Plan to claw back jobless benefits draws concerns
One-third of state recipients must prove their eligibility
A new state policy may require nearly 900,000 Californians to return their unemployment benefits because they weren’t working or looking for work, but some researchers worry the clawback campaign could force low-income individuals to pay back thousands of dollars they no longer have.
The state Employment Development Department began issuing notifications of the proof-of-work requirement last month to one-third of California’s 2.9 million Pandemic Unemployment Assistance recipients. The federal program, which ran from March 2020 and ended in September, was aimed at helping people who don’t usually qualify for unemployment benefits because they are freelancers or small-business owners.
The state is asking them to prove, retroactively, that they were working, or planning to work, prior to filing their unemployment claim — a standard requirement for getting benefits. If they can’t provide that documentation, they will be classified as ineligible and asked to give the benefits back.
A full repayment could be over $32,000 if a recipient received full benefits throughout the program. In addition, if a claimant offered false information, the state could impose a 30% penalty. Some experts are now suggesting giving recipients a pass even if they can’t prove their eligibility.
EDD noted that the repayment policy is a federal requirement, passed by Congress in the Continued Assistance for Unemployment Workers Act in 2020. EDD acknowledges it can waive repayment if the overpayment was not the recipient’s fault, not fraudulent and if repayment would cause extraordinary hardship.
— Jesse Bedayn, staff writer
Unvaccinated staff members face unpaid leave at Intel
Intel has told workers that unvaccinated people who don’t get an exemption for religious or medical reasons will be on unpaid leave beginning in April.
The Santa Clara-based semiconductor company told employees last month they had a Jan. 4 deadline to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or seek an exemption, citing a government mandate for federal contractors.
The constitutionality of broad government mandates is up in the air. A federal court in Georgia blocked the contractor mandate earlier this month, but the government is appealing.
Intel will review employees’ exemption requests until March 15. Chief People Officer Christy Pambianchi said employees who don’t receive an exemption will begin unpaid leave on April 4 for at least three months but “will not be terminated.”