State offers free credit monitoring to those receiving unemployment compensation
Matt EnrightThe Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry is offering free services to those who are receiving unemployment compensation.
Claimants will soon receive correspondence with guidance on how to register for free credit monitoring to ensure the safety of their personal data.
The move was announced March 10 by L&I Secretary Jennifer Berrier in response to an investigation of elevated attempts by fraudsters to steal unemployment compensation.
"We know that Pennsylvanians place tremendous trust and confidence in our agency to serve them when they need help the most and to protect their tax dollars from misuse and theft. For all of us at L&I, this is a sacred responsibility, one that we have never and will never take lightly," Berrier said in a news release.
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L&I is partnering with Identity Theft Guard Solutions Inc. to offer eligible unemployment compensation claimants up to 12 months of credit monitoring, a $1 million insurance reimbursement policy and fully managed identity recovery services.
Letters regarding the process are being sent out by the department. Those letters will have the information required for registration and answers to possible questions, so the process cannot be started without the letter.
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Eligible individuals can register at https://response.idx.us/pauc/ or by calling 833-774-1231 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday. The deadline to enroll is June 8.
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"I encourage all eligible UC claimants to register for these free services because we all deserve the peace of mind that our personal information is safe," Berrier said in the release.
— Reach Matt Enright via email at menright@yorkdispatch.com or via Twitter at @Matthew_Enright.