Ensuring support for unemployment insurance claimants

Unemployment is often unexpected and always unsettling, and it can happen for any number of reasons. Take, for instance, the recent devastation from Hurricane Beryl in Texas, or last summer’s widespread wildfires in Hawaii. In both cases, the Department of Labor partnered with states to offer both online and in-person government-operated identity verification services to individuals who file for unemployment benefits.  

Support for Unemployed Workers

Approximately 230,000 people file for unemployment insurance (UI) each week in the United States. The process can vary depending on where you live, but one requirement remains the same: Each state needs a way for individuals to prove their identity. In some areas, that could mean going to a state’s American Job Center, which could be hours away. More than a year ago, the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and its Office of the Chief Information Officer stood up this centralized option for states to lessen the burden for communities that don’t have reliable access to high-speed internet or individuals who face long distance travel to an approved office. We addressed the need by developing the National UI Identification Verification Program with two pathways: 

• Online ID verification through General Service Administration’s secure login.gov.
• In-person ID verification at a United States Postal Service location, one of which can be found within 10 miles of 99% of the U.S. population.

The program first launched in the state of Arkansas in March of 2023. Since then, the program has expanded to 14 states – including Texas and Hawaii – with more than 389,000 claimants served.

Through Fire and Rain

In Hawaii, when fires damaged or destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in August 2023, the Department of Labor quickly deployed both ID verification services within days. Employers and employees who couldn’t safely go to work could efficiently verify their identity at a local post office or at login.gov to file for UI benefits. The Department partnered with Hawaii to support nearly 33,000 individuals during this acute time.

In Texas, when hurricane force winds and heavy rains flooded Gulf Coast communities, the department’s ID verification service through USPS had just launched about two-and-a-half weeks earlier. Nearly 2,300 people were able to access identity verification services after Beryl made landfall on July 8.

Examples like these reinforce the department’s mission to protect and support America’s workforce, and the effect of the National UI ID Verification Program has been profound. In addition to serving unemployment claimants and state partners, our work has received community and industry recognition for its impact, including the 2024 Service to the Citizen Award, the 2024 American Business “Stevie” Awards and the 2023 GITEC Digital Experience Awards.

Expanding ID Verification Services 

The Department of Labor is working to expand UI ID verification services with USPS and/or login.gov to more states. We are also studying the effectiveness and equity of the program with the goal of increasing access, improving the timeliness of benefits payments, and reducing the risk of fraud and abuse in the UI program.

Ramki Sockalingam is an IT project manager for digital transformation at the U.S. Department of Labor. Follow OCIO on LinkedIn. Are you interested in joining the OCIO Team? View available positions and apply today!