Utah 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 Utah 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 Utah’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 direct deposits to the beneficiary’s bank account.

Learn more about how Unemployment Insurance payments work in the Claimant Guide found here.

How to Qualify for Unemployment Benefits

To qualify for Unemployment Insurance in Utah, you must:

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

Learn more about Utah’s monetary requirements and personal eligibility requirements on the Claimant Guide found 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 Utah Unemployment Insurance

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

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

Learn what documents and information you need here.

2. Visit Utah’s Unemployment claim portal.

To apply for Unemployment Insurance online, click here to access Utah’s Unemployment claim portal.

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

If you have questions about the application process or require assistance, contact the Utah Workforce Services’ Claims Assistance Lines Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM:

• For Salt Lake and South Davis Counties: (801) 526-4400
• For Weber and North Davis Counties: (801) 612-0877
• For Utah County: (801) 375-4067
• For the remainder of the state and for those out of state: (888)-848-0688

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 have worked for in Utah. To determine the amount you will receive each week, the Utah Department of Workforce Services takes the highest-earning quarter in the applicant’s base period and divides that amount by 26. Then they subtract the result by $5.

The maximum weekly benefit amount you can receive in Utah is currently $496.

Learn more about Utah’s base period and how benefits are calculated here under question 7.

You can also get an estimate of your weekly benefit amount using the Preliminary Monetary Determination tool here.

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 and the Weekly Certification Application here.

2. Start Looking for Work

Keep track of your work-search contacts. You are required to make at least two 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.

You can learn more about what to expect after applying in the Claimant Guide 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 Applications 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 within 15 days of receiving your determination letter.

You can submit an appeal to the Utah Department of Workforce Services Adjudication Division by mail or fax, or through the Utah Claims system online here.

To send an appeal by mail or fax, you will need to write an appeal letter by following the instructions provided on your determination letter. To send a written appeal letter to the DWS Adjudication Division by mail, use the following address:

Utah Department of Workforce ServicesAdjudication DivisionP.O. Box 45244140 East 300 SouthSalt Lake City, UT 84145-0244

You can also fax your appeal letter to the DWS here: (801) 526-9242.

If you have any further questions about the appeals process, visit the Utah DWS appeals page here, or call the Adjudication Division at (801) 526-9300.

Remember to continue filing your weekly claim for benefits even while you wait for your appeal hearing.

Need More Help?

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

• For Salt Lake and South Davis Counties: (801) 526-4400
• For Weber and North Davis Counties: (801) 612-0877
• For Utah County: (801) 375-4067
• For the remainder of the state and for those out of state: (888)-848-0688

You can also visit or call a local Unemployment Office for further assistance with reemployment programs and services. Find your nearest Unemployment Office location and contact information here.

The Utah Department of Workforce Services telephone line and local offices are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM, except for the observed holidays noted 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 or download our free guide here.