The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has been awarded $11.25 million in federal funds to strengthen and modernize its unemployment insurance system, according to a recent press release. The funds are part of a continuing improvement process to make the system more reliable and accessible to users.
On Friday, Sept. 22, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded more than $204 million in grants to modernize information technology infrastructure in 18 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The grants will allow Wisconsin and other states to adopt new strategies to upgrade and redesign unemployment insurance programs, better defend against fraud, and make the systems easier to maintain and change.
Last year, DWD announced it had published a new UI Claimant Handbook, making the handbook easier to read and understand. Publication of the new handbook follows other recent and ongoing modernization efforts including:
- A new benefits estimator tool;
- A new UI dashboard;
- Expanded support by DWD’s online chatbot Mattie Moo;
- An upgraded UI claims portal; and
- Enhancements that make it easier to file for UI benefits.
Since 2021, DWD has received more than $28 million from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Learn more about the U.S. Department of Labor strategy to modernize the unemployment insurance system.
