State Unemployment Benefits in Tennessee
The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development administers unemployment compensation through Jobs4TN.gov. When a claimant dies after completing a week of unemployment for which benefits are payable, Tenn. Code 50-7-708(d) lets the Division of Employment Security designate a person to receive those benefits; the Department publishes no other deceased-claimant procedure, so the estate representative reports the death to the claims line.
Administering agency
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Authority
Tenn. Code 50-7-708(d)
State Unemployment Benefits in Tennessee: key facts
- Administering agency
- Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD).
- Claimant portal
- Jobs4TN.gov — claims are filed and certified online, 24/7.
- Phone
- 844-224-5818, Option 1 for assistance with an unemployment claim (Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Central).
- Benefit limits
- Eligible claims may receive up to $325 per week, for a maximum of 12 weeks in a year when the state average unemployment rate is at or below 5.5%.
- After a death
- If the claimant had filed a claim and died after the close of a week of unemployment for which benefits were payable, the Division of Employment Security may designate a person to receive those benefits; that person's receipt discharges the fund. Report the death to TDLWD at 844-224-5818 (Option 1).
Governing law: Tenn. Code 50-7-708(d)
Steps to take when someone dies
- Contact the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development at 844-224-5818 (Option 1) to report the claimant's death.
- Identify any week of unemployment the claimant completed before death for which benefits were payable — those are the benefits Tenn. Code 50-7-708(d) reaches.
- Ask the Division of Employment Security to designate the person who should receive those benefits, and provide whatever proof of death and relationship the Division requires.
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Phone: 844-224-5818
Visit the agency website →Frequently asked questions
The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development administers unemployment compensation through Jobs4TN.gov. The claims line is 844-224-5818 (Option 1), open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central time.
Under Tenn. Code 50-7-708(d), if the claimant had filed a claim and died after the close of a week of unemployment for which benefits were payable, the Division of Employment Security may designate any person it judges should properly receive those benefits, and that person's receipt or endorsement discharges the fund. Tennessee publishes no other deceased-claimant procedure, so report the death to the Department at 844-224-5818 (Option 1) and ask it to make that designation.
Sources
Data sourced from State Unemployment Benefits in Tennessee primary sources (8 pages reviewed). How we research.
Administering agency
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Authority
Tenn. Code 50-7-708(d)