The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services today announced a new, convenient method for Unemployment Compensation recipients to receive their benefits. Starting this week, new claimants who have not designated an account for direct deposit will receive benefits via a debit card.

"With electronic payment distribution, we can now provide payments to claimants quicker and more securely while reducing postage and administrative costs by more than $650,000 per year," said ODJFS Director Barbara Riley.

Except for limited circumstances, checks will not be issued for new claims. Claimants now receiving a check by mail will be given the option to switch to a debit card and receive benefits sooner than waiting for a check to arrive by mail. Currently, checks are mailed to about half of the claimants.

Electronic payments of benefits is the latest effort to make the unemployment filing and distribution process more convenient. In 2004, ODJFS began offering claimants the option to file claims via the Internet in addition to filing by phone. Now, approximately 25 percent of initial claims are filed online.

Unemployment compensation benefits provide temporary and partial wage replacement to eligible workers who have become unemployed through no fault of their own. Workers may apply for benefits online seven days a week at http://unemployment.ohio.gov or by calling 877-644-6562 (877-OHIO-JOB) from 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday.

Ohio employers fund the unemployment compensation benefits system through insurance taxes paid into the Ohio Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. More than $1 billion in unemployment benefits were paid to Ohio workers during State Fiscal Year 2006.

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For more information contact ODJFS Communications, 614-466-6650.