West Virginia Inmates Paid Unemployment Benefits

{West Virginia}...A legislative audit released Tuesday says around $150,000 in unemployment benefits were paid over the last three years on behalf of West Virginia claimants who were either in prison or jail. Auditors had WorkForce West Virginia check the Social Security numbers of all inmates during the time period, and the agency, which oversees unemployment compensation, found it had paid 700 weeks' worth of benefits on behalf of at least 26 inmates. In one case, the benefits ran for a total of two and a half years. Auditors say some claims could have been filed by family members. WorkForce West Virginia's fraud unit continues to investigate.