1. UI Integrity / Improper Payments Joint Federal/State Task Force
State Presentation:
TEXAS
June 23, 2011

2. Areas of National Focus:
Separations
Separation overpayment errors are attributed to a lack of adequate information from employers, third party representatives, and/or claimants.
To address this issue Texas plans to:
Implement SIDES separation application (Sept 2011)
Add to the Employer Tax Rate presentation a section on responding to UI claims and earnings verification requests (Fall 2011)

3. Area of National Focus To address this issue Texas plans to:
Benefit Year Earnings (BYE)
Benefit year earnings overpayment errors are due to unreported/underreported earnings.
To address this issue Texas plans to:
Modify the New Hire process
Accelerate the new hire process (August 2011)
Capture a hire date from the claimant/employer by phone or online employment service system (WorkInTexas.com) (August 2011)
Expand return-to-work programming to place a hold on a continued claim (Fall 2011)
Participate in SIDES earnings

4. State-Specific Root Causes
ES Registration/ Work Search
ES registration and Work Search overpayment errors are attributed to claimants failing to:
register for work search in the state where they reside.
meet the work search requirement.
To address these issues Texas plans to:
Develop an interstate claimant auto-registration process. Texas is piloting the process with Louisiana. (Fall 2011)
Reinstate an agency-wide work search verification process (Aug 2011)
Deliver an integrity message to claimants who attend a scheduled profiling meeting and Reemployment Eligibility Assessment (REA). (Spring 2012)

5. Everybody Owns Integrity
“Everyone Owns Integrity” (EOI) campaign
Give agency employees a unified message promoting UI integrity. To do this Texas plans to:
Develop a message focused on BYE, responding to separation and earnings requests, and meeting work search requirements (such as the reinstatement of agency wide work search verification) (Fall 2011)
Deliver EOI training to all UI staff (Fall 2011)
Explore adding to existing yearly CBT Fraud/Waste/Abuse training (Spring 2012)

6. Communications Communications Strategies:
Improve customer awareness in the areas of BYE, responding to separation and earnings requests, and meeting work search requirements.
To do this Texas plans to:
Update messages on TWC Internet pages as part of the website redesign. Review and update messages on the Tele- Center Automated Call Distribution (ACD) system and Tele- Serv, TWC’s automated telephone system. (Fall 2011)
Utilize social media (Twitter, Facebook) (Spring 2012)
Expand “Spotlight on Unemployment” fact sheet series on the TWC Internet (Fall 2011)

7. Communications, continued

8. Communications, continued

9. Summary and Q&A
Texas is committed to preventing overpayments by improving processes, customer communication, reducing errors, and initiating the Everyone Owns Integrity Campaign.
Questions?
State Contact for follow-up:
Leslie Geballe:
Phone: