TOPEKA — A report issued Wednesday by the Legislature’s auditing division estimates up to $600 million in fraudulent unemployment claims may have been paid out during the pandemic.
The estimate is based on 157,000 initial claims flagged in the past 12 months by the Kansas Department of Labor as possible fraud. The agency disputed the audit’s methods and conclusions.
Republicans questioned whether the agency acted quickly or effectively enough to respond to fraud warnings as unemployment claims drained 75% of the state’s trust fund.
