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unemployment

Unemployment

We’re Open! We are excited to announce the grand opening of the Department of Employment Services (DOES)' newest American Job Center, located at 2201 Shannon Place SE, Washington, DC 20020.

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Apply for Benefits

This page provides step-by-step guidance on filing your unemployment insurance claim.

 

START YOUR APPLICATION

District employees may file for unemployment compensation at does.dcnetworks.org. Please note that DOES no longer accepts unemployment insurance (UI) claims by phone through the Contact Center. To submit a UI claim for the first time, please visit the DC Networks site. The agency has adopted this change as a security measure to protect your private information. Our online services provide additional layers of protection to ensure that all personal details provided to DOES are safe and uncompromised. Please view the End of Initial Claims Via Contact Center fact sheet to learn more. 

Please read the Ten Things You Should Know fact sheet to learn more about filing an unemployment insurance claim.

When you’re applying for benefits, make sure you have the following documents ready:

  • Social security number
  • Most recent employer’s name, address, phone number, and dates of employment
  • Alien Registration Number, if you are not a US Citizen
  • DD214, if you are ex-military
  • Standard Form 8 or Standard Form 50, if you are a former federal employee
  • Severance pay information (only applicable if you did or will receive severance pay)
  • Pension information (only applicable if you are receiving a pension payment)
  • Evidence of a public health emergency impact (if applying due to the COVID-19 public health emergency). Documentation may include:
    • A letter documenting a voluntary request or involuntary order to isolate or quarantine from a doctor or local health official
    • A note from your doctor or medical records office recommending isolation or quarantine
    • A self-determination that the Department of Health’s quarantine guidance applies to you

To receive unemployment insurance, you must meet the following criteria:

  1. Be unemployed through no fault of your own
  2. Be able, available, and actively looking for work
  3. Have earned enough wages to file a claim

More information can be found on our Overview of UI Benefits webpage.

 

HOW TO FILE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE

Here are the steps to file a claim for unemployment insurance:

  1. Go to does.dcnetworks.org and click the tab “Claim Unemployment Benefits.”
  2. On the “Unemployment Insurance Service Center for Claimants” page, click “File for Benefits.”
  3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click “File Your Claim Online.”
  4. Answer the questions with accurate information to complete the claim filing process.

After submitting your application, take a look at our What’s Next? document to see the next steps in your UI claim process.

 

HOW TO FILE WEEKLY CERTIFICATIONS

To receive unemployment benefits, you must certify that you are able to continue receiving benefits each week, starting on the Sunday after you file your initial claim for unemployment benefits. To certify for benefits, you must file a weekly continued claim form online at does.dcnetworks.org, or by calling at (202) 724-7000.

Filing your claim form online or by phone is the fastest way to certify for benefits. If you are not able to file online or by phone, you may mail your form or file at any American Job Center located throughout the District.

The latest you should file your claim is seven (7) calendar days after the week-ending date on the continued claim form. If you fail to file your weekly claim within seven (7) calendar days after the week-ending date on the form, you may not receive your benefit because you did not follow reporting instructions. The system will not allow you to file a weekly claim certification for a benefit payment if the last week you claimed ended more than 14 days earlier. When this happens, you must reapply to "reactivate" or "reopen" your claim.

For help with answering the certification questions, or for basic information about weekly claims, please read our Instructions for Completing the Continued Claim Form.

For more information on work search requirements and how to comply, please reference our Work Search Requirements FAQs.

 

PROVING YOUR IDENTITY

As an important measure to protect against fraud, the Department of Employment Services is currently requiring all claimants who file a new claim to verify their identity before any claim may be approved. Claimants may verify online through ID.me, a federally certified credential service provider. Alternatively, claimants may visit one of the three American Job Center locations to complete this process (no appointment required). You must provide original, unexpired versions of your documents. Reference the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Form I-9 for a list of acceptable documents. 

 

CONTINUING TO RECEIVE BENEFITS

Once your claim has been approved, you must meet the requirements below to keep receiving your benefits:

  • Be unemployed through no fault of your own
  • Report all earnings from work, including self-employment, on your weekly claim for benefits
  • Currently receive or apply for unemployment benefits only from DC and not another state
  • Be available for work and be physically able to work
    • Claimants must be able to work and be available for work to qualify for regular UI claims. PUA provides benefits for those unavailable or unable to work because of COVID-related reasons listed in the CARES Act.