Jefferson City, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations announced today the state is implementing a process for eligible claimants to apply to the Division of Employment Security (DES) for potential waiver of the recovery of non-fraud federal pandemic program unemployment benefit overpayments.
The waiver provision applies to overpaid benefits for weeks ending February 8, 2020, through June 12, 2021, under these federal pandemic programs:
- Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC)
- Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)
- Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC)
- Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation (MEUC)
- Lost Wages Assistance (LWA)
The waiver of recovery only applies to non-fraud federal benefit overpayments. Regular state unemployment insurance (UI) and Extended Benefits (EB) overpayments are not eligible for waiver. Collection activities will begin on state benefit overpayments in August.
For eligibility, the overpayment must not be a result of claimant fault, and collection of the overpayment must be against equity and good conscience, per federal guidance.
Claimants who were overpaid benefits under any of the federal pandemic programs and are eligible for consideration will be notified in July and given instructions on how to apply for a waiver.
Information may be found online at https://labor.mo.gov/coronavirus and an emergency rule regarding this waiver of recovery will be available at https://www.sos.mo.gov/adrules/EmergenciesforInternet/emergency.
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