Many unemployment systems in the United States and other countries offer their recipients the opportunity to receive their unemployment via direct deposit. If you are receiving benefits and have a bank account, you can typically arrange to get your benefits deposited directly into your account by filling out forms provided by your unemployment office. Once you do this, it may take a few weeks for the system to kick in and your benefits to end up in your account.
When you apply for unemployment, most states will give you the option of receiving your unemployment via direct deposit or debit card, though paper checks are still available in some places. If you live in an area where unemployment applications are made online, you may be able to set up direct deposit directly from the online application. Otherwise, you may be asked to download and print out the forms necessary to request unemployment via direct deposit. If you apply for unemployment in person or over the phone, you may be offered application forms at that time. Many people prefer to get their unemployment via direct deposit because they don't have to worry about checks getting lost in the mail or paying extra fees to use their unemployment debit card at automated teller machines.
To get direct deposit, you will need a bank account and must be willing to provide details about your bank account. This typically includes the name of your bank, your bank routing number, and your account number, all of which should be available on one of your checks. The online system, application forms, or telephone system will ask for this information. As this information is sensitive, be sure to give it to the unemployment agency in a secure manner. For example, if you fill out a paper application and scan or fax it, be sure that you destroy the paper application so that identity thieves won't have access to your banking information.
If you are already receiving unemployment payments and are interested in getting your unemployment via direct deposit, contact your unemployment office to see if it offers the service. If it does, request that an application be sent to you or ask if the information can be accessed online. It can take some time for a direct deposit application to process, particularly paper applications, so pay attention to your mail or your debit card balance to make sure that you get paid during the transition process.