Thread by @propublica

The unemployment system is supposed to help workers make ends meet.

But it can also lead workers into serious debt.

Here’s how it happens (THREAD):

2/ If a unemployment agency accidentally pays you benefits that it later decides you are not eligible for, it can ask for the money back. It doesn’t matter if the money has long been spent, or if the mistake was the agency's fault.

3/ Unemployment agencies pursue workers with aggressive collection practices: they can file a lien on your property, or intercept your tax refunds. They can shut you off from collecting benefits again in the future.

4/ And because of the extra $600 boost to benefits this year, these overpayments can be extraordinarily high, running over $10,000.

5/ For the jobless Americans who depend on these benefits as their lifeline, finding out that they were never eligible for them to begin with is a devastating blow. Especially because most have long spent this money on housing, food, and rent.

6/ “The debt is worse than having never been paid at all,” said one worker who received unemployment benefits only to be told he owed the agency nearly $15,000 back.

Here’s the full story by @AvaKofman propublica.org/article/he-mad…

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