When you join UST, you’ll experience these advantages:

• Tax savings from 25% to 50% by becoming a direct reimburser.
• Claim savings from efficient monitoring, disputing and auditing of your claims. Total claims savings in 2008 were over $35 million.
• Cash flow management by spreading your liability over a full year, rather than paying dollar-for-dollar on your own.
• Reduce costs because your rates will be based on your organization’s actual claims experience, not the pooled liability of other types of employers who may experience higher claims in your state.
• Earned assets because you own and fund your own reserve account, which shares in a proportion to UST’s investment results.
• Potential experience credits and refunds due to favorable claims experience.
• And more ...

As a 501(c)(3) organization, you have an exclusive advantage over your for-profit counterparts: You can opt out of your state’s tax-rated unemployment system and become a direct reimburser.

When you become a reimbursing employer, your organization only pays dollar for dollar for those benefits paid out to your former employees.

For most nonprofit employers, this represents a substantial savings. But it also presents your organization with a certain cash flow risk due to the volatility of claim activity and any sudden unanticipated claim losses in your state.

UST helps your organization manage your risk by helping you build a reserve account that belongs to you to protect your organization from unexpected unemployment expenses.

Nonprofit organizations save by participating in UST because UST offers you:

• Guaranteed contribution rates: In the first two years of your participation, your organization receives a guaranteed discounted contribution rate. Organizations save 25% on their taxes in each of the first two years because of this guaranteed rate.
• Actuarial rates: In the third and subsequent years of your participation, your contribution rates are determined annually by the Trust's actuary based on your organization's actual claim’s experience. These rates have historically saved members 25% to 50% long term.
• No surcharges.* With UST, you won't have to worry about steep rate increases or surcharges that often occur when a state's unemployment insurance funds become insolvent.
  
  In addition, if your state faces some economic challenges or catastrophic claims experience, you'll avoid the surcharges your state would impose to compensate for the claims experience.

Already a direct reimbursing employer?

UST will help your organization save money through our expert claims services, cash flow management and investment income.

*Your organization won’t pay surcharges unless mandated against all employers regardless of reimbursing status.

When you join UST, you'll automatically be assigned a dedicated claims expert through TALX Employer Services. This service is provided as part of your participation in UST.

Your TALX claims representative will be your partner in lowering your unemployment costs. Your representative will process and monitor all claims filed against your organization, giving your staff more time to focus on other tasks.

During the processing of claims, your TALX representative will seek to:

• Detect any irregularities or improper charges
• Disqualify and defer claims
• Protest all inaccuracies
• Audit claims and credit back money to your organization

In 2008, TALX representatives saved UST participants more than $34 million by having their claims liability removed and another $1 million through claims audits.

UST participation does not change the way your former employees access unemployment benefits, or the payment of justified claims.

Many UST participants have found the claims services provided by TALX to be of significant value. In fact, if your organization were to contract independently on a fee-for-service basis with TALX, you would pay significantly more for its services than you would through UST.

In addition to claims monitoring, TALX offers risk management and claim prevention services that include: annual free training seminars, telephone consultation, reports of ongoing claims activity, online access to your account and a unique online educational tool for your agency to access free of charge.

About TALX
TALX is an industry leader and the largest provider of employment and income verifications in the U.S., with over half the Fortune 500 relying on them for this service.

TALX is also the largest provider of unemployment tax management services. Their expertise in unemployment claims handling and employment tax matters is unsurpassed in the industry, and they have a proven track record in delivering savings for clients.

When you join UST, your organization establishes its own reserve account for the duration of your participation.

Your organization's contributions are made to this account in the form of reserves, which are considered pre-paid assets. These reserves are used to cover current claims, claims in process and future claims, while adding a margin for any unexpected activity. UST reimburses your state out of funds from this account.

Because your organization owns its reserve account, you'll appreciate these additional benefits:

• Maximize cash flow: Rather than being impacted by a cash flow risk paying dollar-for-dollar on your own, your UST account allows you to spread your claims liability over the course of a whole year through quarterly contributions (percentage of the taxable wages for that quarter).

• Share in UST investment income: UST’s assets are invested conservatively to preserve participants’ capital. Over the past 10 years, investment income has offset operation expenses for participants by nearly 50%. This positive experience results in shared earned income in proportion to UST’s investment results.
• Builds assets: Because you fund your own account, any positive account balance you carry from year to year is considered an asset to your organization—not an expense on your balance sheet.
• Earn experience credits: Unlike any state tax-rated employment system, UST annually reviews and returns any excess funds accrued from favorable claims and investment experience in the form of experience credits.

If your organization has good claims experience and a positive account balance, your organization may share in this special benefit after your third year of participation. You can use your experience credit as a credit against future contributions or collect a refund.

Since 1986, UST has returned more than $33 million in experience credits.

If your organization decides to leave UST, the balance of your account will be returned, less any outstanding expenses.