alt Hacker NewsIt has, as has similar efforts worldwide which also saw similar or worse levels of inflation. We were dealt a shit hand and the thinking was it's less pain overall compared to the alternative.
That said, the amount of fraud that was perpetuated here without any follow-through on enforcement is ... extremely not good.
I think lack of enforcement was a deliberate decision to get the money out faster.
If each claim was investigated closely before paying out, it may have resulted in higher unemployment and lower economic output.