From WKRN -
The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development announced on Friday plans to move to a staggered schedule for unemployment claimants completing their weekly certifications.
The change in schedule will spread out the number of people certifying over three days, which the department says will create a more responsive experience for claimants using Jobs4TN.gov. More than 324,000 Tennesseans have applied for unemployment benefits over the last four weeks. The department says the number of people applying is creating “an unprecedented demand on the unemployment computer system.”
A release sent out by the state’s department of Labor and Workforce Development states that, while claimants can certify any day of the week, most choose Sunday, which is putting a workload 21 times the normal rate of usage onto the system.
The department’s statement goes on to explain the new staggered schedule. Starting Sunday, April 19, claimants will have access to complete their weekly certifications according to the last digit of their social security number.
Sunday – 0, 1, 2, 3
Monday – 4, 5, 6
Tuesday – 7, 8, 9
Wed. – Sat. – All numbers
When a claimant tries to certify and clicks the tab, if they are accessing the system on the correct day, it will allow them to proceed. If it is not the claimant’s scheduled day, the system will not let them certify. If a claimant misses their scheduled day, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are open certification days for any social security number. Once a claimant completes the weekly certification process, their financial institution typically posts the benefit payment to their account or debit card within 48 to 72 hours. For claimants who normally certify on Sunday, switching to a Monday or Tuesday certification will change the day of their weekly deposit. Claimants must certify each week to ensure eligibility for benefit payments and to avoid the potential for overpayment. If someone does not certify for a particular week, they have five weeks to go back and do so, but the state is unable to process the payment for that week until they complete the missed certification.