(NewsNation) — If you’re laid off or fired, you may find you need to apply for unemployment benefits.
But some may be concerned about whether unemployment offices can access their bank account information. Can they?
Unemployment offices are intended to ensure those in need receive benefits, and to do so, the offices assess your financial situation.
Laws exist to protect the privacy of sensitive information like bank account information. Direct outside access to bank accounts is illegal, according to CountyOffice.org, unless consent or legal direction is given. Unemployment offices can, however, verify your income using government databases.
If a person is suspected of fraud, investigations may include looking at financial statements, but the office cannot freely access bank accounts.
