Md. labor chief: Problems paying jobless claims probably derailed fraud attempts

Computer system problems that delayed payment of thousands of unemployment benefit claims during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic were unavoidable and saved the state hundreds of millions in potentially fraudulent payments, Maryland’s secretary of labor told lawmakers Tuesday. Tiffany Robinson defended her agency during a hearing on two legislative audits that found problems with both how the state paid claims and how it ensured businesses properly paid into the system. The outgoing secretary, speaking to members of the Joint Committee on Legislative Audits, told lawmakers the state had no choice but to fight fraudsters even as it means significant delays in paying “honest claimants.”