FAQs for Unemployment Insurance Modernization

Q. Is there a change in the wage file transmission methods?

Wage file transmission methods (online upload or SFTP upload) will not change from current methods or technology.

Q. Is there a change in bulk wage file data elements or file format?

There will be no changes to the bulk wage file specifications. 

Q. Can multiple bulk files be submitted?

Users can submit multiple bulk files. Each of those files can contain one or more employer wage files. If an individual employer wage file fails edit checks when submitted within a bulk file that includes multiple employers, all conforming employers’ wage files will be accepted, and the submitter will have to revise the failed employer wage file and resubmit it.

Q. What are all the possible methods by which an employer or its TPA/Agent can upload a wage file?

Bulk or individual wage files can be uploaded via an automated or manual SFTP transfer.

Additionally, the new system will have a web page that allows for manually initiated bulk files or wage files to be uploaded, or employers can enter wage reports on an individual-by-individual basis.

Q. Will there be changes to the errors/warnings on the acknowledgment files?

There will be new errors/warnings verifying wage record details. Details on the new errors and warnings will be available on the website.

Q. Currently, the bulk wage file and acknowledgments are transmitted through an automated FTP process, will there be any changes?

No changes will occur to the submission of bulk wage files via FTP.

Q. Is there a limit to the number of files that may be sent?

There is no limit to the number of files that may be sent.

Q. Where can users obtain a copy of the SFTP and web upload file specifications?

The SFTP and web upload file specifications will be available on the website. 

Q. Users currently upload bulk files via a web portal or via the SFTP mechanism. Will that change in the new system?

As with the current UI Online system, employers, TPAs, and other employer agents will be able to submit bulk files via a web portal or via the SFTP mechanism. Instructions for each method will be available on the website.

Q. Are there any qualifications, such as a minimum client count, required to obtain an SFTP filing account?

There are no minimum qualifications to file through SFTP.

Q. Will there be any changes to the Client Rate download?

The bulk rate files will no longer be sent daily. However, rate information will be readily available on demand through download after logging in to the new system. The format will remain the same as it is today. 

Q. Are there any plans to support zero returns ($0) on the bulk wage file submissions?

At this time, $0 wage file reports cannot be submitted in bulk using the wage file submission methods. Employers, Third Party Administrators (TPAs), and other employer agents will still be able to file individual $0 wage file reports by logging into the online portal.

Q. How will wage file amendments be processed?

The wage file amendment process will be the same as it is in the UI Online system. Specifically, Wage report amendments will be accepted through the bulk filing process. Wage records in the amendment file with IDs (SSNs) that match the original report will be updated with the amended values. All other wage records will remain from the original report.

Q. Will a Third-Party Administrator (TPA) or other employer agents be able to file wage reports on behalf of a new employer client before authorizations are in place?

TPAs or agents will be able to file a wage report on behalf of a new client of the TPA only one- time. After that one-time submission, the TPA or agent will not be able to see the results or file any further wage reports until it is properly authorized. To gain proper authorization, the TPAs or other employer agents must use one of the three methods described below.

Q. Will the existing authorizations and their related roles for Third-Party Administrators (TPAs) and other employer agents to access, pay, or file wages on behalf of employers be transferred to the new system?

All existing authorizations and the associated specific roles for those authorizations as of the end of the day, Friday, September 8, 2023, will be transferred into the new system.

Q. What is the process for requesting and approving authorization for Third-Party Administrators (TPAs) and other employer agents to gain access to the new system on behalf of new clients?

• There will be three methods by which an employer can authorize a TPA.
• When the employer registers, or at any other time, it can select a TPA or other employer agent and designate functions that it may perform;
• The TPA or other employer agent can register an employer and select roles that it is authorized to perform. The employer must log on to the new system and approve those roles; or
• The TPA or other employer agent can use the DUA’s Power of Attorney form. The Power of Attorney form will be available online and can be uploaded using the new portal for DUA review and approval.

Q. Will Third-Party Administrators (TPAs) and other employer agents be able to bulk add authorizations?

TPAs and other employer agents will not be able to bulk add authorizations for multiple clients.

Q. Will the new system support multiple Third-Party Administrators (TPAs) or other employer agents having the same role authorization for an individual employer?

Only one TPA or agent may have a particular role for an employer. But employers can have different TPAs or agents for different roles. For example, one TPA or agent might do wage filings, etc., while a different TPA or agent responds to benefit issues, and a third TPA could work with reimbursable employer charges and payments.

Q. Will there be any changes to the ACH credit EFT payment process or bank?

There are no changes to the ACH credit EFT process.

Q. Can payments being submitted by a reimbursable employer, Third-Party Administrator (TPA) or other employer agent on their behalf be applied to different program charges if requested by the submitter?

The new system will allow the employer, a TPA, or other employer agent to designate whether a payment is directed to reimbursable charges only or to all program charges through the new system. This will give employers, TPAs, and other employer agents more control over how payments are applied. Late payments for unpaid amounts may be subject to interest, penalties, and fines.

Q. In the new system, will credits only be applied if the employers, Third Party Agents (TPAs), or other employer agents specifically request it?

The new system will eliminate the need to request future credits to be applied to debt.  Future credits will automatically be applied to outstanding debt.

Q. Will employers, Third-Party Administrators (TPAs), or other agents, on the employer’s behalf, be able to receive a refund on a credit balance upon request?

Requests for refunds must be made within three years and are available only if the employer cannot be issued a credit for use against future balances due.

Q. If payments are misapplied (for example, to Reimbursable charges) once moved, does the interest stay as if the payment is late? 

The new system will automatically recalculate or remove the interest once a payment or credit is moved and reapplied to an account using the date the misapplied payment was made. No request to remove or recalculate interest will be needed.

Q. Will payments submitted be applied to the oldest debt first, not the current quarter liability?

The new system supports payment methods which will allow Third-Party Administrators (TPAs) and employers to specify the quarter to which a payment applies. If no quarter is specified, the system will apply payments to the oldest debt first. Late payments for any unpaid amounts may be subject to interest, penalties, and fines.

Q. Reimbursable charges currently appear on the Payments Due file – Because of this, Third-Party Administrators (TPAs) or other employer agents must repeatedly review hundreds of clients to ensure the amount due is still reimbursable charges.

The employers, TPAs, and other employer agents can view a full breakdown of balances owed, including reimbursable charges. The Payments Due File is being replaced with new online options for managing payments for multiple employers.

Q. What happens to the rate file if an employer has two rates in a year?

If an employer has two rates that apply to the same rate year, the rate file will display one rate. However, employers and TPAs have the ability to see the full rate history in the new system.