Per the Inspector General for Audit of the U.S. Department of Labor, 18.71% of unemployment benefits paid by the government in its 2021 fiscal year were improper payments. An improper payment is "any payment that should not have been made or that was made in an incorrect amount (including overpayments and underpayments)." Per the U.S. Government Accountability Office, "Once fraudulent or improper payments are made, the government is likely to only recover pennies on the dollar."