Maryland Department of Labor Has Paid Over $3.3 Billion in Unemployment Insurance Benefits During COVID-19

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

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Fallon Pearre
fallon.pearre1@maryland.gov
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Maryland Department of Labor Has Paid Over $3.3 Billion in
Unemployment Insurance Benefits During COVID-19
95.6% of Claims Processed
Backlog Cut By 28% Over The Last Week
More Than 99% of March and April Claims Processed

BALTIMORE, MD (June 25, 2020) – The Maryland Department of Labor (Labor) today provided its weekly update about the significant progress the department is continuing to make in the processing and payment of unemployment insurance claims during the coronavirus pandemic.

“As our department continues to focus on processing the earliest unemployment insurance claims filed during the pandemic, we are pleased to report that we have processed more than 95% of all complete claims and paid over $3.3 billion in benefits,” said Labor Secretary Tiffany P. Robinson. “Our team is committed to building upon this positive progress in the coming weeks as we continue to cut through the backlog, communicate with our customers, and provide financial support to eligible claimants.”

95.6% of Unemployment Insurance Claims Now Processed. Of the 571,836 complete claims received from March 9 to June 20, 546,923 (95.6%) have been processed with 448,897 (78.5%) receiving benefit payments and 98,026 (17.1%) being denied benefits for not meeting state and federal program requirements. Of the claims that have already been denied, the large majority were denied because claimants had issues related to the separation from their most recent employer or were determined to be monetarily ineligible.

Adjudication Backlog Cut By 28% Over the Last Week, Down to 4.4%. Labor has cut the adjudication backlog by more than 28% over the last week, and there are currently 24,913 (4.4%) claims pending in adjudication. These claims have one or more issues blocking claimants from receiving payment that are in the process of being resolved by UI professionals.

Paid Over $3.3 Billion in Benefits. From March 9 to June 20, the Maryland Department of Labor’s Division of Unemployment Insurance paid a total of $3,339,064,348 in regular and CARES Act unemployment insurance benefits to claimants. This total amount includes $1,957,155,936 in regular benefits, $1,335,781,302 in PUA benefits, and $46,127,110 in PEUC benefits.

More Than 99% of March and April Claims Processed. Labor has prioritized solutions to clear issues blocking payment of unemployment insurance claims filed in March and April. As a result, less than 1% of claims from that period remain unresolved. Any remaining claims fall into such categories as potential fraud, SSN verification, and claimants receiving pensions or severance pay that must be deducted from any eligible benefits. The department cannot legally pay or deny these claims at this time, but instead must monitor them and continue the manual adjudication process.

Federal Administration Continues to Demand Program Integrity. While Labor is determined to get all eligible claimants paid, the federal administration continues to require that we maintain program integrity. This week, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General issued subpoenas to all states requiring 31 categories of detailed claims data within just two weeks time. 

New Tool for Maryland’s Employers. Employers who have a valid Maryland account number and FEIN may easily report job refusals and update return to work dates by utilizing the Division’s new online application.

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