent unemployment claims rocketing to historic levels.

While Pryor Gibson says not all overpayments are fraud, identity theft is to blame for millions of dollars in payouts. Gibson says his agency is acting on several fronts to recover these overpayments.