KNWA FOX24

Missouri wants woman to repay $8,000 in pandemic unemployment funds

ST. LOUIS — The State of Missouri asked a St. Louis woman to repay pandemic unemployment funds that she received from the state.

Lacheka Harris is an unemployed, disabled, mother of two. She said she can not afford to repay.

Harris as many Missourians received state and federal pandemic unemployment funds to help get them through the COVID-19 crisis. Now, Missouri wants some of the money back that it says was overpaid.

She said she followed all the rules and she can’t understand the state’s latest move demanding repayment.

“It’s been emotionally draining. On top of that, it’s been very tough on me,” said Harris. It just has not been the best time. I’ve still got to maintain a household. I got two girls in the house. I got to be strong for them.”

She said she’s asked everyone she could think of for help before finally contacting FOX 2’s You Paid For It Team.

Harris has hundreds of pages, of documents for her case as she fights through appeals hoping for a break.

This is an issue that’s impacted thousands of Missourians. It reached the point that the Missouri House of Representatives passed legislation to give families a pass on paying back the money to the state. The legislation did not pass in the Missouri Senate.

Many families were unsure of what to do. The Missouri Department of Labor with the support of Governor Parson seemed to aim at collecting the overpaid funds.

The federal government gave poor families a waiver on repaying pandemic funds.