ACTION BULLETINS (PY 2008)

AB - # 77 Confidential Unemployment Insurance Information – Data Sources

AB - # 77
Effective Date: Immediately


ACTION BULLETIN


TO: One-Stop Career Center Site Managers

DATE: September 25, 2008

SUBJECT: Confidential Unemployment Insurance Information – Data Sources

Purpose of Bulletin:

The purpose of this action bulletin is to notify One Stop Career Centers about the potential dislocated worker eligibility limitations of the data reported by the Unemployment Insurance Division of the Employment Development Department (EDD) through the UI—Data Consent Authorization Form (DCAF).

Citation(s):

Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) NO. 12-01
Action Bulletin #60, effective 11/21/2005 - Release of Confidential Unemployment Insurance Information

Background:

Dislocated worker eligibility is determined in one (1) of four (4) possible ways. The first, and most common, is to document that the applicant:

(A) Has been terminated or laid off, or who has received a notice of termination or layoff, from employment; AND
(B) (i) Is eligible for or has exhausted entitlement to unemployment compensation (UI); OR
(ii) Has been employed for a duration sufficient to demonstrate, to the appropriate entity at a one-stop center referred to in WIA Section 134(c), attachment to the workforce, but is not eligible for unemployment compensation due to insufficient earnings OR having performed services for an employer that were not covered under a State unemployment compensation law; AND
(C) Is unlikely to return to a previous industry or occupation

In 2005, at the request of the California Workforce Association, the EDD chartered a work group for the purposes of meeting the information needs of the Local Workforce Investment Areas (LWIAs) around documentation of “eligible for” UI. This work group included representatives from the LWIAs and EDD staff from the Workforce Investment Division (WID), Unemployment Insurance Division, Job Service Division and the Information Security Office. Their recommendations led to a new process for LWIA program providers to obtain the UI claimant information from the UI Program. The form developed to request information is the UI—Data Consent Authorization Form (DCAF).

Procedures:
There are some concerns, from One Stop end users, about the validity of the data provided on the DCAF, primarily about “eligible for” UI benefits. The Performance Team of the Alameda County Workforce Investment Board (ACWIB) has found, in several instances, that even though the applicant appears to have a current valid UI claim, they are not, in fact, eligible for UI benefits from this valid claim because of disqualifying factors, particularly when the applicant has been fired from or quit the job of dislocation

The EDD Job Service Division, our liaison with the UI Division, informed me that the DCAF is not configured to provide additional information about “eligible for” to meet dislocated worker eligibility. The Performance Team has suggested to the Job Service Division that the following additional fields be added to the DCAF so that the One Stop Career Centers will be able to know, using the DCAF, if an applicant is “eligible for” UI Benefits if they have a current valid claim:

· Eligible, not receiving
· Eligible, receiving
· Not Eligible, disqualifying factors
· Not Eligible, insufficient earnings

The Job Service Division response was: “Given the current budgetary constraints, I believe such an effort to add fields to the DCAF form would not be given a very high priority. We consider user input vital to the continued success of the DCAF process. The constructive ideas we receive from system users such as yourself, help us to shape and improve the DCAF process. We are in the early stages of developing a completely new system. This process will involve identifying the specific needs of our customers and partners, as well as looking at other public and government sites to see what others are doing.” They have added our suggestion to their list.

Therefore, the Performance Team is recommending that additional applicant documentation be secured when the applicant indicates, on the Dislocated Worker Affidavit form, that they were fired from or quit the job of dislocation. The following list identifies information provided to the applicant by the UI Division for verification of employment and claim status.


Source Data that Can Be Obtained from the Applicant
Notice of Unemployment Insurance Award, DE 429
Notice of Unemployment Insurance Claim Filed, DE 1101CLMT
Automated UI Check Stub Message

In most cases where the applicant indicates they were laid off or dislocated due to reduction in workforce there will not be a need to obtain additional documentation from the applicant. Remember though that the most accurate source of data regarding the applicant’s eligibility for UI is the documents the applicant received directly from the UI division.

Action:

The One Stop Career Centers will request additional documentation, in addition to or in place of the DCAF, from the applicant to confirm “eligible for” UI benefits when the applicant indicates they were fired from or quit the job of dislocation.

Information & Inquiries:

For information & inquiries please contact Linda Slater, Performance Team Manager at 510-259-3802 or email LSlater@acgov.org