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Between February 24 and March 9, 2021, only small businesses and non-profits with fewer than twenty employees could apply for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Our data shows more than 436,438 loans totaling $13.8 billion were approved during that two-week window.

Millions of Americans have struggled to pay rent during the pandemic, and now face the possibility of eviction. To help meet this need, Congress created the Emergency Rental Assistance program in December 2020, making $24 billion available to state and local governments to help households pay rent or utilities.

We work with data every day and know that it can be confusing and complicated. So, we’ve launched a new feature: Data Stories to tell the story of one data point and why it matters.

The PRAC’s Data Sharing Working Group recently collaborated with subject matter experts from government agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia to share the data tools and techniques they use to help protect pandemic relief dollars.

The Inspectors General (IG) community is committed to holding those who defraud the American public accountable. Offices of Inspectors General (OIGs) and their investigators have been central in bringing charges against 250 of the 474 who allegedly defrauded the Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, and Unemployment Insurance.

Expansion of unemployment programs and the easing of some eligibility requirements under the CARES Act have led to increased fraud – especially identity theft. Some people who would not have normally been eligible to receive regular unemployment benefits became eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). In addition, U.S. Department of Labor rules allowed people to receive benefits prior to their filing claims.

The Department of Labor’s (DOL) budget increased significantly in FY2020, due in large part to additional funding for programs created or augmented due to COVID-19. As the office responsible for overseeing these funds– $400 billion for 2020 – the DOL Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG) created a Pandemic Rapid Response Team to combat fraud, waste, and abuse.

The Internal Revenue Service has been sending out the second round of stimulus payments that were part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Act of 2021.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved coronavirus vaccines for distribution, and scammers around the world are trying to lure you into falling victim to their fraudulent schemes. Protect yourself and your loved ones from these potential scams.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) made $150 billion in Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) available to states, eligible local governments, Tribal governments, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Territories. These prime recipients are spending the money on necessary expenses due to the impact of the pandemic.