Claimant Guide

8/19/2019 Claimant Guide

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Claimant GuideUnemployment Insurance Benets

Do it all online:file for benefits • check claim status • register for work

Important: You will be held accountable for the information contained in thisguide. Please read the guide carefully and keep it for reference during your claim.

Utah Department of Workforce Services • jobs.utah.gov


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File for benets, check claim status and register for work online at jobs.utah.gov

Unemployment Insurance DivisionClaims Center Telephone Numbers:

Salt Lake and South Davis Counties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-526-4400 Weber and North Davis Counties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-612-0877Utah County. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-375-4067Balance of State or Out of State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-848-0688

Unemployment Insurance Fax Numbers:

Adjudication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-526-4402 Appeals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-526-9242Benet Accuracy Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-526-9215Benet Payment Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-526-9800Claims Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-526-4401

Address:P.O. Box 45266 • Salt Lake City, U 84145-0266

REMEMBER:

You will need to le your claim each week, even if you are awaiting a decision.Otherwise, you will not be paid for those weeks.

Refer to the section entitled Weekly Claim Filing Instructions for full informationabout weekly ling.

PROTECT YOUR PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (PIN): You are the only one who should know your PIN. Your PIN is your signature when

you le your weekly claim. Do not allow anyone else to have access to your PIN. You will be liable for improper or fraudulent payments made using your PIN. If another

person has knowledge of your PIN, change your PIN immediately online at jobs.utah.gov or call the Claims Center.

04-02-0116

Equal Opportunity Employer/Program

Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilitiesby calling 801-526-9240. Individuals with speech or hearing impairments may call the

Relay Utah by dialing 711. Spanish Relay Utah: 1-888-346-3162.


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INDEX

Able to Work/Available to Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Address Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Appeals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Audit of Your Claim. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Base Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Beginning Date of Your Claim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Benet Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Child Support Deduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Closing a Claim (Back to Work Full Time) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Correspondence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18E l i g i b i l i t y R e v i e w s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5Eligibility/Denial of Benets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Foreign Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Fraud and Penalties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Incarceration/Prison or Jail Connement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Internet Login — Single Sign On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7M o n e t a r y D e t e r m i n a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Online Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Overpayments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Payment Methods — Direct Deposit or U.S. Bank Reliacard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Payments/Waiting Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Re-employment and Employment Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Refusal of Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Reopening a Closed Claim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Retirement Deduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Self-Employment/Commission Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Suitable Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Tax Liability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Trade Act Benets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Training/School Approval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12U.S. Bank Reliacard Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Vacation, Holiday, Severance, or Separation Pay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Wage Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Weekly Claim Filing Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Work and Earnings Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Work Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Work Search Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

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Use of this Guide Tis guide tells you what you need to know while ling a claim. We recommendthat you read through the guide at the beginning of your claim. You can then

reference back to specic topics as you le for your benets throughout your claim.It does not cover all the laws and rules that affect unemployment benets. If you need help with or have a question about your claim, sign into your “myUnemployment” account at jobs.utah.gov and select our Live Chat feature or callthe Claims Center at the numbers listed on the inside cover.Unemployment Insurance laws and rules may be accessed online at jobs.utah.gov.

General InformationBy ling a claim for unemployment benets, you give consent to youremployer(s) to release to the Utah Department of Workforce Services allinformation necessary to determine eligibility, even if the information iscondential. Utah law requires employers to report any wages covered underthe Utah Employment Security Act and the reason you are not working. Your benets may be denied if you fail to provide Workforce Services with all theinformation necessary to determine your eligibility for benets. Workforce Servicesmay use information you or your employer provide to:• Perform Workforce Services business, including, but not limited to: payment

of benets, employment services, statistical data, law enforcement, auditsand hearings.

• Disclose to your former employer(s) to determine your eligibility for benets.• Disclose to other state or federal agencies for eligibility verication and for

law enforcement efforts.

• Disclose to the Governor’s Office for economic development planning; toother state or federal agencies for child support and civil rights enforcementprograms and to other state and federal agencies that administer programsestablished for the protection of workers in the workplace.

• Subject to verication through appropriate matching programs. Workforce Services is not allowed to release information about your claim to your spouse, friends, bank, credit union, attorney, or any other party unless there

is a signed release from you or a court order.Unemployment Insurance is not public assistance, Social Security, or adisability payment. Te intent of Unemployment Insurance is to pay temporaryassistance to eligible claimants during times of unemployment when suitable work is not available.


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Employers pay all costs of theUnemployment Insurance program.

Benets are paid to eligible workers who:

• Have sufficient wages during thebase period

• Are unemployed through no faultof their own

• Are able to work full-time and

• Are available for and activelyseeking full-time work

Fraud and Penalties You commit fraud if you make falsestatements, provide false information,or withhold information to obtainbenets for which you are noteligible. Te most common cause offraud is failure to report all earnings while ling for benets, or notaccurately reporting the reason youare not working.

Only you are authorized to le yourclaim for benets. Te responsibilityfor ling weekly claims cannotbe delegated to another person,

including your spouse. You will be held responsible for any falseinformation provided.

Do not allow anyone else to haveaccess to your Personal IdenticationNumber (PIN). Your PIN is yoursignature when you le your weeklyclaim. If anyone has knowledgeof your PIN, even your spouse, goonline to jobs.utah.gov, select “Signin” (in the upper right-hand corner)then “my Unemployment” and“Login” to change your PIN. You

may also call the Claims Center tochange your PIN.

Penalties for fraud include some or allof the following:

• Repayment of at least twice theamount of benets paid

• Denial of future benets for up to49 weeks

• Wage garnishments, taxinterception and liens

• Criminal prosecution underfederal and/or state law

• Court nes, community serviceand probation

• Incarceration

• Publication of conviction

Utah has a full-time fraud detectiondivision to identify and recommendcriminal prosecution of those whocommit fraud. If you wish to reportunemployment fraud it may be doneonline at http://jobs.utah.gov/ui/Fraud/uifraud or by phone at 801-526-4400 and select option 2.

Base Period Te base period is the 12-monthperiod used to determine your weeklybenet amount and the number of weeks you may be paid benets. Te base period is the rst four ofthe last ve completed calendarquarters before the week in which you le your application for benets. A calendar quarter is a three-monthperiod ending March 31, June 30,September 30 or December 31.


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Example of calendar quarter:

If your claimis effective

between thefollowing dates:

Your 12-monthbase period

would be thepreceding:

January throughMarch

October 1 toSeptember 30

April throughJune

January 1 toDecember 31

July throughSeptember

April 1 toMarch 31

October throughDecember July 1 to June 30

If you do not qualify with wages paidduring this base period, you may stillqualify using an alternate base period, which would be the most recent fourcompleted calendar quarters.

Wage Requirements o determine your unemploymentamount, you must have earned wagesin two or more calendar quarters of your base period. Your total base-period wages must be at least 1.5 times the wages you earned in your highest quar-ter. Tere is also a minimum amount of wages required during the base period.

Beginning Date of Your Claim Your claim is normally effectivethe Sunday of the week you le anapplication for benets, provided youdid not work full-time or have earningsequal to or in excess of your weeklybenet amount during that week.

Monetary DeterminationNormally, you will receive a “Noticeof Monetary Determination” withinthree weeks from the date you le your claim for unemployment benets. Tis notice includes:• Wages reported by your base

period employer(s)• Your weekly benet amount• Number of weeks of

unemployment benets you mayreceive if you meet all eligibilityrequirements. (SeeEligibility/Denial of Benets) Te numberof weeks ranges from 10–26depending on your earnings

Carefully review the wages andemployers reported on the monetarydetermination. Missing wages ormissing employers could reduce yourbenets or prevent you from qualifying.If you do not receive this notice after you have led for four weeks, callthe Claims Center. If you believe the wages or employers reported on thenotice are not correct, please follow

the instructions in the “Notice ofMonetary Determination.”

Benet Year Your claim is established for a 52- week period called a benet year. Itbegins with the effective date of yourclaim and ends 52 weeks from thatdate. You may le for weeks you areunemployed until you have exhausted your benets. You may also le if you have earnings from part-timeemployment that are less than your


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weekly benet amount. At the end ofthe benet year, your claim will end whether or not you have received all your benets. You may not le a new

Utah claim for benets until yourbenet year has ended.

Internet Login — SingleSign OnIn order to access your unemploymentaccount through the web, you will

need to create a sign on account thatrequires an email address. You may usea current email that you have or createa new email account to complete thisprocess. Te email used to sign into your account does not need to be thesame as the one that is on le with theunemployment division.

o set up your account go to jobs.utah.gov, select “Sign in” (in theupper right-hand corner) then select“my Unemployment” and “Login.” Tere are four providers to choosefrom for your sign on account: Google,Facebook, Yahoo and Utah ID. Once you have selected your provider,

carefully read each page and follow thesteps. Once your account is set up you will use this login for all interaction with Workforce Services.

Weekly Claim FilingInstructions You must le weekly claims to receivebenets. o le a weekly claim, you will need your Social SecurityNumber and PIN. Te unemploymentclaim week begins on Sunday and

ends on Saturday at midnight. Weencourage you to le your claim onSunday or as soon as possible afterthe Saturday week-ending date. You

can le your weekly claim online at jobs.utah.gov, select “Sign In” (in theupper right-hand corner) then “myUnemployment” and then choose“File Weekly Claim.”

You will be asked for your PIN eachtime you use the system. Your PIN isthe four-digit number you selected when you established your claim. (SeeFraud and Penalties)

Each week you must answer questionsto determine your eligibility forbenets. Failure to le a weekly claimin a timely manner could result in adenial of benets. Te system will notpermit late ling. If you do not le a weekly claim within 27 days from theSaturday of the last week led, yourclaim will be late and will be closed.If you wish to continue ling, you willneed to reopen your claim at jobs.utah.gov or by calling the Claims Center.(See Reopening a Closed Claim)

You will be ling for a specic week.Be careful to answer the questionsas they pertain to that specic weekonly. All gross wages must be reportedfor the week the work is performed,regardless of when they are paid. You will be asked some or all of thefollowing questions, depending on the

status of your claim. Tese questionsapply only to the specic week for which you are ling:

• A. “During the week, did you work or attend paid training?”


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B. “How much did you earnbefore deductions?” (Your grossearnings without any cents.)For example, if you earned

$116.80, you would enter “116.”Depending on the amount ofearnings you report, you may beasked some additional questionsnot listed here.

• “During the week, did you quit a job or were you red from a job?”

• “Did you refuse any offers of workor fail to apply for work duringthe week?”

• “Did you attend school or unpaidtraining during the week?”

• “Were you able and availablefor full-time work without anyrestrictions?”

• “Did you travel outside theUnited States during the week?”

• “You are required to make fournew full-time employer contactseach week. You will be requiredto provide this employerinformation. Did you contactemployers for work as you wereinstructed by the Department?”

• “You will be held responsiblefor the information contained in your Claimant Guide. Have youreceived your Claimant Guide?”

After you have answered thesequestions, your responses will bedisplayed back to you and you willhave the opportunity to correct orcertify your answers.Knowingly orcarelessly misreporting earningsconstitutes fraud. Te law provides

severe penalties for receivingunemployment benets underfraudulent circumstances. (See Fraudand Penalties) If you realize you made

a mistake after ling your weekly claim,call the Claims Center immediately.

Work and EarningsReporting Te unemployment claim week beginson Sunday and ends on Saturday at

midnight. Te rst question asked on your weekly certication is, “Did you work or attend paid training?” If youperformed any type of work duringthe week of certication, you mustanswer “yes” to that question. You must report all your work andgross earnings (before taxes or

deductions) for the week in which you worked, even if you have not beenpaid. If you have questions abouthow to report your earnings, call theClaims Center. You must report:• Full-time, part-time, or temporary

work (e.g., 10 hours of work at$9.00/hour = $90.00)

• Paid training for any employer• Military reserve or National

Guard duty • Work for a non-prot

organization or church• Self-employment, work on

contract or commission basis• Payment for providing childcare,

even in your own home• Holiday, severance, vacation pay


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• ips• Farming income• Volunteer work

• Cash value of work performed inexchange for anything of value

If you work less than full-time andearn less than your weekly benetamount during a given week, youmay continue ling since you willbe entitled to partial unemploymentbenets if you are otherwise eligible. Workforce Services will apply a30 percent earnings allowanceto calculate your weekly benetpayment. For example, if your weeklybenet amount is normally $300.00, you could earn $90.00 (30 percent of$300.00) without affecting paymentfor that week, however you must still

report those earnings.If your earnings equal or exceed your weekly benet amount or you work40 or more hours during the week, you will not receive any payment or waiting week credit for that week. Youmust accept all suitable work offeredto you or report to the department youfailed to accept such work. You are responsible for anyinaccurate or incompleteinformation you provide. If youreceive more income than youreported, you are responsible toimmediately contact the ClaimsCenter to correct previouslyreported earnings. Failureto correctly report all workand earnings could result inoverpayments and penalties. (SeeFraud and Penalties )

Self-Employment/Commission Sales All self-employment or commission

sales activities must be reportedimmediately to the Claims Center andon your weekly ling. Involvement inself-employment or commission salescould result in a denial of benets evenif no wages are earned or received.Failure to notify the Claims Centercould result in benet overpaymentsand penalties. (SeeFraud andPenalties)

Re-employment andEmployment Centers Te unemployment division is partof Workforce Services and providestemporary assistance for qualied workers. Your obligation whilereceiving benets is to become re-employed and you should develop arealistic plan to achieve this objective. Workforce Services offers manytools and services online at jobs.utah.gov and through each ofour Employment Centers statewide. Tese services include:• Career counseling• Job searching• Resume assistance• Workshops• Re-employment services

• Resource referrals• Labor market information

• Veteran resources• raining and education resources


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• Information on WorkforceServices’ tools and programs

For the address and phone numberof your closest Utah EmploymentCenter go to jobs.utah.gov, scroll tothe bottom, and enter your zip codeunder the “Find a Department of Workforce Services location” box inthe bottom left hand corner. As a condition of eligibility forunemployment benefits you maybe required to complete online workshops, participate in an in-person Re-employment Servicesand Eligibility Assessment appointment, attend an in-person workshop, or participate in otheractivities to assist you in returningto work. Failure to participate couldresult in a denial of benefits.Please note the EmploymentCenters do not have UnemploymentInsurance information and cannothelp you with your unemploymentclaim. For unemployment-specicinformation sign into your “myUnemployment” account at jobs.utah.gov and select our Live Chatfeature or call the Claims Center.

Work SearchRequirements A primary component of yourre-employment plan will beto contact employers. Unlessan Unemployment Insurancerepresentative instructs otherwise, you are required to make a goodfaith effort to seek full-time workeach week that you claim benefits,

even if you are employed part-timeor attend school.You should make at least four newfull-time job contacts each week. A new contact means contacting anemployer you have not contactedbefore, or contacting a previouslycontacted employer on a newly listed job opening. You are required to keepa detailed record of your work searchactivities, and will be required toprovide this information during your

weekly ling. You may also be selectedat any time for an audit or eligibilityreview during which you will be askedto provide this information. Yourrecord of employer contacts shouldinclude the following:• Date of contact• Name of company or other

identifying information, such as job reference number

• Company address, phone number,email, web link, or person contacted

• Position title• Method of contact

• Results of contact A sample table is located at the backof this pamphlet. Failure to providethis information may result in adenial of benets, delayed payment,or possible overpayments andpenalties. (See Fraud and Penalties) Your efforts must reect a genuinedesire to obtain employmentimmediately. For additional tools onbecoming re-employed, refer to theRe-employment and EmploymentCenters section of this pamphlet.


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Suitable Work You are required to seek and acceptall suitable work. Te suitability

of a job depends on the length oftime you have been unemployed. You are allowed time to seek workcomparable to that performed during your base period, provided there is areasonable expectation of obtainingthat type of work.

However, as the length of your

unemployment increases, you areexpected to be willing to makeconcessions with respect to earnings, working conditions, job duties, andthe use of prior training. You are notrequired to accept work if:

• Te job opening is due directlyto a strike, lockout, or otherlabor dispute

• Te wages, hours or otherconditions offered are much lessfavorable to you than those forsimilar work in the locality

• As a condition of beingemployed, you are required

to join a labor organization,required to resign from a labororganization or prevented from joining a labor organization

Failure to: (1) accept a referral forsuitable work, (2) properly apply foravailable suitable work, or (3) acceptan offer of suitable work may result

in a denial of benets. You mustreport any failure to seek or accept work to the department for the weekin which it occurred, even if you feltthe work was not suitable. Improper

reporting may constitute fraud. (SeeFraud and Penalties )

Work RegistrationUnless otherwise instructed, you arerequired to complete all steps of the work registration for job placementassistance with Workforce Services. Your work registration will need to beupdated each time you create a newclaim or reopen an existing claim. Te registration method is online at jobs.utah.gov, select “Sign In” (in theupper right-hand corner) then “myUnemployment” and choose “Registerfor Work.” You may also register onlineat the Employment Center closest to you. If you live in or move to a stateother than Utah, you must register with the nearest State EmploymentCenter (for the state you are residingin) and submit proof of registrationto Workforce Services. Failure toregister within 10 working days of yourapplication for benets could result in adenial of benets. (SeeRe-employmentand Employment Centers )By registering with WorkforceServices, you gain access to more than20,000 job openings and are provided with referrals to a variety of online,self-paced workshops that can aid your re-employment efforts.

Able to Work/Available

to Work You must be physically and mentallyable to work full-time. If you areill, injured, on a leave of absence orunable to work for any other reason,


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you may not be eligible for benets forthat period of time.

You are required to report that youare not available for work when anycondition exists that could prevent you from working, accepting work orseeking full-time work. Tis includes,but is not limited to:

• Hospitalization

• Illness

• In country travel

• Incarceration

• Injury

• Loss of childcare

• Loss of transportation

• School attendance

You may be required to provideevidence of your ability to work, suchas a doctor’s statement.

You must be immediately availableto accept full-time work. You cannotplace unreasonable restrictions onthe hours you will work, the wage you will accept, or the distance you will

travel to work.If your employer is holding your job while you are on an approved leaveof absence you will not be consideredavailable for work.

Payments/Waiting Week

Utah law requires that you will not bepaid for the rst eligible week claimed. Tis week is referred to as the waiting week. You must le for this weekand meet all eligibility requirements

in order to establish the claim andreceive waiting week credit.If you meet all the eligibilityrequirements and le your claimeach week, you should receive yourrst payment about three weeks after you apply for benets. Paymentsare not made on the same day each week. If you have not receivedpayment or a disqualication letterafter you have led for four weeks,call the Claims Center.

Funds will not be available in yourchecking, savings or U.S. BankReliacard account for at least twobusiness days after Workforce Servicesreleases the benets. (See WeeklyClaim Filing Instructions )

Vacation, Holiday,Severance, orSeparation PaySeverance pay is dened as a paymentmade by an employer that would nothave been made except for the severanceof the employment relationship.

All vacation, holiday, severance, orseparation pay you have received or willreceive must be reported to the ClaimsCenter. Tese types of payments areusually considered earnings. You willnot be eligible for waiting-week creditor unemployment benets for weeks in which those payments equal or exceed your weekly benet amount.

Training/School Approval raining or school attendance mayinterfere with your availability for


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full-time work and your eligibility forbenets. Any school attendance ortraining must be reported when youle your weekly claim. Tis includes

training required by an employer.Under limited circumstances, schoolattendance may be approved whilereceiving benets.

Refusal of Work You must report any failure to accept

work even if you think the work is notsuitable. Tis includes:

• Any hours missed from your normal schedule due tocircumstances such as illness,travel, or other personal reasons

• Refusal of increased or extrahours offered by a currentemployer

• Any work offered by a newemployer

• Recall by a former employer

• You must also report any jobseparation that occurs while lingby calling the Claims Center.

Foreign Travel You may not be eligible forunemployment benets if you aretraveling or residing outside of theUnited States. You must report anyforeign travel when ling your weeklyclaim. Failure to correctly notify Workforce Services that you wereoutside of the United States couldresult in overpayment and penalties.(See Fraud and Penalties)

Incarceration/Prison or Jail Connement You are required to immediately

notify Workforce Services if youare incarcerated. Upon notication, Workforce Services will stop allunemployment benets until younotify Workforce Services of yourrelease. Failure to notify WorkforceServices of your incarceration couldresult in overpayments and penalties.

(See Fraud and Penalties)

Payment Methods —Direct Deposit or U.S.Bank Reliacard All unemployment payments are madeelectronically. You may choose directdeposit into your own checking orsavings account. If you do not selectdirect deposit a U.S. Bank Reliacardaccount will be established for you.

Te preferred method of payment forbenets is direct deposit into yourchecking or savings account. You

can choose the direct deposit option,or change your bank informationonline, at jobs.utah.gov. You may alsocall the Claims Center to requesta form. Workforce Services cannotdeposit funds onto pre-paid debitcards. Monthly statements of benetpayments will be available online.

Te U.S. Bank Reliacard works muchlike a standard debit card. With thisoption, your benet payments aredeposited into a separate accountcreated for you by the card issuer.


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You access your money by makingpurchases or withdrawing cashusing the card. No credit check orbank account is required. Your U.S.

Bank Reliacard will be acceptedeverywhere Visa debit cards areaccepted. A monthly statement ofaccount activity to your U.S. BankReliacard account will be availableonline at www.usbankreliacard.com.

You are advised against using yourU.S. Bank Reliacard for ongoingautomatic bill pay.

Te U.S. Bank Reliacard will be validfor any claim you le for the next two years. Keep it in a safe place since you will be able to use it again if youle during that time. If you requesta new card, you may be charged a

replacement fee.

U.S. Bank ReliacardSecurity You will be responsible for securing your U.S. Bank Reliacard. Securingthe card means that the card and the

card PIN are never kept together. Te card should be kept in a securelocation, and the card PIN shouldnot be known by anyone but you. If your card security is compromised, you must change your card PINimmediately even if you are notcurrently ling weekly claims for

benets. If you fail to report the lossof the card and change the card PINimmediately, or fail to secure the card, you will be liable for claims made andmoney removed from the card.

If your card is lost or stolen, you mustimmediately notify U.S. Bank at1-855-279-1274.

Child Support Deduction When there is an agreement signedby you or an order from the courtrequiring payment to the Utah StateOffice of Recovery Services forchild support payments, your weeklybenet amount may be reduced by upto 50 percent. Te Utah State Officeof Recovery Services controls theamount of child support withheldfrom your unemployment benets.If you have questions concerningthe amount being deducted, youmust contact the Office of RecoveryServices at 801-536-8500.

Retirement DeductionRetirement income, includingdisability retirement, may be deductedfrom your weekly benet amount.If you apply for or receive any typeof retirement or disability retirementincome, you are required to report thisinformation to the Claims Centerimmediately. After you have reportedthis information, a notice will bemailed to you if such income is to bededucted from your benets. Failureto report retirement or disabilityretirement, or changes in that income,could result in a denial and possible

overpayment of benets. (SeeFraudand Penalties)If you receive retroactive retirementincome covering a period of timefor which you were also paid


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unemployment benets, you will beresponsible for any overpayment. You will be required to repay WorkforceServices the amount of ineligible

benets you received for the period oftime covered by the retirement.

Tax LiabilityUnemployment benets are taxable. You may choose to have 10 percent of your weekly benet amount withheld

for federal income taxes and 5 percentfor state income taxes. Any taxes withheld are immediately transmittedand reported to the Internal RevenueService (IRS) and the State axCommission. You may change your tax withholding status for future benetsonline at jobs.utah.gov, “Sign In” (inthe upper right-hand corner) then “myUnemployment” and “Change ax Withholding.” You may also change itby contacting the Claims Center. Workforce Services will send you anotice (Form 1099-G) by January31 each year stating the benets paidand tax amounts withheld duringthe previous year. If you repaid anyoverpayment, please refer to theinstructions on your tax form orcall the IRS. Tis notice, from 2007through the current year, is availableonline at https://jobs.utah.gov/ui/continuedclaims/Status/1099.aspx login and select “1099 ax Information.”Make sure Workforce Services has your most recent address, as the form will be mailed to the last address on your claim if you are not opted infor Electronic Correspondence. (See Address Changes)

Closing a Claim (Back toWork Full Time) When you nd full-time, permanent

employment, you can close your claimby calling the Claims Center to reportthat you are back to work full-time. Te simplest way for you to close your claim is to stop ling. WorkforceServices will automatically close yourclaim if you:

• Do not le a weekly claim within27 days from the Saturday of thelast week led

• Report earnings equal to or inexcess of your weekly benetamount for four consecutive weeks

Reopening a ClosedClaim You may reopen your claim online at jobs.utah.gov or by calling the ClaimsCenter. Your claim will be reopenedeffective the Sunday of the week in which you contact Workforce Services. You will need to provide the datesof employment and the names of allcompanies for whom you have worked,if any, since you last claimed benets. You will also need to provide thenames, addresses, and phone numbersfor any out-of-state employers.

Eligibility ReviewsIf you are still claiming benets afterthree weeks, you may receive a noticeto complete an online eligibilityreview. Tis review asks basiceligibility questions and requires you


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to provide your work search contacts. Your benets may be denied if you:• Fail to complete the eligibility

review • Fail to submit a list of your

employer contacts• List employer contacts that

cannot be veried• If you have received notice and

fail to schedule and participatein a Re-employment Servicesand Eligibility Assessmentappointment

Audit of Your ClaimClaims are randomly selected foraudits each week. Auditors verifyanything that affects Unemployment

Insurance eligibility including work search, base period wages, jobseparation(s), school attendance, and work and earnings during any weeksled. If you are selected for an auditand fail to participate as required, yourbenets may be denied.

Eligibility/Denial ofBenetsEven though you may have earnedenough to qualify for benets, youmust meet other requirements to beeligible to receive those benets. Forexample: If you quit or were red from

your job, an Unemployment Insurancerepresentative will request informationfrom you and your employer and willdetermine your eligibility for benets.If your separation from employment

was for qualifying reasons as denedby Unemployment Insurance law, you will begin to receive benets for weeksclaimed if there are no other issues on

your claim. If you are denied benets, you will receive a written decisiongiving the dates of and reason for thedenial. Read it carefully. It will includeinstructions for ling a timely appeal.Failure to le a timely appeal mayprevent you from having the originaldecision changed.

You may be denied benets if you:• Quit or were discharged from

your job• Are unemployed due to a strike• Are not able or available for and

actively seeking full-time work • Refuse or fail to apply for suitable

work • Have earnings equal to or more

than your weekly benet amount(this includes wages, vacation,holiday or separation pay)

• Are self-employed or working ona commission basis

Tis list does not include all thereasons for which benets may bedenied.

OverpaymentsIf you are paid benets to which you were not entitled, an overpayment is

created. An overpayment notice mayaccompany or follow a notice of denialand will contain repayment and appealinstructions. Benet overpayments areestablished for the total weekly benet


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amount including any deductions suchas child support or taxes. You should immediately contact theCollections Department as instructedon the overpayment notice to set upan installment agreement to repay theamount you owe. Failure to do so mayresult in recovery of the overpaymentby garnishment of your federal and/or state tax refunds, wages, or a lienagainst your property.If Workforce Services determines that you were not at fault in the creationof an overpayment and you meet thepoverty guidelines, you may request a waiver of the non-fault overpayment.

Appeals You have the right to appeal if youdisagree with a decision made on your claim. If you le an appeal ahearing will be scheduled with an Administrative Law Judge.Makesure you continue to le for benetseach week during the appeal process.Otherwise, you may not be paid forthe weeks you are unemployed even if

the appeal is decided in your favor. Your appeal must be submitted in writing and should state the reason(s) you believe the decision is incorrect. Te preferred method to le an appealis online at jobs.utah.gov/appeals.However, you can also fax your appealto 801-526-9242, or mail your appeal

to Appeals Unit, P.O. Box 45244, SaltLake City, U 84145-0244. After you le an appeal, you willreceive a notice of hearing along

with the information and documentsused in making the original decision.Upon receiving the notice of hearing you will be required to immediately

contact the Appeals Unit to verify your participation in the hearing andto provide a telephone number where you can be reached at the time ofthe hearing. Failure to contact the Appeals Unit prior to the hearing, asinstructed in the hearing notice, willresult in cancellation of your hearing.

Please read the notice carefully. Tehearing notice will contain importantinformation on how to prepare forthe hearing, including how to presentevidence, documents and witnesses insupport of your appeal. Te Unemployment Insuranceappeals process does not require that

you have legal representation. Mostindividuals represent themselves.During the hearing, all parties areassisted in presenting their case bythe Administrative Law Judge. If youhire an attorney to represent you, youare responsible to pay any fees. Telaw requires the attorney to submit a

written request for approval of fees tothe Administrative Law Judge priorto any payment. Te fee request formand complete instructions are availableonline at jobs.utah.gov/appeals. Your employer also has the right toappeal a decision allowing benets. You will be notied of any appeal

related to your benets so that youcan participate in that appeal hearing.If you have questions concerning theappeal process, more informationis available online at jobs.utah.gov/


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appeals. You can also call the AppealsUnit at 801-526-9300 or toll free at1-877-800-0671.

Trade Act Benets rade Act benets assist workers who become unemployed as a resultof (1) foreign imports, or (2), shiftsin production or services to a foreigncountry. If you were laid off for oneof these reasons and were included

in a petition approved by the U.S.Department of Labor, you may beeligible for these benets. rade Actbenets may include:• rade Readjustment Allowances

( RA) income support• raining allowances for full-time

or part-time school• Job-search allowances• Relocation allowances• Wage subsidies for workers

over 50 years old who becomere-employed at a lower wagethan the former trade affectedemployment

If you have questions about youreligibility for these benets, contactthe Claims Center and ask for a rade Act specialist.

Address Changes You can change your mailingaddress, email address, or phonenumber online at jobs.utah.gov or bycalling the Claims Center. Criticalinformation that could affect yourcontinuing eligibility will be mailed

to the address shown on WorkforceServices records unless you opt in forelectronic correspondence.

Correspondence You may choose to get all yourUnemployment Insurancecorrespondence through ourElectronic Correspondence Center web page. Electronic correspondenceis convenient and easy to use. Te advantages of electroniccorrespondence are:• Immediate notication• Ease of responding• Correspondence history • Postage savings• No lost mailIf you opt in for electroniccorrespondence, it is yourresponsibility to regularly monitor your electronic inbox. For additionalinformation or to sign up forelectronic correspondence, go to jobs.utah.gov and select “Sign In” (inthe upper right-hand corner) then“my Unemployment” and choose“Electronic Correspondence.”If you do not choose ElectronicCorrespondence, all documents will bemailed to your address of record.

Online Services Answers to most questions about your claim can be found online at jobs.utah.gov. Select “Sign In” (inthe upper right-hand corner) then“my Unemployment” and choose


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“Frequently Asked Questions.” Pleaseuse Workforce Services’ website to:

• File a new claim or reopen anexisting claim

• Complete statements whenadvised after ling a weekly claim

• View or print summary of weeklypayments

• View details of deductions andpayments made on your claim

• See why no payment was issued• Change payment method —

payments are available onlythrough direct deposit or U.S.Bank Reliacard

• View the balance remaining on your current claim

• Establish or change your PIN/password

• Change address, phone, or emailaddress

• Change federal and state tax status

• View documents throughElectronic Correspondence

• View or print a 1099-G to seeannual payments and taxes for2007 or later

Tips for Recording JobSearch Activities An unemployment week starts Sundayat 12:00 a.m. and ends Saturday at11:59 p.m. All four reported contactsmust be made in this “Sunday throughSaturday” time period in order to counttowards your eligibility. If your claim is

selected for review, we may contact theemployers you reported to verify the jobcontacts made. o be prepared for thisreview, please consider the following:

• When applying through a website remember to documentthe website address, companyoffering the job (if available), jobtitle and the job’s ID number.For example: XYZ business.com,Company Name (if differentfrom the website), customerservice rep, job #1234

• Just looking at an employer’s website is not a contact. A resumeor application has to be sent to theemployer through the website forthe contact to be considered valid

• Applying to different positions

with the same company can countas separate contacts as long as you document the different jobsbeing applied for. For example:Contact #1 = XYZ Company,office assistant, job #789. Contact #2 = XYZ Company, receptionist, job #9876

• Keep all email conrmationsfrom employers during the time you le for UnemploymentInsurance benets


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Equal OpportunityIt is illegal for the Utah Department of Workforce Services, a recipient of federal nancialassistance, to discriminate on the following bases:

• Against any individual in the United States, on the basis of race, color, religion, sex,national origin, age, disability, political affiliation or belief; and• Against any beneciary of programs nancially assisted under itle I of the

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA), on the basis of thebeneciary’s citizenship/ status as a lawfully admitted immigrant authorized to workin the United States, or his or her participation in any WIOA itle I-nanciallyassisted program or activity.

Workforce Services must not discriminate in any of the following areas:

• Deciding who will be admitted, or have access, to any WIOA itle I-nanciallyassisted program or activity;

• Providing opportunities in, or treating any person with regard to, such a program oractivity; or

• Making employment decisions in the administration of, or in connection with, sucha program or activity.

If you think you have been discriminated againstunder a WIOA itle I-nancially assistedprogram or activity, you must le a complaint within 180 days from the date of the alleged violation with either the Utah Department of Workforce Services Equal Opportunity Officer/Customer Relations at 801-526-4390 or 1-800-331-4341, or in writing to either WorkforceServices or the Civil Rights Center (CRC):

Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities by

calling 801-526-9240. Individuals with speech and/or hearing impairments may call theRelay Utah by dialing 711. Spanish Relay Utah: 1-888-346-3162.

If you le a complaint with Workforce Services, you must wait either until WorkforceServices issues a written Notice of Final Action, or until 90 days have passed (whicheveris sooner) before ling with the CRC.

If Workforce Services does not send you a written Notice of Final Action within 90 daysof the day on which you led your complaint, you do not have to wait for WorkforceServices to issue that Notice before ling a complaint with CRC. However, you must le your CRC complaint within 120 days after the day on which you led your complaint with Workforce Services. If Workforce Services does give you a written Notice of Final Action on your complaint, but you are dissatised with the decision or resolution, youmay le a complaint with the CRC. You must le your CRC complaint within 30 days ofthe date on which you received the Notice of Final Action.

Equal Opportunity/Customer RelationsDepartment of Workforce ServicesP.O. Box 45249Salt Lake City, U 84145-0249

Te Director, Civil Rights CenterU.S. Department of Labor200 Constitution Ave. NW Room N-4123 Washington, DC 20210


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