INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE
IVR
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Bi-Weekly |
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Helena area residents call 444-9800
The Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system is an automated voice system you use to record your bi-weekly eligibility certification for payments.
Use the IVR to:
1)Record your bi-weekly eligibility certification for payment,
2)Inquire about your benefit check
3)Inquire about IRS Form 1099-G information
4)Inquire about the schedule for an appeal
5)Find out how much you must earn after a disqualification to requalify
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* An option for Spanish-speaking claimants
is also available (Touch-tone phones only).
Call toll-free by dialing 1-800-207-0667. Helena area residents call a local number 444-9800. All Interstate calls are recorded at Mountain Standard Time.
How is the IVR different from the Claims Processing Center?
The Unemployment Insurance Claims Processing Center is staffed by trained Customer Service Representatives who assist you with most aspects of your claim. The Customer Service Representative (CSR) can help you open a claim for benefits or answer questions you have about your claim. Call the Claims Processing Center for your area if you have problems entering your biweekly information on the IVR system.
It
is illegal to allow anyone else to file for your benefits. You are
responsible for all claims filed with your Social Security number and your PIN.
Following a greeting, the system will ask a question to determine if you are using a touch-tone or rotary phone. If you don't respond to the initial question by pressing a key, the system will know you are using a rotary phone.
Touch Tone Phones:
Enter information by pressing the corresponding keys on the phone. Be sure
your telephone is set on "Tone", not "Pulse".
Rotary Phones:
Clearly speak your answers. The number "0" must be said as "zero". Answer filing
questions saying "Yes" or "No", instead of pushing "1" or "2" as indicated in
this brochure. If you wish to have a question repeated, simply do not answer
the question - no response will cause the question to be repeated. WARNING
- after the question is repeated for the third time and you fail to respond,
your access will be suspended.
Cellular or Mobile Phones:
We do not recommend the use of cellular, mobile, or portable phones.
Because of operating methods of these phones, your call is often suspended.
IVR is available approximately 18 hours a day, seven days a week. The system is not available approximately 5:30 - 7:00p.m. and 1:30 - 5:30 a.m. Monday - Friday. Occasionally the system will not be available due to system maintenance. If the system is not available, please wait a while, then call back. If time permits you will be notified prior to any planned outage.
The information you enter into the system is stored, then updated into our computers at the following times:
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Monday 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday 5:30 p.m.
Thursday 5:30 p.m.
Friday 5:30 p.m.
Note:All
transactions called in after 5:30 on Friday are not registered in our system
until after the system updates Monday night.
PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (PIN)
Make your first call to IVR as soon as possible after filing your claim to establish a personal identification number. This protects your claim information from others. However, you cannot establish your PIN the same day you file your claim. To establish your PIN, you will be asked to select 4 numbers which you wish to be your PIN. You may use any combination except 0000. You will use the same number each time you call the IVR system. Once you have called to establish your PIN, please wait until after the next system update to file your bi-weekly claim or to access the Check Inquiry option. If you forget your PIN, or feel someone else may know your PIN, contact the Claims Processing Center.
| PROBLEMS OR QUESTIONS? Call your regional Claims Processing Center: |
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| Helena Region (406) 444-2545 |
Billings Region (406) 247-1000 |
| TDD for a person with a hearing impairment (406) 444-0532 | |
1. Information phoned in after 5:30 p.m. Friday will not be updated into the system until Monday evening.
2. Establish your PIN as soon as possible after filing your UI claim to avoid potential problems. Allow for at least one update to occur between establishing your PIN and filing your bi-weekly claim.
3. You may not record your eligibility certifications for payment weekly. Call to submit your claim certifications every other week.
4. If you realize you have made an error, and the system update has not occurred, you may call the system and resubmit the information. If the system update has occurred, you must contact the Claims Processing Center for instructions to correct the error.
After you have established a PIN, each time you call the IVR system you will be asked to enter your Social Security number and PIN to confirm your identity. Once your identity has been confirmed, you will be asked to choose one of two options:
Option 1: Recording your Bi-Weekly Claim Information
Option 2: Check Inquiry
BI-WEEKLY CLAIM INFORMATION
You may call to submit your bi-weekly claim information beginning on Sunday after the end of your second week. You must submit your claim information after midnight of the Saturday of your second week, but before the next Saturday. See your Benefits Rights and Information booklet for more information.
| PRESS "1" TO FILE FOR BI-WEEKLY BENEFITS. |
You will be asked a series of questions for each of your two weeks.
First you will be asked all the questions for the first week. Then you will be asked the same questions for the second week. All questions are listed below. Look in your "Benefits Rights and Information Booklet" for an explanation of questions.
FOR
THE NEXT SEVEN QUESTIONS, ANSWER "Yes" or "No"
The number "2" for "No"
If you want a question repeated, press the star key. (Rotary phone users wait and the question will be repeated.)
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Do you wish to file for week ending...?(date of week one or two)
1. Did you quit or get fired from a job this week?
2. Did you take time off or miss scheduled work for any reason this week?
3. Did you look for work this week?
4. If work had been available, were you physically and mentally able to work this week?
5. Were you available to work this week?
6. Did you attend school or were you in training this week?
7. Where you referred for a job interview by Workforce Services (Job Service) this week?
8. Did you refuse any work during this week?
9. Enter the total number of hours you worked this week.
10. Enter total earnings for paid time off this week.
11. Enter total earnings for being "on call" this week.
12. Enter the amount of bonus pay received this week.
13. Enter the amount of commission pay received this week.
14. Will you be paid for a holiday that occurred this week?
The system will read back the answers you entered. Listen carefully to assure correct processing of your claim. It will then say:
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"If all responses are correct, press '1'. If not, press '2' ". (Rotary phone
users say "Yes" or "No".)
If you have made a mistake, you may start over by pressing "2" and the system will ask all the questions for that week again.
If you press "1" the process will be repeated for the second week. After you have confirmed your answers for the second week, the system will say "Thank you and Good-bye", then disconnect. You must wait for the IVR system to hang up, or your call will not be recorded. This is your indication that your answers have been transmitted to the Unemployment Insurance computer for updating your claim. If there are no problems which would prevent a payment, a benefit check will be issued and mailed on the work day following the next update.
If, for two weeks in a row, you:
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* work 40 hours or more; or
* earn two times your weekly benefit amount or more; or
* don't certify your claim for benefits or any combination of these,
CHECK INQUIRY
| PRESS "2" FOR QUESTIONS ON THE PAYMENT STATUS OF YOUR CLAIM. |
You will hear one of the following messages:
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"Your payment for week ending _______ and ______ was issued on _____ in
the amount of $______. Your
claim's remaining balance is $______ if drawn before ______ (benefit year ending
date)."
Or, you may hear the following message:
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"Week ending _________ was used as your waiting week and no payment can be
issued for a waiting week."
You must wait until after the system updates to inquire about your check (See "System Updates")
If there is a problem with your claim that prevents a check from being issued, the system will tell you that no check has been issued. Contact the Claims Processing Center.
OPTION 3:
1099 INFORMATION
| PRESS "3" TO OBTAIN 1099 INFOMATION FOR THE PAST YEAR . |
In the past year you received a total of $_____ in unemployment insurance benefits. Of this amount $_____ was withheld and sent to the IRS. The amount paid and amount with held has been furnished to the internal revenue service as required by law. This dollar amount does not reflect any payments to satisfy over paid unemployment insurance benefits.
OPTION 4:
APPEAL HEARING INFORMATION
| PRESS "4" TO OBTAIN INFOMATION ON YOUR APPEAL HEARING . |
Your appeal hearing is scheduled on ______.
OPTION 5:
REQUALIFYING WAGES
| PRESS "5" FOR THE AMOUNT OF WAGES YOU NEED TO REQUALIFY. |
You need to earn $_______ in covered employment to requalify for unemployment insurance benefits.
