Federal agencies made $125B in improper payments last year

Federal agencies made $125 billion in improper payments last year, including tax credits to people who didn't qualify, Medicare payments for treatments that might not be necessary and unemployment benefits for people who were actually working, said a government report released Monday.

Released by the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, the report found the level of improper payments was a new high after several years of declines, according to The Associated Press.

The errors were spread among 22 federal agencies, but Medicare, Medicaid and the earned income tax credit stood out, according to the report.

Read more from The Associated Press.