How Does Colorado Pay Unemployment?

Requesting Payments

Colorado only pays unemployment payments for the weeks you request them. Every two weeks, you call into the claims line or access the claims website to file a weekly claims certification. You file for two weeks on the same day, but you file for each week separately. To complete the certification process, you answer questions about your eligibility for each of the previous weeks. The DOLE receives your answers, verifies the information provided and releases an unemployment payment to you.

The default option Colorado uses to pay unemployment benefits is the Colorado Automated Payment (CAP) Card. The CAP card is a prepaid visa provided by JP Morgan Chase Bank. The DOLE mails you your CAP card seven to 10 days after the initial approval of your unemployment claim. You sign the back and call the bank to set your PIN. The DOLE deposits money to the prepaid account every two weeks, which you can either use to make purchases with the card or withdraw using a Chase compatible ATM. If you use a non-Chase ATM, call customer service more than six times a month or use the teller more than twice a month, you may incur card fees that Chase will deduct from your unemployment benefits.

Colorado also pays unemployment benefits by direct deposit into your own checking or savings account. You may do this for the convenience or because you'd rather not pay any of the card fees Chase charges to CAP users. Since the CAP card is the default option, you must request direct deposit of benefits, and you need your bank's routing number as well as your checking or savings account number.

Colorado only allows you to change your payment method using the online form (see Resources). When you first receive approval for benefits, you will receive payment by CAP card unless you fill out this form to change to direct deposit. You can change your payment method at any time, but the best time is right after you receive a payment. This gives Colorado two weeks to set up your new payment method. Compensation will be delayed if you change your payment method close to a pending payment date.