What to Expect After You File

Progress of Your Unemployment Claim 

You may easily track the status of your unemployment claim by reviewing the Benefit Details panel on the Summary screen of your Jobs4TN.gov Unemployment Claimant e-Services account.

Complete Your Fact-Finding Questionnaire(s)

To ensure the agency has all the information it needs to make an accurate decision on your claim, questionnaire(s) will be sent to your Unemployment Claimant e-Services account immediately after filing. You may locate any/all questionnaires requiring your attention on either your Summary screen or Action Center. These must be completed by the due date specified on the questionnaire (i.e., within 7 days of filing).

Start Your Weekly Certification

Log in to your Jobs4TN.gov Unemployment Claimant e-Services account each week to complete your Weekly Certification – this is where you’ll report your 4 work search activities completed the prior week.

Each Sunday a new certification for the prior week will be made available on your e-Services account; the link to file your certification will be located on your Summary screen and within your Action Center.

Please note that if you wait more than 3 weeks to file your certification, your claim will be closed, and you will need to refile to begin certifying again. Any missed certifications will no longer be available for filing/compensation – this is why it’s important that you file timely each week.

Waiting Week

If your claim is approved, the first week you certified for will serve as a waiting week. This Agency does not pay you for this week unless you certify for, and are eligible for four consecutive weeks. On the fourth consecutive week, you will receive a double payment; it will be a combination of your waiting week and fourth week of benefits.

Start your job search immediately and certify the first Sunday after your claim was filed. Even if you haven't been approved or denied yet,  go ahead and attempt to certify.  Keep certifying weekly until you find employment.

Monetary Determination

This is not an approval, but rather tells you how much you could receive if you are approved. This document tells you how many weeks you will receive unemployment. Do not confuse the “benefit year” with how many weeks you will be eligible. The maximum number of weeks you can draw unemployment in Tennessee is 12 weeks.

If you believe that the wages are incorrect or an employer is missing during the past 18 months on your Monetary Determination, you may file a Wage Protest.

Wage Protest

A Wage Protest may be filed online for any missing or incorrect wages paid for work performed in the state of Tennessee during the standard base period. You may file a Wage Protest by going to Jobs4TN.gov and logging in to your Unemployment Claimant e-Services account. Please contact us toll-free at 844-224-5818.

Debit Card Delivery

You will receive an empty Way2Go Card® Debit MasterCard by mail within 7-10 days from your application. You may instead receive your benefit by direct deposit if you prefer. For security reasons, we will not take your banking information and change your payment method. If your card is not delivered or you lose your card, please contact Way2Go customer service at 855-462-5887.

Non-Monetary Determination — Approval or Denial

Once the agency has finished processing your claim, you will receive a Non-monetary Determination letter detailing the findings of your claims (that is, whether you are approved for benefits, or denied). Please note you may receive multiple Non-monetary Determination letters on your claim if other factors such as deductible pay or able and available status are applicable per your application answers.

If you disagree with a decision made on your claim, you may file an appeal. Instructions on how to file an appeal are located on your Non-monetary Determination letter.

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