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INTER ACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE

IVR

Bi-Weekly
Claim Certification
and
Benefit Check Inquiry
1-800-207-0667

Helena area residents call 444-9800

GENERAL INFORMATION TYPES OF PHONES SYSTEM AVAILABILITY SYSTEM UPDATES
PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (PIN) CALLING IVR QUESTIONS HINTS AND TIPS

GENERAL INFORMATION

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:

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 Telephone Center?

The Unemployment Insurance Telephone 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 Telephone 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.

TYPES OF PHONES

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.

SYSTEM AVAILABILITY

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.

SYSTEM UPDATES

The information you enter into the system is stored, then updated into our computers at the following times:

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 Telephone Center.

PROBLEMS OR QUESTIONS?
Call your regional Telephone Center:
Helena Region
(406) 444-2545		 Billings Region
(406) 247-1000
TDD for a person with a hearing impairment (406) 444-0532

HINTS AND TIPS

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 Telephone Center for instructions to correct the error.

CALLING IVR

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

OPTION 1: RECORDING YOUR
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 A BI-WEEKLY CLAIM FOR BENEFITS.

QUESTIONS

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 "1" for "Yes" or
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.)

The system will read back the answers you entered. Listen carefully to assure correct processing of your claim. It will then say:

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:

your claim will close. Call the Telephone Center to reopen your claim.

OPTION 2:
CHECK INQUIRY

PRESS "2" FOR CHECK INQUIRY.

You will hear one of the following messages:

Or, you may hear the following message:

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 Telephone Center.