State implements identity verification for new unemployment claimants
Feb. 25—New Mexico residents filing for unemployment benefits must now verify their identity.
That's according to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, which announced the change Tuesday. The department in a news release said the change applies to people filing online and in person.
"We are committed to strengthening the integrity of our unemployment insurance system while also increasing options for the public," Workforce Solutions Secretary Sarita Nair said in a statement. She said the change will "particularly benefit rural communities."
Residents applying for unemployment benefits can do so online using Login.gov, the department said in a news release. Those who want to verify their identity in person can head to the more than two dozen America's Job Center New Mexico locations and participating U.S. Postal Service offices.
The department said all new unemployment claimants must verify their identities within 10 days of submitting claims.
If verifying in person at a postal office, residents can bring a state-issued driver's license, a state-issued ID card, a U.S. armed forces ID card, or a U.S. passport — the latter two of which require a secondary ID.
If applying in person at a local America's Job Center, a Social Security card, past year's W-2 tax form with a full Social Security number, or paycheck stubs with the last four digits of the Social Security number must be submitted alongside either a birth certificate, state-issued driver's license, state-issued ID card, passports and passport card, tribal identification or military ID.
New Mexico is the seventh state to offer multiple identity verification options and the 22nd to utilize the postal service — a collaboration between the USPS and the U.S. Department of Labor.
The news comes as Nair and state Economic Development Secretary-designate Rob Black held a Monday news conference to discuss options for laid-off federal workers in New Mexico. Nair told reporters about 140 federal workers have so far filed for unemployment claims, with another 2,200 workers on their probationary period — the latter a target for the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency to cut costs.
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