Recommendation 9.25 –
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada should conduct a comprehensive analysis of Employment Insurance income benefit overpayments. Based on this analysis it should pursue all opportunities to identify overpayments and to maximize their recovery, where it is cost effective to do so.

HRSDC agrees with this recommendation and takes its responsibility seriously to ensure that overpayments related to the Employment Insurance program are effectively addressed.  The Department will build on work undertaken to date to deepen its understanding of overpayments through conducting a comprehensive analysis on Employment Insurance overpayments and their net impact on the EI Operating Account by January 2014. Upon completion of the analysis, a workplan will be developed by June 30, 2014.

High

·      To further build on the knowledge acquired through work undertaken to date, the Department will conduct a comprehensive analysis of Employment Insurance (EI) overpayments to deepen its understanding of the causes of overpayments and their net impact on the EI Operating Account. This analysis will utilize, amongst other sources, the outcomes from the EI stewardship review and Payment Accuracy Review and will include:

o  Trend analysis and other characteristics on age of overpayments reaching statutory limitations either awaiting adjudication or established in the departmental accounts receivable system;

o  Options to integrate collection recovery success into the existing investigative predictive model;

o  Clarification of roles/accountabilities, performance measurement and reporting related to the HSRDC-CRA MOU, to analyze the factors leading to successful EI overpayment collection in consultation with CRA.

·         Based on this analysis, develop a workplan, which includes consideration of trial activities where appropriate, that will ensure that all opportunities to prevent and identify overpayments and to maximize their recovery are pursued, where it is cost effective to do so.

ISB

PPSB

CFOB

January 31, 2014

June 30, 2014