Ohio Unemployment Weekly Claims

Ohio Unemployment Weekly Claims

What is a weekly claim?

Once you apply for Ohio UI benefits and are approved, you’ll need to regularly provide information that documents your continued unemployment eligibility. For each week you collect traditional unemployment benefits from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, you must submit information about your work search activities, any money you earned, and whether you remain able and available to accept employment if it’s offered to you.

Your weekly claim establishes that you are complying with the conditions for receiving Ohio unemployment compensation.

When to file a weekly claim

Throughout the time you collect Ohio unemployment benefits, you are required to file a claim on either a weekly or a biweekly basis. For your first three weeks, claimants should file a weekly claim. Beyond that point, you will file weekly if you’ve chosen email as your contact method.

Please note: If you’ve chosen U.S. mail as your contact method, you will file biweekly.

You must file your benefits claim within 21 days of the Saturday of the week you filed your initial Ohio unemployment application or the Saturday of the week that you are claiming traditional unemployment benefits. Otherwise, your claim for weekly benefits may be denied.

How to file a weekly claim over the phone

You are welcome to file an Ohio UI weekly claim over the phone if you do not have access to the Internet or online filing is otherwise unavailable to you. Contact the Ohio unemployment office at 877-644-6562 or TTY at 888-642-8203. View Ohio unemployment phone numbers.

How to file a weekly claim online

Filing your weekly claim online is also a fast and simple option for documenting your continued eligibility. First, visit https://unemploymenthelp.ohio.gov and log into your account. Then select the week you wish to certify – you’ll notice that you’re required to claim weeks starting with the oldest and working up to the most recent if you are claiming multiple weeks.

Once you’ve selected the week to certify, you’ll be prompted to answer a series of questions. Make sure to enter all your information thoroughly and accurately, and simply follow the prompts until you’ve completed all questions related to your unemployment claim. Once you finish with the questions, you’ll select Next, which will take you to a page that allows you to review all of your answers. If you see errors, you can select the option to go back and edit your responses, or you can choose that you don’t agree with the information presented. If everything looks correct, select Next to advance to the following screen.

At this point, you’ll see a confirmation number, which you should write down and keep in a safe place in case you need it. You can click Next and return to the main menu.

Information needed to file a weekly claim

When you file your weekly benefits claim, you’ll need to make sure to provide accurate and complete personal information. So it makes sense to gather everything you need before you start your weekly claim.

Here are a few items to make sure you have documented and close at hand:

  • A calendar: you’ll need to report specific dates on which you engaged in work search activities, so having everything organized on a calendar will be helpful as you answer your certification questions.
  • Details associated with each work search activity you engaged in for each qualifying week. You’ll be expected to list as many specifics as possible when you submit your benefits claim. This includes contact information, the method you used for outreach, and what kind of response you’ve received.
  • Details for any temporary or employment service that directed you to employment.
  • Details associated with your response to any job advertisement – this should include how the ad directed you to respond, contact information for who you reached out to, and the response you’ve received.

Questions asked during weekly certification

When you submit your weekly certification, you’ll need to be prepared to answer specific questions about your activities for the week you’re certifying. We’ve gathered some sample questions below that are good examples of what claimants can expect.

  • During the qualifying week, did you complete at least two work search activities? – This question is important because your answer establishes that you are remaining in compliance with the Ohio work search requirements. If your answer is, “yes,” you’ll be asked to provide additional detail about the dates and times of your activities, along with a description of the types of work search activities you engaged in.
  • Did you apply for any jobs during the week claimed? – Applying for jobs counts as one of your work search activities, so if you applied for any employment, you should be prepared to provide information about the method you used to apply (in person, online, etc.), and the contact information of the organizations where you applied.
  • During the qualifying week, were you physically and mentally able to accept work? – This question helps the Ohio unemployment office understand whether you are compliant with a key eligibility requirement, which is that you must be both willing and able to accept work. So if you were sick or otherwise unable to work, you should answer no to this question.
  • During the week claimed, were you available to work? – This question is a little different from the question about your ability to work, which focuses on your physical and mental capacity to accept employment.

Availability refers to how you’re spending your time and planning to accept work. For example, if you take an out-of-town trip or don’t have transportation or child care arranged, you would not be available to accept suitable work if it were offered to you. If you were not available for work, you’ll be asked to provide details regarding why.

One important point to remember is the importance of providing complete and accurate information when you submit your weekly benefits claim. If you knowingly provide false information to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services within your weekly claims, you could be found guilty of unemployment fraud. Unemployment fraud in Ohio carries stiff penalties, including fines and repayment of fraudulently collected payments. In some cases, criminal penalties may even apply, including jail time.

  1. I have been filing weekly claims for the past 3 weeks; and I have received a payment each week. For some reason, when I went in to the website to file my weekly claim today, my weekly filing status has been changed to bi-weekly and I am unable to file this week. Will I still receive weekly payments?

  2. this has happen to me in the last 2 weeks every 2 weeks i claim both weeks and get the money on Monday, but the last 2 weeks it has only let me claim 1 week and i have to call the unemployment office and have them claim the other week for me. just call your not denied the system is just messed up ……..

  3. I applied for benefits on 2/28, I filed my first weekly claim on 2/29 and haven’t received benefits yet because I have not been approved yet. However, my next scheduled weekly claim was supposed to be tomorrow 3/8, but all of the suddenly it says no weekly claims can be filed? All weeks it has told me my next scheduled filing date and now it’s gone. Does that mean I got denied? They just asked me my last set of questions yesterday so I shouldn’t be denied.

    • I find that unemployment is good at giving you the run around. They will stop benefit based on need paperwork they already have. They also will send out paperwork and when you get it the time has already passed. This has been the most frustrating thing I’ve ever dealt with so back to work I went. I do however want to receive the back pay they owe me. I wish each everyone of us blessing while we’re trying to get our life back to some type of normalcy ???

    • this has happen to me in the last 2 weeks every 2 weeks i claim both weeks and get the money on Monday, but the last 2 weeks it has only let me claim 1 week and i have to call the unemployment office and have them claim the other week for me. just call your not denied the system is just messed up ……..

    • Shayla,

      Unless a “Letter of Determination” is issued, we cannot assume denial/acceptance. I suggest you speak to a claims representative to seek clarification.

  4. I got my unemployment approved but a week later they said that that decision was vacated. Why is that and will I still get my benefits

    • Tried to file weekly unemployment have been on Unemployment receiving weekly checks on my card but this week 1/22 20 couldn’t get on the website and it wouldn’t let me get through?

    • Jeannie,

      Only the Unemployment Office would be able to tell you that. If you think it’s not justified, you can ask for an Adjudicator.

      • I can tell you this much I been doing this for 11 years and it is more stressful than working I can not get my weekly to go through because its saying there is a overload of action whatever that means I been doing this all winter like clock work now all of a sudden hope you get through

  5. I applied for my weekly claim and the date pop-up wrong, how do I fix this? I apply 12/29/19 and the confrontation date came up 12/28/19

  6. What a joke!!! The website and phone centers has turned into a huge black eye on the people responsible for creating a working system I’ve been trying to file since last Thursday. I’m sure that week of no replies and trying to find the ball underneath the coconut will help in not allowing me to be paid. Hire someone that can accommodate these issues and your automated run around.

    • my last payment that im due i cant file a claim why not ?i go on website it says no claim can b filed but im due one last payment what is going on

        • I can’t figure out how to file a weekly claim. I’ve already been to job and family services and was approved for unemployment. Please give me a call.

        • Timothy,

          Please note this is a private forum and we do not have access to your claim. Please call the Unemployment Office directly.

    • Jeffery,

      If you’re claiming for the first time, you’ll need login id and password. If you don’t have one, please call the Claims Center for help.

        • you should file as early as possible on your day but yes you should get paid from my experience the following tuesday

        • Andre,

          If you filed within the stipulated time frame, you should receive the payments as per the timelines. Please check your account online.

    • Michele,

      In order to receive your weekly payment on time, you’re expected to claim within the stipulated time. Please call the Unemployment Office for more.

  7. How I got to this site was by going to this site & touching file weekly claims. Cannot figure out how to file weekly claims. Took a week & half to get through to talk to some one. So that just beets you out of a week Asked the girl on the phone if there is any where to go to show me how to do this. Her answer was no. Your pretty much on your own. What a joke. I think this is made hard enough that you just give up. I am a road construction worker. Seasonal job & every year this gets more & more bull ——.

    • Ya ll need to use only…… unemployment.ohio.gov. page Only click on green box file, then click agree, then ,click the little words full site finally your there and type in your user name which is the soc.sec. and password may have to call processing center if u don’t have password. good luck b kind n god bless

      • yes unemployment .ohio.gov has always worked for me but at this time I can not get through. something has to change. who is protecting us? because by the time you try to fight for the week they beat you out of. your old and grey. and they tell you nothing you can do about it. they said they just gave unemployment500,000,000 dollars but we cant help you because there is an overload there is only one load and we all know that load load of ….

  8. I filled my claim Sunday. However, I have noticed that the payout day of the week and schedule is highly irregular. Can anyone tell me on which day of the week are benefits paid, or how many days after you file your weekly claim does ODJF pay?

    • Spencer,

      Please call the Claims Center immediately for assistance. If you filed on the internet, you might be able to edit it, provided its done within the stipulated time.

  9. When i submit my weekly claim after filling out all the information, the screen that summarizes everything I entered says “not entered” for all the fields even though I entered information. How can submit my weekly claim?

    • Chethan,

      I suggest you call the Claims Center for assistance. It might be a technical glitch or an issue with the way you’re filing.

  10. My employer is based out of state and now only has work for me occasionally in my state. Should I be filing a claim on the weeks I work? I did last week and it said I made over the limit. Now it says reopen claim.

    • John,

      I suggest you call the Unemployment Office to understand eligibility and other factors before filing for benefits.

  11. I requested a new pin. It arrived by US Mail. When I log in, it says “account locked” because too many tries. I do I get it unlocked?

    • William,

      This is a private forum and we do not have access to your claim file. Please call the Claims Center for details.

  12. I have been trying to file my weekly unemployment claim online and keep getting ‘an unexpected database error’ message. Tried to contact the state agency by phone and keep getting the same message, “due to high call volume, we ask that you call back at a later time” The online live chat is marked as ‘busy’ as well. So, how am I supposed to file my weekly claim???

    • Marie,

      There seems to be a problem for claimants in reaching out to the Claims Center in NJ. Please try finding answers on the department’s website for the time being.

    • Sally,

      Please log onto your account on the internet. You should be able to find an option under “My Account” or a similar field.

  13. How do I file my weekly claims
    I clicked on filing weekly claims and it sent me to a jfs 55214 form but I cannot imput anything from it? Also you sent me a temporary pin# but you didn’t send me a “username” on the new claim instruction sheet. I’m not sure how to proceed can you please advise? Thank You

    • Please note this is a private forum and we do not have access to your claim file. If you’re having issues accessing the portal, please call the Claims Center for assistance.

  14. I have never had to file for unemployment before. When it said 12/3/2016 under weekly claims, I did not realize that meant that is when the week ended. I thought that was when the week began. So I filed it wrong by accident. What do I need to do to get it corrected?

  15. I cant not file my claim for week ending in Oct8 2016 and it will not let me buy phone i cant evan do it on line i need to pay bills..

    • Please note this is a private forum and we do not have access to your claim information.

      Please call the Claims Center or visit the nearest office further information.

    • Please note this is a private forum and we do not have access to your claim information.

      Please call the Claims Center of visit the nearest office further information.

  16. My name is Kyle, I’ve been trying since 2/10/2016 to file for unemployment and a weekly claim, every time it’s something else, now it’s the pin you guys sent me is wrong again? It’s been over a month and I’ve yet to receive any help from the state of ohio? What are you guys here for if not to help? Then they tell you to file claims on Sunday knowing your pin hasn’t worked or been helped in a month, on Sundays When y’all have no worker to help? This seems fishy and very wrong to me. I’ve worked for years just to get laid off and receive absolutely no help from the state, so much for paying taxes right?

    • Please note this is not a government website. We’re a private forum.

      Contact the Claims Center for further information on your claim.

  17. I have been logging in and using my Ohio Unemployment Account to file my claims online. I have also been using my Ohio Means Jobs account to log in and search for jobs. I have been doing this for over 2 months. Recently, I tried logging in online and I got an error message that read that my account was locked out due to too many incorrect attempts at logging in. So I went through the hell of trying to get in touch with an actual person with Ohio Unemployment Office. Finally I got in touch with a guy who said that according to his records I have been logging into the wrong account all this time and that he would send me the correct log in information for the correct account that is connected to my unemployment. This was a surprise to me because everything had been working fine – for two months. I asked if he could simply unlock my account because all of my information is already in there and it has been working fine. He said he would and he sent me a temp password to log in. I was now able to log in and file my claim online. I was also able to log into my Ohio Means Jobs account. Now -here is where I am now having problems…I can log in but cant open any new Ohio Means Jobs correspondence msgs. Furthermore, it now is taking an unusually long time to process and approve my claim. The latest one I have filed still shows pending. Please help me to retain all of the information, saved searches, existing resume and work history that I have been using and already saved into my Ohio Means Jobs Account. Please also fix whatever glitch needs to be fixed to enable me to log in to my OHMJ account, to connect it with my Ohio Unemployment Account, and keep all the information already in there. And finally, please enable my online unemployment correspondence message to be open by me online. My phone number is 614-282-7256. My name is Jordan Yoder

    • Jordan,

      We can understand your frustration. This is a private forum and we do not have any information on your claim. Please call the claims center for further information.

  18. the past few weeks the system has worked great. I file online and my assistance is loaded on my card. A huge help while looking for work. BUT i tried filing another week from a friends computer and i forgot my pin. So after getting locked out they claim they would send me a new password via mail. I waited almost a full week for my new temp. pin I receive the new pin and i doesn’t work!!!! im still locked out. so now what do i do wait another week for a new pin that wont work again? i tried calling numerous times but can only seem to talk to a computer please help me i tried using my temporary pin over the phone and it doesnt work there either. so frustrated.

    • Well, it can be frustrating at times.

      Please keep the PIN information handy next time and try the phone numbers until you speak to a person.

  19. I filed new claimant dec 4….was told I need to file first week no later than dec 6 …..don’t see anywhere online in the site when I sign in to my file…where to enter weekly job search,,,,,FRUSTRATED

    • Please log in to lookout for the option, You may want to call the claims center for further assistance in this regard.

  20. I would like to file my weekly claim for week of July 21 2013 through July 27 2013. I did not work. I did look for work at carrage court in wch ,autumn years Sabina.

    • We are not the unemployment office. Sorry can’t provide your id #. Take a look at the Ohio Unemployment website – maybe you will find out how to obtain it there.

  21. I would like to file my weekly claim for the week of August 11 2013 through August 17, 2013. I did not work. did look for work at Baker Electric Cincinnati Ohio and Denier electric Cincinnati Ohio

    • After you file your initial claim for benefits, you must continue to file ongoing claims for benefits. For each week claimed, you must answer several questions. Your answers will determine whether you are eligible for benefit payment for that week. Answer all questions honestly. Ohio law imposes penalties, including fines and/or imprisonment, for fraud. If you do not file a “timely” claim for benefits, you will not be paid for that week.
      There are two ways to file a weekly claim:
      File online at unemployment.ohio.gov. To access your claim online, you will enter your user name (Social Security number) and Personal Identification Number (PIN). The weekly claim application will include space to enter your weekly job contact information. This is the fastest method of filing your weekly claims.
      File by calling 1-877-OHIO-JOB (1-877-644-6562) from a touch-tone telephone. To access your claim through the telephone system, you will need your Social Security number and your PIN. You will need to speak your weekly job contact information, which will be recorded by the phone system. It is important that you speak clearly. If using a cell phone, this call may use minutes on your phone.
      If you do not have access to either a touch-tone phone or the Internet, please contact your processing center.

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