BOSTON — Amid reports of monthslong missing unemployment checks and overpayments, state lawmakers are calling on the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) to do more to help residents.
The DUA claims a new pilot program will address missing checks and overpayments directly, but State Senator Bruce Tarr says the overload of caseload delays need more than just adjusted call center hours.
“It does not appear that it’s been addressed in a satisfactory way and that means that we need to double our efforts and I can tell you that for all of us, this is one of the main issues of constituents that we’ve been dealing with,” Tarr said.
Overpayment claims could be due to inaccurate reporting of availability to work or an employer’s protest of UI charges, according to a DUA spokesperson. The department says they’ve seen a historic uptick in claims in the last few weeks of June.
“Mortgages are at risk, or other important things and so we need to make sure we operate efficiently and I am not sure we are there yet, but we are willing to partner with whoever it takes to make it work better,” said Tarr.
Citing a strong partnership with the legislature, the DUA says staff met with house and senate members on Wednesday to discuss their pilot program, ways to improve processing claims, and other efforts to improve customer service as federal funds have declined.
“The legislature in both parties and in both branches is concerned about this and we need to find a way forward,” said Tarr.
Boston 25 News reached out to the DUA about specifics, like how many claims are currently pending as well as how many people were cited for overpayments in the last year.
We are waiting to hear back.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
