IDENTITY VERIFICATION
For your protection, Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) must verify your identity when you file for unemployment benefits. This process ensures that the person filing for benefits is who they say they are and protects against fraudulent attempts to obtain benefits.
Your identity must be verified first in order to receive benefits. You will be asked to verify your identity during the unemployment insurance process.
USING ID.ME TO VERIFY YOUR IDENTITY
Effective April 1, 2024, IWD has upgraded its identity verification process with ID.me. ID.me is a secure, next-generation digital identity network that simplifies the process for verifying your identity online. All Iowans filing for benefits are required to use ID.me.
Thousands of Iowans have already successfully used ID.me and are completing their verification in less than five minutes on average. Visit the links below to learn when to use ID.me, the various options for verifying through the platform, and how to get support.
Verifying Your Identity: What You Need to Know
NOTE: Your identity must be verified or your unemployment benefits may be delayed and your claim may be canceled. Click or tap on the sections below to learn about the identity verification process.
Contact information and additional resources are included below.
The process for verifying your identity will take place when you file for unemployment benefits, typically during your first claim (initial claim), or your first weekly claim after April 1, 2024, if you have not yet verified your identity through ID.me.
- The identity verification process itself (providing documents and proving who you are) only happens once.
- Each week after that you file for benefits (weekly claim), you will simply need to login into your verified ID.me account and complete Multi-Factor Authentication. This authentication lets ID.me know that your account is still secure.
To file for benefits, you'll visit the pages below.
- Applying for Your Initial Claim (first time you are filing)
- Filing for Weekly Claim (when you're continuing to file for benefits each week that are you unemployed)
ID.me is a more secure and efficient process for verifying your identity, and is directly incorporated into the process when filing an unemployment claim with Iowa Workforce Development (IWD).
- When filing your initial claim or your weekly claim, the claims portal will automatically direct you to ID.me to create your account and complete the verification account.
- You will need to create an account with ID.me in order to verify your identity.
- Note:
- Claimants who already have an ID.me account tied to their identity or those who create an account ahead of time can log into their existing account when prompted.
- However, their identity verification will not be processed with IWD until they log into ID.me through the IWD claims portal, verify their account, and submit an unemployment claim.
- However, their identity verification will not be processed with IWD until they log into ID.me through the IWD claims portal or weekly claims portal, verify their account, and submit a claim.
IWD offers three verification options with ID.me to maximize accessibility and offer claimants the choice to find the best verification option that works for them. The three options are Online Self-Service, Video Chat Agent, and In-person Verification.
Online Self-Service:
- This is the most common and fastest way to verify your identity with ID.me, which takes only a few minutes and can be done using a smartphone or computer with a camera.
- If you tried verifying your identity using Self-Service and weren’t successful, you may have the option to finish verifying on a video call with a Video Chat Agent with an extended list of documentation.
Video Chat Agent:
- In this option, you’ll upload a government-issued photo ID, then join a short video call with an ID.me Video Chat Agent. During the call, the ID.me agent will compare you to your uploaded identity document.
- This option is best for claimants who can't complete the self-service option to verify their identity. IWD claimants can also opt in to going directly to a video chat agent upfront if this is the preferred method for identity verification.
In-Person Verification:
- Claimants also have the option to take their identity documents to do an in-person verification at one of the American Job Centers (List of IowaWORKS offices) across the state, with the assistance of trained staff.
- This option for ID.me is intended for claimants who do not have a personal mobile device, laptop or computer.
- An IWD verification technician at each IowaWORKS office will be available during office hours to assist claimants who elect to do this option to verify their identity. Visit this link for a list of IowaWORKS offices.
Accepted Documents to Verify Your Identity
Claimants can choose from the list of document types below to verify their identity with ID.me. Before proceeding, please make sure that the document is still valid/current and is the original physical version (no photocopies). View the list below or visit this link for a list of primary or secondary identification documents.
- Driver’s license (or learner's permit) from a U.S. state (Paper documents are not accepted.)
- State-issued photo ID
- U.S. passport
- HSPD 12 PIV card
- U.S. passport card
- U.S. Permanent resident card (I-551)
- USCIS-issued Employment Authorization Card (I-766) (No employer-issued ID cards)
- Government Issued Photo ID (No US military ID cards. Must be a permanent document with photo. Temporary and/or paper documents are not accepted.)
- Foreign (non U.S.) passport
- Veteran’s health ID card
- Transportation Security Administration (TSA) ID Card
- DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI)
- Canadian driver’s license
- Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570)
- National ID card (only if residing outside of the U.S.)
Note: If you only have a temporary ID, please refer to this link on how to verify your identity with the video call option. Some claimants may require additional documentation to prove their identity. View a full list acceptable documents on the ID.me document help page .
Common Document Errors
When using ID.me, you may encounter an error when uploading the required identity documents. Please review the list at this link for common errors and solutions.
Note the following when preparing to file for benefits and use ID.me:
- For security reasons, claimants will be asked to log into their ID.me account each week they are filing a claim. However, claimants only need to complete the first-time identity verification process once during their benefits cycle; after that, they simply log back into their ID.me account each week when they are prompted when filing a weekly claim.
- Claimants who do not possess a device (mobile phone, laptop, tablet, etc.) can elect to do the in-person verification option. However, in rare cases where they also do not possess government-issued identification, IWD will work with the claimant on an alternative method for verification.
- However, IWD anticipates the vast majority of claimants will be able to successfully use ID.me, as they are today.
Not sure where to begin, or have a question? Get support from ID.me at the links below.
Verification Steps with ID.me
Information on the full identity verification process can be found at this ID.me page: Verifying with Iowa (IWD)
Support from ID.me
Visit help.id.me to get support now. Claimants can ask the virtual assistant or submit a request through the online form. The ID.me member support team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and will get back to you as soon as possible via email.
IWD Integrity Bureau
For assistance with identity verification outside of ID.me, please email uifraud@iwd.iowa.gov, or contact IWD using one of the options below.