PUA overpayments could take months to erase

Congress made it legal for states to waive PUA overpayments but it could take months to make it happen.

BUT FIRST -- HELP IS ON THEWAY FOR MORE THAN 150 THOUSANDOHIOANS -- WHO WERE TOLD BYTHE STATE TO REPAY JOBLESSBENEFITS.

CONGRESS INCLUDEDLANGUAGE IN LAST MONTH'SSTIMULUS BILL -- TO GIVESTATES MORE FLEXIBILITY TOWAIVE REPAYMENTS OF PANDEMICUNEMPLOYMENTASSISTANCE.BUT THAT DOESN'TMEAN THE DEBTS AUTOMATICALLYDISAPPEAR.

IN FACT -- EXPERTSTELL I-TEAM REPORTER DAN MONK-- IT COULD TAKE MONTHS TORESOLVE OHIO'S OVERPAYMENTPROBLEMS.JAMES MARTINO LOVES THEROLLING STONES SO MUCH HISFRIENDS CALL HIM'MICK'Yeah he looks pretty gooddoesn't he for hisage.BUT THIS BRIDGETOWN MUSICIANCAN'T GET NO SATISFACTION FROMOHIO'S UNEMPLOYMENTSYSTEM."Somebody needs to step up inthat agency."IN MAY, OHIO'SDEPARTMENT OF JOB AND FAMILYSERVICES APPROVED MARTINO FOR$18,720 IN PANDEMIC $18,720 INPANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENTASSISTANCE.

LAST MONTH, JFSTOLD HIM THAT WAS ANOVERPAYMENT.

AND IT WANTS$10,000BACK."Can't just send a lettersaying, 'We screwed up so youmake it right.'

No, youscrewed up.

You make it right."CONGRESS AGREES WITH MICK.

THE$900 BILLION STIMULUS PACKAGEFINALIZED IN DECEMBER INCLUDESLANGUAGE THAT ALLOWS STATES TOFORGIVE OVERPAYMENTS IF THEYHAPPENED THROUGH NO FAULT OFTHE CLAIMANT.BUT DON'T HOLDYOUR BREATH WHILE WAITING FORTHATWAIVER."I think people need to beprepared to be waiting threemonths, or six months you knowwith this thing hanging overthem."ANDREW STETTNER IS ANEXPERT ON JOBLESS BENEFITS FORTHE CENTURY FOUNDATION, ALEFT-LEANING THINK TANK BASEDIN NEWYORK."Even if Ohio knows they madethe same mistake for athousand people, they can'tjust waive those thousandpeople with the push of abutton.

They have to treateach case individually."JFSDIRECTOR KIM HENDERSON SAYSOHIO IS WORKING WITH OTHERSTATES AND THE U.S. DEPARTMENTLABOR TO SET UP THE RULES FORREPAYMENT WAIVERS."As they release formalguidance on how we canundertake those waivers wecertainly will be doing that."IN THE MEANTIME, HENDERSONURGES PEOPLE WITH OVERPAYMENTSTO APPEAL THEIR REPAYMENTORDERS.BUT THAT CHORD SOUNDS FLAT TOMICK THEMUSICIAN."I tried to contact them byemail.

I tried to call themwhich is incredibly a debaclebecause when you call you'reon hold for literally hours orthe phone is busy and ifsomeone picks up they don'tknow what they're doing orthey'll hang up on you."ASSLOW AS OHIO SEEMS TO BEMOVING ON THIS FRONT, IT'SSTILL ONE STEP AHEAD OFKENTUCKY."The Continued Assistance Actactually amended the federallaw and allows us to waivethose but state law doesn't atthis time.

So, we are hopingthe General Assembly gives usthe flexibility to waive thosepayments while they are here.I know they have announced awillingness to do that."HOUSEBILL 240 WAS INTRODUCE IN THEKENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLYJANUARY 9TH.

IT WOULD ALLOWREPAYMENT WAIVERS WITHLANGUAGE THAT'S SIMILAR TOWHAT CONGRESS PASSED INDECEMBER.

IT HAS FOUR CO-SPONSORS BUT HAS YET TO BESCHEDULED FOR A VOTE.DAN MONKWCPO 9 I-TEAMINDIANA ALSO HAS LEGISLATIONIN PLACE TO ENABLE FASTER USEOF THE REPAYMENT WAIVERS.YOUCAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THATIN DAN'S STORY ON WCPO.COM.