DOES Announces New System for Filing Unemployment Claims - Releases

(Washington, DC) The District of Columbia Department of Employment Services (DOES) announced the implementation of a new Unemployment Insurance (UI) Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system that promises to make filing claims for unemployment insurance benefits easy and convenient.

Through the use of the telephone, claimants can file for unemployment benefits, enroll for direct deposit of benefits, access information for the last four weeks of their claims, as well as access tax data on the preceding calendar year’s Form 1099. This information is available 24 hours per day, seven days a week.

Gregg Irish, Director of the Department of Employment Services, noted that the new IVR system is part of an on-going effort to ensure that unemployed workers encounter a seamless process in returning to the workforce. “Our continuous efforts to improve workforce systems, particularly those relative to unemployment insurance, are indicative of our unwavering commitment to serve the citizens and businesses in the District of Columbia,” said Director Irish.

The District of Columbia is one of the few UI systems in the country to offer claimants access to unemployment information through the Internet, telephone and mail. In 2005, DOES enhanced its automated Benefit Systems to generate notices of review, interviews, appeal hearings, overpayments, and interstate claim records; and its automated Tax Systems to generate timely notices to employers who were delinquent in paying taxes and penalties or filing quarterly reports.

The Office of Unemployment Compensation operates under the Workforce Development Bureau of the Department of Employment Services. To access the Department of Employment Services IVR system, claimants can dial (202) 724-7000 or (877) 319-7346 and then make the appropriate selection from the menu of services.