07/23/2015 11:08 AM EDT
**Claimants advised not to throw away Chase Visa debit card**
AUGUSTA-People who file for unemployment benefits in Maine and receive their payments through the Chase Visa debit card are receiving the new ReliaCard from U.S. Bank. Benefits will be paid to the card this week. Recipients who receive their benefits by direct deposit to their bank account will not be affected by the change, although they will be sent the new card as a back-up method of payment.
JP Morgan Chase, the provider of the previous debit card is no longer providing unemployment insurance deposit services to state unemployment systems.
"We are telling unemployment insurance recipients who have a balance on their current Chase Visa MAP card not to throw away their current card," said Jeanne S. Paquette, Commissioner of Labor. "Balances remaining on the current Chase Visa MAP card will not transfer to the new U.S. Bank ReliaCard. Unemployment insurance recipients who've had their payments deposited to the Chase Visa debit card must continue to use their existing card until the balance reaches zero, and they can also use the new card at the same time to access benefit payments made after July 24, 2015."
The U.S. Bank ReliaCard is a prepaid Visa card that can be used at ATMs, financial institutions and anywhere that the Visa logo is displayed. Unemployment benefits will be paid on the new ReliaCard from U.S. Bank starting with benefit payments made overnight on July 23, 2015. All unemployment benefit payments made after 5 p.m. on July 23, 2015 will automatically be made to the new card.
Benefit recipients should have received a letter notifying them of the switch to the new card. An email was also sent to affected claimants.
The U.S. Bank Visa debit card will arrive in a plain, white, unmarked envelope with an "Indianapolis, IN" return address. The department advises claimants to watch for the envelope, and carefully go through "junk" mail to avoid throwing out the new card by accident.
Any balance on a current MAP card will not transfer over to the new card. Benefit recipients should continue to use the Chase Visa debit card until its balance reaches zero before destroying the old card. However, you do not need to use up the balance on the old card before using the new card.
Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.maine.gov/labor/unemployment/mapcard/faqs.html
Claimants who accidentally threw away their Chase Visa debit card and still have a balance should call 1-866-315-1011.
Claimants who accidentally threw away their new U.S. Bank ReliaCard, call 1-855-282-2030.
For more information, please visit: http://www.maine.gov/labor/unemployment/mapcard/index.shtml
AUGUSTA-People who file for unemployment benefits in Maine and receive their payments through the Chase Visa debit card are receiving the new ReliaCard from U.S. Bank. Benefits will be paid to the card this week. Recipients who receive their benefits by direct deposit to their bank account will not be affected by the change, although they will be sent the new card as a back-up method of payment.
JP Morgan Chase, the provider of the previous debit card is no longer providing unemployment insurance deposit services to state unemployment systems.
"We are telling unemployment insurance recipients who have a balance on their current Chase Visa MAP card not to throw away their current card," said Jeanne S. Paquette, Commissioner of Labor. "Balances remaining on the current Chase Visa MAP card will not transfer to the new U.S. Bank ReliaCard. Unemployment insurance recipients who've had their payments deposited to the Chase Visa debit card must continue to use their existing card until the balance reaches zero, and they can also use the new card at the same time to access benefit payments made after July 24, 2015."
The U.S. Bank ReliaCard is a prepaid Visa card that can be used at ATMs, financial institutions and anywhere that the Visa logo is displayed. Unemployment benefits will be paid on the new ReliaCard from U.S. Bank starting with benefit payments made overnight on July 23, 2015. All unemployment benefit payments made after 5 p.m. on July 23, 2015 will automatically be made to the new card.
Benefit recipients should have received a letter notifying them of the switch to the new card. An email was also sent to affected claimants.
The U.S. Bank Visa debit card will arrive in a plain, white, unmarked envelope with an "Indianapolis, IN" return address. The department advises claimants to watch for the envelope, and carefully go through "junk" mail to avoid throwing out the new card by accident.
Any balance on a current MAP card will not transfer over to the new card. Benefit recipients should continue to use the Chase Visa debit card until its balance reaches zero before destroying the old card. However, you do not need to use up the balance on the old card before using the new card.
Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.maine.gov/labor/unemployment/mapcard/faqs.html
Claimants who accidentally threw away their Chase Visa debit card and still have a balance should call 1-866-315-1011.
Claimants who accidentally threw away their new U.S. Bank ReliaCard, call 1-855-282-2030.
For more information, please visit: http://www.maine.gov/labor/unemployment/mapcard/index.shtml
