Verification of Social Security Numbers Could Prevent Unemployment Insurance Payments to Illegal Aliens

From the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Audit, Report Number: 04-98-001-03-315, Date Issued: March 2, 1998

The Office of Inspector General concludes in this report that: "SSN verification helps to ensure the integrity of the UI (Unemployment Insurance) system by preventing illegal aliens and other ineligible persons from using false identification to receive benefits. SSN verification also enables SESAs (State Employment Security Agencies) to comply with the Deficit Reduction Act of 1984 which requires that UI claimants provide their SSNs in order to receive benefits. We continue to recommend that benefits be delayed or deferred to individuals without valid SSNs."

This report details an analysis of benefits paid focusing on those benefits issued to undocumented workers in the states of Florida, North Carolina, Georgia and Texas. Page nine of the report cites that of the files examined, $2,052,780 in benefits were distributed to persons using unissued social security numbers on 2,342 claims. The report found that 54 percent of the claimants sampled whose status was confirmed were illegal aliens and that they had improperly received UI benefits.

On page ten, it is reported that an additional 585 claims were identified in which the claims were filed under deceased persons' SSNs with $1,153,895 benefits paid.