Apply for Unemployment Benefits

Topics:

Unemployment

Apply for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits in just a few steps and begin your path to a new career. 

We're here to help. Learn if you’re eligible to receive benefits, what you need to apply, and what you’ll need to verify your identity.

To be eligible, you must: 

Be totally or partially unemployed. 
Have worked and earned a minimum amount of wages in jobs covered by UI during the last 15 to 18 months. 
Have lost your job through no fault of your own. 
Be able and available to work. 
Be actively seeking work. (Work search requirement may be waived if certain criteria are met.) 
Be registered in IowaWORKS to find a job (unless the work search requirement is waived).

Your Social Security Number. 
Your mailing address, telephone number and email address.
Information on your last employer (Name, payroll address, and telephone number), the start and end dates of your last job, and whether you are receiving vacation pay, severance, etc. 
Your reason for leaving your last job (for example, lack of work, quit, fired, on a leave of absence, laid off, etc.)
Necessary information to verify your identity by answering security questions (ID.Me) .
The name(s), date(s) of birth, and Social Security Number(s) of anyone claimed as a dependent on your federal income tax return. 
- Spouses may be claimed as a dependent if their gross wages were $120.00 or less in the week prior to filing your claim.
- Self-employment does not count as gross wages for dependent purposes. 
Your bank account number and bank routing number (if you wish to receive benefits via direct deposit).

You may also need:

Your alien registration number (if not a U.S. citizen or permanent refugee). 
Your DD-214/Member 4 (if you served in the U.S. military during the last 18 months).
Your  Standard Form 8/SF-8 (if you worked for the federal government in the last 18 months).

There are two ways to apply for benefits:

Online using iowaworks.gov. This is the fastest and most efficient way to file your claim. You can now file your initial claim on IowaWORKS 24 hours a day.
In-Person at a local IowaWORKS Center.

If you're filing for the first time, you'll need to register for an account on iowaworks.gov. View this video for instructions (YouTube)