I just applied for unemployment insurance. Now what?
Report your waiting week
This is the first weekly certification, and you must file your waiting week to certify your claim. File your waiting week certification online the first Sunday after you open your claim.
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.
Report for each week
File a weekly certification application every week at labor.idaho.gov/claimantportal until you are back to full employment. Benefit weeks are from Sunday through Saturday. We recommend filing your weekly report on Sunday. Remember you are filing for the prior week. File carefully and honestly.
If you realize you made a mistake while filing, give us a call at (208) 332-8942. To prevent delays in payment, call within 24 hours.
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. File your weekly certifications while you are awaiting a determination.
Need to know info
Read the Idaho Labor Unemployment Insurance Claimant Benefit pamphlet that will be mailed to you. It contains information that can protect you from making mistakes during the claim process that could jeopardize your benefits. You are responsible for reading and following all directions. Along with your pamphlet, you will receive a monetary determination stating your weekly and total benefit amount, based on the wages your employer reported to us. If the information is incorrect, call us to prevent potential overpayments.
Important!
Your claim will stop if you have not filed weekly certifications for two or more consecutive weeks OR you file and have earnings over 1 1/2 times your weekly benefit amount for two consecutive weeks.
To reopen your claim, go to labor.idaho.gov/claimantportal. Reopen your claim during the week you have reduced hours or are laid off. You must enter your most recent work history.
What is the status of my unemployment claim?
Log in to the Claimant Portal and click on the "Manage Claims" link to confirm that a valid claim was processed and no issues exist. If the claims section is grey, it means that you have not yet filed a claim or your profile is not verified. If not, you can view possible issues, and certification and payment information.
The Claimant Portal states I have a pending issue. What does that mean?
If issues are listed, it means that we need additional information to resolve a question regarding your eligibility. Most issues in pending status stop payment until they are resolved. Expect a call (or email if that is your preferred contact method) to determine if you are eligible for unemployment insurance. File your weekly certifications while you are awaiting a determination.
How do I file my weekly claim certification on the Claimant Portal?
You must apply for unemployment insurance before you can submit a weekly certification application. Once you have applied for unemployment, log in to the Claimant Portal and select ‘File Weekly Certification’ under the ‘Manage Claims’ Menu near the top of the page. Click here for instructions.
How do I set up direct deposit?
Log in to the Claimant Portal and click on the Manage Claims menu option. Under Payment Method, click on the ‘Change Payment Method link and select ‘Sign Up for Direct Deposit.’ Click here for instructions. For other Direct Deposit FAQs, click here.
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