What You Need To Know
Utah Unemployment Insurance (UI) program is managed by the Unemployment Insurance Division of the Utah Department of Workforce Services (DWS) which ensures employment opportunities to workers temporarily. The program is funded by the federal government and the state of Utah mutually. The goal of the program is to help unemployed Utahans with jobs to help them support their families. In this way, the program helps keep the unemployment rate under check and creates a balance in the economic condition in the country. This program is employer-paid and the candidates who get selected do not pay for the benefits of the program.
Are You Eligible?
There are certain factors that determine the applicant’s eligibility for the Utah Unemployment Insurance program and if you fulfill those requirements you can qualify for the program’s benefits. The general requirements are,
- The applicant must have earned a minimum wage of $3200 during the first five or last four calendar months. If you were earning below the minimum wage you are not eligible to apply.
- The applicant is either unemployed or underemployed to be eligible to apply for the Utah Unemployment Insurance program.
- The applicant must show a full willingness to work
- The applicant must be actively looking for employment opportunities in their state
- The applicant must have zero criminal background
- The applicant must be healthy and strong enough to do any physical work
- There must be a valid reason for unemployment and it should not be the applicant’s fault.
Other than that, before applying for the Utah Unemployment Insurance the candidate must wait for at least a week. The candidate can start the filing process once,
- It has been more than a week since the applicant has been unemployed
- The applicant earns below 140% of the benefit amount per week (in case of part-time employment)
How does it work?
The Utah Unemployment Insurance program is divided into two base periods
- Regular base period
The regular base period starts before you have filed the claim and is considered to be the first four completed calendar quarters.
- Alternate base period
The Alternate base period is for employers who weren’t able to earn enough wages during their base period. It is considered to be the last four full quarters once you have submitted your claim for the Utah UI program.
Other Important Requirements
It is important to understand that you should make an effort to constantly look for jobs according to your expertise and educational background. In case you are unable to find a job that matches your skillsets and interest then there are chances of you end up getting a job that may not match your professional abilities completely.
One thing that the applicant should keep in mind before applying for the Utah Unemployment Insurance benefit is that it is not a full-time job. You will be provided a job for a certain period and you will be required to find a full-time job so that you can take it up once the program duration is over. You can take certain steps including
- Meet the HR managers and employers of different companies
- Fill out job applications as much as possible
- Continuously search for jobs in the market
How To Apply
Utah Unemployment Insurance Program page provides you with all the sufficient information to apply for the Unemployment Insurance benefits. It is easy to access and user-friendly.
To submit your claim for the online application form for Utah UI program please visit the Utah Department of Workforce Services Unemployment Insurance Claim Filing website. You will be asked to log in to your account, in case you don’t have an account you can easily sign up for an online account on the website portal.
The applicant will be required to provide information related to their
- Personal Identification Number(PIN) for verification purposes
- Employment status/history
- Social Security Number (SSN)
In case an applicant does not have a personal identification number they will be able to create one during the process of filling the application form.
The application process hardly takes 10-15 minutes and once you finish the form you can wait for your confirmation number which will be provided to you shortly afterward. Make sure to save the confirmation number before you log out of the website.
You can also claim a file via phone call by using the toll-free cell phone numbers for various counties including,
801-526-4400 (for Salt Lake metro area)
1-801-612-0877 (for Weber/Davis counties)
801-375-4067 (for Utah County)
1-888-848-0688 (for out of state and balance of state calls
For Further Information
If you want to learn more about the program you can visit the Unemployment Insurance Benefits (UI) website. The website provides complete and accurate information regarding the Utah Unemployment Insurance program and covers all the major topics including program details, goals, and eligibility criteria.