ID.me, a federally certified identity verification platform, is helping state unemployment agencies release unemployment benefits to blocked applicants and accelerate processing of new applications. Several hundred thousand unemployment applicants have not received unemployment benefits months after applying as record-high claim volumes and large-scale fraud schemes have overwhelmed labor agencies in many states. ID.me’s solution creates a virtual express lane for all eligible applicants to verify identity online. Due to ID.me’s No Identity Left Behind initiative, all claimants can verify their identity online in minutes.
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Unlike traditional online identity verification technology that relies heavily on an individual’s credit history, ID.me’s solution is designed to serve all demographics, including young adults, recent immigrants and lower income citizens. As a result, ID.me is able to process 100% of eligible claimants. Claimants begin with a self-service process that lets them verify with their phone and a government ID. Individuals who are unable to complete the automated workflow are automatically routed to ID.me’s Virtual In-Person Proofing process, which consists of a video chat interaction with a US-based ID.me agent to virtualize an in-person verification event. The technology first debuted at the US Department of Veterans Affairs in 2018 and proved enormously successful.
“Online identity verification processes already discriminate against less affluent populations due to their dependency on credit history. The current unemployment crisis precipitated by COVID-19 adds insult to injury as many workers find they are unable to verify their identity online,” said Blake Hall, CEO and Founder of ID.me. “Our No Identity Left Behind pledge ensures all claimants have equitable access to online services while also preventing fraud.”
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