OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) – A new Oklahoma Employment Security Commission pilot program allows unemployment claimants to verify their identity at U.S. Postal Service retail facilities.
Individuals filing for unemployment in Oklahoma have had two options to verify their identity: online or at one of 27 OESC offices throughout the state.
Unemployment claimants can now verify their identities for their unemployment filing process at USPS locations. OESC officials said the new option is being offered through USPS to provide claimants greater convenience and spare them having to travel long distances to an OESC office.
It also helps Oklahomans who do not have smart phones that would enable them to verify their identity online.
“In OESC’s ongoing effort to ensure all deserving Oklahomans have access to unemployment assistance and to further prevent fraud, we’re proud to partner with the USPS for in-person ID verification. Soon we will have over 280 USPS retail locations partnering in our effort to support a more prosperous Oklahoma,” said Christopher O’Brien, OESC’s Director of UI Integrity.
The program’s initial pilot launch includes only a select few USPS locations.
“The agency hopes to have all 283 USPS locations in Oklahoma available to claimants for identity verification within a few weeks after,” OESC officials said.
The U.S. Department of Labor is funding the program to expand access to unemployment benefits nationwide. Oklahoma is the second state to implement the program.
OESC officials encourage claimants to attempt verification online or through an OESC office, if possible, for the most convenient and comprehensive experience.
