How To Apply For Unemployment Insurance Benefits
If you have lost your job through no fault of your own, you may be eligible for Unemployment Insurance in the State of Arizona.
Having trouble finding a job and cant support your family without income?
The Arizon Department of Economic Security can provide individuals who have lost their job through no fault of their own with a weekly stipend, of up to $240 for up to 26 weeks, to supplement lost income while they search for employment.
You can apply for unemployment benefits online at:
If you do not have access o a computer or internet, DES staff can help you with your application in throughout the state.
You will qualified for benefits and will begin receving payments deposits to his state-issued Electronic Paymenr Card. Direct deposit is also available by completing a form on www.azui.gov.
Each week, you will file his weekly clam on www.azui.gov, so you can maintain your benefits. Benefits are not paid during the first week a claim is filed, as eligibility is being determined.
What Happens If Unemployment Claims In Arizona Are Denied
If the state denies an unemployment claim, Arizona law entitles the individual to a benefits denial appeal. To do so, complete the Request for Reconsideration/Appeal form and mail it to the address listed at the top.
After the appeals claim filing, the state sets up a hearing to give the person a chance to argue their case. Organizations like Community Legal Services, Southern Arizona Legal Aid and ASU Law Civil Litigation Clinic offer free legal representation for appeals hearings.
Information To Keep In Mind
If you participate in the ACP, you must include your own phone number, so that the DES can contact you directly when you make an Unemployment Insurance claim. You should not use the ACP phone number.
The DES is updating the eligibility requirements, by analyzing changes in state and federal guidance. As the governments response to the pandemic evolves, requirements may change.
Automatically, all applicants will be registered in the Arizona Employment Database, which is the following:
There is a requirement for participation in Unemployment Insurance which is active job search. This requirement has been temporarily suspended. The responses required for this will not influence your eligibility.
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Qualifications For Unemployment In Az
The unemployment insurance program is administered jointly by state and federal agencies. Its goal is to provide temporary financial assistance to individuals who become unemployed by no fault of their own. Businesses in each state pay taxes to a trust fund that finances the programs insurance payments to unemployed individuals, so the burden of the program falls squarely on employers shoulders.
In the state of Arizona, the Arizona Department of Economic Security is the agency that administers unemployment insurance benefits to Arizona residents. The DES is responsible for deciding unemployment eligibility, administering benefit payments, and issuing regulations for the unemployment insurance program.
What If My Unemployment Claim Is Denied
You’ll receive a Determination of Deputy form in the mail after you apply that tells you whether you’re approved and how much you can expect. If you’re denied, you can dispute the decision within 15 days of the mailing date on the form by phone, online, or in writing.
Times are tough but if you’ve lost your job, youre not alone. Apply for unemployment if you believe you qualify — hopefully, it will help you and your family through the next few months.
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What You Need To Apply
There are a few things youll have to gather before you begin an application whether by mail, by phone, or online.
To confirm your identity, youll need the following:
- Arizona Drivers License or Arizona State ID
- Current mailing address and county of residence
- Social Security Number or Alien Registration Number
Youll also need to list your employment history for the last 18 months. Youll need to have your previous employers name and contact information including their current mailing address and phone number. If youve had more than one employer within that time frame, youll need to list any other employers as well. Make sure that you have the correct date of the last day you worked, as this will be require on your application. Youll also need to have any financial information including but not limited to the amount of your salary and wages unused sick, holiday, and vacation pay and payments for severance, if any. Make sure to mark the dates for those if applicable.
The following are other information that may or may not be applicable to you:
- Union hall information such as name and number, if applicable
- DD Form 214 Copy #4, if released from the military in the last 18 months
- SF 8 or SF 50, if employed in the Federal Civilian service in the last 18 months
- Monthly pension payment amounts and start date
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End Of Pandemic Unemployment Benefit Programs & Retroactive Payments
The PEUC, PUA and MEUC programs expired on the week ending September 4, 2021. From September 5th, all federally funded enhanced unemployment benefits, including the previously terminated $300 weekly payment have now ceased.
Retroactive payments are being made in select cases but you would need to contact the agency to manually get this verified and processed. You must contact the UI Call Center at 1-877-600-2722.
While there was a lot of discussion around extending pandemic unemployment benefits by states using already allocated stimulus funding, this was not done. The AZ DES instead is only supporting return to work and child care recovery programs.
With the expiry of the pandemic unemployment programs only traditional state unemployment benefits will be available in 2022, up to a maximum of 26 weeks, with a maximum weekly payment up to $240. Starting in July 2022, the rate will be $320 per week.
Te amount you get depends on your earned income and dependents over the base period which is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the effective date of your initial claim.
Note that to qualify for unemployment, your job or income loss will generally need to be involuntary. I.e. job loss through no fault of your own. You also need to certify and demonstrate ongoing work search requirements to keep getting payments.
How To Apply For Unemployment
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Unemployment Insurance in Arizona provides financial assistance for workers who have lost their job and require assistance in order to survive through the period of unemployment. If you are unemployed through no fault of your own, you may be eligible to file a claim for UI benefits in Arizona. To learn how to apply for Arizona UI benefits, simply follow the instructions below.
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How Do I File For Unemployment Insurance Benefits In Arizona
1. Before you apply, make sure you meet all benefit requirements. Arizona citizens who have become unemployed through no fault of their own and who are ready and willing to go back to work can qualify for benefits. To maintain benefits, you must be ready, willing, and able to accept suitable employment, and you must conduct an ongoing job search.
2. Gather important documents and information. Once you know you meet basic requirements for unemployment benefits, collect the necessary information to submit a claim:
- Social Security number
- An Arizona drivers license or a state-issued ID
- Your mailing address
- Names, addresses, and contact information of the employers you have worked for in the past 18 months
- The last day you worked
- The amounts of any vacation, severance, or holiday pay that you are entitled to
- The total of any pension money that you are receiving
- The name and phone number of your union hall, if applicable
3. File for unemployment insurance. Arizona is somewhat unique among states because it provides 11 different unemployment insurance programs for citizens. To file a claim, you can log on to the Department of Economic Security or you can locate a local Arizona unemployment office from the listings of Arizona unemployment office locations.
7. Conduct an ongoing job search. Arizona requires you to look for full-time work while drawing benefits. Recipients are required to register with the Arizona Job Connection as part of their search activities.
Arizona To End $300 Weekly Unemployment Benefit Early
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced the DES will join several other states and end payment of the supplementary $300 weekly benefit for unemployed workers after week ending This is being done to encourage people to return to work. Arizona will continue participation in the PUA and PEUC programs until the planned end date of Sep 4th, 2021.
In Arizona, were going to use federal money to encourage people to workinstead of paying people not to work.
In lieu of ending the $300 FPUC payment early a one-time bonus of $2,000 will be paid to eligible individuals who return to the workforce and get a full-time job, while those who return part-time will receive $1,000. These will be payable until September 6th, 2021.
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My Employer Furloughed Me Do I Qualify What If I Am Self
A variety of workers who normally could not access unemployment insurance will be able to receive benefits thanks to the changes the Arizona governor and federal government have enacted, said John Balitis, chairman of the labor and employment department at Jennings, Strouss & Salmon law firm in Phoenix.
The state DES declined to answer questions about how the changes are being applied, but a review of the changes indicates that furloughed workers, self-employed people and contractors will qualify, Balitis said.
“Now there is a whole group of workers who typically wouldn’t be entitled or eligible for unemployment insurance who now are,” Balitis said.
That list includes contractors, self-employed people, those who have reduced hours and furloughed workers, he said.
Arizona Unemployment Insurance Expanded In Light Of Covid
The Executive Orderwaives certain requirements for terminated employees:
- Individuals need not wait a week after they lose their job to apply for unemployment benefits.
- Individuals need not meet the work search requirements to continue receiving unemployment benefits. be able to work engage in a systematic and sustained effort to obtain work during at least four days of the week and make at least one job contact per day on four different days of the week.)
If an individual meets existing requirements regarding work history, earnings, and residency, the Executive Order expands unemployment benefits to:
- Individual whose employer has permanently ortemporarily ceased or drastically reduced operations due to COVID-19 resulting in a reduction of wages
- Individuals who, due to requirements that theindividual be quarantined, are not able to work and do not have any available paid leave even if theindividual has anexpectation of returning to work after the quarantine is over
- Individuals that leave employment due to arisk of exposure or infection or to care for a family member who has been infected withCOVID-19 or
- Individuals that for any other scenario areseparated from work for reasons related to COVID-19, if the Arizona Department of Economic Security determines that suchscenario is consistent with the guidance issued by the United States Department ofLabor for Unemployment Compensation for Individuals Affected by the Coronavirus Disease 2019.
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I Was Full Time But My Hours Were Reduced Do I Qualify
Maybe, if your employer registered with the state for a shared-work program.
This is an alternative for companies that need to reduce their workforce but don’t want to lay off employees.
It allows employees to receive a portion of their jobless benefits while working reduced hours.
The Shared Work Program is not available to an employee unless the employer for whom the individual is currently working reduced hours completes an application which then must be approved by the Department of Economic Security.
An approved Shared Work Plan is valid for one year and an employee may be eligible for up to 26 weeks of partial benefits.
More information is available at
State And Federal Aid
The Arizona Department of Economic Security or DES is the state department that handles all unemployment applications. On a normal basis, the DES provides up to $240 per individual for up to 26 weeks as a supplement to income lost without any fault. That amount is given as a weekly stipend as long as the beneficiary continues to search for employment during the time period.
If you suffered a loss of work because of the virus, you should know that Congress passed the CARES Act on March 27, 2020. CARES stand for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, and it was signed into law to protect American families and workers. The $2 trillion stimulus package offers states including Arizona an expansion on already existing unemployment benefits to further help workers who have lost their jobs during this crisis. It also includes an economic payment directly to all families and individuals that fall under the requirements.
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How Does The Des Calculate Your Base Period
Your base period is the period of employment that the DES uses to calculate your weekly benefit amount. Your eligibility will be based on your wages paid by an insured employer during a one-year period. Typically, the DES will consider the first four of the last five quarters that you worked before you applied for unemployment insurance benefits.
Filing An Unemployment Claim
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In order to receive benefits you must be unemployed through no fault of your own, and you must have earned sufficient wages in your base period . Also, you must be able and available for full-time work.
You must also be a resident of the state of Arizona, have worked in the past 12 18 months, and earned a minimum amount of wages, determined by guidelines set by the state. Claimants must be able to work and available for work each week that you are collecting unemployment benefits.
Your weekly benefit amount is determined by computing 4% of your base period wage quarter in which your earnings were the highest. The maximum weekly benefit amount is $240.
The length of time that you will receive benefits is also based on how much you made during the base period, but it will not last more than 26 weeks.
You must continue to file weekly.Also, you must continue to be able and available for full-time work. You must actively seek employment, while keeping a record of your work search activities. You must additionally register with the Department of Economic Security Employment Service. Finally, you must accept suitable work.
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How To Qualify For Arizona Unemployment Benefits
While individual determinations are made on a case-by-case basis, claimants who meet the following eligibility requirements are generally approved for UI benefits in Arizona:
- The claimant must be currently unemployed, through no fault of his or her own
- The claimant must have worked in Arizona during the previous 12 months
- The claimant must have earned a minimum amount of wages, as determined by Arizona guidelines
- The claimant must actively seek work during each week for which benefits are collected
- The claimant must be available to accept suitable work, including having child care and transportation arranged
If you are unsure whether you meet all the qualifications, you should apply anyway. The state of Arizona recommends that you apply for your unemployment compensation as soon as you become unemployed.
Apply Online By Phone Or Mail
- Apply online anytime between 12:00am on Sunday through 6:00pm on Friday.
- Apply by phone, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.1 600-2722
- Submit a claim by mail. Download the Arizona Initial Claim for Unemployment InsuranceUB-105).
- Attention PEUC claimants: The American Rescue Plan Act was signed on March 11, 2021, increasing the maximum benefit amount for PEUC to 53 times an individual’s average weekly benefit amount. PEUC claimants should continue filing weekly certifications if they remain unemployed. No applications for Extended Benefits should be filed at this time.
NOTES:
- If you are participating in the Address Confidentiality Program , you must list your own phone number when filing an Unemployment Insurance claim so DES can contact you directly. Please do not use the ACP phone number.
DES is analyzing changing state and federal guidance and updating its eligibility requirements accordingly. These requirements may continue to change as the government response to COVID-19 evolves.
Applicants are also automatically registered with Arizonas largest jobs database, Arizona Job Connection . By completing their registration, job seekers can create a digital resume, search for jobs, and get matched with hiring employers.
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Arizona Unemployment Benefits And Eligibility
- Learn about unemployment benefits in Arizona. Find out who is eligible for unemployment, how much money they get, how to apply and where to file an appeal.
For anyone, the loss of a job is traumatic. Along with the emotional and mental effects of a layoff or termination, unemployed people face the question of how they will pay for their rent or mortgage, utilities, food and other expenses.
Arizona’s Unemployment Insurance program offers a safety net in the form of regular payments to qualified individuals. The Arizona Department of Economic Security administers this program in accordance with state laws and regulations. Understanding them is the first step to filing an unemployment claim.
