Alabama Department of Labor

News Release
For Immediate Release: March 12, 2021
Benefit Year End Instructions for Unemployment Compensation Recipients
MONTGOMERY – Alabamians who are currently receiving unemployment compensation and their benefit year is scheduled to end in the near future will have to file a new unemployment claim, the Alabama Department of Labor announced today.
Many claimants who originally filed for unemployment compensation at the beginning of the pandemic will soon see their claims expire. In order to remain eligible for benefits and continue to file weekly certifications, a new claim must be filed.
“We anticipate a large number of Alabamians will be impacted by the upcoming benefit year ending,” said Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington. “Claimants need to be prepared to take the next steps if they continue to need unemployment assistance.”
New claims can be filed online through ADOL’s Unemployment Compensation Tracker at https://uiclaimstracker.labor.alabama.gov/, or by telephone at 1-866-234-5382. (This number is ONLY for new claims and cannot assist with existing unemployment inquiries.)
ADOL is required by law to redetermine benefit eligibility on a quarterly basis, and to open new claims on a yearly basis. There is no way to predict if existing eligibility will remain unaffected until the new claim is filed. A benefit year ending does not necessarily mean that a claim is exhausted, just that eligibility must be redetermined.
Filing a new claim, either yearly or quarterly, can result in a disruption of payments for claimants while eligibility is redetermined. Claimants should continue to certify weekly to ensure that all weeks can be paid once eligibility is determined.
In order to make the process easier and prevent prolonged delays in payment, ADOL will end expiring claims on the Saturday PRIOR to the claim end date. This will prevent the system from forcing claimants to wait until the following Sunday to file the new claim. Claims ending on Sundays – Fridays will see their claims end on the Saturday prior.
For example, if the claim ends on 3/16/2021, the claim will now end on 3/13/21, which will allow claimants to file for the new benefit year timely and will prevent prolonged delays in filing, payment, and processing.

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Members of the media seeking more information should contact Communications Director Tara Hutchison.

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