Forgiving millions in excess unemployment benefits is no easy task in Connecticut

While lawmakers scramble to assist residents who have been told they must repay millions of dollars in excess unemployment benefits they collected — without fraud — during the pandemic, labor officials are warning that the matter is far more complex than many realize.

Two-thirds of the repayment obligations tallied to date are owed to the federal government, Department of Labor Commissioner Dante Bartolomeo told the legislature’s Appropriations Committee.

More important, the latest projection of what must be recouped — about $30 million — is based on a review of only about 40% of the applications for unemployment benefits filed between March 2020 and September 2021.

“That number will grow, simply because of the volume that we have,” Bartolomeo said.

Read more: https://www.courant.com/politics/hc-pol-connecticut-unemployment-forgiveness-20211107-y43dns3ntbhjxpsbppcxpjainy-story.html