Kansas labour dept picks TCS to modernise unemployment insurance programme

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) announced that the Kansas Department of Labour (KDOL) has selected the company to build a modern, secure, web-based system for the state’s unemployment insurance programme, transforming a legacy mainframe platform from the 1970s into a cloud-based system that improves the delivery of services to Kansas residents.

The TCS unemployment insurance system will provide Kansans with online self-service functions, including the ability to file new claims, certify weekly claims, check the status of benefit payments, and file appeals. The new system will also enable Kansas employers to register their businesses online, make payments and appeals online, and file real time wage reports, among other features.

“KDOL is taking a major step forward to modernize the unemployment insurance system,” said Kansas Governor Laura Kelly. “Our efforts for the past year have been focused on selecting a technology partner to move the agency into the 21st century. With this upgrade, KDOL will be able to get back into alignment with its mission of serving unemployed Kansans.”

Once launched, the TCS system will also help the Kansas Department of Labour provide better services by enabling electronic correspondence on a single digital platform, reducing costs for Kansas taxpayers, and ensuring program integrity by helping to combat fraud.

“We have made a significant amount of progress in a short amount of time and today’s announcement is just the latest example of this work,” said Amber Shultz, secretary, Kansas Department of Labor. “We are committed to partnering with the right people to reflect the agency’s commitment to customer service and collaborative innovation.”

For more than two decades, TCS has partnered with states across the US to transform unemployment insurance systems, including Connecticut, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, and Wyoming, as well as several cities.

“Unemployment Insurance is a critical safety net for thousands of Kansas residents every year. They deserve a secure, world-class system that enables them to file claims and receive payments seamlessly,” said Robert Kane, chief commercial officer, US Public Services, TCS North America. “We look forward to working alongside the dedicated Kansas Department of Labor modernization team to transform the way they serve Kansas citizens and employers.”

As a result of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and ensuing job losses, government agencies handled unprecedented numbers of unemployment insurance claims. TCS systems successfully processed exponential increases in unemployment claims at the onset of the pandemic, including the integration of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance – a lifeline for self-employed individuals, independent contractors, and other gig workers. Volunteers from TCS also rose to the occasion, partnering with the New York State Department of Labour to troubleshoot and help process thousands of pending unemployment insurance applications in a matter of days, said the company in a media release.