By Bay City News Service

A new Internet service from the California Employment Development Department is now available to anyone in California who wants to manage their unemployment benefits online, EDD officials said Thursday. The new system, called UI Online, is available for use on smartphones and tablets as well as computers. More than 62,000 people in California have registered for the service since it became available in early June, according to the EDD.

"People are very enthusiastic about it," EDD spokesperson Patti Roberts said. Roberts said the enthusiasm may stem from the switch people have made to online banking. Claimants can use the new system to certify for continued benefits every two weeks, view the benefits they've received, reopen a claim, update personal information, and among other things, view appointments they've made for benefits.

UI Online does not allow claimants to file an initial claim, state Labor and Workforce Development Agency spokesman Garin Casaleggio said. To do that, claimants can use eApply4UI, also an online system that's been available since around 2002.

UI Online is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, EDD officials said. Roberts said that makes it easier for people who now don't have to wait until business hours to file a claim over the phone.

Roberts also said people are happy they can save on postage and they don't have to cross their fingers when they mail their claim form. Any money people can save while they're unemployed is helpful, Roberts said.

"People feel very vulnerable when they're unemployed," she said. EDD officials recognized how vulnerable people feel when they're unemployed and did a slow rollout of the system.