How Do I File Your Weekly Unemployment Claim?

Filing Your Weekly Claim

Visit the Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) website and log into your Unemployment Insurance Account to file a weekly claim. 

You must file for each week that you wish to receive unemployment insurance benefits, even if your eligibility is being decided or you have an appeal pending. 

Learn more about filing your weekly claim on IWD website, or get support by visiting the agency's contact section for unemployment help.

When to File Your Weekly Claim

Weekly claims must be submitted between Sunday through Friday for the prior week (each current week runs through Saturday; so beginning on Sunday, claimants have six days to file a claim for the previous week)

Hours to file weekly claims:

• Sunday: 8:00 am to 7:30 pm 
• Monday through Friday:  8:00 am to 5:30 pm

Weekly Work Search Requirements

As you continue the process for your weekly claim, you must also continue to conduct your weekly work search requirements:

• Claimants are required to complete four reemployment activities, three of them being job applications, each week between Sunday and Saturday of the week you are claiming benefits.
  • Three of these weekly activities must be job applications.
• For information on Iowa's Reemployment Cast Management (RCM) Program that guides unemployment claimants the work search requirements, visit this FAQ.  
• You also can visit IWD's Reemployment Activities Page for more information on how to start your weekly reemployment activities.

Questions: Contact UI customer service for any additional questions or support between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Both employers and claimants have the right to appeal a decision on unemployment insurance (UI) benefits following a fact-finding.  

Be Prepared

An unemployment insurance appeal is a formal process of presenting testimony to the Department of Inspections and Appeals (DIA) administrative law judge (ALJ).

The appeal must be postmarked or received within 10 calendar days from the date stated on the decision.

All proceedings before DIA's UI Appeals Bureau are open to the public. Therefore, documents submitted are subject to public record.

Hearings: Appeal hearings are conducted via telephone conference call unless there is a written request for an in-person hearing.
 

First-Level Appeal

File an online unemployment appeal  or by completing this appeal form and mailing it, along with any correspondence or exhibits, to the Department of Inspections and Appeals/Unemployment Insurance Appeals Bureau.

Once a claim is appealed, a formal hearing will be scheduled with an ALJ. Learn more about the formal hearing process. 

Second-Level Appeal

If either the employer or claimant disagree with the ALJ’s decision, it may be appealed to the Employment Appeal Board (EAB).

File a second-level appeal online  or mail the appeal to the Employment Appeal Board. The appeal must be postmarked within 15 calendar days from the mailing date of the ALJ’s decision.

If an employer or claimant disagrees with the EAB decision, additional appeals are possible, including to Iowa District Court.

Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing (Unemployment Insurance Appeals and Labor Division Section)

Address: 
6200 Park Avenue, Suite 100, Des Moines, IA 50321

Labor Division: (515) 242-5870

Labor Division Wage Section: (515) 725-5619

Unemployment Insurance Appeals - Fax: (515) 478-3528

Unemployment Insurance Appeals - In Iowa: (800) 532-1483

Unemployment Insurance Appeals - Outside Iowa: (800) 247-5205

Iowa Workforce Development (Unemployment Insurance Benefits and Tax)

Address: 
1000 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA  50319

Unemployment Insurance Benefits: (866) 239-0843

Unemployment Insurance Tax: (888) 848-7442