Family member is responsible for notifying the Unemployment — Varies by state
U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (Office of Unemployment Insurance)
CareerOneStop Unemployment Benefits Finder (locate the state unemployment agency to report a death)
Varies by state
When someone dies, the State Unemployment Benefits (Unemployment) must be notified. The family member is responsible for notifying the Unemployment.
Notification deadline: As soon as possible after death.
Steps for notifying the Unemployment and applying for survivor benefits:
Varies by state
Payments stop once the agency learns of the death. Whether a benefit for weeks the person was eligible before death is still payable, and who receives it, is set by each state: some states direct that final payment to a surviving spouse or dependents, some pay the estate, and many have no deceased-claimant rule at all. Contact the state agency where the claim was filed.
Unemployment insurance is a joint federal-state program. Each state's workforce or labor agency administers claims, sets eligibility within federal guidelines, and handles final payments after a claimant dies.
Contact the state unemployment agency where the person filed their claim, report the death so payments stop, and ask what is required to claim any final payment owed for eligible weeks before death.
Some states allow a surviving spouse, dependent, or the estate to claim a final benefit payment owed for weeks the person was eligible before death. Whether a payment is owed and who may claim it is set by each state.
No. There is no federal unemployment program that pays benefits. Each state manages its own unemployment insurance program under federal guidelines overseen by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration, so any final payment and its rules come from the state where the claim was filed.
Payments issued for weeks after the date of death are generally not owed and must be returned to the state. Report the death promptly to stop payments, and follow the state agency's instructions for returning any funds paid after death.
Contact the agency in the state where the person filed their unemployment claim, which is usually the state where they worked. The USDOL-sponsored CareerOneStop finder at careeronestop.org lists each state's unemployment office and contact details.
Keep copies of all documents submitted to the Unemployment. Original documents submitted for verification are typically returned after processing.
U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (Office of Unemployment Insurance)
CareerOneStop Unemployment Benefits Finder (locate the state unemployment agency to report a death)
Varies by state