Direct Deposit of Benefit Payments FAQ

Direct deposit is the electronic transfer of your weekly unemployment benefit payment into your checking or savings account at your bank, credit union or savings and loan through a system called the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network. Your financial institution must be a member of the ACH network in order for you to receive benefit payments by direct deposit. If you forward your entire payment from a bank in the U.S. to a bank in another country, contact us at (414) 435-7069 or toll-free (844) 910-3661.

• You may enroll online by going to https://my.unemployment.wisconsin.gov and selecting "Profile Settings" after logging in. You will need your username and password to access the system. For more information about online services, please visit the online benefit services FAQ.
• If you do not have internet access you may complete a Direct Deposit Authorization form and mail it to the department. You must also provide a voided personal check or a document from your financial institution which clearly identifies the bank routing number and your checking or savings account number to ensure the account number and financial institution’s routing number you provide are correct.
•  New claimants will receive payments by Visa^® pre-paid debit card until the new direct deposit account information is entered.
• Your direct deposit information only needs to be submitted once, unless your bank information changes. You DO NOT need to resubmit a Direct Deposit Authorization each time you file for unemployment benefits.

You can find out the deposit date and amount from your financial institution, or by logging in online at https://my.unemployment.wisconsin.gov and selecting View Claim after logging in. You will need your user name and password to access the system. If you have not yet created a user name and password, you must do so to view your direct deposit information. For more information about signing up for online services, please visit the online benefit services logon FAQ.

Contact your financial institution’s ACH department. Ask if they received your deposit and when they expect to post it to your account. Call a claims specialist immediately at (414) 435-7069 or toll-free (844) 910-3661 during business hours if your bank has no record that they received your deposit.

The department will transmit your payment to the financial institution and account of record as provided by you. It is your responsibility to inform the department of any changes to the account. Changes include changing financial institutions, changing accounts within the same institution, closing accounts, changing your name, or that you wish to change deposit of your payment from one account to another. If you make any of these changes while on direct deposit without notifying the department first, your payments will be delayed.

If you plan to make any of the above changes, you may update your direct deposit information online by going to https://my.unemployment.wisconsin.gov and selecting Profile Settings after logging in.

You will need your user name and password to access the system. If you have not yet created a user name and password, you must do so to cancel your direct deposit. For more information about signing up for online services, please visit the online benefit services logon FAQ. For help using online services call (414) 435-7069 or toll-free (844) 910-3661 during business hours. You will be required to fill out a new Direct Deposit Authorization form.

New claimants will receive payments by Visa pre-paid debit card until the new direct deposit account information is entered.

If you close your account, change your account or change financial institutions without notifying the department, your payments will be delayed. We will be notified if your payment is not deposited. The department will immediately cancel your direct deposit.

If benefits intended for direct deposit are returned, the department will try to reach out to you for updated banking information. If you cannot be reached, or you do not have updated banking information, the department will enroll you in a Visa pre-paid debit card. You will receive payments by Visa pre-paid debit card until the new direct deposit account information is entered. If you were previously enrolled in Visa pre-paid debit card, you will not be sent a new card. If you no longer have your Visa pre-paid debit card, you will have to call and request a replacement card.

You may reapply for direct deposit by going to https://my.unemployment.wisconsin.gov, or by completing a new Direct Deposit Authorization form and returning it to the department with a voided personal check, or a document from your financial institution which clearly identifies the bank routing number and your checking or savings account number.

Yes. However, although your unemployment benefit payment is deposited to a joint account, the department will not release information about payment of benefits to the other party on the joint account. You must go online at https://my.unemployment.wisconsin.gov or call a claims specialist at (414) 435-7069 or toll-free (844) 910-3661 during business hours yourself to obtain that information. In addition, the department will not involve itself in domestic disputes such as the other party’s use of the unemployment payment deposited in the joint account.

No. As long as your financial institution is a member of the ACH network you may participate in direct deposit.

No. Our system can only deposit payments to a single account.

You may cancel any future payments of unemployment benefits being made by direct deposit by going online to https://my.unemployment.wisconsin.gov and selecting Profile Settings after logging in. You will need your user name and password to access the system. If you have not yet created a user name and password, you must do so to cancel your direct deposit. For more information about online services, please visit the online benefit services logon FAQ. For help using online services call (414) 435-7069 or toll-free (844) 910-3661 during business hours.  Direct deposit payments will be cancelled immediately upon the department receiving the request. You will be enrolled for a Visa pre-paid debit card beginning with the next weekly claim processed.

If you have any other questions about direct deposit please call a claims specialist at (414) 435-7069 or toll-free (844) 910-3661 or dial 7-1-1 for Wisconsin Relay Service during business hours.