Unemployment Resource
Phone: (877) 891-5344
Eligibility
Anyone who is no longer working, or is working substantially fewer hours, and has worked and earned wages in work covered by unemployment insurance (this determination is made by Iowa Workforce Development) in the last 15 to 18 months may file an application for unemployment insurance. Regardless of your filing method, the basic eligibility requirements are the same for everyone. To be eligible for unemployment insurance benefit payments you must:
- Be totally or partially unemployed;
- Have worked and earned a minimum amount of wages in work covered by unemployment insurance in the last 15 to 18 months (Iowa Workforce Development will determine this);
- Have lost your job through no fault of your own;
- Be able and available for work;
- Be registered for work at your local Workforce Development Center, unless waived (registering for work can be done online, too, using the Online Employment Registration Services application); and
- Be actively seeking work.
- These are the basic requirements.
File a claim
The Unemployment Insurance Services Division of Iowa Workforce Development provides services to businesses, workers and the citizens of Iowa by collecting unemployment insurance taxes, maintaining the Iowa Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund, and making payments to eligible jobless workers. Unemployment insurance replaces part of the income workers lose when they become unemployed through no fault of their own. Unemployment insurance softens the economic impact job losses have on communities by maintaining purchasing power in the area where workers live. Employers pay the money for unemployment benefits. No contributions for unemployment insurance come from employee wages.benefits. You may apply for unemployment insurance benefits (file an initial claim) using one of four methods:
- Online, using our fill-in-the-blank Internet application (either from your home personal computer or any Web-connected PC);
- By visiting the nearest Workforce Development Center and participating in an initial-claim group session;
- By calling the Unemployment Insurance Service Center; or
- Through your most recent employer.
(No matter which method you use to file your initial application, to receive payments after you have filed your initial claim, you must confirm your eligibility every week by calling the Unemployment Insurance Service Center continued claims reporting system.)
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 dependents.
Regardless of your filing method, the effective date of your claim will be the preceding Sunday.
You may file your initial claim for benefits by calling the Unemployment Insurance Service Center (UISC) at (877) 891-5344 (toll-free outside the Des Moines area) or 281-4199 (in the Des Moines calling area). The Service Center is available to take your call to file an initial claim Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Central Standard Time.
Remember, you must use a touch-tone telephone to ensure your calls to the UISC are correctly recorded by the interactive voice response system (IVR).
Most Iowans may receive unemployment insurance benefits for up to 26 weeks, and in some cases 39 weeks. To receive payments after you have filed your initial claim, you must confirm your eligibility every week by calling the UISC continued claims reporting system at (800) 850-5627 (outside the Des Moines area) or 281-6231 (in the Des Moines calling area). It is best to place your continued claims call during the weekend, between the hours of 10 a.m. Saturday through 11:30 p.m. Sunday, but the continued claims reporting system is also available Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:59 p.m. To continue receiving your benefits payments you must provide updated information weekly through the continued claims reporting system.
When you make your continued claims call, a prerecorded message will ask you to certify that you:
- 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 (unless waived)
- Are reporting any pay or pension you may be receiving.
To reactivate (reopen) an existing claim, you need to call the UISC at (877) 891-5344 (toll-free outside the Des Moines area) or 281-4199 (within the Des Moines calling area) between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday (except state holidays).
To check on the status of your claim or for questions about your benefit amount, call the UISC at (800) 850-5627 (toll-free outside the Des Moines area) or 281-6231 (within the Des Moines calling area) between the hours of 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.
