A one-stop, claimant-centric redress model was proposed. Image: wk1003mike/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffIdentity theft was a key ingredient in the high rates of fraud in pandemic relief programs but “at the federal level there is no central entity responsible for holistically aiding and supporting victims throughout the redress process,” the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee has said.
“Despite the magnitude of individuals impacted by this crime during the pandemic and the significant toll it takes on victims to clean up their personal credit scores, address tax consequences, and in some cases prove their eligibility for rightful benefits, many federal and state benefits agencies struggle to help victims resolve these complicated issues,” a report said.
The committee, a council of agency inspectors general, said that a contractor it hired to gauge people’s experiences found the redress processes to be “burdensome, messy, confusing, isolating, and frustrating.”
The report proposes “a one-stop, claimant-centric redress model that enables victims to easily report identity fraud and receive support throughout the redress process. Such a model would require agencies to assist in a comprehensive manner while reducing the burden on the victims to resolve the issue themselves.”
It said that process could include: matching data to verify identity and eligibility for government programs; establishing interagency data sharing agreements consistent with applicable laws and regulations; establishing common practices and definitions across agencies through a national identity fraud task force to provide a consistent redress experience for victims; and making multiple channels available to victims.
The committee said it will “work with Executive Branch officials and Congress” on the issue.
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