Evaluation of the Impact of Telephone Initial Claims Filing

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Release Date

Evaluation of the Impact of Telephone Initial Claims Filing

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Issue
2000-03

Publication Info

This study, sponsored by the United States Department of Labor (DOL), examines the effects of the conversion to remote claims filing on claims, claimants, and program operations. By examining data from a variety of sources, we find that the effects of TIC filing on the number of initial claims vary across states. Of seven states studied, one shows a clear increase in the number of claims, one a decrease, and three with no change. In the two other states, evidence was mixed and we could not draw formal conclusions about the effects of TIC filing on initial claims. Claimants uniformly like TIC filing and prefer it to in-person filing; we could identify no subgroups of claimants who seem to face additional barriers to filing under the new method. The switch to TIC filing affects program operations in several ways, most notably by increasing the likelihood that other UI activities also will be conducted by telephone. Although formal linkages between the UI agency and reemployment service agencies are maintained, reductions in communication between these two groups may affect service delivery to claimants. We also conclude that some, but not all, states realized administrative cost savings. Finally, we conclude that use of telephones and the Internet are compatible ways to serve claimants.