Trump Officials Seek to Reimagine Unemployment Benefits, Targeting Fraud

The Trump administration has signaled plans to change the unemployment insurance system, inviting state labor leaders to a March meeting to help “reimagine” how jobless benefits are handled. Officials have emphasized a focus on fighting fraud and have stepped up federal oversight of the state-administered program, singling out California and saying a “strike team” would be dispatched there.

Actions already under way include an executive order to allow federal collection of confidential data, proposed Labor Department rules and a pilot for a national web portal to process applications and verify applicants’ identities. A White House official said the meeting’s primary aim was improving economic data collection, while other details remain under discussion.

The push follows pandemic-era breakdowns in state systems that created opportunities for identity thieves and syndicates to steal large sums.

United States, California

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