Bill Would Allow Missourians to Keep Portion of Overpaid Unemployment Benefits

A bill passed yesterday in Jefferson City by the Special Committee on Government Oversight would allow Missourians to keep the portion of overpaid unemployment benefits that came from federal stimulus package money.

Around one hundred fifty million dollars in unemployment benefits have been overpaid in Missouri since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the Missouri Department of Labor.

The average overpayment was four thousand five hundred dollars, and recipients of the overpayments received letters stating they owed that money back.

The bill has bipartisan support and specifies that recipients of overpayment from federal aid do not have to pay back the amount if they did not commit fraud.

The bill will now go before the House.