System changes mean jobless benefits recipients should file early

CARSON CITY — Nevadans receiving jobless benefits are being urged to file claims early next week to avoid a delay in payment as officials upgrade the unemployment insurance computer system.

The final phase of the new computer program is being implemented next week, meaning the system will be unavailable from 5 p.m. Monday through 8 a.m. Sept. 28, Rene Olson, administrator of the state Employment Security Division, said Wednesday.

Because of that, benefit recipients are advised to file their weekly claims between midnight Sunday and 5 p.m. Monday.

During the transition, the telephone claim system will also be unavailable because agency staff will be unable to access information, Olson said.

The outage also means first-time claims will be delayed. About 3,000 people file initial unemployment benefit claims each week, Olson said. She said those claims will be backdated and will not affect the amount of the benefit for which they qualify.

"We are confident that most of the 26,000 active claimants will file before the outage, as this is the period of time they usually file," Olson said.

"We recognize this service interruption may result in an inconvenience for a small number of our customers," she said. "Our goal is to mitigate any issues with benefit payments by reminding claimants to file before the system goes offline."

Nevada's current system is 30 years old and prone to problems. During the height of the recession when the state's jobless rate hovered around 14 percent, claims were often delayed because of system issues.

Olson added that the new system will offer Nevada's 62,500 businesses enhanced functionality and flexibility to manage their unemployment insurance accounts.

Contact Sandra Chereb at schereb@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901. Find her on Twitter: @SandraChereb.