After applying for unemployment insurance

Your initial claim takes about 3 to 4 weeks to process. Find out what happens during this time and what you need to do to stay eligible while your claim is under review.

After you submit your initial claim, there’s no need to call us immediately. Monitor your Unemployment Services inbox for updates about your claim. 

We review your claim

After you file a claim for unemployment insurance benefits, you'll get a letter in the mail regardless of your chosen communication method letting you know that we have received your claim. After that, we will communicate with you either email or regular mail depending on what you've chosen. Make sure to read all letters and messages carefully.

• We ask all employers you listed on your claim about your past wages and why you stopped working there
  • If an employer does not respond within 10 business days, we may contact you for this information
• We review your wage and employment information to decide if you have earned enough wages to qualify for benefits, and for how long
• We may send you follow-up questions if we need more information to approve your claim
• We review information about why you stopped working to decide if you are entitled to unemployment assistance
• We make our determination, and you will be notified if:
  • You are eligible for benefits. You will get benefits by direct deposit to your bank account or on a DUA debit card, depending on which you chose when applying.
  • You are not eligible for benefits. Look for a letter on your DUA online account or in the mail

You can disagree with our determination and appeal our decision within 10 days.

Respond to requests for information about your unemployment claim  Receiving your unemployment benefits by direct deposit or DUA debit card  File an appeal with DUA 

You continue to request weekly benefits

For every week that you are unemployed and ask for assistance, you must look for work by doing at least three work search activities. Start doing this as soon as your first claim is verified.

Each time you certify, we will ask you some questions about whether you are looking for work, whether you can accept work offered to you, and if you are physically and mentally able to work. We will also ask about your current employment status and any wages you may have been paid. We cannot pay you benefits for any week you did not look for work.

Keep a record of all your job searches. We will ask you to provide this information during the weekly certification process.

Learn more about weekly requirements 

You can first request benefits any day of the week following the week in which you filed your claim (Sunday – Saturday.) You must complete a one week waiting period before you can be paid.

If we approve your claim

If we approve your claim, your payments will begin soon, and you don't need to call the DUA call center. Once you receive approval, log into your Unemployment Services account, where you will find:

• Your weekly benefit amount
• A payment schedule
• Information on whether your payment will be made by debit card or direct deposit to your bank account.

Debit card or direct deposit options 

If we deny your claim

If you disagree with a Monetary Determination or believe that it is missing information, submit the Wage Correction Form, which is included with your Monetary Determination.

If you disagree with another DUA decision you can appeal the decision within 10 days—your notice explains how, or you can read more about filing an appeal.

If an employer disagrees with your eligibility, they can also appeal within 10 days. If either you or the employers you listed in your claim request an appeal, we’ll schedule a hearing and send details on:  

• The date, time, and location  
• What to expect and how to prepare

File an appeal with DUA 

Avoid penalties

You must report any changes to your unemployment status while receiving benefits. There’s no need to call the DUA directly.

It's your responsibility to notify us when you are:

• Return to full-time work. File your final claim, then you can either simply stop requesting benefits, or select the "Close my claim" link in the dashboard.
• Report part-time work and income. You can earn up to 1/3 of your weekly benefit amount without any reduction in benefits. If you earn more than 1/3 of that amount, your earnings will be deducted dollar-for-dollar from your weekly benefit amount.
• Are unable to work. This includes being sick, injured, in school, traveling, or otherwise unavailable.

You are not eligible for benefits for any period of time you are outside of the United States, its territories, or Canada.