Missouri Unemployment FAQ Sheet

1. What Is Unemployment Insurance?
2. What Are Unemployment Insurance Benefits?
3. How to Qualify for Unemployment Benefits
4. When to Apply for Unemployment
5. How to Apply for Missouri Unemployment Insurance
6. How Unemployment Insurance Benefit Amounts Are Calculated
7. I Just Applied for Unemployment Insurance. Now What?
8. What Happens After You Are Approved for Unemployment Benefits?
9. How to Appeal a Denial of Unemployment Benefits
10. Need More Help?
11. View or Download Our Free Guide

What Is Unemployment Insurance?

Unemployment Insurance is a benefit program designed to replace part of the income of recently unemployed or underemployed workers. Unemployment Insurance is available to workers who are out of work through no fault of their own.

Learn more about Unemployment on Missouri’s Unemployment Program Overview page here.

What Are Unemployment Insurance Benefits?

Unemployment Insurance Benefits are weekly payments given to eligible workers who apply to and are accepted into the program. These payments are typically provided via Money Network Visa debit cards.

Learn more about how Unemployment Insurance payments work here.

How to Qualify for Unemployment Benefits

To qualify for Unemployment Insurance in Missouri, you must:

• Have lost your job due to no fault of your own.
• Be able to work.
• Be actively seeking work.
• Meet Missouri’s monetary and personal eligibility requirements.

Learn more about Missouri’s monetary and personal eligibility requirements here.

When to Apply for Unemployment

Apply for benefits online here during the week you are seeking payment, when your hours have been reduced or when you are no longer employed. Do NOT wait until the week is over.

Learn more information on when to apply for Unemployment Insurance here.

How to Apply for Missouri Unemployment Insurance

To apply for Unemployment Insurance in Missouri, complete the following three steps:

1. Gather the documentation related to your previous employment and information you will need for the application.

Learn what documents and information you need here.

2. Create an account on the Missouri UInteract website. 

To apply for Unemployment Insurance online, click here to access the UInteract portal.

3. Submit the online Unemployment application, which is also known as filing a claim****.

If you have questions about the application process or require assistance, contact your Regional Claims Center at one of the following numbers:

• Jefferson City: (573) 751-9040
• Kansas City: (816) 889-3101
• St. Louis: (314) 340-4950
• Springfield: (417) 895-6851
• Outside Local Calling Area: (800) 320-2519

Missouri DES phone lines are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM CT, except for the observed holidays listed here.

How Unemployment Insurance Benefit Amounts Are Calculated

The amount of Unemployment Benefits you receive is based on your past reported earnings by employers that you worked for in Missouri. To determine the amount you will receive each week, the Missouri Division of Employment Security takes the average of the two highest-earning quarters in the applicant’s base period, and then calculates 4 percent of that average.

The maximum weekly benefit amount is $320.

I Just Applied for Unemployment Insurance. Now What?

1. Report Your Waiting Week

The week after you file your unemployment claim is called the Waiting Week. During the Waiting Week, you must file a Weekly Certification Application through the claimant portal here and the Unemployment Office will make sure you are still unemployed or underemployed, and meet all other eligibility requirements. If approved, you will begin receiving your weekly benefits the following week. You are not paid for the Waiting Week, but you do receive a Waiting Week credit.

Learn more about the Waiting Week here.

Learn more about the Weekly Certification Application here.

2. Start Looking for Work

Keep track of your work-search contacts. You are required to make at least three contacts per week to receive payments and waiting week credit.

3. Discuss Possible Issues

If you were discharged or quit your last job, expect a call (or email if that is your preferred contact method) to determine if you are eligible for unemployment insurance.

Learn more about what to expect after applying here.

What Happens After You Are Approved for Unemployment Benefits?

You must file a Weekly Certification Application every week you are receiving Unemployment Benefits until you are employed again. This weekly claim is like a follow-up application that certifies your continued eligibility for the program and proves you are actively applying for new jobs.

Learn more about the Weekly Certification Application here.

File your Weekly Certification Application here.

It’s important to remember that you will stop receiving Unemployment Benefits and your Unemployment Claim will be canceled if you have not filed Weekly Certifications for two or more consecutive weeks.

How to Appeal an Unemployment Insurance Denial

If your Unemployment Insurance application was denied, you have the right to file an appeal. You can submit an appeal form to the Division of Employment Security:

• Online on the UInteract website here.
• By fax to (573) 751-1321.
• By mail to:

Division of Employment Security
Appeals Tribunal
P.O. Box 59
Jefferson City, MO 65104

Learn more about the appeals process here.

Need More Help?

For help with an Unemployment Insurance application, or for any further questions about your Unemployment Insurance claim, call your Regional Claims Center at one of the following numbers:

• Jefferson City: (573) 751-9040
• Kansas City: (816) 889-3101
• St. Louis: (314) 340-4950
• Springfield: (417) 895-6851
• Outside Local Calling Area: (800) 320-2519

Missouri DES phone lines are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM CT, except for the observed holidays here.

You can also visit or call a local Job Center for further assistance. Find your nearest office location and contact information here.

View or Download Our Free Guide

While we are not affiliated with the government in any way, our private company engaged writers to research the Unemployment Insurance program and compiled a guide and these answers to frequently asked questions. Our goal is to help you get the benefits that you need by providing useful information on the process.

Our free Unemployment Insurance Guide is filled with helpful information about how to apply, program eligibility requirements and how to get in touch with local offices. You can view our free guide here.

1. Contact the Missouri Division of Employment Security
2. Job Center Offices in Missouri
3. Need More Help?
4. View or Download Our Free Guide

Contact the Missouri Division of Employment Security

If you have general questions about Missouri Unemployment Benefits or an Unemployment Insurance claim, call one of the Missouri Division of Employment Security (DES) Regional Claims Centers:

• Jefferson City: (573) 751-9040
• Kansas City: (816) 889-3101
• St. Louis: (314) 340-4950
• Springfield: (417) 895-6851
• Outside Local Calling Area: (800) 320-2519

For specific Unemployment Insurance questions, call the following phone numbers:

• Switchboard: (573) 751-2315
• Benefit Overpayment: (573) 751-0057
• Overpayment Repayment: (573) 751-4058
• Report Unemployment Fraud: (573) 751-0057
• Report Worker Misclassification: (573) 571-1099

Missouri DES phone lines are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM CT, except for the observed holidays listed here.

You can also contact the Missouri DES digitally by:

• Filling out the claimant form here.
• Sending an email to esuiclaims@labor.mo.gov.

If you have questions about appeals, contact the Unemployment Hearings and Appeals Division by:

• Phone: (573) 751-3913
• Fax: (573) 751-1321
• Email: appealstribunal@labor.mo.gov

Or, learn about the appeals process here.

Job Center Offices in Missouri

Missouri has 19 Job Centers. Find your nearest local office’s location, hours of operation, and phone number below. Or, go to the Missouri DES Contact Us page here.

Need More Help?

To find more information on Missouri Unemployment Benefits and Services, visit:

• The Missouri Division of Employment Security (DES) website here.
• The Missouri DES Frequently Asked Questions page here.

To file an Unemployment Insurance claim:

• Visit the Missouri Unemployment Insurance claimant portal here.
• Call your closest Regional Claims Center:
  • Jefferson City: (573) 751-9040
  • Kansas City: (816) 889-3101
  • St. Louis: (314) 340-4950
  • Springfield: (417) 895-6851
  • Outside Local Calling Area: (800) 320-2519

If you have a question about Missouri Employer Unemployment Insurance:

• Call (573) 751-1995.
• Email esemptax@labor.mo.gov.
• Visit the Missouri Division of Employment Security Employer Registration page here.

View or Download Our Free Guide

While we are not affiliated with the government in any way, our private company engaged writers to research the Unemployment Insurance program and compiled a guide and these answers to frequently asked questions. Our goal is to help you get the benefits that you need by providing useful information on the process.

Our free Unemployment Insurance Guide is filled with helpful information about how to apply, program eligibility requirements and how to get in touch with local offices. You can view our free guide here.

1. How to Apply for Missouri Unemployment Insurance
2. How to Check Your Application Status
3. The Unemployment Benefits Waiting Week
4. How to Appeal a Denial of Unemployment Benefits
5. Need More Help?
6. View or Download Our Free Guide

How to Apply for Missouri Unemployment Insurance

To apply for Unemployment Insurance in Missouri, complete the following three steps:

1. Gather the documentation related to your previous employment and information you will need for the application.

Learn what documents and information you need here.

2. Create an account on the Missouri UInteract website. 

To apply for Unemployment Insurance online, click here to access the UInteract portal.

3. Submit the online Unemployment application, which is also known as filing a claim****.

If you have questions about the application process or require assistance, contact your Regional Claims Center at one of the following numbers:

• Jefferson City: (573) 751-9040
• Kansas City: (816) 889-3101
• St. Louis: (314) 340-4950
• Springfield: (417) 895-6851
• Outside Local Calling Area: (800) 320-2519

Missouri DES phone lines are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM CT, except for the observed holidays listed here.

How to Check Your Application Status

If you have already applied for Unemployment Insurance online, you can check the status of your application by logging into your account through the Missouri claimant portal here.

You can also check the status of your application by calling your Regional Claims Center at one of the following numbers:

• Jefferson City: (573) 751-9040
• Kansas City: (816) 889-3101
• St. Louis: (314) 340-4950
• Springfield: (417) 895-6851
• Outside Local Calling Area: (800) 320-2519

Missouri DES phone lines are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM CT, except for the observed holidays here.

Learn more about checking your claim status here.

The Unemployment Benefits Waiting Week

You will not begin receiving Unemployment Benefits immediately after submitting the application. By law, you must wait one week before finding out whether you will begin receiving benefits. This is called the Waiting Week.

The Waiting Week is the week after you file your unemployment claim. During the Waiting Week, you must file a Weekly Certification Application through the claimant portal here and the Unemployment Office will make sure you are still unemployed or underemployed, and meet all other eligibility requirements. If approved, you will begin receiving your weekly benefits the following week. You are not paid for the Waiting Week, but you do receive a Waiting Week credit.

Learn more about the Waiting Week here.

Learn more about the Weekly Certification Application here.

How to Appeal an Unemployment Insurance Denial

If your Unemployment Insurance application was denied, you have the right to file an appeal. You can submit an appeal form to the Division of Employment Security:

• Online on the UInteract website here.
• By fax to (573) 751-1321.
• By mail to:

Division of Employment Security
Appeals Tribunal
P.O. Box 59
Jefferson City, MO 65104

Learn more about the appeals process here.

Need More Help?

For help with an Unemployment Insurance application, or for any further questions about your Unemployment Insurance claim, call your Regional Claims Center at one of the following numbers:

• Jefferson City: (573) 751-9040
• Kansas City: (816) 889-3101
• St. Louis: (314) 340-4950
• Springfield: (417) 895-6851
• Outside Local Calling Area: (800) 320-2519

Missouri DES phone lines are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM CT, except for the observed holidays here.

You can also visit or call a local Job Center for further assistance. Find your nearest office location and contact information here.

View or Download Our Free Guide

While we are not affiliated with the government in any way, our private company engaged writers to research the Unemployment Insurance program and compiled a guide and these answers to frequently asked questions. Our goal is to help you get the benefits that you need by providing useful information on the process.

Our free Unemployment Insurance Guide is filled with helpful information about how to apply, program eligibility requirements and how to get in touch with local offices. You can view our free guide here.

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