Claimant Handbook
A Guide to Unemployment Insurance

This Handbook has important information about Unemployment Insurance (UI) and your legal rights, including:

How to apply for benefits
How your eligibility for benefits is determined
What you must do each week to receive a benefit payment

You must read this Handbook. The information in this Handbook is an overview of UI. It does not cover every topic or answer all questions.

You are responsible for the accuracy of the information you give to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD).

If you do not understand or have questions, please contact DWD for help.

Section 1 - Overview of UI
- About the UI Program
  - Funding for the UI Program
- We Are Here To Help You
- Change of Address or Phone Number
- Why We Need Your Social Security Number
- Your Security Credentials
Section 2 - To Apply for Benefits
- When To Apply
- How To Apply
  - Information You Need To Apply
Section 3 - Eligibility for UI
- Eligibility Issues
Section 4 - Payment of Benefits
- Waiting Week
- When To Expect Your Payments
- Options For Receiving Payment
  - Direct Deposit
  - Visa^® Pre-Paid Debit Card
- Reductions
Section 5 - Maintaining Your UI Eligibility
1. Mandatory Registration For Work
2. Work Search
3. File A Weekly Claim
  - When To File Your Weekly Claim
  - To File Your Weekly Claim
4. Reporting Earnings
  - When To Report Earnings
  - What Earnings To Report
  - How To Calculate Gross Earnings
  - Verifying Your Earnings
Section 6 - Getting You Back to Work
- Re-Employment Services
  - Help With Finding Employment
  - Re-Employment Programs
- When You Find A New Job
  - Full-Time Work
  - Part-Time Work
Appendix A - Legal Disclosures
- Equal Opportunity Information
- What To Do If You Experience Discrimination
- Accommodations For Individuals With Disabilities
- Your Privacy Matters To Us
Appendix B - Glossary
Appendix C - Resources

Contact Information

Unemployment Insurance Help Center

Call the Help Center for help:

using your claimant portal,
filing a claim for unemployment benefits, or
receiving answers to questions about your unemployment benefits claim.

Mail or fax the Wisconsin Unemployment Help Center if you need to send information to support your claim or eligibility for benefits.

Unemployment Insurance Hearing Office

If you would like to file an appeal, you may file online on your claimant portal or by mail or fax. If you have questions about a pending appeal, call the UI Hearing Office.

Please see Appeals and Petitions for more information.

Benefit Collections

If you have been notified that you were overpaid benefits, you have several options to repay the overpayment:

To repay using a bank account, credit card, or debit card, log on to your claimant portal and choose "Make a Payment" from the My UI Summary Page.
To pay by mail, send a check or money order payable to: Unemployment Insurance Division (include your full social security number with your payment).

If you are not able to repay the overpayment in full, call a collections specialist to discuss installment payment plan options that may be available to you.

Please see Overpayments for more information.

Unemployment Fraud

Please contact us if you are aware of someone fraudulently collecting Wisconsin unemployment benefits or if you may be a victim of identity theft (imposter fraud) and have reason to believe someone has used your information and social security number to fraudulently collect unemployment benefits.

https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/ui/fraud/report.htm

Please see UI Fraud for more information.

Job Center of Wisconsin Call Center

Call the Job Center of Wisconsin Call Center or visit your local Job Center if you have questions about registering for work with Job Center or need help with registering.

Do not contact Job Center Staff with questions about your UI claim. If you have questions about your UI claim, contact the UI Help Center.

Please see Getting You Back to Work for more information.

See Contact Information and Online Services.

Language and Disability Assistance

DWD is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. Free services are available to assist to you if you do not speak English. For assistance in a language other than English, please contact the UI Division at (414) 435-7069 or toll-free at (844) 910-3661.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a voice impairment, please dial 7-1-1 for the Wisconsin Relay Service.

If you have a disability and need an accommodation or want to request information in an alternate format, please contact the UI Division at (414) 435-7069 or toll-free at (844) 910-3661.

Publication Number: UCB-10-P

Chapter 108 Wisconsin Statutes

Updated: March 31, 2025