State Unemployment Benefits in Oregon

State Unemployment Benefits in Oregon: key facts

Administering agency

Oregon Employment Department (OED), Unemployment Insurance.

Claimant portal

Frances Online — frances.oregon.gov

UI Contact Center

1-877-345-3484 (1-877-File-4-UI), 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Online contact form at unemployment.oregon.gov/contact-us.

Who may be paid

Under ORS 657.255(2), unemployment benefits that were due to the person but remain unpaid may be paid to a person the director designates, in this order: the surviving spouse; then surviving children, including adopted children; then the mother or father of the deceased.

Documentation

OAR 471-030-0057(1) requires the survivor requesting the benefits to complete a notarized affidavit attesting to the claimant's death and to the survivor's relationship to the claimant. Oregon sets no dollar cap on the payment.

Co-survivor authorizations

A child claiming when there is no surviving spouse must also furnish statements signed by each of the other surviving children authorizing payment to the petitioning child. A parent claiming when there is no surviving spouse or child must furnish a signed statement from the other parent. Either requirement may be waived if the petitioner shows the Director that no other survivor in that tier exists or that they cannot be located.

Benefits lapse without a petition

No benefit check is reissued to any survivor outside the ORS 657.255(2) order. Absent a valid petition, the checks are canceled and the money is permanently returned to the unemployment benefit fund.

Reporting a death

Call the UI Contact Center at 1-877-345-3484, or send a ticket through the Contact Us form at unemployment.oregon.gov/contact-us, which the Department also uses to receive uploaded documents.

Governing law: ORS 657.255(2); OAR 471-030-0057

Steps to take when someone dies

1. Report the claimant's death to the Oregon Employment Department by calling the UI Contact Center at 1-877-345-3484 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday) or by sending a ticket through the Contact Us form, so benefit payments stop.
2. Ask whether benefits remain unpaid for weeks the claimant was eligible for before the date of death.
3. Identify the survivor first in line under ORS 657.255(2) — surviving spouse, then surviving children (including adopted children), then the mother or father of the deceased.
4. Have that survivor petition the Department under OAR 471-030-0057 with:
   • A notarized affidavit attesting to the claimant's death and to the survivor's relationship to the claimant
   • If a child is claiming and there is no surviving spouse: statements signed by each of the other surviving children authorizing payment to the petitioning child
   • If a parent is claiming and there is no surviving spouse or child: a signed statement from the other parent authorizing payment to the petitioning parent
5. Petition promptly — absent a valid petition the benefit checks are canceled and the money is permanently returned to the unemployment benefit fund (OAR 471-030-0057(4)).

Frequently asked questions