Changes coming for Arizona’s unemployment insurance program

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Thousands of Arizonans have fallen victim to identity theft during the pandemic, resulting in delayed or denied payments and financial devastation. One expert tells the Arizona Daily Star that a simple modernization and security upgrade to Arizona’s decades-old unemployment insurance program could have saved victims the trouble and also saved the state billions of dollars in fraudulently obtained funds, according to the Arizona Daily Star. A plan to do that is underway. The state Department of Economic Security will begin accepting proposals this month for a contract to one or multiple companies to modernize the unemployment insurance benefits system.