How Do I Apply For Unemployment Benefits
To apply for Arizona benefits online, youll need the following information:
- Your Social Security number or Alien Registration Number
- Your Arizona drivers license number or state-issued ID
- Your mailing address
- Your employment history for the past 18 months, including employer names, addresses, phone numbers, and your last day of work
- Bank account information for direct deposit
After youve set up your account, you must log in weekly to request your benefits for that week, even while your claim is being processed. Theres usually a one-week waiting period for benefits, but Arizona has waived it due to COVID-19.
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Continued Claims In Arizona
Observation:
Data in this graph are copyrighted. Please review the copyright information in the series notes before sharing.
Units: Number, Not Seasonally Adjusted
Frequency: Weekly, Ending Saturday
Notes:
Continued claims, also referred to as insured unemployment, is the number of people who have already filed an initial claim and who have experienced a week of unemployment and then filed a continued claim to claim benefits for that week of unemployment. Continued claims data are based on the week of unemployment, not the week when the initial claim was filed.
Suggested Citation:
U.S. Employment and Training Administration, Continued Claims in Arizona , retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/AZCCLAIMS, November 13, 2022.
How Is Unemployment Calculated In Arizona
how your Arizona unemployment is calculatedYour weekly Unemployment Insurance Benefit Amount is calculated on wages you earned from employers who paid Unemployment Tax to the State of Arizona. The WBA is 4% of the wages paid in the highest quarter of your base period. The current maximum WBA is $320. It may also depend on the unemployment rate.Arizona unemployment benefits table
What happens if your weekly benefit amount calculation is over the $320 weekly maximum set by the State of Arizona? If you are someone who earns more than this amount annually you will just receive the weekly maximum. Currently, that is the maximum amount of unemployment weekly benefits that are allowed. That amount may go up as the cost of living continues to increase but as for right now it is capped at weekly.
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Estimated Weekly Benefit Rate
The calculator returns your estimated WBA based on your highest-earning quarter during the base period.
Your WBA is approximately 4% of your highest-earning quarter.
The maximum WBA is $240 and minimum WBA is $122, although everyone who qualifies under the current eligibility requirements should always meet the minimum.
The calculator will return an estimated weekly benefit rate of $0, if it appears that you do not meet the eligibility requirements described above.
Your WBA may be reduced by other compensation that you receive and certain mandated payments, such as delinquent child support payments.
File Your Weekly Certification
You must submit a Weekly Certification after each week for which you would like to receive benefits. The Weekly Certification is a series of questions that helps verify that you were able, available, and looking for work that week.
Weekly certifications must be filed online.
If you dont have access to a computer, you can contact our customer call center by calling 1-888-737-0259.
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After You File A Claim
Application confirmationYou will get a confirmation email when you submit any kind of unemployment application.
Watch your mail too. We will let you know if your claim has been approved or not. We will mail you a letter to let you know. If you are approved, we will let you know how much money you will get and what to do next.
It is taking us a minimum of four weeks to process regular unemployment insurance claims.
You can check on the status of your claim by logging into our Online Claim System.
Before You Apply: Gather Your Documents And Information
For regular unemployment insurance benefits, you will need:
- Your name, Social Security number, birthdate and contact information.
- Your complete work history for the past 18 months including:
- start and end dates of employment for each employer
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What You Need For Request Weekly Unemployment Benefits
You must request weekly benefits every week that you are unemployed. No payment will be issued for any week that you fail to certify your eligibility.
Once you have applied for Unemployment Insurance benefits, you must request benefits for each week during which you are in partial or total unemployment. Sunday is the first day of the week that you can request benefits for the prior week. You may request benefits for the prior week at any time beginning Sunday through Saturday of the current week.
Every time you request weekly benefits, youll be asked questions about your unemployment status during the previous week.
What Happens When The Des Denies Benefits
You have the right to appeal any decision by the DES. The DES will mail a Determination of Deputy informing you of the circumstance. You will have 15 calendar days from the mailing date of the determination to file your appeal.
For more about the unemployment benefit appeal process, please view our page on Arizona Unemployment Appeals.
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Apply For Unemployment Insurance Benefits
To file a new Unemployment Insurance Claim –
Note: For New Military or Federal claims only, please contact 542-5954
The following information is required to file a new application for regular UI benefits or to file an additional UI claim .
- Your Social Security Number.
- AZ Driver’s License or AZ State Issued ID .
- Your mailing address, city, state and ZIP code.
- If you live in Arizona, know the county where you reside.
- The names, addresses, and phone numbers of all your employers for the last 18 months.
- The last day you worked immediately prior to filing your UI claim.
- If you received severance, vacation, holiday or payment for unused sick pay: give the amount and the date it was paid to you.
- The name and local number of your union hall, if applicable.
- Alien Registration Number, if applicable.
- Copy # 4 of your DD Form 214 if released from the military in the last 18 months*
- SF 8 or SF 50 if employed in Federal Civilian service in the last 18 months*
- If you are collecting a pension , you will need the start date of the pension and the monthly benefit amount.
* Fax a copy of SF8 SF-50 or DD214 form to 364-1416 or Email a copy to
The Initial Claims Online Application is available from 12:01 a.m. Sunday to 5 p.m. Friday each week.
For more information on Unemployment click HERE
Appeals Process For Denied Claims
You have the right to challenge anything you disagree with on your Wage Statement, should you be denied unemployment benefits. You have 15 calendar days from the date listed on your Wage Statement to request an appeal for a hearing.
Through the AZUI system, you can easily file a request for an appeal hearing. You may also call the number on the front of your Wage Statement to file an appeal. If you choose to do it by mail, the contact information is listed on your Wage Statement .
After you file the appeal, you will receive a Notice of Hearing. The following information is provided on the notice:
- The time and date of the hearing is located at the top of the first page.
- The Notice of Hearing may be for a telephone hearing or an in-person hearing.
- The Notice of Hearing packet is mailed to both parties at least 10 business days prior to the scheduled hearing.
You must register for the hearing no earlier than one day before, and within 15 minutes of the hearing to confirm your participation and attendance. If you do not register for the hearing, you will lose by default.
You can register in three ways:
Online: C2T Registration
Telephone: 771-9019, or toll free 1 528-3330
You must speak directly to an agent to register via telephone. If you receive an automated answering system, DO NOT leave a message, it will not register you for the hearing. If you do not register with an agent, you will be excluded from participation in the hearing and forfeit your claim.
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How To Calculate Your Unemployment Benefits
The Balance
Unfortunately, theres no easy way to calculate exactly how much money youll receive through unemployment benefits or for how long youll be able to collect those benefits unless your state has an online unemployment calculator. However, there are calculators you can use to estimate your benefits.
Each state has a different rate, and benefits vary based on your earnings record and the date you became unemployed. Once you find out whether you are eligible, you can file a claim for unemployment benefits. If youre not sure about your eligibility, check with your state unemployment office. You dont want to lose out on unemployment compensation because you didnt think you would qualify.
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Claim Denials Or Discrepancies
Wage Statement Discrepancy: After you file for unemployment benefits, you receive a Wage Statement. If you disagree with the information contained on the Wage Statement, you can file a Wage Protest within 10 days of receipt of the statement.
Denial Appeals: If you disagree with the DES, Determination of Deputy findings on your claim for UI Benefits, you can file for an appeal hearing. Appeals are heard by an Administrative Law Judge in the Office of Appeals.
The Office of Appeals is impartial, and is committed to serving due process to contested UI claims throughout the state of Arizona.
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Wages Statement And Other Important Documents
About a week after filing your initial claim for unemployment insurance benefits in Arizona, you will receive important documents via postal mail.
- Your Wages Statement: Shows all wages earned during your Base Period, and your weekly and total Benefit Award that you are eligible to collect in your Benefit Year, should you sufficiently meet all of the qualifying requirements.
- A Guide to AZ UI Benefits handbook
- Certificate of Understanding: You must sign and return this document to the Department of Economic Security within three weeks of claiming continued unemployment Benefits. Failure to do so will prevent you from receiving benefits. DES will mail you a new Certificate of Understanding one time, which you must return to restart your benefits. If you do not return the second document within one week, your UI Benefits Claim will be disqualified.
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How To Claim Weekly Benefits
When you log in to the AZUI system to claim your weekly benefits, you will be asked a series of questions pertaining to your unemployment status. You will also need to enter job search information to fulfill your continued UI claim benefits obligations. The following are two questions you will be asked as part of the weekly claim process:
- Were you able and available for work each regular workday?
- Did you look for work?
In order to maintain eligibility for unemployment benefits in Arizona, you must report your work search efforts each week that you file a claim.
To be considered eligible the following two conditions must be met:
- A systematic and sustained effort to obtain work must be maintained for at least four different days of the week you are claiming unemployment insurance benefits, and
- At least one contact must be made each of those four days. You can make contact with a potential employer by mail, internet, or in person.
If you did not search for work during the week you are filing, or your job search is inadequate, you will not receive Benefits for that claim week. However, your UI Claim will stay open, and if you are eligible, you can file subsequent weeks to receive your Weekly Benefit Amount.
The following questions are also asked as a part of the claim process:
- Did you refuse any job offer or any referral to work?
- Did you work or earn money?
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Apply Online Or By Mail
- Apply online anytime between 12:00am on Sunday through 6:00pm on Friday.
- For questions, please call the UI call center, Monday through Friday, 7 am – 6 pm1 600-2722
- To submit a claim by mail, download the Arizona Initial Claim for Unemployment Insurance .
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.
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.
Documents And Information Needed During Filing
- Names and contact information for all employers from the previous 18 months
- Dates worked , and total earnings for each employer for the past 18 months, including the last day you worked prior to filing your claim
- Drivers license or state ID
- Social Security Number
- Name and phone number of your union
- Non-U.S. citizens must produce Alien Registration Numbers and workers permit expiration dates
- A DD-214 form if you were enrolled in the military during the last two years
- Federal employees must produce W-2s or other proof of earning, such as paystubs and forms SF-50 or SF-8
- Bank or checking account information if you will opt for direct deposit of your benefits
You must supply true and accurate information on your application for unemployment insurance benefits. Missing or incorrect information could result in denial or delayed processing time.
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Are You Out Of Work Through No Fault Of Your Own
You must be out of work through no fault of your own to qualify for unemployment benefits in Arizona.
Collecting Unemployment After a Layoff
If you were laid off, lost your job in a reduction-in-force , or got downsized for economic reasons, you will meet this requirement.
Collecting Unemployment After Being Fired
If you were fired because you lacked the skills to perform the job or simply werent a good fit, you wont necessarily be barred from receiving benefits. If, however, you were fired for deliberate or negligent misconduct, you will be disqualified from receiving benefits. For example, you may not be eligible for benefits if you neglected your job duties, willfully disregarded your employers interests, or deliberately violated workplace rules, among other things.
Collecting Unemployment After Quitting
You wont be eligible for unemployment benefits if you quit your job voluntarily and without good cause. In general, good cause means that you had a compelling reason that left you no other choice than to leave. For example, if you left your job because of dangerous working conditions or discrimination that your employer refused to stop, you may be able to collect benefits. You may also be eligible if your employer relocated beyond a reasonable commuting distance or your military spouse was transferred to a new location.
Weekly Claim For Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Benefits
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Pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act and other nondiscrimination laws and authorities, ADES does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Persons that require a reasonable modification based on language or disability should submit a request as early as possible to ensure the State has an opportunity to address the modification. The process for requesting a reasonable modification can be found at Equal Opportunity and Reasonable Modification.
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New Stimulus Package: Unemployment Benefits $300 Per Week Extended Until September
- Lisa Rowan Forbes Advisor
The stimulus package signedinto law on Thursdayby President Joe Biden extends unemployment benefits for millions of American workers who are still dealing with the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Unemployment benefits turned out to be one of the most hotly debated parts of the$1.9 trillion aid package, with legislators at odds over how long to extend benefits and for how much.
Some details of implementing the employment-related measures from the stimulus package have yet to be revealed, as they require guidance from the IRS or other government agencies that hasnt been finalized.
Heres what we know about extended pandemic unemployment benefits and when you can expect them.
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How To File A Weekly Claim
Most claimants can receive unemployment insurance benefits for up to 16 weeks, and in some cases 26 weeks. To receive payments after filing for UI benefits, a claimant must confirm eligibility every week using the claims reporting system.
Each week that the weekly claim is filed, the claimant will be asked to certify the following:
- are unemployed or working only reduced hours
- are able and available for work
- have not refused any job offers or referrals
- are actively looking for work
- are reporting any pension they may be receiving
- are reporting any gross wages, vacation , severance and/or holiday pay they may be receiving
The weekly claim can be filed online or by mobile devices.
Review these Frequently Asked Questions about Unemployment Insurance and weekly claim filing.
The payment information page has details about debit card and direct deposit benefit payment options. .
Here is a helpful document that briefly describes the Unemployment Insurance claim process.
NOTICE: As of January 9th, 2022, reemployment activities requirements changed from two to four . Three of those reemployment activities are required to be job applications. You are required to create an IowaWORKS profile and certify your reemployment activities. You will utilize IowaWORKS to certify your reemployment activities. You are required to certify your reemployment activities prior to filing your weekly claim. Read these Frequently Asked Questions for more details.
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