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How
to Apply for
Benefits
There are several ways you can apply for benefits.
- If you have access to the Internet, you can use
our on-line system to apply for benefits at
http://www.iowaworkforce.org/ui/file1.htm. (The system is
available 24 hours a day and seven days a week).
- You may also visit your nearest
Workforce Development Center and
use a computer there to apply for benefits or complete a
paper application.
- If your employer is participating in
employer-filed claims, your employer may file your
application on your behalf.
If you do not live in Iowa, you may call the Interstate
line at 1-866-239-0843.
Note: The online claim application currently cannot be
accessed using WebTV, PDAs, handheld computers and similar
systems.
Regardless of the method used to file your application, your
claim will be made effective the Sunday of the week in which
your application was filed. Please remember that regardless
of how your application is filed you must call the continued
claims reporting system each week to certify your eligibility.
No matter what method you choose to file your new, initial
claim, you'll need to have the following information:
- Your Social Security number;
- The name, address and telephone number of your most
recent employer, and the beginning and ending dates you
worked for that employer;
- An Alien Registration number, if you are not a U.S.
citizen;
- A DD-214 (Member 4), if you served in the U.S. military
during the last 18 months;
- An SF-8 form, if you worked for the federal government
in the last 18 months;
- The name(s) of anyone you will be claiming as a
dependent, up to a maximum of four;
- The amount your spouse earned in the preceding week, if
you want to claim your spouse as a dependent (must be $120
or less to be claimed).
Do not delay in filing your application because you may lose
benefits if you are not allowed to back date your application.
Monetary Record
After you file your claim, you will be mailed a form called
the Monetary Record. This form will show:
- The beginning date of your claim.
- Your four-quarter base period.
- The gross wages paid to you in the base period by each
employer that is covered by unemployment insurance.
- Your weekly benefit amount (WBA) if your earnings were
high enough to qualify. See How Much You Can Receive and How
It Is Determined for information on WBA.
- Your maximum benefit amount (MBA). See How Much You Can
Receive and How It Is Determined for information on MBA.
Carefully examine the earnings reported on the Monetary
Record. If you believe the earnings or employers shown are not
correct, contact Iowa Workforce immediately (or you may send a
letter appealing the Monetary Record). If available, send copies
of your check stubs, W-2 forms or other proof of earnings.
Benefit Year
When you file a claim, you begin a benefit period of one year
(52 or 53 weeks) from the effective date of your claim. You may
file for weeks you are unemployed within the benefit year until
you have received your maximum benefit amount (MBA). At the end
of your benefit year your claim will end, even if you have not
claimed all of your benefits. If you exhaust your MBA prior to
the end of your benefit year, you must wait until the end of the
benefit year before you can file a new claim. If you file a new
claim at the end of your benefit year, you may use your lag
quarters from your prior claim that are in the new claim’s base
period.
Note: To receive benefits again on a new claim, you
must have worked in a job covered by unemployment insurance
after the filing of your previous benefit year claim and have
been paid gross wages of at least $250.
How Your Social Security Number is Used
Your social security number is used:
- For processing your unemployment insurance claim;
- To match with Social Security Administration records to
verify your identity;
- To report unemployment benefit payments to the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) and to the Iowa Department of Revenue
as taxable income;
- To detect fraud in federal and state programs;
- For child support enforcement purposes;
- To verify eligibility for unemployment benefits and
public assistance.
Wage, benefit, and other information under your social
security number may be exchanged with other agencies that
administer federal assisted programs.
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How
Much You Can Receive and How It Is Determined
Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA)
In Iowa, your weekly benefit amount is determined by your
gross wages from all covered employers in the high quarter (HQ)
of your base period and by the number of dependents you claim
(see dependent information in this section).
The minimum and maximum WBA's change each year for new claims
filed after the first Sunday in July. A WBA schedule is
available upon request at your nearest Iowa Workforce
Development Center.
Your WBA is calculated by the following:
If you have (for program year 7/01/2008 through
6/30/2009):
- 0 dependents, your WBA is 1/23 of your HQ with a
maximum of $361;
- 1 dependent, your WBA is 1/22 of your HQ with a
maximum of $375;
- 2 dependents, your WBA is 1/21 of your HQ with a
maximum of $389;
- 3 dependents, your WBA is 1/20 of your HQ with a
maximum of $409;
- 4+ dependents, your WBA is 1/19 of your HQ with a
maximum of $443;
Example:
If your HQ earnings are $8,250 and you have one dependent, your
WBA is $375 ($8,250/22 = $375).
Maximum Benefit Amount (MBA)
The most you can receive during your benefit year is 26
times your weekly benefit amount (WBA) or one-third
of your total base-period wages, whichever is less.
Exception:
If you are unemployed due to your employer closing at the
location you were last employed, your maximum benefit amount
(MBA) may be increased to 39 times your WBA or
one-half your total base-period wages, whichever is less.
However, your WBA does not change due to a closing.
Dependents
Since dependents affect the weekly benefit amount you will
receive, it is important you report the correct number of
qualifying dependents when you file your application. The
following may be claimed as dependents, if you meet certain
criteria:
- Spouse, if he/she did not work or worked and
earned $120 or less in gross wages during the calendar week
prior to the effective date of your claim (exclude
self-employment income).
- Children (or others), only if you are allowed to
claim them under federal income tax guidelines and you
claimed them this past tax year or will claim them in the
current tax year.
Note:
A maximum of four dependents is allowed. You cannot claim
yourself as a dependent. Dependents cannot be used if
someone else on a current unemployment claim has claimed them
and that claim hasn’t expired. Ask for more detailed information
if you are unsure whether or not you can claim a dependent.
Base Period
The base period is a four-quarter (one-year) period of time
from which your weekly benefit amount (WBA) and maximum benefit
amount (MBA) are determined. The amount of wages you earn in the
base period determines the amount of unemployment benefits you
receive.
The base period is the first four of the last five completed
calendar quarters at the time you file your initial claim for
benefits. The quarter in which you file your claim and the
preceding quarter are called the lag quarters and are not
used to determine your benefits.
Example: If you file a new claim in April, May, or
June
(second quarter), your base period would be the
preceding January 1 through December 31.
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What
Are the Wage Requirements?
To Be Eligible for Benefits You Must Have:
- Earned and have been paid wages by employers covered by
unemployment insurance in two or more quarters of your base
period.
- Total base-period earnings of at least 1.25 times the
wages you earned in your highest base-period quarter.
- A minimum amount of wages in the high and low quarters
of your base period.
For Program Year 7/01/2008-6/30/2009:
High-Quarter Minimum = $1,240
Low-Quarter Minimum = $620
If you do not meet all of the wage requirements, you are
monetarily ineligible for benefits. However, you may file again
in the next calendar quarter where a different base period will
be used.
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When
Will You Get Paid?
You should receive your first payment in about three weeks
after you first apply for benefits if you meet all of the
eligibility and monetary requirements.
It takes about three weeks to receive your first payment
because past employers in the last 18 months are notified of
your claim and have 10 days to protest.
If you indicated in your claim that you quit or were fired
from your most recent job, your claim is automatically
protested. If your claim is protested (see What Happens When
Your Claim Is Protested?).
If there are no protests on your claim, the payment is
released.
Important Note: You will be paid weekly on a
pre-paid debit card unless you have selected the direct-deposit
method (see detailed information in How to Get Paid).
Click here for a direct deposit
form
or go to your local
Workforce Development Center Office to obtain the form.
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How a
Part-Time Job Affects Your Benefits
If you work while claiming benefits, you can earn up to 25
percent of your weekly benefit amount (WBA) before any deduction
is made from your benefit payments. All earnings
over 25 percent of your WBA are fully deductible. Working
part-time will extend the time you may draw benefits within your
benefit year. However, the maximum benefit amount (MBA) does not
change.
Example: If your WBA is $361, you could earn $90 (25 percent of $361)
before you would receive a reduction in your benefit payment.
If you had $130.00 in gross earnings for a week, your benefit
payment would be reduced by $40 ($130 minus the $90 earning
limit = $40 reduction). Your benefit amount for that week would
be $321 ($361 minus $40).
Each week you claim benefits, you must report your gross
wages (before deductions) from any job when you earn
them, not when you are paid, even if the total is less than
25 percent of your WBA.
Wages must be reported on a calendar week (Sunday through
Saturday) regardless of the workweek used by your employer.
There is a Work Record chart in the back of this guide to
help you determine weekly earnings.
If your gross earnings equal or exceed your WBA plus $15,
you will not receive any payment for that week. When this
happens consistently, you should stop claiming.
Note:
While working part-time you must continue to look for work and
be able and available for your regular type of work. The goal is
to return to similar pay and hours you had prior to filing your
claim.
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Self-Employment
Income from self-employment is not considered wages and is
not deducted from unemployment insurance benefits. However, you
must still meet the eligibility requirements of being able,
available and actively looking for work and willing to accept
suitable work. If it is determined your self-employment prevents
you from accepting suitable work, you may be disqualified due to
being unavailable for work. Ask for more information.
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What Can Be
Deducted
From Your Benefits Other Than Wages?
- Vacation pay: 100 percent deductible as reported by your
employer.
- Holiday pay: deductible as wages (see section How a
Part-Time Job Affects Your Benefits).
- Severance pay, dismissal/termination pay, separation
allowance, wages in lieu of notice: 100 percent deductible.
- Temporary disability pay under workers’ compensation:
100 percent deductible.
- Tips, gratuities, commissions, bonuses, and incentive
pay earned while claiming benefits: deductible as wages (see
Section How a Part-Time Job Affects Your Benefits).
- Private or government pension, or other similar periodic
payment that is based on previous work with a base-period
employer: deductible based on the percentage of the
employer’s contribution.
- Cash value of housing or rent provided by your employer
as all or part of your wages.
All deductible items are not listed. If you have a question
about whether a certain item is deductible from your benefits,
contact Workforce Development for a determination. Failure to
report a deductible item can result in an overpayment, which you
will be required to repay.
Child Support
By law, Iowa Workforce Development is required to deduct and
withhold up to a maximum of 50 percent of your weekly benefit
amount (before voluntary withholding of income taxes, but after
any deductible earnings) when requested by the Department
of Human Services Child Support Recovery Unit for child-support
payments. You will receive a written decision from Iowa
Workforce Development if this deduction has been requested. Any
questions
should be directed to the local child-support agency.
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What Are the
Work
Search Requirements?
- Everyone is required
to make a minimum of two in-person work search
contacts each week unless otherwise specified by Iowa
Workforce Development.
- You must actively seek work each week you make a claim
for benefits, even if you are working part-time.
- Your job contacts must be made between Sunday and
Saturday of the week you are claiming benefits and must be
made through in-person contacts with employers.
- Your work search must be a reasonable and honest effort
to find suitable work.
- You must be willing to accept a reasonable wage in your
area for the job for which you are applying.
Telephone contacts for jobs are not acceptable. Repeat
or follow-up work searches may be made to the same employer
after six weeks from the initial contact.
You are required to keep a record of your work search
contacts.
You need to include:
- The date of the contact
- Company name
- Company address and telephone number, and
- The name of the person you contacted.
It is suggested that you keep this on the Record of
Work Search form located at the back of your Facts for
Workers booklet that you received.
Click here
for additional copies of the form.
You are also required
to provide a copy of this information on the Work Search
History
form, upon request. (If requested, you may provide a copy of
your Record of Work Search rather than copy the information onto
the Work Search History form).
You may be denied benefits already paid,
if you fail to:
- Make weekly work searches
- Keep a record of those work searches
- Submit the Work Search History form upon request
You will be required to repay any overpayment of benefits
that you receive.
Résumés
may be accepted as employer contacts if this is the customary
means for you to secure employment in your regular occupation.
You must be pre-approved by Iowa Workforce Development
to apply in this manner. Résumés must be sent to an employer,
not just a post office box number.
You must keep a record of the employers to whom you sent a
résumé and, upon request, provide that information on the Work
Search History form.
Exceptions
The work search may be waived
if you are temporarily unemployed and expect to be
recalled by your former employer in a reasonable period of time.
This will be determined at the time you complete your
application for a new claim or apply to reactivate an existing
claim. You will be informed if your work search is waived.
You must still be able and available for work with your
regular employer and still may be required to accept other
suitable offers of work.
If your employer changes your temporarily unemployed status,
you must notify Iowa Workforce Development and register for
work. Failure to do so could result in disqualification.
If you are in school or a training program, the
work search may be waived. This schooling or training
must be approved by Iowa Workforce Development in
advance for the work search to be waived. (see information
about Department Approved Training in the You Can Go to School
and Still Be Eligible).
Union members who normally get a job through a
union hiring hall are required to contact the hiring hall
once each week to satisfy their work search requirement.
Note:
If your work search requirements change during your benefit
year, you will receive a notice from Iowa Workforce Development.
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If you are required to make a work search, you may be called
into your local Workforce Development Center to review your work
search. If an issue arises that could result in termination of
your benefits, you may request three working days to prepare
prior to giving a statement.
You also will be given a tour of placement services available
at your local center. These services are to assist you in
becoming re-employed. You may be asked to return to the local
Workforce Development Center to utilize the services that are
available for your job search.
The Eligibility Review program is required by the federal
government to ensure you are following the correct procedures to
become re-employed and are not placing unrealistic restrictions
or barriers to becoming employed. Failure to respond to a
call-in could result in a disqualification of benefits.
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What Wage You
Must
Accept
Suitable Work
You are required to seek and accept suitable work. If the
wage of a job offer is significantly below what you averaged at
the job you held prior to filing for benefits, the job offer may
be considered unsuitable.
Iowa Workforce Development calculates your gross average
weekly wage (AWW) by using the high quarter of your base period
and dividing it by 13, the number of weeks in a quarter.
A
job offer is considered not suitable if the wages are
below the following percentages of your AWW:
- 100 percent if work is offered during the first five
weeks of your claim.
- 75 percent if work is offered during the sixth through
the 12th weeks of your claim.
- 70 percent if work is offered during the 13th through
18th weeks of your claim.
- 65 percent if work is offered after the 18th week of
your claim. However, you are not required to accept
employment below the federal or state minimum wage.
Example: Your high quarter (HQ) earnings during your
base period were $5,200, so your average weekly wage (AWW) is
calculated at $400 per week ($5200 divided by 13). Your AWW of
$400 per week equals $10 per hour, assuming 40 hours a week.
If you are offered work that will pay $280 per week gross ($7
per hour at 40 hours per week) and you have been claiming
benefits for nine weeks when the offer was made, the job offer
is considered NOT suitable because it is below 75 percent of
your AWW.
Other factors are used to determine suitability of work. If
you turn down any job offer or referral, you are required to
notify Iowa Workforce Development. Ask for more information if
you are considering turning down a job offer or referral to a
job.
New Employment or Job Offer
When you start a new job (full or part-time) after applying
for unemployment, please notify Iowa Workforce Development. If
you are working full-time, you should discontinue calling in
your weekly-continued claim.
If you are working part-time, don’t forget to report your
gross
wages when earned and not when paid. If you have accepted a
job offer, you need to continue to look for work until the
job actually starts if you want to continue to claim benefits.
Many job offers are subject to passing a reference check,
physical, drug screen or other work tests. Some offers are
rescinded by the employer because of unforeseen cutbacks or
because the person who was leaving decided not to leave after
all. You also could find a temporary job before the new job
starts or find a better job and turn down the first offer.
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What Does
Able and Available for Work Mean?
You must be physically able to work during any week you
are claiming benefits.
If you are ill, injured, on medical leave, or unable to work
for any reason, you will not be eligible for benefits.
You are required to report any condition that would
prevent you from working, accepting work, or seeking work.
This includes, but is not limited to:
- Illness, injury or hospitalization (You
may be required to provide evidence of your ability to work,
such as a doctor’s statement)
- Incarceration
- School attendance
- Out of town or on vacation
- Loss of child care or transportation
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You Can Go to
School
and Still Be Eligible
Department Approved Training (DAT)
You may receive benefits if you are attending school or a
training course if approved by Iowa Workforce Development.
You must make a written application for DAT on the form
provided by Iowa Workforce Development. If available when you
apply for benefits, provide the name of the school, type of
training, class schedule, and the beginning and ending dates of
training.
Most requests for DAT will be approved if the training has a
substantial curriculum. Approval or denial is always in writing
and you may appeal if you are denied. While attending
approved training, you do not have to be available for work or
search for work to continue to be eligible for benefits.
However, if you stop training for any reason, you must notify
Iowa Workforce Development and must immediately search for work
as instructed.
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How to
Claim
Benefits Each Week
Each week you are unemployed and want to claim benefit
payments, you must certify that you:
- are unemployed or working reduced hours;
- are able and available for work;
- have not refused any job offers or referrals to a job;
- are actively looking for work (unless waived); and
- are reporting any pay or private pension you may be
receiving;
This is done each week
using the continued claims web
application at
https://www1.iwd.state.ia.us/WeeklyClaims or
by touch-tone telephone.
|
Hours
You Can Report Your Weekly Claim
10 a.m.,
Saturday to 11:30 p.m., Sunday
or
7:30 a.m. to 4:59 p.m.
Monday through Friday |
IMPORTANT:
If you get disconnected, hang up or close out of the application
before the system tells you that your claim has been accepted,
you will have to log-in or call again to successfully file your
continued claim.
Continued Claim Web Reporting
You may file your weekly-continued claim on-line at
https://www1.iwd.state.ia.us/WeeklyClaims. You will be
presented your eligibility questions.
Be sure to have your Social Security number and your PIN
number.
If you worked during the week, received or will receive
vacation or holiday pay etc., be sure you know the gross (before
deductions) amount in dollars for reporting purposes.
Touch-Tone Telephone Reporting
To file your weekly-continued claim by telephone, just call
the continued claims reporting system at (800) 850-5627 (outside
the Des Moines area) or 281-6231 (in the Des Moines calling
area).
The phone numbers also are at the back of your Facts for
Workers booklet that was sent to you when you filed your claim.
An Interactive Voice Response unit (IVR) will answer. A
prerecorded voice will ask you the eligibility questions one at
a time. You answer
yes by pressing number 1 and no by pressing
number 9.
Note:
If you do not have a telephone, you may use a touch-tone pay
phone to call in your weekly claim. Some questions will instruct
you to enter the pound key (#) at the end of your answer.
Many of your answers will be repeated to you by the computer
system to make sure the information is correct. If it is not,
you will be instructed on how to change your answer. The average
length of time to file your continued claim by telephone is
about three minutes.
The current week is the week that just ended on Saturday.
Continued claims filed on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday are
processed at the end of the day on Monday.
Phone lines are very busy on Saturday afternoon.
Therefore, we suggest you call late on Saturday or on Sunday or
Monday to avoid a busy signal.
If you miss calling in for just one week, the system will
allow you to file one back week and the current week during the
same phone call.
Personal Identification Number (PIN)
The IVR system and the on-line continued claims application
for filing your weekly-continued claim or reactivating an
existing claim require you to enter a four-digit personal
identification number (PIN). Your PIN protects you from having
another person file your claim or obtain information about your
claim.
You will select your own PIN the first time you call in or
log in on-line to report your weekly-continued claim. Be sure
to select a PIN that will be easy to remember, since you
must use the same PIN each time you log in or call to file your
weekly-continued claim or reactivate an existing claim. Do not
use the same numbers in sequence (such as 1111 or 3333) or
numbers in sequence (such as 1234).
Note: In some cases you will need to select a new PIN
the first time you log in or call in your continued claim after
reactivating an existing claim.)
You, the claimant, are responsible for the answers to the
questions presented by the on-line web application and the IVR
system so be sure you keep your PIN number secure. Do not
share your PIN with anyone.
If you forget your PIN or you think someone else knows your
PIN, report this immediately to Iowa Workforce Development and
you will be provided instructions on how to establish a new PIN
with your next call. It is not permissible for any other
individual to file your claim for you.
Preparing for the Call
- Be sure to have your Social Security number and your PIN
number.
- If you worked during the week or you received or will
receive vacation or holiday pay, etc. during the week, be
sure you know the gross (before deductions) amount in
dollars before you call.
- Have a pencil and paper ready to write down information
you may need when contacting Iowa Workforce Development.
Reporting Your Weekly-Continued Claim
When you call to file your weekly-continued claim, the
computer will play a prerecorded message (a script). You may
select either the English or the Spanish version of the script.
Each time you call you will be asked a series of basic
questions that can be answered by responding yes or no using
your telephone keypad.
You will also be asked to provide basic information using
your telephone keypad. Other questions you may be asked will
depend on the answers you provide to the basic questions.
A sample script is provided below for you to review prior to
calling in your first continued claim. Reviewing this sample
script may save you time and confusion during your call.
Please be sure to listen very carefully to the script you
hear when you call since that script may not match the sample
script.
Sample Telephone IVR Scripts
Sample 1—Temporary Layoff, Total Unemployment
The caller was temporarily laid off and the last day worked was
06-20-2008. The caller applied for unemployment insurance
benefits on 06-23-2008, and a new claim was established with an
effective date of 06-22-2008. On Sunday, June 29, 2008, the
caller certifies his/her first week of unemployment by calling
the continued claims reporting system. He/She is claiming the
week ending 06-28-2008.
- Welcome to Iowa’s unemployment insurance continued
claims reporting system. Our menus have changed; please
listen for our new options. For English, press one. For
Spanish, press two (actual phrase is in Spanish).
Caller presses 1 to hear the script in English.
- Please enter your Social Security number followed by
the pound key (located to the right of the zero on
your telephone keypad).
Caller presses 967524183# (his/her Social Security number).
- You entered 967524183. If this is correct, please
press one. If this is not correct, please press nine.
Caller presses 1 because the number is correct.
- Please enter your personal identification number
followed by the pound key.
Caller must select a four-digit personal identification
number (PIN) since this is the first time he/she has
reported on the continued claim reporting system. Caller
selects 5241 and presses 5241#.
- One moment please (brief pause). Your
new PIN is now set up as 5241.
- Do you have a new address or telephone number? If
yes, press one. If no, press nine.
Caller doesn’t have a new address or telephone number, so
presses 9.
- To check on a benefit payment, press one. To enter
your weekly claim for unemployment benefits, press two. To
repeat this menu, press three.
Caller presses 2 because he/she wants to file a
weekly-continued claim.
- You may enter your claim for the week ending 062808.
-
It is important that you answer all questions truthfully.
WARNING! Attempting to claim and receive unemployment
insurance benefits by entering false information can result
in loss of benefits, fines and imprisonment. To show
you understand the warning message, please press one now. To
show that you do not understand the warning message, press
nine.
Caller presses 1.
- Your weekly claim can now be entered. If you hang up
before the system tells you good-bye, your answers will not
be recorded and your payment will not be made. Did you work
during the week ending 062808? If yes, press one. If no,
press nine.
Caller did not work during the week, so presses 9.
- Enter your holiday pay. For no pay, enter zero
followed by the pound key. Enter the gross amount rounded to
the nearest dollar, followed by the pound key.
Caller won’t receive any holiday pay for the week ending
062808, so presses 0#.
- Enter your vacation pay, severance, wages in lieu of
notice, separation or dismissal pay. If none was received,
press zero followed by the pound key or enter the gross
amount rounded to the nearest dollar, followed by the pound
key.
Caller won’t receive any of these pay types, so presses 0#.
- If you are now receiving private pension or military
retirement, please press one. If you are not receiving
these, press nine.
Caller isn’t receiving any type of pension, so presses 9.
- Were you ready, willing, able and available for work
during the week ending 062808? If yes, press one. If no,
press nine.
Caller was ready, willing, able and available for work, so
presses 1.
- Did you refuse any job offers or job referrals during
the week? If yes, press one. If no, press nine.
Caller didn’t refuse any job offers or referrals, so presses
9.
- The law imposes penalties for false statements. Do
you certify the statements which you entered are true for
the week ending 062808? If the answer is yes, please press
one. To hear this statement again, press nine. To cancel
your claim, press seven.
Caller certifies statements are true by pressing 1.
- Your claim for week ending 062808 has been filed.
Thank you. To avoid a delay in benefit payments, please
remember you must file each week. Good bye. Please hang up
your phone.
Caller hangs up
Sample 2—Temporary Layoff, Partial Unemployment
The caller was temporarily laid off and the last day worked
was 06-20-2008. The caller applied for unemployment insurance
benefits on 06-23-2008 and a new claim was established with an
effective date of 06-22-2008. On Sunday, June 29, 2008, the
caller certifies his/her first partial week of unemployment by
calling the continued claims IVR system. He/She is claiming the
week ending 06-28-2008.
- Welcome to Iowa’s unemployment insurance claims
reporting system. Our menus have changed; please listen for
our new options. For English, press one. For Spanish, press
two (actual phrase is in Spanish).
Caller presses 1 to hear the script in English.
- Please enter your Social Security number followed by
the pound key (located to the right of the zero on
your telephone keypad).
Caller presses 967524183# (his/her Social Security
number).
- You entered 967524183. If this is correct please
press one. If this is not correct, please press nine.
Caller presses 1 because the number is correct.
- Please enter your personal identification number
followed by the pound key.
Caller must select a four-digit personal identification
number (PIN) since this is the first time he/she has
reported on the IVR reporting system. Caller selects 5241
and presses 5241#.
- One moment please (brief pause). Your new PIN is now
set up as 5241.
- Do you have a new address or telephone number? If
yes, press one. If no, press nine.
Caller doesn’t have a new address or telephone number so
presses 9.
- To check on a benefit payment, press one. To enter
your weekly claim for unemployment benefits, press two. To
repeat this menu, press three.
Caller presses 2 because he/she wants to file a
weekly-continued claim.
- You may enter your claim for the week ending 062808.
- It is important that you answer all questions
truthfully. WARNING! Attempting to claim and receive
unemployment insurance benefits by entering false
information can result in loss of benefits, fines and
imprisonment. To show you understand the warning
message, please press one now. To show that you do not
understand the warning message, press nine.
Caller presses 1.
- Your weekly claim can now be entered. If you hang up
before the system tells you good-bye, your answers will not
be recorded and your payment will not be made. Did you work
during the week ending 062808? If yes, press one. If no,
press nine.
Caller did work two days during the week so presses 1.
- Was this self-employment? If yes, press one. If no,
press nine.
Caller did not work in self-employment so presses 9.
- Please enter your gross wages for the week ending
062808 followed by the pound key. Round to the nearest
dollar.
Caller earned $165.49 so presses 165#.
- You said you worked during the week ending 062808. If
you are still working, please press two. If you are laid
off, press four. If you were fired, press six. If you quit
press eight.
Caller was laid off so presses
4.
- During the week claimed you worked and earned $165
and you were laid off. If this is correct, please press one.
If this is not correct, press nine.
This is correct so caller
presses 1.
- Enter your holiday pay. For no pay, enter zero
followed by the pound key. Enter the gross amount rounded to
the nearest dollar, followed by the pound key.
Caller won’t receive any holiday
pay for the week ending 062808 so presses 0#.
- Enter your vacation pay, severance, wages in lieu of
notice, separation or dismissal pay. If none was received,
press zero followed by the pound key or enter the gross
amount rounded to the nearest dollar, followed by the pound
key.
Caller won’t receive any of
these pay types so presses 0#.
- If you are now receiving private pension, or military
retirement, please press one. If you are not receiving
these, press nine.
Caller isn’t receiving any type
of pension, so presses 9.
- Were you ready, willing, able and available for work
during the week ending 062808? If yes, press one. If no,
press nine.
Caller was ready, willing, able
and available for work so presses 1.
- Did you refuse any job offers or job referrals during
the week? If yes, press one. If no, press nine.
Caller didn’t refuse any job offers or referrals, so
presses 9.
- The law imposes penalties for false statements. Do
you certify the statements which you entered are true for
the week ending 062808? If the answer is yes, please press
one. To hear this statement again, press nine. To cancel
your claim, press seven.
Caller certifies statements are
true by pressing 1.
- Your claim for week ending 062808 has been filed.
Thank you. To avoid a delay in benefit payments, please
remember you must file each week. Good-bye. Please hang up
your phone.
Caller hangs up.
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How to Determine
the
Status of Your Claim and When You Will Be
Paid
After you have claimed your first two weeks you can find out
the status of your claim for benefits on-line at
https://www1.iwd.state.ia.us/WeeklyClaims or by telephoning
(800) 850-5627 (toll free outside Des Moines) or 281-6231 (in
the Des Moines calling area), the same number you use to file
your weekly-continued claim.
Just follow the prompts in the same manner as you would to
file your weekly claim and press one when the system instructs,
“To check on a benefit payment, press one. To enter your weekly
claim for unemployment benefits, press two. To repeat this menu,
press three.” You can find out:
- The last week you claimed, if any.
- When your last payment was applied to your debit card
or forwarded to your financial institution.
- The amount of the payment.
- Remaining balance (in dollars).
The status of claim option is only available
7:30 a.m. to 4:59 p.m.,Tuesday through Friday.
(If
Monday is a holiday, the status of claim option is not available
until Wednesday of that week.)
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How to Get
Paid (Pre-Paid Debit Card or Direct Deposit?)
Payment by Pre-Paid Debit Card (Weekly Payments)
You will receive a weekly payment that is applied to a pre-paid
debit card unless you have requested direct deposit. You may
access funds at your convenience using the pre-paid debit card.
The debit card will allow you to:
- Make purchases or get cash back at a merchant
- Get cash at an ATM
- Get cash from a teller in a Bank or Credit Union
The pre-paid debit card option will also allow you unlimited
access through a secure website or the Integrated Voice Response
System (IVR) to:
- Check your balance
- Select or change your Personal Identification Number
(PIN)
Note: The PIN for your pre-paid debit card may be
different than the PIN used for reporting to Iowa Workforce
Development.
- Review transaction history
- Sign up for and receive notification of deposits by
telephone or email
- For telephone notification of deposits posted to
your account, call the customer service IVR at (866)
899-5611 (toll free) and follow the prompts to setup
this service.
Each month you are allowed six (6) free calls to the IVR
to check your balance and obtain account information.
- For email notification of deposits to your
account, go to
https://www.EPPICard.com.
Setup your ID and password and
enter your personal email address.
You have unlimited access to the on-line service to
check your balance and obtain account information.
Your first benefit payment will be applied to the pre-paid
debit card, if determined eligible (about three weeks), you will
begin receiving weekly deposits to your debit card account. If
you file your continued claim each week on Saturday, Sunday, or
Monday, your payment should be applied to your debit card
on Thursday*.
Exception: If there is a holiday during the week,
payment will be delayed an extra workday.
Since you will
not receive any written notification of the deposit, it is
your responsibility to verify receipt of the deposits posted to
your debit card account by using the unlimited access through
the secure website at
https://EPPICard.com
or by calling the IVR toll free number at 1-866-899-5611.
Payment by Direct Deposit (Weekly Payments)
To setup direct deposit you must obtain your financial
institution’s transit number and your account number (savings or
checking) and complete the
Direct
Deposit Agreement form 60-0351.
The form provides you with
instructions on how to locate the transit number and account
number or you may contact your financial institution. You must
return the completed form to:
Iowa Workforce Development
Unemployment Insurance Service Center
P.O. Box 10332
Des Moines, IA 50306-0332
After you receive your first payment (about three weeks) and
your form is processed, you will begin receiving weekly
deposits. If you telephone each week to file your continued
claim on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday, your payment
should be deposited in your account on Friday*.
Exception: If there is a holiday during the week,
payment will be delayed an extra workday.) Since you will not
receive any written notification of your deposit, it is your
responsibility to verify receipt of the deposit from your
financial institution.
*Due to circumstances outside our control, sometimes checks
are not deposited or received on the expected day.
Denial of Benefits
Even though you may meet all other requirements, you may be
disqualified from receiving unemployment insurance.
Some of the
reasons you may be disqualified are if you:
- Quit your job without good cause attributable to your
employer.
- Were discharged or suspended for misconduct in connection
with your job.
- Refused suitable work with an employer or recall to
suitable work by your former employer.
- Are not able to work, not available to work or not actively
seeking work as required.
- Are unemployed due to a strike or labor dispute.
- Have set unrealistic limitations on the wages, hours or
days, types of work or locations of a job you will accept.
- Fail to report to the Workforce Development Center or
satisfactorily participate in reemployment services when told to
do so.
- Are a school employee with either a contract or reasonable
assurance of returning to work when school resumes the next
academic year or term. If you are an educational employee, ask
if this applies to you.
- Fail to return the Work Search History form when requested.
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If you have an existing claim, (claims are effective for one
year) and you stopped claiming (weekly-continued claim call) for
one or more weeks and you want to receive benefits again, you
must reactivate your claim.
Reactivating an existing claim can be done on-line at
http://www.iowaworkforce.org/ui/file1.htm
or over the telephone using the UI Service Center's Interactive
Voice Response (IVR) system if you only worked for one employer
during the past 6 months.
You must reactivate your claim during the week you want to
claim not after the week is over. The telephone system will ask
you if you have worked since you last filed for unemployment
benefits. This means since you filed your last weekly-continued
claim or since you last activated your existing claim even
though you may not have reported any weekly-continued claims. If
you have worked, your answer should be yes. If you haven't
worked (didn't claim a week or more due to illness, vacation,
etc.) answer no.
If there is a problem on your claim or you worked for more
than one employer, you will be instructed to contact your local
Iowa Workforce Development Center where a representative will
help you resolve the problem and reactivate your existing claim.
When you call to reactivate your claim, the computer will
play a prerecorded message (a script). You will be asked to
provide information and answer yes and no questions using your
telephone keypad.
The first time you called in to report your weekly claim you
established a personal identification number (PIN). This same
PIN can be used to reactivate your claim.
Sample scripts are provided below for you to review prior to
making your call to reactivate your claim. Reviewing these
scripts may save you time and confusion during your call.
Please be sure to listen very carefully to the script you
hear when you call since that script may not match the sample
scripts.
Touch-Tone Telephone Reactivation of an Existing Claim
To reactivate your existing claim by telephone, just call
(877) 891-5344 (toll free outside the Des Moines area) or
281-4199 (within the Des Moines calling area). An Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
unit will answer. You may select either the English or Spanish
version of the script. A prerecorded voice will ask you to
provide information by responding to questions one at a time.
You answer yes by pressing number 1 and no by pressing number 2
(this is different than the continued claims reporting system).
Note: If you do not have a touch-tone telephone, you may use
a pay phone to reactivate your existing claim.
Several of your answers will be repeated to you by the
computer system to make sure the information is correct. If it
is not, you will be instructed on how to change your answer.
IMPORTANT: If you get disconnected or hang up before the system asks you
to certify your statements as being true and you respond that
they are, you will have to call again to reactivate your claim.
|
Hours You Can Reactivate Your Existing Claim
Touch-Tone Telephone IVR System
(in English and Spanish)
8
a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday
(with the
exception of state holidays)
The Internet filing option is
available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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Preparing for the Call
- Be sure to have your Social Security number and your PIN
number for the call.
- If you have worked since you last reported a
weekly-continued claim or activated your claim, you will need
the name and address of your employer.
- If you have worked since you last reported a
weekly-continued claim or activated your claim, be sure you have
the date you started working for your most recent employer and
the date you last worked for that employer.
- If you have received or will receive vacation and/or
severance pay, you will need the ending date of the period
covered by that pay.
- Have a pencil and paper to write down information that you
may need, such as your work search requirements.
Sample Telephone IVR Scripts
Sample 1—Temporary Layoff
The caller was temporarily laid off on 01-04-2008 and filed a
valid claim with an effective date of 01-06-2008. He/She drew
several weeks of benefits and then returned to work with the
same employer on 01-28-2008, so the last week claimed was
01-25-2008. He/She is again temporarily laid off from that same
employer, his/her last date worked was 06-20-2008, and he/she
won’t receive any vacation or severance pay. The caller expects
to be recalled by his/her employer. The caller waits until
Monday morning the 23rd of June to call the IVR and
reactivate the existing claim because Monday starts the week
that he/she is unemployed.
- Welcome to the Unemployment Insurance Customer Service
Center, a service of Iowa Workforce Development. For English,
press one. For Spanish, press two (actual phrase is in Spanish).
Caller wants the script in English, so presses 1.
- To file a new claim or reopen an old claim, please press
one. For a question on unemployment insurance or fact-finding,
press two. To file your weekly-continued claim, press three.
Caller wants to reactivate an existing claim (reopen an old
claim), so presses 1.
- Please enter your Social Security number.
Caller enters 967524183 (his/her Social Security number).
- You entered 967524183. If this is correct, please press
one. If not, press two.
Caller presses 1.
- If you know your PIN, please press one. If you do not know
your PIN, press two.
Caller knows his/her PIN, so presses 1.
- Please enter your PIN.
Caller presses 7524 (his/her four-digit PIN).
- Have you worked since you last filed for unemployment
benefits? If yes, please press one. If no, press two.
Caller presses 1 because he/she had returned to work and is
now laid off again.
- Have you worked for more than one employer in the past six
months? If yes, please press one. If no, press two.
Caller has only worked for one employer in the past six
months, so presses 2.
- If you are not working because the business closed, please
press one. If you were laid off, please press two. If you quit,
press three. If you were discharged, press four. If there was a
strike or lock out, press five. If you are still working, press
six. If none of these apply, press nine. To hear these choices
again, press eight.
Caller is temporarily laid off, so presses 2. (Although the
business may be closed down during the layoff, it is not
permanently closed.)
- Did you decline to bump an employee with less seniority?
If yes, please press one. If no, press two.
Caller wasn’t laid off because he/she declined to bump
another employee with less seniority, so presses 2.
- Do you expect to be recalled by your most recent
employer? If yes, please press one. If no, press two.
Caller expects to return to work with the employer in a
reasonable period of time, so presses 1.
- Please enter the date you started working for your most
recent employer. For example, June 5, 2000, would be entered as
060500.
Caller began employment on February 1, 1999, so presses
020199.
- Please enter the date you last worked. For example,
January 2, 1999, would be entered as 010299.
Caller last worked on June 20, 2008, so presses 062008.
- Will you receive severance pay or vacation pay? If yes,
please press one. If no, press two.
Caller isn’t receiving severance or vacation pay, so presses
2.
- You will need to reset your PIN number the next time you
call to file your continued claim. Remember to report any
holiday pay as wages. You said you started work on 020199. You
said you last worked on 06-20-2008. You said the last day you
were or will be paid was 06-20-2008 (computer calculated this
date based on the caller providing the date he/she last worked
and indicating no severance or vacation pay). You said you filed
your claim because you were laid off. If this is correct, please
press one. If this is not correct, press two.
Caller presses 1 because the responses are correct.
- You must notify Iowa Workforce Development if your layoff
status changes. For example, notify us if you were on temporary
layoff, then told by your employer that you will be permanently
laid off.
- Is there a change to your name, address or telephone
number that you have not reported? If yes, please press one. If
no, press two.
Caller presses 2 because none of the items have changed since
he/she last applied for benefits.
- The law imposes penalties for false statements. Do you
certify the statements you entered are true? If yes, please
press one. If no, press two, To hear this message again, press
three.
Caller certifies the statements given are true by pressing 1
and then hangs up.
Sample 2—Hasn’t Worked Since Last
Claiming
The caller was permanently laid off on 01-04-2008 and filed a
valid claim with an effective date of 01-06-2008. He/She drew
several weeks of benefits, then went to take care of a sick
family member for three weeks and was not available for work, so
he/she did not call in weekly-continued claims for those weeks.
He/She became available for work again on 02-15-2008. He/She
waits until Monday morning the 18th of February to
call the IVR and reactivate the existing claim because he/she
wasn’t available for work the majority of the previous week(s),
so Monday starts the first week he/she is available.
- Welcome to the Unemployment Insurance Customer Service
Center, a service of Iowa Workforce Development. For English,
press one. For Spanish, press two (actual phrase is in Spanish).
Caller wants the script in English, so presses 1.
- To file a new claim or reopen an old claim, please press
one. For a question on unemployment insurance or fact-finding,
press two. To file your weekly-continued claim, press three.
Caller wants to reactivate an existing claim (reopen an old
claim), so presses 1.
- Please enter your Social Security number.
Caller enters 976251483 (his/her Social Security number).
- You entered 976251483. If this is correct, please press
one. If not, press two.
Caller presses 1.
- If you know your PIN, please press one. If you do not know
your PIN, press two.
Caller knows his/her PIN, so presses 1.
- Please enter your PIN.
Caller presses 3786 (his/her four-digit PIN).
- Have you worked since you last filed for unemployment
benefits? If yes, please press one. If no, press two.
Caller hasn’t worked since he/she last filed for benefits, so
presses 2.
- Are you able and available for work? If yes, please press
one. If no, press two.
Caller is able and available for work now, so presses 1.
- You said you are able and available for work. If this is
correct, please press one. If this is not correct, press two.
Caller presses 1.
- The law imposes penalties for false statements. Do you
certify the statements you entered are true? If yes, please
press one. If no, press two. To hear this message again, press
three.
Caller certifies the statements are true by pressing 1 and
then hangs up.
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What Happens When Your Claim Is
Protested?
All employers you've had for the last 18 months can
potentially be liable for your unemployment insurance benefits;
therefore, they are eligible to protest.
If you indicated in your claim that you quit or were fired
from your most recent job, your claim is automatically
protested.
Fact-Finding Interview
If your claim for unemployment insurance is protested, Iowa Workforce Development may arrange a fact-finding interview.
You should continue to phone in your weekly-continued claims if your
claim is protested.
The fact-finding interview will normally be conducted by
telephone. You and the employer will receive a Notice of
Unemployment Insurance Fact-Finding Interview containing the
scheduled date, time, and the telephone number where you will be
called for the interview. Complete instructions are provided on
the notice you receive.
If you will not be available to participate, notify Iowa
Workforce Development immediately or you may lose your benefits.
Follow the instructions on the notice you received to contact
Iowa Workforce Development.
Within a few days of the interview, you will receive an
appealable decision in the mail. Read it carefully. If it is
favorable to you and there are no additional issues, your claim
will be released so you can begin receiving payments. However,
if the decision is later reversed on appeal, you will be
required to repay the benefits you received.
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If You Are
Denied Benefits, Can You Appeal?
First-Level Appeal—Administrative Law Judge
If you or the employer disagree with a decision, either party
has the right to appeal and present testimony to an
administrative law judge. The appeal must be postmarked or
received within 10 calendar days after the mailing date shown on
the decision. You may mail your appeal to:
Iowa Workforce Development
Appeals Bureau
1000 East Grand Avenue,
Des Moines, IA 50309-0209
or
Fax it to (515) 242-5144.
You may contact the Appeals Bureau at (515) 281-3747 or your
local
Workforce Development Center to assist you in filing an
appeal or answering general questions.
If the decision is appealed by either you or the employer, a
formal hearing over the telephone with an administrative law
judge is scheduled. However, you or the employer may request an
in-person hearing. The party requesting the in-person hearing
must travel to the Workforce Development Center closest to the
other party.
There are only 16 Workforce Development Centers
that conduct in-person hearings.
Note:
You should continue to file weekly-continued claims during the
appeal process.)
If you receive a notice for a telephone hearing, you will be
instructed to telephone the Appeals Bureau immediately to verify
that you will participate and to provide the phone number where
you and witnesses can be reached. The Appeals Bureau phone
number on the notice is toll-free.
Warning: If you do not
telephone the Appeals Bureau prior to your scheduled hearing,
you will not be called to participate.
Unlike the fact-finding interview, an appeal hearing is
formal due process where all parties are sworn in and the
hearing is recorded on tape.
The administrative law judge will
take new statements concerning the issue even if a statement was
already given at the fact-finding interview. Either party can
submit additional evidence at the hearing, so it is important
you participate. You may choose to be represented by an attorney
but you must do so at your expense.
The administrative law judge makes an impartial decision
based on the information presented at the hearing and the
contents of your file. You will receive the administrative law
judge’s decision in the mail in about 10 to 14 days.
Second-Level Appeal - Employment Appeal Board
If you or the employer disagree with the administrative law
judge’s decision, it may be appealed to the Employment Appeal
Board. The appeal must be postmarked within 15 calendar days
from the mailing date of the administrative law judge’s
decision.
Members of the Employment Appeal Board are appointed by the
governor to equally represent (1) employees, (2) employers, and
(3) the general public. The board is in the Iowa Department of
Inspections and Appeals, located in the Lucas State Office
Building.
All parties will receive a written transcript or cassette
tape of the administrative law judge’s hearing and will be given
an opportunity to submit a written summary of their side.
The Employment Appeal Board does not hold hearings. The board
decides each case by reviewing all the evidence that was
presented to the administrative law judge. The board may affirm
or reverse the administrative law judge’s decision or may send
the case back to the administrative law judge for further review
or order a new hearing and decision if they feel the evidence in
the administrative law judge’s hearing is not sufficient or is
incomplete. It usually takes 60 to 180 days from the date the
appeal is filed to receive the Appeal Board decision.
If you disagree with the Employment Appeal Board decision,
you may file a petition for judicial review in Iowa District
Court or request a rehearing before the Appeal Board. The
procedure and appeal deadlines are indicated on the decision.
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What If You Are
Overpaid?
If you receive benefits to which
you are not entitled, you will be liable for repayment of those
benefits.
Iowa Workforce Development will
recover an overpayment by requiring you to repay the total
overpayment amount or repay under an installment payment plan if
approved by the department. If you become eligible for
unemployment insurance benefits in the future and you have an
overpayment balance, your overpayment will be recovered by
deducting it from any benefits you might otherwise receive on a
weekly basis. No unemployment insurance benefits can be paid on
a regular unemployment insurance claim until the overpayment has
been recovered.
If you have an overpayment of at
least $50, the department will garnish your Iowa state tax
refund,
lottery prize, or vendor payment. If fraud is involved, the
Investigations and Recovery Bureau may file a lien against your
property and/or garnish wages to recover the overpayment.
Note: Total overpayment
amounts include payments made to you and payment made on your
behalf to revenue agencies for tax withholding and to the Child
Support Recovery Unit for child support.
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All unemployment insurance
benefits are fully taxable on your federal and state income
taxes. You have the option of having federal and/or state taxes
withheld from your benefit payments. Deductions are 10
percent of the gross benefit payment for federal taxes and
5 percent of the gross benefit payment for state taxes. If
you elect to have taxes deducted, you will have to complete and
sign the Tax Withholding
Agreement form 60-0360.pdf.
Please check your options for federal or
state or both, sign, date and return the form to:
Iowa Workforce Development
Unemployment Insurance Service Center
P.O. Box 10332
Des
Moines, IA 50306-0332
By January 31 of each year, you
will be mailed a Form 1099-G telling you the amount of benefits
you were paid during the previous year and any federal and/or
state taxes that were withheld. The Internal Revenue Service and
the state Department of Revenue and Finance also are advised of
the amount of benefits paid to you and deductions withheld for
you.
Requirements exist pertaining to
quarterly tax payments. If you need tax assistance, contact the
Internal Revenue Service at (800) 829-1040.
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Using Wages Earned in Another
State, the Military or the Federal
Government
When you file a claim you must
report all wages in all states in the last 18 months,
including wages from the military and federal employers,
and provide complete addresses and dates of employment. If we
have to request wage information from another state or the
federal government, your claim will be delayed until we receive
this information (usually about one week).
To receive credit for military
wages, you need to provide a copy of your DD-214 (Member 4). If
you served in the reserves, you must have had at least 90
consecutive days of active service for these wages to be used.
The military service, not Iowa Workforce Development, determines
if your earnings can be used on a claim.
If you worked for the federal
government (nonmilitary), please send, if available, copies of
your check stubs, W-2 and SF-8, which show the payroll address
of your federal employer to the UI Service Center.
Iowa Workforce Development will
inform you of your options in filing if you have any wages from
out of state, the military or the federal government.
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If You Move
Out of Iowa, May You Claim Benefits Using Your Iowa Wages?
Interstate Claim
If you filed a claim in Iowa and then moved out of state, go
to or call the nearest Workforce Development (Job Service)
office in the state where you live. That office will register
you for work. You will be instructed by your resident state to
call the Iowa UI Service Center interstate line to change your
address and telephone number. (You must notify the UI Service
Center of any address changes because unemployment insurance
checks will not be forwarded by the Postal Service.) You will
continue to file your weekly-continued claims using the
toll-free number in Iowa. Iowa will continue to be the state
paying your benefits until you obtain work, exhaust benefits, or
your benefit year expires.
If you move out of Iowa and then want to file for benefits
using Iowa wages, you must report to the nearest Workforce
Development (Job Service) office in the state where you are now
living. That office will register you for work and instruct you
to call the Iowa UI Service Center Interstate line to file your
application for benefits.
Note: If you have worked in the state
you moved to, you may be eligible to combine your wages from
Iowa and the other state. This may increase your WBA and MBA, so
be sure to ask your resident state about that option.
The UI
Service Center will then administer your claim and mail you all
the information you need to claim benefits. You will file your
weekly-continued claim on-line or by telephone as explained in
Reporting Your Weekly-Continued Claim.
Once you establish an Iowa interstate claim, Mail all
correspondence to:
Unemployment Insurance Service Center
P.O. Box 10332
Des Moines, IA 50306-0332
For Interstate telephone inquiries, call (866) 239-0843.
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The Quality
Control Program
The Quality Control program
randomly selects claimants who are currently filing for benefits
and reviews their claim. If you are selected, you will be asked
to verify any wages you’ve earned and work search contacts
you’ve made. You are required to attend an interview with a
Quality Control representative. If you refuse to cooperate, you
may be denied benefits. If you are selected for a review, it
does not mean we suspect you have done something wrong. The
federal government, for program improvement, requires the
Quality Control program.
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Release of
Information
Information on your unemployment
insurance claim is considered confidential by law. You may have
a copy of all information in your file if you contact the UI
Service Center or submit a written and signed request. Only general
information may be given over the telephone. If you provide a
written and signed request, wage record information will be
provided to a third party.
Information on your claim does
become a matter of public record if you receive an appeal
decision on your claim from an administrative law judge (see
First-Level Appeal).
Iowa Workforce Development will
release information on your claim to various federal and state
agencies if requested, and we are required to provide it by law,
rule or regulation.
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Are There Any
Other Benefit Programs?
Workforce Investment Act
If you are unemployed as
a result of a permanent layoff, plant or business closing, and
you have had the same type of job for many years, you may be
eligible for this special dislocated worker program. If you
think you qualify for this program, ask for more specific
information.
Trade Act
If you are unemployed due to foreign
imports, you may qualify for Trade Adjustment Assistance. If you
think you qualify for this program, ask for more specific
information.
Workers’ Compensation Unemployment Insurance Claim
If you have recovered from a workers’ compensation injury or
illness and you lack the necessary earnings to qualify for an
unemployment insurance claim as explained in What Are the Wage
Requirements?, you may be eligible to receive benefits based on
wages you were paid before the workers’ compensation claim. If
you think you qualify for this program, ask for more specific
information.
Disaster Unemployment Assistance(DUA)
If you are unemployed as
a result of a disaster and you lack the necessary earnings to
qualify for an unemployment insurance claim as explained in What
Are the Wage Requirements?, you may be eligible to receive
benefits based on non-covered wages. If you think you qualify
for this program, ask for more specific information.
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At this time there are no
extensions in effect. However, when either the national or Iowa
unemployment rates exceed a certain level, you may be entitled
to additional weeks of benefits after exhausting all regular
benefits. If an extended benefit period is declared and it
appears that you qualify, we will send you a written notice
to contact Iowa Workforce Development.
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You commit fraud if you
knowingly make false statements, provide false information, or
withhold information to obtain benefits. Examples of fraud
include failure to properly report work and earnings or a job
separation. Attempts to claim and receive benefits fraudulently
can result in loss of benefits, fines or imprisonment. Be sure
you make no false statement when applying for unemployment
insurance or during the time you are claiming and receiving
benefits.
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Equal Opportunity Is the Law
Iowa Workforce Development is an
equal
opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its programs
and services on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex,
national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, or
belief, and for beneficiaries only, citizenship or participation
in WIA.
If you think you have been subjected to discrimination
you should contact the affirmative action officer located at:
Iowa Workforce Development
1000 East Grand Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0209
Auxiliary aids and services are
available upon request to individuals with disabilities.
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Profiling is done in the first
five weeks of your claim by looking at certain factors such as
previous occupation, previous industry, education, duration of
employment, wages, etc. About 3 percent of all claimants will be
selected for this program. If selected, your participation is
mandatory since it is a condition of eligibility for
unemployment insurance benefits.
Reemployment services vary in
some areas of the state. Some examples of reemployment services
are:
- job search assistance
- job placement services
- counseling
- aptitude testing, job search workshops and job clubs
- résumé writing assistance
These services may be conducted at the local
Workforce Development Centers, or area colleges.
Recent studies
done by the U.S. Department of Labor found that people who
received reemployment services returned to work earlier than
people who did not receive services.
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Workforce
Development Center Directory
If you have any questions
concerning registration for work or general unemployment
insurance questions, contact your nearest
Workforce Development Center
office.
If you are an interstate claimant
(filing against Iowa from another state), please call the
Unemployment Insurance Service Center at 866-239-0843.
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|
To
reactivate an existing claim, call:
Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
Outside Des Moines (877)
891-5344
Des Moines Area
281-4199
or
On-line web application
http://www.iowaworkforce.org
Monday
through Friday
8:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.
excluding state holidays |
|
Interstate claim
If you moved out of state since you last
worked in Iowa or you need help with an Interstate claim,
call: Interstate Claims (866) 239-0843
Monday through Friday
8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
excluding state holidays
|
|
To
continue receiving benefits, report each week by
calling:
Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
Outside Des Moines (800)
850-5627
Des Moines Area
281-6231
or
On-Line web application
https://www1.iwd.state.ia.us/WeeklyClaims
10 a.m.,
Saturday to 11:30 p.m., Sunday or
7:30 a.m. to 4:59
p.m., Monday through Friday
Note:Phone lines are very busy on Saturday afternoon.
Please try on Sunday or
Monday to avoid a busy signal. |
|
To check on the status of
your claim or status of your
benefit payment, call: Outside Des Moines (800) 850-5627
Des Moines Area
281-6231
or
On-Line web application
https://www1.iwd.state.ia.us/WeeklyClaims
7:30 a.m.
to 4:59 p.m., Tuesday through Friday
Note:
If Monday is a holiday, information is not available
until Wednesday of that week.
|
Unemployment
Insurance Claims Help
E-mail:
uiclaimshelp@iwd.state.ia.us
Unemployment Insurance Division Home Page
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