If you are out of work as a result of COVID-19, please review our key resource links and frequently asked questions to find out more about applying for unemployment and what you can expect after submitting a claim.
Your first payment will begin processing after a) you receive your eligibility determination AND b) you file your first weekly claim. We are working as quickly as possible to process a record number of claims. Currently, we are at least one week behind schedule in payment distribution. Each claim is important to us, and we understand the urgency of providing you with the resources you need to support your family. Please note:
Each claim is different, but sometimes unemployment applications are denied because the applicant didn’t earn at least $269 in the “base period” of their claim. This a requirement for traditional state unemployment benefits. Please refer to the Claimant Affidavit portion of your New Claim Instruction Sheet. It should show the information provided by the employer(s) during the base period for the claim. If the weeks and wages that are reported do not meet the minimum monetary requirement, the claim will be disallowed because it is considered to be “monetarily ineligible.” The Affidavit provides an opportunity for you to review the information that is being used to establish your claim. It also provides you with an opportunity to submit corrections.
If you believe your application was denied in error, you may file an appeal. Please read your determination letter for instructions on how to do so. You will need to provide the number of weeks that you worked, plus supporting documentation of your wages (such as pay stubs).
In addition, even if you are ineligible for traditional unemployment, you may be eligible for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program offered through the federal CARES Act. Visit unemploymenthelp.ohio.gov/expandedeligibility for updates.
We apologize for your difficulties. The high claims volume has slowed processing times, but our unemployment team is working hard to process claims and distribute payments as quickly as possible. They are adding more customer service representatives and have expanded call center hours to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays. In addition, all benefits will be retroactive to the date claimants became eligible.
Please know that each claim is important to us. We understand the frustration the website and call center issues have caused during what is already a stressful time. We also understand the urgency of providing Ohioans with the resources they need to support their families. We are grateful for everyone's patience as we build our capacity to process this unprecedented number of claims and assist all the Ohioans who need help.
It may take 24 hours before you can view some correspondence. Typically, you will be able to view it once you receive an email notification that the correspondence is available. However, the high claims volume has caused delays in correspondence processing, and our system has sometimes generated email notifications before correspondence is available to view.
Additionally, if you have a correspondence that says it is a request for information, you will not be able to open it if the deadline for responding has passed.
The additional $600 per week will be paid via a separate weekly payment and will appear on your pay stubs with the designation "FAC". It will be paid until July 25, 2020 as long as you are still eligible for unemployment benefits. The first payment will include any retroactive payments for which you may be eligible, dating as far back as March 29, 2020.
It will be applied to multiple programs, including but not limited to regular unemployment benefits, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits, Trade benefits, and SharedWork Ohio benefits.
If you are receiving other federal benefits – such as Trade Readjustment Allowance (TRA) or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) – you must exhaust PEUC benefits before receiving benefits from other programs. You will receive a notification to file a PEUC application, and you must comply in order to receive future benefits. If you exhaust PEUC benefits, your claim may automatically convert to the appropriate program type, if eligible.
Please note: If you receive PEUC benefits, that could reduce what you are eligible to receive from other programs. For example, TRA is available for a maximum of 26 weeks.
Yes, unemployment benefits will be available for eligible Ohioans who are asked by a medical professional, local health authority, or employer to be isolated or quarantined because of COVID-19, even if they are not actually diagnosed with COVID-19.
Yes, unemployment benefits will be available for eligible Ohioans who lose their job due to their employer's loss of production caused by COVID-19.
You may be eligible for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program offered through the federal CARES Act. This program expands eligibility to those who were self-employed before the pandemic. For additional details, please visit unemploymenthelp.ohio.gov/expandedeligibility and follow our official accounts on Twitter and Facebook.
This depends how the employer reported the employee's wages. If the employer reported tips as part of the employee's wages, it would be reflected on his or her tax reporting and, therefore, the unemployment benefit would be based on wages with tips. If the employer did not include tips in reported wages, employees will need to file an affidavit with their tipped wages for ODJFS to review.
If you were employed for at least 20 weeks during the period beginning October 1, 2018, and ending September 30, 2019, and you earned an average weekly wage of $269 during the time you were employed, you may be eligible for unemployment benefits.
If you do not meet the $269 per week threshold, you may be eligible for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program offered through the federal CARES Act. For additional details, please visit unemploymenthelp.ohio.gov/expandedeligibility and follow our official accounts on Twitter and Facebook.
Individuals who are partially unemployed due to lack of work may be eligible for benefits. Any earnings from employment during the week claimed may reduce the amount of benefits paid. Earnings equal to or less than 20% of a claimant's weekly benefit amount will not reduce the amount of benefits paid. Earnings over 20% of the weekly benefit amount will reduce the benefit payment dollar for dollar. Earnings equal to or over the benefit amount will result in no benefits for that week.
Yes. The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was signed into law on March 27, created the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, which will provide an additional 13 weeks of benefits for those who have exhausted their benefits for the year. The benefit amount will be similar to traditional unemployment benefits, plus an additional $600. Necessary system programming to enable these payments is underway. Benefits will be retroactive to the date claimants became eligible. More information will be provided soon. In the meantime, follow our official accounts on Twitter and Facebook for updates.
Individuals who are laid off because of a COVID-19-related businesses closure may be eligible for benefits. Some child care facilities may be affiliated with churches or other organizations that are not required by law to pay unemployment insurance taxes. In those cases, the employee may not be covered.
No, this does not impact your unemployment benefits.
No. Unemployment benefits are available only if you are unemployed. Employees on FMLA through their employer are not unemployed.
You may be eligible for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program offered through the federal CARES Act. For additional details, please visit unemploymenthelp.ohio.gov/expandedeligibility and follow our official accounts on Twitter and Facebook.
Returning to work during the pandemic is a delicate balance of gradually re-opening the economy while providing safe working environments. ODJFS is required by law to ensure that unemployment benefits are issued in accordance with established eligibility requirements. We first encourage employers to engage in dialogue with an employee who expresses reluctance to return to work about the measures that employers are taking to help employees feel safe. It is our expectation that in most situations employers and employees will be able to work together to ensure a safe environment for employees to return to work. Individuals who feel that their workplace presents an unsafe working environment can report those conditions to their local health departments at this URL: https://odh.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/odh/find-local-health-districts.
The ODJFS process for determining whether to deny unemployment benefits for a refusal to return to work existed prior to the pandemic. The analysis centers around whether good cause exists for refusing an offer of suitable work. That determination involves these factors: prior training and work experience, wages and benefits, travel distance, shift and hours, health and physical fitness, and health and safety. Also as part of the process, facts will be sought from both the employer and employee, and each party will have an opportunity to appeal the decision to the Unemployment Compensation Review Commission.
Applying online is the quickest way to start receiving unemployment benefits. To apply online, go to unemployment.ohio.gov. Click here for a step-by-step guide to applying online. If you don't have access to a computer, you can apply by phone by calling 877-644-6562. Call center hours have been extended to Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Note that it is not possible to apply for unemployment benefits in person.
You will need:
If your PIN is not working or if you have been locked out, please call 1-866-962-4064 to verify your identity and request a new temporary PIN. Staff are available 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays.
Tips should be included in reported earnings. Employers report quarterly earnings, which include the tips that employees report for each pay period. Those reports are used to determine the claimant's average weekly wage. If the employer did not include tips in reported wages, employees will need to file an affidavit with their tipped wages for ODJFS to review.
You no longer need to include a mass-layoff number. If you submitted your application previously and did not include a mass-layoff number, your claim will still be processed and there is no need to adjust your application.
The only reason to appeal a denial of regular unemployment benefits is if you believe the decision was made in error. If you think you might be eligible for the PUA program, but you have an appeal for regular unemployment in process or you’re still waiting on your determination for regular unemployment, go ahead and apply for the PUA program. This will not negatively impact your existing application for regular unemployment benefits.
To apply for the PUA program, click here.
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Once you file your application for unemployment, you cannot claim a week of benefits until the week has ended on Saturday at midnight. Instructions for claiming your first week are included on the New Claim Instruction Sheet, which all claimants receive after their applications are processed. Please note that unemployment benefits will be retroactive to the time that you became eligible. Any delays in submitting an application will not affect the benefit amount you will receive.
No. If you submitted your application without including the mass-layoff number, you may be receiving these notifications. Please ignore them. Your application and weekly claims will still be processed. You do not need to adjust your application.
Call your local Social Security office. To find the number, visit https://secure.ssa.gov/ICON/main.jsp. When speaking with Social Security staff, request a "Numi Lite" form, which is a verification of your Social Security number. You can then email this form to UI_Respond@jfs.ohio.gov.
For the time being, you should continue with the application process using your former name. At the same time, you will need to submit proof of your name change, such as a copy of your Social Security card or your marriage license. You can send it either via email to UI_Respond@jfs.ohio.gov or by fax to 614-466-7449. It is recommended that you also include your former information in addition to the new information when sending in your request for a name change.
If you stop submitting claims for your weekly benefits, or if you earned more than your weekly benefit amount, you may need to restart your claim.
To restart your claim, log into your account at unemployment.ohio.gov during the first week you are unemployed or the first week that you have gross earnings less than your weekly benefit amount. If you wait more than seven days to restart your claim, you may lose benefits for any weeks of unemployment that occur before the restart date.
Once your application has been filed:
Every week, for the first 3 weeks, you must file a weekly unemployment claim in order to receive payment for that week. You should do this even if your claim has not yet been approved. If it is approved, you will then receive payment for those weeks.
If you selected email as your preferred correspondence method and direct deposit as your preferred payment method, you can continue to file weekly after the first 3 weeks. If you selected U.S. mail as your preferred correspondence method, you will be required to file biweekly.
Once your application has been processed, you will receive an eligibility determination by email or by mail (whichever way you opted to receive correspondence). The determination will state whether you qualify for benefits. We are working as quickly as possible to process a record number of claims. Currently, we are at least one week behind schedule in claims processing. Please be assured that your benefits will be retroactive to the time that you became eligible.
The fastest way to file your weekly claims is through your online account. For a step-by-step guide to filing your weekly claims online, click here. You may also call toll-free 1-877-644-6562 or TTY 1-614-387-8408 during regular business hours: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m..
You can calculate your estimated weekly payment by referencing page 19 of the Worker's Guide to Unemployment Insurance. In addition, the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act will provide an additional $600 a week from April 4 through July 25. The additional $600 per week will be paid via a separate weekly payment and will appear on your pay stubs with the designation "FAC".
Typically, claimants may receive up to 26 weeks of benefits per year. However, the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act will extend benefits up to 39 weeks. While we are waiting on additional guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor, please follow our official accounts on Twitter and Facebook for updates.
Yes.