Get help navigating unemployment benefits

Unemployment insurance navigators are now available at Idaho Department of Labor locations across the state to guide people through filing a claim for benefits.

Unemployment insurance is an eligibility program that replaces part of a worker’s lost income when they become unemployed through no fault of their own. Eligible claimants are paid these benefits through tax accounts to which their former employers have contributed.

As Labor employees, the navigators are assigned to help people identify and avoid mistakes that result in a delayed benefit payment, an overpayment that needs to be paid back or fraud.

Unemployment insurance navigators can answer questions about the claims process, from first filing to continued claims. They are available in local Labor offices, including the Post Falls Idaho Department of Labor office, 600 N. Thornton St.

Part of a $2.28 million Unemployment Insurance Equity grant through the U.S. Department of Labor is funding the program. The grant’s purpose is to make unemployment insurance more accessible to underserved populations in Idaho.

For information about unemployment insurance and other job seeker services, go to labor.idaho.gov.