Facts About Unemployment Insurance Guide 2006
The Purpose of This
Guide
This guide will answer most questions
about your claim for unemployment insurance and help you avoid
problems, delays, or improper payments. It explains your rights and
responsibilities while claiming unemployment insurance benefits.
It
is your responsibility to read and know the contents of this guide.
This guide contains general information only and does not have the
force and effect of law, rule or regulation. Any questions concerning
registration for work should be directed to the nearest Iowa Workforce
Development Center. Out of state claimants should contact the nearest
Workforce Development (Job Service) office.
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What Is Unemployment
Insurance?
Unemployment insurance is like home or
car insurance except you do not pay any part of the cost.
Unemployment insurance is paid entirely by employers who are covered
by the Iowa Employment Security Law. Unemployment insurance is not
welfare and is not based on need. It provides temporary benefits for
people who are:
- Unemployed or working reduced hours
through no fault of their own.
- Able to work and available for work.
- Actively looking for work (unless
waived).
The intent is to pay benefits to
eligible claimants during periods of unemployment when suitable work
is not available. You must meet certain eligibility requirements set
by law. This guide briefly explains these conditions.
If you do not expect to be recalled to
your job, it is your responsibility to register for work at the
Workforce Development Center. Failure to register for work can
result in a disqualification for benefits. If you are able to use
an Iowa Workforce Development Center and you have access to the
Internet, you may elect to register for work using the online
registration. You will find the online system at
www.iowaworkforce.org. If you do not have access to the Internet, you
will need to go into your nearest Workforce Development Center
Local
Office Contact Information to
register for work in person (unless waived—see exceptions under What
Are the Work Search Requirements?). Iowa Workforce Development Centers
can provide information about job openings, testing, counseling, job
training programs and job-seeking skills.
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Eligibility
Requirements
To Be Eligible for Benefits You Must:
1. Be totally or partially
unemployed.
2. Have worked and earned a certain amount of wages in work covered
by unemployment insurance in the last 15 to 18 months.
3. Have lost your job through no fault of your own.
4. Be able to work and available for work.
5. Be actively seeking work by in-person contact with employers,
unless approved to send résumés by Iowa Workforce Development. Work
search may be waived if you meet certain criteria (see
Exceptions under What Are the Work Search Requirements?).
6. Be registered for work unless waived (see Exceptions under What
Are the Work Search Requirements?).
7. Keep a record of your work search contacts in the back of this
book and provide a copy of my work search contacts on the Work
Search History form upon request.
8. Report any job offers or referrals that you have refused when you
call in your weekly- continued claim.
9. Report if you quit or are fired from any job while claiming
benefits.
10. Notify Iowa Workforce Development if for any reason you move or
leave the area for more than three working days.
11. Report all earnings before deductions when earned, not when
paid. Report any vacation severance or holiday pay. Contact Iowa
Workforce if you are receiving any other type of pay that may be
deductible.
12. Notify Iowa Workforce if you are currently enrolled or start
school.
13. Notify Iowa Workforce if you are receiving a private pension or
workers’ compensation.
14. Understand that if it becomes necessary for the Unemployment
Insurance Service Center (UISC) to conduct a fact-finding interview
to determine your eligibility for benefits, you will be mailed a
notice with the date and time of the fact-finding interview.
15. Understand that if a decision on any issue of your eligibility
for unemployment insurance is appealed, your claim becomes public
record.
16. Understand that benefits are fully taxable income and
requirements exist pertaining to estimated tax payments. (Please ask
your tax preparer, the IRS, or state revenue department if you have
questions.)
17. Understand that you may choose to have income taxes withheld
from your benefit payment and that you may change the withholding
choice.
18. Understand that attempting to claim and receive benefits
fraudulently can result in loss of benefits, repayment of benefits,
fines or imprisonment.
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How
to Apply for
Benefits
There are several ways you can apply
for benefits. You can use our
online system to apply for benefits. The online unemployment insurance
filing system is available 24 hours a day and
seven days a week. You also can visit your nearest Workforce
Development Center and use a computer there to apply for benefits
either on the Internet or a local system. You can complete a paper
application at your local Workforce Center. If your employer is participating in
employer-filed claims, your employer may file your application on your
behalf. See the end of this guide for telephone numbers and addresses
of Iowa Workforce Development Centers. 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 handy:
- 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.
How 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.
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.
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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 7/01/2007 through 6/30/2008):
- 0 dependents, your WBA is
1/23 of your HQ with a maximum of $347;
- 1 dependent, your WBA is 1/22
of your HQ with a maximum of $360;
- 2 dependents, your WBA is
1/21 of your HQ with a maximum of $373;
- 3 dependents, your WBA is
1/20 of your HQ with a maximum of $393;
- 4+ dependents, your WBA is
1/19 of your HQ with a maximum of $426.
Example:
If your HQ earnings are $4,400 and you have one dependent, your WBA is
$200 ($4,400/22 = $200).
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:
1. Earned and have been paid wages by
employers covered by unemployment insurance in two or more quarters of
your base period.
2. Total base-period earnings of at least 1.25 times the wages you
earned in your highest base-period quarter.
3. A minimum amount of wages in the high and low quarters of your base
period.
For Program Year
7/01/2007-6/30/2008:
High-Quarter Minimum = $1,190
Low-Quarter Minimum = $600
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 check or
direct deposit 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 there are no protests on your claim, the payment
is released. 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?.
Important Note:
You will be paid biweekly unless you choose the direct-deposit method.
Direct deposit is the only method that allows weekly payment. See
detailed information in How to Get Paid. The form for selecting
direct deposit is on this page and also can be obtained at
your local
Workforce
Development Center Office.
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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 $200, you could earn $50 (25 percent of $200) before
you would receive a reduction in your benefit payment. If you had $90
in gross earnings for a week, your benefit payment would be reduced by
$40 ($90 minus the $50 earning limit = $40 reduction) and your benefit
amount for that week would be $160 ($200 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 and 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, address, phone number, and the name of the
person you contacted. It is suggested that you keep this record in the
space provided at the end of this guide. 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.
Failure to make weekly work searches,
keep a record of those work searches, and submit the Work Search
History form upon request may result in a denial of benefits already
paid, causing an overpayment of benefits you will be required to
repay.
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 section of this booklet.
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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Eligibility
Review
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 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, hospitalization, incarceration,
school attendance, out of town, on vacation, or loss of child care or
transportation. You may be required to provide evidence of your
ability to work, such as a doctor’s statement.
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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 by
touch-tone telephone.
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 end of this guide.)
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.
IMPORTANT:
If you get disconnected or hang up
before the system tells you that your claim has been accepted, you
will have to call again to successfully file your continued claim.
|
Hours You Can Call
in 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 |
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 systems 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, the claimant, are responsible for
the answers to the questions presented by the IVR system so be sure
you keep your PIN secure.
You will select your own PIN the first
time you call in your continued claim. Be sure to select a PIN that
will be easy to remember, since you must use the same PIN each
time you call to file your weekly-continued claim or call to
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
call in your continued claim after reactivating an existing claim.)
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
1. Be sure to have your Social Security
number and your PIN number.
2. 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.
3. Have a pencil and paper handy 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 6-24-05. The caller applied for unemployment
insurance benefits on 6-27-05, and a new claim was established with an
effective date of 6-26-05. On Sunday, July 3, 2005, the caller
certifies his/her first week of unemployment by calling the continued
claims reporting system. He/She is claiming the week ending 7-2-05.
The caller has elected to be paid biweekly with a paper check.
1. 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.
2. 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).
3. 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.
4. 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 claims reporting system. Caller
selects 5241 and presses 5241#.
5. One moment please (brief
pause). Your new PIN is now set up as 5241.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. You may enter your claim for
the week ending 070205.
9. 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.
10. Your weekly claim can now be
entered. If you hang up before the system tells you goodbye, your
answers will not be recorded and your payment will not be made. Did
you work during the week ending 070205? If yes, press one. If no,
press nine.
Caller did not work
during the week, so presses 9.
11. 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 7-02-05, so presses 0#.
12. 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#.
13. 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.
14. Were you ready, willing, able
and available for work during the week ending 070205? If yes, press
one. If no, press nine.
Caller was ready, willing, able and
available for work, so presses 1.
15. 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.
16. The law imposes penalties for
false statements. Do you certify the statements which you entered
are true for the week ending 070205? 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.
17. Your claim for week ending
070205 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 6-24-05. The caller applied for unemployment
insurance benefits on 6-27-05 and a new claim was established with an
effective date of 6-26-05. On Sunday, July 3, 2005, the caller
certifies his/her first partial week of unemployment
by calling the continued claims IVR system. He/She is claiming the
week ending 7-2-05. The caller has elected to be paid biweekly with a
paper check.
1. 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.
2. 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).
3. 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.
4. 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#.
5. One moment please (brief
pause). Your new PIN is now set up as 5241.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. You may enter your claim for
the week ending 070205.
9. 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.
10. Your weekly claim can now be
entered. If you hang up before the system tells you goodbye, your
answers will not be recorded and your payment will not be made. Did
you work during the week ending 070205? If yes, press one. If no,
press nine.
Caller did work two days during the
week so presses 1.
11. Was this self-employment? If
yes, press one. If no, press nine.
Caller did not work in
self-employment so presses 9.
12. Please enter your gross wages
for the week ending 070205 followed by the pound key. Round to the
nearest dollar.
Caller earned $165.49 so presses
165#.
13. You said you worked during the
week ending 070205. 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.
14. 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.
15. 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 7-2-05 so presses 0#.
16. 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#.
17. 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.
18. Were you ready, willing, able
and available for work during the week ending 070205? If yes, press
one. If no, press nine.
Caller was ready, willing, able and
available for work so presses 1.
19. 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.
20. The law imposes penalties for
false statements. Do you certify the statements which you entered
are true for the week ending 070205? 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.
21. Your claim for week ending
070205 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 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 mailed 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 (Direct Deposit or
Check?)
Payment by Direct Deposit (Weekly
Payments)
Direct deposit is recommended, as you
will receive a weekly payment to your financial institution. It also
will avoid problems and delays in mail handling. To set this up 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 at the back of this guide. The form provides
you with instructions on how to locate the transit number and account
number or you may contact your financial institution. Return the
completed form to the UI Service Center in the envelope provided in
this guide, or mail 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.
Payment by Check (Biweekly Payments)
If you choose to be paid by a
check,
you will receive a biweekly check. After you receive your first
payment (about three weeks) you will be paid every other week. If you
telephone each week to file your continued claim on Saturday, Sunday,
or Monday, you should receive your check in the mail by Friday*
of every other week.
*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 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.
Back
How to Reactivate Your Claim
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 want to receive benefits again,
you must reactivate your claim. Reactivating an existing claim can be done
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
the system can automatically reactivate your claim, it will guide you
through a series of questions. If there is a problem on your claim or
you worked for more than one employer, you will be instructed to
contact your local Workforce Development Center who 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 on this page 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) (also
listed on the back of this guide). 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) |
Preparing for the Call
1. Be sure to have your Social Security
number and your PIN number for the call.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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 12-31-04 and filed a valid claim with an effective date
of 1-2-05. He/She drew several seeks of benefits and then returned to work
with the same employer on 01-24-05, so the last week claimed was 01-22-05.
He/She is again temporarily laid off from that same employer, his/her last date
worked was 06-24-05, 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 27th of June to call the IVR and reactivate the existing claim
because Monday starts the week that he/she is unemployed.
1. 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.
2. 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 you weekly-continued claim, press three.
Caller
wants to reactivate an existing claim (reopen an old claim), so presses 1.
3. Please enter your Social Security number.
Caller enters 967524183
(his/her Social Security number).
4. You entered 967524183. If this is correct, please press
one. If not, press two.
Caller presses 1.
5. 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.
6. Please enter your PIN.
Caller presses 7524 (his/her
four-digit PIN).
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.)
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. Please enter the date you last worked. For example,
January 2, 1999, would be entered as 010299.
Caller last worked on June 24, 2005, so presses 062405.
14. 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.
15. 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 010199. You said you last worked on 062405.
You said the last day you were or will be paid was 062405 (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.
16. You must notify Iowa Workforce Development if you
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.
17. 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.
18.
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 12-31-04 and filed a valid claim with an effective date
of 1-2-05. 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 06-27-05. He/She waits until Monday morning the 27th of June to
call the IVR and reactivate the existing claim because he/she wasn't available
for work the majority of the previous week, so Monday starts the first week
he/she is available.
1. Welcome to 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.
2. 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.
3. Please enter your Social Security number.
Caller enters 976251483 (his/her Social Security number).
4. You entered 976251483. If this is correct, please press
one. If not, press two.
Caller presses 1.
5. 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.
6. Please enter your PIN.
Caller presses 3786 (his/her four-digit PIN).
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
Back
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
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. You
or the employer also may submit written statements but, to be
considered, they should be received prior to the scheduled
interview.
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 the Appeals Bureau, Iowa
Workforce Development, 1000 East Grand, Des Moines, IA 50309-0209 or
fax it to (515) 242-5144. You may contact the Appeals Bureau at (515)
281-3747 or the 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. These centers are listed in the
office directory on the inside back cover of this guide. (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.
Back
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.
Back
Are Benefits Taxable?
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
found at the back of this guide. Please check your options for federal
or state or both, sign, date and return the form to the UI Service
Center in the envelope provided in this guide, or mail 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.
Back
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
transfer your claim and register you for work. You may be instructed
by your resident state to call the Iowa UI Service Center 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 Iowa Workforce Development 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 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 claim 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, signed request. Only general information may be
given over the telephone. If you provide a written, 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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When Benefits Are Exhausted
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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Fraud
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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Reemployment Services — Profiling
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, job
clubs and 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.
- Burlington (319) 753-1671
- Carroll (712) 792-2685
- Cedar Rapids (319) 365-9474
- Council Bluffs (712) 242-2100
- Creston (641) 782-2119
- Davenport (563) 445-3200
- Decorah (563) 382-0457
- Des Moines (515) 281-9619
- Dubuque (563) 556-5800
- Fort Dodge (515) 576-3131
- Mason City (641) 422-1524
- Ottumwa (641) 684-5401
- Sioux City (712) 233-9030
- Spencer (712) 262-1971
- Storm Lake (712) 732-1576
- Waterloo (319) 235-9672
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Reporting
by Telephone
|
To reactivate an
existing claim, call:
Outside Des Moines (877)
891-5344
Des Moines Area 281-4199
Monday through Friday
8:00 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding state holidays |
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:
Outside Des Moines (800)
850-5627
Des Moines Area 281-6231
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.
See pages
8-10
for list of questions asked. |
|
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
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 (see page 10
for detailed
information).
|
Unemployment
Insurance Claims Help
E-mail:
uiclaimshelp@iwd.state.ia.us
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Insurance Division Home Page
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