RI Department of Labor and Training Unemployment Insurance

We are currently in a heavy call-volume peak period. We apologize for the longer call wait times.

INTERNET EXPLORER v10 USERS - You must chose "compatibility view" before advancing through the claims-filing screens. To choose compatibility view, click on the broken-paper image next to the URL address at the top of the page.

Broken Paper image

The Department has developed fact finding questionnaires for claimants and employers to expedite the telephone interview with the Central Adjudication Unit. Click here to access them.

If you do not wish to provide a statement, please complete the “Decline to Provide a Statement” form located here. Please note if you decline to provide a statement, the Department will render a decision based only upon the facts present at the time the determination is made and the department will not contact you for a statement

The Call Center hours are as follows:
Mondays: 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday: 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Wednesdays: CLOSED
Thursdays: 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Fridays: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

To reduce wait times, customers are encouraged to file a new claim or refile a claim online and only contact the Call Center if there is an issue with an existing claim. This allows call center representatives more time to be available for general inquiries and claims issues. If you have a question concerning an existing claim, please call (401) 243-9100.

If you are having difficulty reaching the Call Center, please note the following:

Mondays and Tuesdays typically experience the highest volume of calls during the week; callers experiencing difficulty earlier in the day may wish to try later in the day.
You may send any questions including questions about your Central Adjudication decision to UIhelp. Your email will be processed in the order in which it is received.

Hearing impaired customers may use TTY via RI Relay: 711

Claimants Beware! DLT has been made aware of a third party organization that offers to assist individuals with filing a claim for Unemployment Insurance benefits. These organizations are often engaged unknowingly by individuals who use basic keyword searches in Google or other search engines. These web sites, not affiliated with the DLT or the United States Department of Labor, often feature write-ups on unemployment insurance programs and law and interactive maps of the states. Click to read more.

You must use Teleserve online or by phone to complete the following:

Create a confidential Personal Identification Number (PIN).
Listen to or read the Unemployment Insurance Benefit Rights.
Establish a Waiting Period Credit.
Certify for payments EACH WEEK you are requesting benefits.

You must contact Teleserve each week even if your claim is in pending status or if you are denied benefits and are appealing your decision. Your weekly certifications will be held in pending status until a determination on your claim has been made.

If you have returned to work since you last collected unemployment insurance, you cannot use TeleServe until you file a new claim or refile/reopen an existing claim through our internet filing system.

TeleServe Hours of Operation:

Online: https://teleserve.dlt.ri.gov

Anytime Sunday through Friday

Phone: (401) 243-9600

Monday through Friday from 3:00p.m. to 5:00p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. and
Anytime Sunday

Please note that at times you may receive an automated message stating that we are unable to access our records due to system processing; if this is the case, please try again later.

Click here to read more about Teleserve

Frequently Asked Questions about Teleserve or Certifying Online

Customers may file a new claim or refile/reopen an existing claim anytime online at:
https://uiclaims.ri.gov/RI-ICS/Intro/Index.aspx?AC=yes.

To check the status of your claim, click Access Account Information. You will need your BYE (Benefit Year Ending), Social Security number and PIN number to check your status. Your claim will be processed in the order in which it is received.

Refiling/Reopening an Existing Claim:

If you have returned to work any time since you last collected unemployment insurance, you cannot use TeleServe until you either refile your claim or file a new claim. Both filing and refilling can be accomplished online through our internet filing system.

Unemployment Insurance (UI) provides temporary and partial wage replacement to workers who have become unemployed through no fault of their own. The program, funded by employer paid taxes, aids in maintaining the economic stability within a community by safeguarding the income and purchasing power of the unemployed worker.

Please be aware that you must file a claim for RI Unemployment Insurance benefits yourself. No other organization can file for benefits on your behalf. You may file a new claim or refile/reopen an existing online at www.dlt.ri.gov/ui/fileclaim2.htm or by phone at (401)243-9100. Web sites and other organizations that offer to file benefits for you are not authorized in the State of Rhode Island.

We have a guide available for customers to help them prepare the questions they may be asked when filing a new claim. You can also watch brief presentations on understanding unemployment insurance.

Contacting UI: Call backs are made weekdays between 8 AM and 4 PM. If you are not available when the Call Center calls, a representative will attempt to reach you a second time. Please note that if you have received two answering machine or voice mail messages from the UI Call Center stating that a representative has been unable to reach you, your original request will be retired and you will have to make a new request for a call back. Requests are honored in the order they are received.