State Unemployment Benefits in Wyoming
The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services administers unemployment insurance through its Unemployment Insurance Division. If a family member receiving unemployment benefits dies, send a copy of the obituary or death certificate to the Unemployment Claims Center; the claim is updated to show the person is deceased so no further payments are issued. By statute, benefits the deceased had already accrued may be paid to a surviving spouse, children, or parents without letters testamentary or letters of administration.
Administering agency
Wyoming Department of Workforce Services — Unemployment Insurance Division
Authority
Wyo. Stat. 27-3-318; 27-3-409
State Unemployment Benefits in Wyoming: key facts
- Administering agency
- Wyoming Department of Workforce Services (DWS), Unemployment Insurance Division.
- Claimant portal
- wyui.wyo.gov (Wyoming UI online claims portal).
- Claims Center phone
- (307) 473-3789 (fax (307) 473-3726). Claims may be filed by phone Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 a.m.–4 p.m. and Wed 8 a.m.–noon; claims may be filed anytime at wyui.wyo.gov.
- Mailing address
- Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, Unemployment Insurance (claimants), P.O. Box 2760, Casper, WY 82602-2760.
- Reporting a death
- Send a copy of the obituary or death certificate to the Unemployment Claims Center — P.O. Box 2760, Casper, WY 82602-2760, fax (307) 473-3726, phone (307) 473-3789. The claim is then updated to show the person is deceased so no further payments are issued.
- Benefits accrued before death
- The Department may pay benefits accrued by a deceased individual to the surviving spouse, children, or parents without letters testamentary or letters of administration (Wyo. Stat. 27-3-318). DWS publishes no form for this; ask the Claims Center at (307) 473-3789 whether anything remains payable and what it needs.
- Overpayments and the estate
- An individual who received benefits he was not entitled to is liable to repay them, recoverable by recoupment, civil action, treasury offset, or a reimbursement agreement (Wyo. Stat. 27-3-409(b)). The Department must cancel an overpayment or its penalty when the individual is deceased with no estate, or the estate is closed and all assets are distributed (Wyo. Stat. 27-3-409(e)(i)) — so an open estate with assets is not automatically relieved of a balance. The Benefit Overpayment Section is (307) 235-3236, P.O. Box 2760, Casper, WY 82602-2760.
Governing law: Wyo. Stat. 27-3-318; 27-3-409
Steps to take when someone dies
- Send a copy of the obituary or death certificate to the Wyoming Unemployment Claims Center (P.O. Box 2760, Casper, WY 82602-2760; fax (307) 473-3726) so the claim is updated as deceased and no further payments are issued.
- Call the Claims Center at (307) 473-3789 to ask whether benefits accrued before the death remain payable — Wyo. Stat. 27-3-318 lets the Department pay accrued benefits to a surviving spouse, children, or parents without letters testamentary or letters of administration — and what documentation it needs.
- Ask whether any payments issued after the date of death created an overpayment. Under Wyo. Stat. 27-3-409(e)(i) the Department cancels an overpayment only where the individual is deceased with no estate or the estate is closed and all assets are distributed; otherwise it is a balance the estate should account for. The Benefit Overpayment Section is (307) 235-3236.
Wyoming Department of Workforce Services — Unemployment Insurance Division
Phone: (307) 473-3789
Visit the agency website →Frequently asked questions
The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services administers unemployment compensation through its Unemployment Insurance Division. Claims are filed online at wyui.wyo.gov; the Claims Center is (307) 473-3789.
Send a copy of the obituary or death certificate to the Unemployment Claims Center. The claim is updated to show that the person is deceased, which stops any further payments. Benefits the claimant accrued before death are handled under Wyo. Stat. 27-3-318, which lets the Department pay them to a surviving spouse, children, or parents without letters testamentary or letters of administration. Payments issued for weeks the claimant was not entitled to are repayable under Wyo. Stat. 27-3-409(b), and the Department cancels the overpayment only where the individual is deceased with no estate or the estate is closed and all assets are distributed (27-3-409(e)(i)). Ask the Claims Center at (307) 473-3789 whether anything remains payable.
Send a copy of the obituary or death certificate to the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services Unemployment Claims Center — P.O. Box 2760, Casper, WY 82602-2760, or fax (307) 473-3726. The Claims Center phone is (307) 473-3789.
Sources
Data sourced from State Unemployment Benefits in Wyoming primary sources (5 pages reviewed). How we research.
Administering agency
Wyoming Department of Workforce Services — Unemployment Insurance Division
Authority
Wyo. Stat. 27-3-318; 27-3-409