On May 6, 2003, the New Jersey Department of Labor announced some changes in the way unemployment claims can be filed. If you are currently claiming unemployment benefits, you should have received a letter about the system changes and upgrades.

Internet Filing

New benefit filing or reopening existing claims. You can now file for unemployment benefits over the Internet—this includes filing for new benefits or reopening an existing claim. There are some restrictions, and you can only file an application online if:

• You are a New Jersey resident;
• All of your employment in the past 18 months was in New Jersey;
• You did not work for the federal government in the past 18 months;
• You were not in military service in the past 18 months.

You will be asked to give personal information, such as your Social Security number, address, and telephone number, as well as information on recent employers. This is a lot of private information, and you may feel more comfortable applying for benefits over the telephone.

Continued benefit claims. People who receive unemployment insurance must submit a continued benefit claim every two weeks. This is how the state makes sure people receiving unemployment benefits still meet the program’s criteria. If you have already filed an unemployment claim—whether it was over the phone or online—you can now complete your continued benefit claims over the Internet. Anyone who has filed a New Jersey Unemployment Insurance claim can use this online service to recertify their claims—the restrictions on who can file an initial claim online don’t apply. You can even recertify online if you have an appeal pending.

To file a claim or continue benefits online, go to the Unemployment Insurance Benefit Claims site.

Telephone Certification

Internet filing is currently available only in English. If you don’t want to file your claim over the Internet, you can still file by telephone. You do this by calling your local Reemployment Call Center. The phone numbers are listed below. This automated telephone system was changed on May 19, 2003, and includes some new features. People who use this system should listen carefully for new questions.

Union City
Serves Northeast New Jersey
(201) 601-4100

Freehold
Serves Northwest and Central New Jersey
(732) 761-2020

Cumberland
Serves South Jersey
(856) 507-2340

This article originally appeared in the June 2003 issue of Looking Out for Your Legal Rights^®.