[njarboe]

It is estimated that the state of California paid out more than $30 billion in fraudulent COVID related unemployment benefits. At this point these systems can be massively cheated when made easy (ie., no in-person application required). It has been estimated the 35% of unemployment claims are fraudulent[1]. Not just a few people unfortunately (or maybe just a few doing a huge amount of fraud, but fraud is a big problem).

[1] https://edd.ca.gov/siteassets/files/unemployment/pdf/fraud-i...

[jnovek]

Unemployment is a completely different beast from all of our other social programs in the US. In a relative sense, it’s brainlessly easy to get on unemployment.

Lumping all social programs together and pointing out the one with the biggest fraud issue is disengenious —- e.g. the SSA reports that our disability programs have a fraud rate of less than 1%.

[KerrAvon]

The right answer to this is to prosecute the offenders, rather than implementing a rigorous means test process and shutting out people who might actually need help. It’s less efficient, but it’s the only humane option.

[slv77]

A lot of the fraud originated overseas with some of it from state sponsored groups. Prosecution is essentially impossible.

[Beldin]

$30 billion? In fraud - the total benefits for this one emergency expense amounting to about $90 billion? For a state of 40 million inhabitants?

Seems a tad steep.