The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 21 : Labor

Chapter 017 : Unemployment Compensation

Subchapter 001 : General Benefits

• § 1347. Nondisclosure or misrepresentation

  (a) Any person who fails, without good cause, to make reasonable effort to secure suitable work when directed to do so by the employment office or the Commissioner and has received any amount as benefits under this chapter with respect to weeks for which the person is determined to be ineligible for such failure, and any person who by nondisclosure or misrepresentation by him or her, or by another, of a material fact (irrespective of whether such nondisclosure or misrepresentation was known or fraudulent) has received any amount as benefits under this chapter while any conditions for the receipt of benefits imposed by this chapter were not fulfilled in his or her case or while he or she was disqualified from receiving benefits, shall be liable for such amount. Notice of determination in such cases shall specify that the person is liable to repay to the Fund the amount of overpaid benefits, the basis of the overpayment, and the week or weeks for which such benefits were paid. The determination shall be made within three years from the date of such overpayment.

  (b) Any person who receives remuneration described in subdivision 1344(a)(5) of this title that is allocable in whole or in part to prior weeks during which he or she received any amounts as benefits under this chapter shall be liable for all such amounts of benefits or those portions of such amounts equal to the portions of such remuneration properly allocable to the weeks in question. Notice of determination in such cases shall specify that the person is liable to repay to the Fund the amount of overpaid benefits, the basis of the overpayment, and the week or weeks for which such benefits were paid. The determination shall be made within three years from the date of such overpayment or within one year from the date of receipt of the remuneration, whichever period is longer.

  (c) The person liable under this section shall repay such amount to the Commissioner for the Fund. In addition to the repayment, if the Commissioner finds that a person intentionally misrepresented or failed to disclose a material fact with respect to his or her claim for benefits, the person shall pay an additional penalty of 15 percent of the amount of the overpaid benefits. Any additional penalty amount collected shall be deposited in the Fund. Such amount may be collectible by civil action in the Superior Court, in the name of the Commissioner.

  (d) In any case in which under this section a person is liable to repay any amount to the Commissioner for the Fund, the Commissioner may withhold, in whole or in part, any future benefits payable to such person, and credit such withheld benefits against the amount due from such person until it is repaid in full, less any penalties assessed under subsection (c) of this section.

  (e) In addition to the foregoing, when it is found by the Commissioner that a person intentionally misrepresented or failed to disclose a material fact with respect to his or her claim for benefits and in the event the person is not prosecuted under section 1368 of this title and penalty provided in section 1373 of this title is not imposed, the person shall be disqualified and shall not be entitled to receive benefits to which he or she would otherwise be entitled after the determination for such number of weeks not exceeding 26 as the Commissioner shall deem just. The notice of determination shall also specify the period of disqualification imposed hereunder.

  (f) Interested parties shall have the right to appeal from any determination under this section and the same procedure shall be followed as provided for in subsection 1348(a) and section 1349 of this title. (Amended 1959, No. 329 (Adj. Sess.), § 22, eff. March 1, 1961; 1961, No. 210, § 15, eff. July 11, 1961; 1965, No. 74, eff. May 26, 1965; 1969, No. 205 (Adj. Sess.); 1973, No. 155 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. March 15, 1974; 1981, No. 86, § 14, eff. May 10, 1981; 1987, No. 100, § 3; 1993, No. 177 (Adj. Sess.), § 7; 1995, No. 96 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 1, 2; 1997, No. 101 (Adj. Sess.), § 4; 2011, No. 162 (Adj. Sess.), § E.401.2; 2013, No. 179 (Adj. Sess.), § E.400.1; 2017, No. 74, § 53.)