Employment Insurance Telephone Information Service
The Employment Insurance Telephone Information Service is an automated telephone service that provides general and more specific information on the EI program. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
When you call, you can use self-service options to:
- submit electronic reports
- get information on benefits, including your specific claim
To get more information or make changes to your claim, you may speak with an EI representative during business hours.
For information about Canada Emergency Response Benefit claims filed with Service Canada, please also contact this telephone service. Please note that the period to apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit is now closed.
To access information about your claim, you will need your SIN and access code, which you will find on the benefit statement that is mailed to you after you apply for benefits.
Toll-Free: 1-800-206-7218
The hours of operation are 8:30;am to 4:30;pm local time, Monday to Friday.
Average wait times
Our service standard is to answer your call within 10 minutes. Please see below for our average wait times for the week of September 6, 2021.
This is the average length of time that callers wait in queue before speaking to an agent.
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Protecting your information
You now need to show valid ID and answer verification questions at Service Canada Centres to access your file.
Examples of accepted ID include:
Are You Eligible For Unemployment
First, make sure you are eligible for unemployment. While it varies based on your state, you generally need two things to qualify. First, you need to have lost your job through no fault of your own. It typically means you are ineligible if you quitalthough there are exceptions, like if you quit because of impossible work conditions. If you are fired for cause, you also are likely ineligible.
You also have to have been employed for a minimum amount of time or have earned a minimum amount in compensation.
Once you find out whether you are eligible, you can file a claim for unemployment benefits. If you’re not sure about your eligibility, check with your state unemployment office. You don’t want to lose out on unemployment compensation because you didn’t think you would qualify.
What Is The Process And Timeline For Reviewing My Unemployment Claim
Once your claim is filed, OESC must first determine if you are monetarily eligible for benefits.; We may need to request wages from other states, complete investigations on missing wages, request federal agency or military wages, or adjust your claims base period to accurately determine monetary eligibility.;
Once determined monetarily eligible, we will review your claim to determine if you are allowed benefits under the Oklahoma Employment Security Act. The U.S. Department of Labor has established that this eligibility determination should be issued within 21 days of a claim becoming monetarily eligible. After a determination is met, you will be mailed a letter detailing the decision and further information.
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Pua Payments Will Stop If You Are Or Were Eligible For Peuc
One reason why some unemployment claimants are seeing their payments stop is because Claimants currently receiving PUA benefits who previously exhausted PEUC benefits may only collect PUA if they have exhausted any entitlement to PEUC. Because the Continued Assistance Act also increased the maximum amount of benefits available under the PEUC program, claimants actively filing for PUA with a previous PEUC claim are no longer eligible to receive PUA.
So if your PUA claim stopped suddenly or has gone to zero balance, this is why! You need to file a PEUC claim to get the extensions if your state UI agency hasnt already notified you to do so.
How To Check Your Irs Transcript For Clues About Your Refund
The IRS says;eligible individuals should’ve received Form 1099-G from their state unemployment agency showing in Box 1 the total unemployment compensation paid in 2020. Some states may issue separate forms depending on the jobless benefits — for example, if you received federal pandemic unemployment assistance, or PUA.;
One way to know if a refund has been issued is to wait for the letter that the IRS is sending taxpayers whose returns are corrected. Those letters, issued within 30 days of the adjustment, will tell you if it resulted in a refund or if it was used to offset debt. The IRS says not to call the agency.;
You can try the IRS online tracker applications, aka the;Where’s My Refund;tool and the;Amended Return Status tool, but they may not provide information on the status of your unemployment tax refund.;
An immediate way to see if the IRS processed your refund is by viewing your tax records online. You can also request a copy of your transcript by mail or through the IRS’ automated phone service by calling 1-800-908-9946.;
Here’s how to check your tax transcript online:
1. Visit IRS.gov and log in to your account. If you haven’t opened an account with the IRS, this will take some time as you’ll have to take multiple steps to confirm your identity.
2. Once logged in to your account, you’ll see the Account Home page. Click;View Tax Records.
3. On the next page, click the Get Transcript button.
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What If I Forget To File My Weekly Certification
Weekly certifications must be filed within fourteen days of the week ending date to be considered timely.; Weekly certifications which are filed untimely may not be paid.
Contact our Unemployment Service Center at if you encounter any problems when filing your weekly claim. Additionally, you may also visit one of our local;Oklahoma Works offices to receive assistance.
Receive Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fast With Direct Deposit
What is direct deposit?
Direct deposit is the electronic transfer of Unemployment Insurance payment into a personal bank account. Direct deposit is a safe, convenient and fast way to receive benefits. When direct deposit is chosen as the payment method, the bank account holder is giving the Department of Labor Workforce Development permission to credit the designated bank account.
What do I need to sign up?
The 9 digit bank routing number, bank account number and the account type; checking or savings. Use a personal check or contact the bank to obtain this information. The routing and account numbers may appear in different places on a personal check. If uncertain, contact the bank to get the correct routing number, account number and to verify the bank accepts electronic fund transfers.
How do I sign up?
Login to my.alaska.govUnemployment Insurance Benefits to start, change or re-activate a direct deposit account. Or sign-up for direct deposit through the telephonic filing system called “VICTOR” and choose option #3.
Must my bank be located in Alaska?
No. Deposits may be transferred to almost any bank, credit union or savings and loan located in the United States. Contact the bank for specific questions regarding their direct deposit procedures.
How long does it take to verify my account information?
Sign up as soon as possible to avoid delays. Verification can take 10 to 14 days.
When can I expect my payment to be deposited to my bank account?
Links
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What Was Included With The Cares Act And What Were The Effective Dates
The CARES Act created three new unemployment programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation provided an additional $600 per week to an individual’s weekly benefit amount between 3/29/20 and 7/25/20.
- Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation provided up to 13 weeks of extended unemployment benefits between 3/29/20 and 12/26/20 to individuals who had exhausted their traditional Unemployment Insurance benefits.
- Pandemic Unemployment Assistance provided 39 weeks of unemployment benefits between 2/2/20 and 12/26/20 to self-employed, contract, and gig workers who are typically not eligible for Unemployment Insurance benefits
Unemployment Text Scam: How To Avoid
This Unemployment Text Scam is one of the millions of phishing scams out there. There are many other schemes based on the same principle. On every suspicious site, you find a form that requires filling out your personal information. In other cases, you can open files that enable macros which, n turn, download malware onto your PC. What can you do? Check to see if the website they promote is legit. Lets see how you could do it.
If you feel a website might be suspicious, feel free to verify it using our unique Scam Detector website validator below:
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What Is The 2020 Unemployment Tax Break About
The first thing to know is that refunds would only go to taxpayers who received jobless benefits last year and paid taxes on that money before the provision in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The tax break is for those who earned less than $150,000 in;adjusted gross income;and for unemployment insurance received during 2020. At this stage, unemployment compensation received this calendar year will be fully taxable on 2021 tax returns.;
The $10,200 tax break is the amount of income exclusion for single filers,;not;the amount of the refund . The amount of the refund will vary per person depending on overall income, tax bracket and how much earnings came from unemployment benefits. So far, the refunds are averaging more than $1,600.;
However, not everyone will receive a refund. The IRS can seize the refund to cover a;past-due debt, such as unpaid federal or state taxes and child support. One way to know if a refund has been issued is to wait for the letter that the IRS is sending taxpayers whose returns are corrected. Those letters, issued within 30 days of the adjustment, will tell you if it resulted in a refund or if it was used to offset debt.;
Refunds will go out as a direct deposit if you provided bank account information on your 2020 tax return. A direct deposit amount will likely show up as;IRS TREAS 310 TAX;REF. Otherwise, the refund will be mailed as a paper check to whatever address the IRS has on hand.;
Are Unemployment Benefits Taxable
All unemployment benefits are taxable. Individuals who filed for and received unemployment benefits will receive a 1099-G tax form from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.;
When you file for unemployment, you have the option to choose to have taxes taken out at the time benefits are paid. If you opt to have the deductions taken out of your unemployment benefits, the standard deduction used is 10% for Federal taxes, and 3% for State taxes. When filing your yearly income taxes, you will include the 1099-G as part of your income documents and report accordingly.
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If You Received A Message To Use Idme
The deadline has passed to use ID.me to verify your identity. We will determine your eligibility for benefits based on the information available and mail you a Notice of Determination.
If you are disqualified from receiving benefits, you have the right to appeal the decision within 30 days of the mailing date on your Notice of Determination. Visit Unemployment Insurance Appeals for more information on the process.
You May See These Codes On Your Tax Transcript: 971 846 And 776
Some taxpayers who’ve accessed their transcripts report seeing different tax codes, including 971 , 846 and 776 . Others are seeing code;290;along with “Additional Tax Assessed” and a $0.00 amount. Since these codes could be issued in a variety of instances, including for stimulus checks and other tax refunds or adjustments, it’s best to consult the IRS or a tax professional about your personalized transcript.;
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You Might Not Have Provided The Right Payment Profile
Perhaps your delay is as simple as not providing a preferred payment method for your weekly benefit. When you first apply for benefits, youre also asked to provide information about your bank, including your routing and account numbers for direct deposit.
Labor Department officials have said that having a bank account on file can speed the process, but thats not possible for the near 25 percent of U.S. households who are either unbanked or underbanked. In those instances, your state department might be preparing a debit card or prepaid card that you can specifically use to access your benefits, but thats only going to take time.
You May Be Missing Documents In Your Application
While every state has individual documentation requirements, most applicants are generally required to submit their Social Security number, drivers license, information about their employer, reason for leaving, first and last day worked, among other questions.
If youre missing any of these documents or forgot to include something with your application that your individual state specifically requests, it might be holding up your claims.
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What Is Included In Arp
The American Rescue Plan added an extension to Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation claims that increases the number of benefit weeks available and extends the effective dates of these programs from 3/14/21 to 9/4/21.
This legislation also extended the $300 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation weekly benefit for all claim types. Unlike the Lost Wage Assistance Program that ran between 8/1/20 and 9/5/20, these FPUC payments do not require the $100 minimum benefit amount. Claimants receiving any amount of benefits from UI, PEUC, or PUA are eligible for the weekly $300 for FPUC.
How Will The Payment Be Issued
If youre receiving unemployment compensation, the $300 will be added to your weekly benefits. In many cases, this is by direct deposit, but some recipients get their money via debit card or paper check. If you want to change the way your benefits are paid, you can usually do this through your state unemployment office.
For those who arent receiving unemployment compensation, PEUC is typically paid one of two ways: direct deposit or prepaid debit card. The unemployment office will use the last method of compensation to deposit your PEUC funds. If you received your previous payments by debit card, the funds will be deposited to that card unless you request direct deposit when you sign up for PEUC.
One great option for direct deposit is . Once you have an account, you can direct your unemployment benefits to go directly to that account. Chime will even give you access to your funds as much as two days earlier than what theyd normally be available. So if youre eager to get it, this could be a way to consistently receive those weekly payments a couple of days early.
Chime Disclosure – Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by, and debit card issued by, The Bancorp Bank or Stride Bank, N.A.; Members FDIC.
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Contact Your State Unemployment Office
In most cases, it can be valuable to get through to your state unemployment office and speak with a representative. They can help you identify any pain points in your application and perhaps speed up the process for you, though some filers have been having trouble getting through to speak with an agent amid massive job loss nationwide.
If youre still waiting on an approval, it might also be worth a shot to reach out and see if they can review your application while youre on the phone. That might help you obtain those extra benefits, depending on what state you live in, before they run out.
For those who are still struggling to receive payments, they should do their best to get in touch with a real person in the agency responsible to understand the source of the bottleneck, Hamrick says. If that effort isnt successful, contact a local or state elected official to ask for their assistance to try to break through the logjam.
How Long Does It Take To Get Unemployment Money On My Debit Card
The time it takes to get your first payment via debit card depends on where you live. For example, it can take four weeks for someone in Texas to receive their first payment, while recipients in Washington state can expect to receive it about two weeks after being approved for benefits. Your state should tell you when you can expect the payment to be added to your card’s balance.
Once your benefits begin, most states send payments every two weeks after you have certified your continued eligibility for unemployment benefits. This means that you either call into a voicemail system or log in online and answer questions about whether you have been employed, any money that you have earned and whether you have made efforts to find a new job. Every state is different, but in many cases, a deposit will be made within a day or two after you certify.
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Your Unemployment Department Is Still Verifying Your Bank Account
Once youre sure that your direct deposit information is correct, you may still have to wait a couple of weeks to start getting your payments while your unemployment department verifies your bank account. In Massachusetts, for example, this process takes nine business days. During that time, the department puts your benefits on hold, and you dont get paid.
Unemployment Compensation Exclusion Worksheet Schedule 1 Line 8
a. Yes. Stop You can’t exclude any of your employment compensationb. No. Go to line 8
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