If you had to apply for unemployment by phone because you don’t have a New Jersey driver’s license or state ID, you didn’t have a chance during the application process to designate direct deposit as the method for your payments from the state and federal unemployment systems. You can do this after you create an account at mygovernment.nj.gov. But to create an account, you have to first create a PIN (Note: this is NOT the same PIN as you may have created to file an unemployment claim. You need to create a new PIN to set up this account).
You will need to take the following steps: 1) Check your claim status; 2) Create a PIN; and 3) Create an online account where you can designate direct deposit.
Step 1: Check Your Claim Status
You first have to make sure your claim has been filed. This may take a few days if you were only able to enter your information through the automated phone system. To check the status of your claim, follow these instructions from UHR. You can’t select direct deposit until the status of your claim is “Filed.”
Once your claim is filed, you can follow the instructions for the Interactive Voice Response system or online (see instructions below) to create a four-digit PIN that will allow you to select direct deposits for payments.
Step 2 for the Interactive Voice Response System: Create a PIN
You will need to use one of the phone numbers listed on this webpage in the “To certify for (claim) benefits” section. You can call any number during business hours (8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) Monday through Friday. Only people whose Social Security number ends in an odd number can certify on Monday, and only people whose Social Security number ends in an even number can certify on Tuesday. Anyone can certify by phone Wednesday through Friday.
When you call the number during business hours on the correct day, choose English or Spanish, then press 1 (for regular unemployment), then enter and confirm your Social Security number. You will be prompted to create a four-digit PIN, then prompted to confirm the PIN.
IMPORTANT: Once you create your PIN, hang up. Do NOT answer the seven certification questions.
NOTE: We have deleted an alternative section for creating a PIN using NJDOL’s online system, because so many faculty reported problems with using it.
Step 3: Create an Online Account
Wait to use your PIN until the next day so the information is entered throughout the system.
The next day, go to “Create an Online Account” page at the myunemployment.nj.gov. From there, you can create a new account (or log into an existing one if you already created one). Choose the option to add/change direct deposit and follow the instructions from there.