The Unemployment Insurance Benefits System will undergo system updates and will be unavailable from 8 pm on Friday, October 31, 2025, through 12 pm on Sunday, November 2, 2025. We appreciate your patience while these nationwide updates are made to improve user experience.
All federal government employees who were affected by the federal shutdown may file their initial claim online at www.dcnetworks.org. For further information please see FAQs.
Eligibility Requirements:
In order to be eligible for the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services Senior Community Service Employment Program the individual must meet the following requirements:
DC residents 55 years of age or older
Income less than 125% of the federal poverty level
Be eligible to work in the US and have the mental and physical capacity to perform training-related activities for at least twenty (20) hours per week
Unemployed, not job-ready, and have low employment prospects*
*Note: Employed or recently laid off applicants are presumed to be job-ready and therefore ineligible for SCSEP. The program is solely for applicants who are not job-ready due to extended history of unemployment; have not been trained or certified in a trade or skill and have not participated in job-related trainings or programs. Job-ready applicants are referred to the American Job Centers for “one-stop” access to information and direct referrals to career-related resources.
Priority of Service is given to people who fit any of the following most-in-need criteria:
For more information on how to become a participant, emails us at:
Contact Email:
Contact Phone:
(202) 724-7000