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Benefit Rights Summary

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Unemployment Insurance Policy / Benefit Rights Summary Statement

 

The process for filing your claim for Unemployment Insurance Benefits has been successfully completed. A claimant ID number will be assigned to you for claims identification. You may be required to provide additional identification and verification information.  Currently, your claim is under review to determine if you are eligible to be paid benefits.  Payment options will be through secured free Debit Card or Direct Deposit.  A Debit Card will be mailed to you unless you have previously been issued an MDES Debit Card.

Important Debit Card Information:

The MDES Debit Card has no monthly fees, no fees for purchases, or no fees for cash-back (with a purchase or at a bank teller window). However, certain fees apply when using the Debit Card (ex: ATM Balance Inquiries, phone balance inquiries over monthly allotment, ATM Cash Withdrawals or for a replacement card). You may avoid some of these fees by visiting www.goprogram.com for balance and transaction history information. You will receive detailed information regarding your MDES Debit Card in the mail. If a replacement Debit Card is necessary, contact the card provider, Conduent at 1-855-709-1077.

Important Direct Deposit Information:

To obtain Direct Deposit into your checking account, you must log in at www.mdes.ms.gov under Unemployment Claims, select Online Unemployment Services, select Benefits Maintenance tab, select Update Claimant Profile tab, and then select Payment options tab. You must email the front and back of a voided check, Driver License or State Issued Identification Card and Social Security Card to directdeposit@mdes.ms.gov.

 

TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS YOU MUST:

  1. Be unemployed through no fault of your own.

  2. Be able, available, and actively seeking full time work.

  3. Serve a one week waiting period (benefits cannot be paid for this waiting period week).

  4. Be registered for work at the WIN Job Center if you are not scheduled to return to work within 30 days. If you live outside of Mississippi, you must register for work with the state workforce agency where you reside within 9 days from filing your MS claim if you are not scheduled to return to work within 30 days.

 

To Maintain Eligibility:


You must timely file a weekly certification online at www.mdes.ms.gov or via the MDES Mobile App, 2FileUI.  The UI Online System and Mobile App are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To file a weekly certification using UI Online System and Mobile App you will need to establish a user ID and password.

Each week starts at 12:01 am on Sunday and ends at midnight on the following Saturday. Your weekly certification should be filed timely as soon as possible after the Saturday week-ending date. UI System will only accept the most recently completed calendar week. Assistance with Telecommunications for the Deaf (TDD) is available by calling 1-800-229-5746 for English and 1-866-260-9470 for Spanish.

You must remain able to work and available for work. While filing weekly certifications to obtain benefits, you must answer whether or not you are physically able and available for work. All illnesses and disabilities must be reported.

You must be actively seeking full time work each week.  You must make three employer contacts each week. An application must be completed with at least one of the employer contacts. The work search details and results have to be reported to MDES.  Part-time workers are required to provide weekly work search details.  Note: You will receive the Work Search Requirements in a separate notification.

You will be required to report periodically to a WIN Job Center for a review of your eligibility and to provide information regarding your job search.

You must report any offer of work that you refused during the week that you refused the work.

If you return to work full-time, you must advise MDES of the date you returned to work. Do not wait until you receive your first paycheck.

If you work part-time, you may continue filing your weekly certifications but you must report all your earnings. Earnings from part-time work should be reported during the week earned, not when you are paid for the work. Any earnings over $200 will be deducted from your weekly benefit amount, until September 26, 2020.

You must notify MDES and report all pension and/or retirement pay received. Your benefits may be reduced by child support obligations, pensions contributed to by your employer (excluding Social Security) and any earnings reported by you.

You must report a change of address even after you stop filing or exhaust your benefits. If you relocate to another state, you must register for work with the state workforce agency within 9 days.
          

Anyone making a false statement or withholding facts to increase or obtain benefits to which he is not entitled is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by fine or imprisonment, or both.

 

 

Disqualifications:                                                                                                                                


Your benefits may be delayed or denied if:

  1. You left work without good cause under the Law,

  2. You were discharged for misconduct connected with your work,

  3. You fail to apply for or accept suitable employment,

  4. You are unemployed because of a labor dispute,

  5. You are receiving a pension, toward which a base period employer contributed,

  6. You are receiving or seeking unemployment benefits from another State,

  7. You fail to make an active search for work,

  8. You fail to report for an appointment scheduled by the Department

 

RIGHT TO APPEAL

You have the right to appeal any appealable decision made by this Department within fourteen (14) calendar days of the Mail Date on the decision. Further appeal rights information will be included on any decision that affects your claim.

 

WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACT

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training and support services to succeed in the labor market.  Interested individuals should report to the nearest WIN Job Center or contact MDES at www.mdes.ms.gov.