Wisconsin Unemployment Claims – Reference Guide

This guide explains how to apply for unemployment in Wisconsin. Follow step by step instructions that will help you claim benefits through WI state unemployment office.

First and foremost, apply as soon as you lose the job. State unemployment offices generally take 1-3 weeks to process your application, especially for the initial claim. The compensation will be paid from the week you applied and if you delay, you will lose the benefits prior to the week of filing. You won't be allowed to back-date your claims or claim the benefits for prior weeks.

Wisconsin Unemployment Compensation Eligibility Requirements

There are some basic rules for eligibility. Even if you meet some of these rules partially, you should still apply for unemployment because state offices make a reasonable attempt to process your claim, as long as you provide a good justification.

You must have lost your job through no fault of your own. That means if you have quit job voluntarily you may not qualify for unemployment insurance. However, there are exceptions - such as working in hazardous or inhuman working conditions etc. to this rule.
You must be willing and able to work. If you are physically disabled, you do not qualify.
If you have received severance package when you lost job, you do not qualify.
You must have earned minimum wage credits. Wisconsin State minimum weeks of covered employment requirement (employer must have paid unemployment taxes on your behalf): 24
Minimum wages earned during the base period: $1350. This amount may change every year. You can get get complete eligibility criteria and the benefits calculator from state website mentioned in the next section.

Prepare documents required to apply for unemployment in WI

Your name, address, social security number and other personal details such as telephone number, email address etc.
Dependents name, date of birth and their social security number.
Details of your previous employer. For each employer, you need to provide
1. Name and address
2. Telephone number
3. Start and end dates of employment

If you had out-of-state employment in the past 18 months, you also need to provide the employment details.
Reason you lost the job – it has to be involuntary to be eligible to receive benefits.
Your job skills summary
If you are not an US citizen, keep your alien registration number and work authorization. However if you are on a work visa such as H1-B, immigration experts do not advise claiming unemployment insurance.

Apply for Benefits or Claim Extension

You can submit your application for unemployment compensation online, off-line (by mail or by visiting local employment office) or through telephone. Online application is the quickest and most efficient option which will also be available 24x7, 7 days a week.

Prepare and submit your application online here

If you choose to file over phone, call the unemployment compensation services toll-free number at 608-232-0678 if you live in the Madison local calling area. If you live in the Milwaukee local calling area call 414-438-7700. If you live outside of the Madison or Milwaukee local calling area dial 1-800-822-5246. For deaf, hard-of-hearing and speech-impaired callers (Callers must have a telephone typewriter device. Voice calls are not answered on this number.): TTY 1-888-393-8914. A recorded voice will answer your call. The voice will ask you questions and tell you what numbers to press to give your answers. You must press 1 to apply for benefits. After you have answered all the questions, one of our staff will help you finish. Apply during these times: Sunday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Monday-Friday 6:00 AM - 7:00 PM Saturday 9:00 AM - 2:30 PM Claims Specialists are available Monday-Friday 7:00 AM - 5:30 PM Most claims require that the initial claim application be completed by a Claims Specialist. If your claim needs to be completed by a Claims Specialist and you call during hours when Claims Specialists are not available, the system will record your claim as having been filed and will tell you to call back (using the same telephone number) between 7:00AM and 5:30PM, Monday through Friday, to complete your application. Your claim will start in the week that you placed your first call.

If you are applying for unemployment extension in Wisconsin, make sure you check the latest rules. Many states are in the process of revising the rules to extend the benefits beyond the initial period. Also remember that IRS will tax your unemployment benefits pay.

All the major cities in Wisconsin including Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Kenosha, Racine, Appleton, Waukesha, Eau Claire, Oshkosh and Janesville have an unemployment office location to process unemployment claims. You can visit the local office for consultation or to file for unemployment in person

Wisconsin Unemployment Rate (Trend)

The graph below shows the current and historical unemployment rate in the state

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to report new employment if I have not been paid yet?

Yes. You must report working in every week that you work, no matter when you will be paid for the work. And all wages must be reported on your weekly claim certification for the week in which they were earned, not in the week you are paid. If you do not report working in a week that you work, you could be penalized in addition to having to pay back any improperly received benefits.

I had to quit my last job – am I eligible for unemployment?

If your separation from your last employer was for anything other than layoff, State agency will conduct a fact-finding interview by phone and to secure information from you, your employer and any other relevant parties before we can determine your eligibility. No payments can be made until we have issued a decision, and that decision allows benefits. Decision will be made based on the fact finding interviews.

I am planning to attend school, will that be an issue?

Generally States require that claimants be willing and able to work fulltime days, and actively seek such employment. If someone is attending a university and taking day classes, they may not meet this requirement. If they are taking an evening course or two on the other hand, there should be no problem.
There is a provision that will waive the able and available and work search requirements if the individual is enrolled full-time in a vocational program (diesel truck driving, cosmetology, nursing aide, etc.). Benefits will be held while the state determines whether your school attendance meets these requirements.

Do I have to take a job that pays less than what I used to make?

Wisconsin statutes provide for a “canvassing period” of up to six weeks after a job separation, during which time a claimant may indeed use the wages and skills of the last job as a basis to evaluate an offer of new work. If the skills are different or the wage substantially less, benefits are normally not affected. However, after the canvassing period ends, the individual must be willing to accept work which offers reasonable wages, hours and other conditions in that area for that type of work offered, without regard to past wages or skills.

Can I receive weekly Unemployment benefits and Social Security benefits at the same time?

Yes. Wisconsin Unemployment benefits are not affected by also receiving Social Security Retirement benefits. Social Security Retirement cash benefits are also unaffected by receiving WI Unemployment benefits. To find out more about how to qualify and how to apply for Social Security Retirement benefits go online to www.socialsecurity.gov.

Receiving a pension/401(k) and unemployment insurance benefits

A pension or monies received from a 401(k) based on work for an employer who is in your base period (potentially responsible for your unemployment benefits) may affect your benefits. This issue will be referred to an adjudicator for a complete investigation. If the employer you are receiving a pension from is not in your base period, it will have no impact on your claim

Earnings and Deductions

VERIFYING YOUR EARNINGS: The income you report on a weekly claim certification is verified with your employer(s) but your check is not held while waiting for the employer(s) to answer. State office will pay your UI check for the week based on the amount(s) you have reported. If an employer gives us a different amount than you reported on your weekly claim certification, they will use the amount reported by the employer to recalculate the benefits due. You will be notified any such adjustments.

RETIREMENT PAY REDUCTION: If you have received a determination stating that a reduction will be made from your unemployment checks because of the retirement pay you are receiving, the reduction will be made automatically from each weekly unemployment check that you receive.

CHILD SUPPORT DEDUCTION: If the department receives a child support order from a child support enforcement agency, they will withhold money from your check to satisfy the obligation. The withheld funds are sent to the child support enforcement agency for distribution. You will be advised, when they receive an order to make such deductions. If you disagree with the amount or feel the order is incorrect in any way, contact the child support agency. Only the child support agency can change or stop the deduction.

FILING FOR UI BENEFITS WHILE A STUDENT: You must tell us if you are a student while you file claims for unemployment benefits. An investigation will be conducted to decide whether you are available for work. You may not have to be available for work while attending school if you are enrolled in a course of study that is considered "approved training."

Common Reasons for Disqualifications

Even if you have been paid enough wages from covered employment to qualify for unemployment benefits, you will not receive benefits if you:

quit a job without good cause. UI law suspends your benefits for 4 weeks and until you earn 4 times your WBR.
are fired for misconduct. UI law removes that employer's base period wages from the calculation of your MBA and also suspends your benefits for 7 weeks and until you earn 14 times your WBR.
are fired for failing to notify your employer of excessive absenteeism or tardiness. UI law suspends your benefits for 6 weeks and until you earn 6 times your WBR.
refuse work without good cause. UI law suspends your benefits for 4 weeks and until you earn 4 times your WBR.
fail to make an acceptable work search for any week that one is required.
are working and claiming benefits and do not do all the work available during a week. UI law adds the income you could have earned to what you did earn to calculate your benefits due. If you miss more than 16 hours in a week no benefits are payable for that week.
work a total of 40 or more hours for all employers in a week you are claiming.
are working and claiming benefits for a week for which you will be paid at least 35 hours from an employer who paid 80% or more of your total base period wages, and your rate of pay for this week is the same or greater than you were paid by this employer during the high quarter of your base period.
are not able to work or available for work in a week. The department must investigate any circumstance that restricts your ability or availability for work. Examples include, but are not limited to, the hours you can work, the type of work you can perform and the distance you can travel. Even if you are working you may be disqualified if you are not available for full-time work.
are unemployed because of a strike or other labor dispute, other than a lockout. Employees who are not participating in the labor dispute, but become unemployed because of it, may also be ineligible. If you work in covered employment after the start of the strike and you have qualifying wages for a claim based on that employment alone, you may be eligible for benefits while the strike is in progress.
work for a school only during the normal school year. You are ineligible for benefits based on school year employment during school vacation periods and between academic terms or years if you have reasonable assurance of returning to similar work after the vacation or at the start of the next term or year. We can pay benefits during these periods from other employers only if you have qualifying wages for a claim based on employment from the other employers alone.
are paid by a family corporation, owned or controlled by you or your immediate family in your base period. Your maximum benefit amount (MBA) may be reduced. When we calculate your MBA, the wages used from the family corporation employer cannot exceed 10 times the weekly benefit rate (WBR) from that employer. This may also apply to a partnership, depending on your relationship to the partners.
work in excluded employment. Excluded employment is work which is not covered under Wisconsin's UI Law. You cannot be paid unemployment benefits based on that work. Some examples of excluded employment include:
Work for an educational institution while a student there.
Work as a real estate or insurance salesperson if paid only by commission.

Next steps

After you have submitted your application, you should actively look out for work because the benefits you receive will not be enough to cover your living expenses. The best thing to do is to take a look at your job skills and determine if you want to improve or learn new skills so that you can use this opportunity to revive your career. There are plenty of online opportunities to earn a living while working from home.

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Wisconsin Unemployment Claims – Reference Guide

Wisconsin Unemployment Compensation Eligibility Requirements

Prepare documents required to apply for unemployment in WI

Apply for Benefits or Claim Extension

Wisconsin Unemployment Rate (Trend)

Frequently Asked Questions

Earnings and Deductions

Common Reasons for Disqualifications

Next steps

State Unemployment Guides

Unemployment Guide

State Unemployment Claims

Links

Unemployment News