Highlights

If you are applying for unemployment benefits or re-opening a claim, and you'd like to receive benefits by direct deposit, your bank must have a physical location in Ohio. This is required by a new state law. If your bank doesn't have an Ohio office, your benefits will be paid through a US Bank ReliaCard prepaid debit card.

If you got unemployment benefits in 2023, in January you will get a 1099-G tax form. The form will show the total amount of benefits you were paid during the year. You will need this information to file your federal and state income taxes.

The form will be mailed to the address we have on file for you. If you need to update your address, please do so by January 8, 2024. If you have an online account, it also will appear in your Correspondence.

The form will show only the last four digits of your Social Security number.

Box 1 will show the total amount of benefits you received during the year.

Box 4 will show any federal income taxes already withheld from your benefits. During the application process, you chose whether you'd like federal taxes withheld.

If you have questions, please call the Internal Revenue Service at 1-800-829-1040.

If you are asked to submit copies of documents to prove your identity, you can now do so at any participating Post Office. Providing the documents at your nearest Post Office will speed processing time. There is no cost to use this method, and no appointment is needed. This option is available to claimants who apply for benefits on or after Jan. 26, 2024, and are prompted to provide copies of documents during the initial application process.

If you choose the Post Office option, you will get a confirmation email with a barcode, detailed instructions, and a deadline. You will have up to seven days to provide the documents.

If you prefer not to visit a Post Office, you still can submit the documents directly to the unemployment office. However, in certain situations, a Post Office may be a good option − for example, if you don't have an OHID, if you don't have an address, or if you have an out-of-state ID. In certain cases, if the identity verification at a Post Office is unsuccessful or incomplete, you may be asked to submit documents directly to the unemployment office.

The deadlines to complete the OhioMeansJobs.com requirements recently changed. Most new claimants must now post a resume by Week 4 and complete the Career Profile assessment by Week 8. We recommend doing both of those things as soon as possible, to get back into the workforce as soon as possible! See your New Claim Instruction Sheet for details.

Unemployment claimants are required to conduct at least two work-search activities each week. If your work-search requirements have recently changed, you will be notified.

If you are in agency-approved training, or if your employer notified us that your layoff is temporary, your work-search requirement will be waived. It will be considered “met” if you are attending school or if you are a member in good standing with a union hiring hall that refers its members to jobs.

Whether your work-search requirements have changed or not, you still are encouraged to make good faith efforts to secure employment.

To learn more about allowable work-search activities, click here.

Due to changes in Ohio law, you may now receive multiple determination notices after you apply for unemployment benefits. Be sure to read them closely. If any one of them say that no benefits will be paid, you will not be eligible for benefits.

The monetary determination notice will state whether you worked enough weeks and earned enough wages to qualify for benefits. It will include your potential benefit amount, but this does not necessarily mean you will receive benefits. You will get another notice stating whether you met all the other requirements.

It’s OK to not be OK. 988 provides 24/7, free and confidential support for anyone in a behavioral health crisis. Ohioans can call, text, or chat online to reach a trained specialist who can offer help and support. If you need help, call or text 988 today.