In response to the Department of Labor data breach in early February, the state released new details Wednesday about identity protection services for unemployment insurance claimants.
The services are open to all 100,000 Vermonters eligible to receive a 1099-G tax form from the state Department of Labor, which mailed thousands of the forms with the wrong Social Security numbers and names Jan. 29.
The labor department has sent envelopes to all the people who received a 1099 in the Jan. 29 mailing, asking them to return the form, even if their personal information was correct. Department officials said new, corrected tax forms are being printed.
The identity protection services are covered under Vermont’s insurance policy, leaving the state liable for a $250,000 deductible, Gov. Phil Scott said at a Covid-19 press briefing on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the governor’s office said it had selected Identity Theft Guard Solutions Inc. to provide services that include identity monitoring, some credit monitoring, identity theft insurance, and call center services. The service will last for 12 months.
Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington said he planned to send information to all claimants the week of Feb. 22, outlining the services offered by the state.
That’s not soon enough, lawmakers said Wednesday at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Economic Development.
“That’s not acceptable,” said Sen. Michael Sirotkin, D-Chittenden and chair of the committee. “At least get some preliminary word out to people.”
Brittney Wilson, a Scott administration staffer working with the labor department to correct the problems caused by the data breach, told Sirotkin that the department was taking time to verify the names and addresses and other data on its lists before moving along to notification.
“That continues to be our biggest hurdle,” she said.
“I’m concerned that people aren’t getting the message that it’s going live next week,” Sirotkin said. “Just give them some encouraging word that we’re on track and made the decision we’re going to pay for it.”
— Anne Wallace Allen
