State moves to ID.me for unemployment filings

DES MOINES – Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) has announced a successful testing period for ID.me, the new identity verification method used in the state’s unemployment system.
As previously announced, ID.me will become the requirement for all claimants starting April 1, 2024, improving the process for securely verifying the identity of Iowans who file for unemployment benefits.
Since January 2, 2024, over 21,000 claimants have successfully used ID.me when filing a claim with IWD (through online self-service, video chat, or in-person verification options). Over 96 percent of participating claimants were able to complete verification on their first attempt and in less than five minutes on average. Since January, the use of ID.me has also already helped IWD identify and halt over 1,200 fraudulent attempts to obtain benefits.
ID.me is the next-generation digital identity network that simplifies how individuals securely prove and share their identity online. ID.me’s identity verification solution is certified against federal digital identity standards and is being used by Iowans to prove their identity when filing an initial or weekly unemployment claim.
“Our goal at Iowa Workforce Development is to help ease the path to reemployment for Iowans who have lost their job, and central to that goal is having a responsive and modernized system. ID.me has already enhanced our ability to verify claims safely and securely for the Iowans who need them, while also helping us remain a good steward of the UI trust fund,” said Beth Townsend, Executive Director of Iowa Workforce Development. “We look forward to expanding the use of ID.me to improve claims processing times and strengthen our ability to stop fraud attempts earlier in the process.”
While filing for unemployment, claimants are prompted to use ID.me to verify their identity. The addition of ID.me streamlines the overall claims process and cuts down on additional verification steps that previously occurred after a claim was filed.
IWD will continue to provide three verification options for ID.me to improve accessibility and offer claimants the choice to find the best verification option that works for them.

• Visit this link to learn about the three options for using ID.me (Online Self-Service, Video Chat Agent, In-person Verification).
  • The in-person verification option for ID.me is available at all local IowaWORKS offices and is intended for claimants who do not have a personal mobile device, laptop or computer.
• For security reasons, claimants will also be asked to log into their ID.me account each week they are filing a claim. (However, claimants only need to complete the first-time identity verification process once during their benefits cycle; after that, they simply log back in).

Claimants can visit this link to learn more about the identity verification process when filing for benefits. In rare cases where claimants do not possess a device (mobile phone, laptop, tablet, etc.), and do not possess government-issued identification, IWD will work with them on an alternative method for verification. However, IWD anticipates the vast majority of claimants will be able to successfully use ID.me, as they are today.