State Unemployment Benefits in Arkansas: when someone dies
A 3-step process for Arkansas Division of Workforce Services — Unemployment Insurance after a death in Arkansas.
Administering agency
Arkansas Division of Workforce Services — Unemployment Insurance
Authority
Ark. Code Ann. 11-10-101 et seq. (Department of Workforce Services Law)
Steps to take
- Contact the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services UI Service Center at 1-844-908-2178 to report the claimant's death so benefit payments stop.
- Ask DWS what, if anything, is payable for weeks the claimant certified before death, and what documentation a survivor or the estate must provide — Arkansas publishes no standing rule, so the answer comes from the agency.
- Do not attempt to certify weeks or take over the claim on the deceased's behalf; a right to benefits cannot be assigned (Ark. Code Ann. 11-10-109(a)).
Arkansas Division of Workforce Services — Unemployment Insurance
Phone: 1-844-908-2178
Visit the agency website →Frequently asked questions
The Arkansas Division of Workforce Services administers unemployment insurance. Initial claims are filed at ezarc.adws.arkansas.gov, weekly certifications go through Arkansas LAUNCH at launch.arkansas.gov or ArkLine at 501-907-2590, and the UI Service Center is reachable at 1-844-908-2178, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Arkansas publishes no rule on this. The Department of Workforce Services Law has no survivor-payment provision, and the state's UI Handbook does not address a claimant's death. Report the death to the UI Service Center at 1-844-908-2178 so payments stop, and ask what, if anything, is payable for weeks certified before death. A right to benefits cannot be assigned, so a survivor cannot continue the claim.
Sources
Data sourced from State Unemployment Benefits in Arkansas primary sources (3 pages reviewed). How we research.
Administering agency
Arkansas Division of Workforce Services — Unemployment Insurance
Authority
Ark. Code Ann. 11-10-101 et seq. (Department of Workforce Services Law)