How to File a Weekly Claim
Most claimants can receive unemployment insurance (UI) benefits for up to 16 weeks, and in some cases 26 weeks. To receive payments after filing for UI benefits, a claimant must confirm eligibility every week using the claims reporting system.
Each week that the weekly claim is filed, the claimant will be asked to certify the following:
- are unemployed or working only reduced hours
- are able and available for work
- have not refused any job offers or referrals
- are actively looking for work (unless waived)
- are reporting any pension they may be receiving
- are reporting any gross wages, vacation (PTO), severance and/or holiday pay they may be receiving
The weekly claim can be filed online or by mobile devices.
Review these Frequently Asked Questions about Unemployment Insurance and weekly claim filing.
The payment information page has details about debit card and direct deposit benefit payment options. (This page has an updated Notice for Bank of America Cardholders - Sept 2021).
Here is a helpful document that briefly describes the Unemployment Insurance claim process.
Please Note: Submitting your weekly job certifications electronically on IowaWORKS.gov is highly recommended. Benefits include:
- Creating an electronic job search log to follow up on job leads.
- Reducing the chance of experiencing interruptions in your benefits.
- Expanding your reemployment activities, including access to virtual workshops that build your job skills.
- Making certification of your activities easier, as IowaWORKS will automatically record job searches and re-employment activities done within the system.
- Saving time and preventing overpayments of unemployment insurance benefits.
- If you are paid for a week of benefits where the reemployment activities have not been certified, you will be required to either call in for a scheduled fact finding or appear at a local office to validate your reemployment activities for that week. If you are unable to validate your reemployment activities for any weeks you received benefits, you will be required to repay those weeks.
- If you are paid for a week of benefits where the reemployment activities have not been certified, you will be required to either call in for a scheduled fact finding or appear at a local office to validate your reemployment activities for that week. If you are unable to validate your reemployment activities for any weeks you received benefits, you will be required to repay those weeks.
Hours to Submit a Weekly Claim
Monday through Friday: 8:00 am - 5:30 pm
8:00 am to 11:30 pm Sunday
Check the Status of a UI Claim (Benefit Inquiry)
The 'status of claim' option allows claimants to verify:
- the last week UI benefits were claimed
- the date and amount of the last UI benefit payment
- the remaining balance of UI benefits available to receive
The 'status of claim' or 'UI benefit payment' is available online.
Hours to Check Status of a UI Claim
Tuesday through Friday: 8:00 am - 5:30 pm
If Monday is a holiday, the 'status of claim' option is not available until Wednesday of that week.