The UI benefit year in Iowa is one year from the claim effective date. Benefits are paid until the Maximum Benefit Amount (MBA) is reached or the benefit year ends.

You can file an initial claim the same week you are unemployed or working reduced hours. Do not wait until you have returned to work to file your claim. Your unemployment insurance claim DOES NOT begin on the date your job ended or your hours were reduced. Your claim is effective the Sunday of the week you apply.

To be eligible for UI benefits in the State of Iowa, the claimant must:

• be totally or partially unemployed
• have worked and earned a minimum amount of wages in work covered by UI in the last 15 to 18 months
• have lost his or her job through no fault of their own
• be able and available for work
• verify their identity through online verification or provide required documents
• be actively seeking work (work search may be waived if certain criteria are met)
• be registered for work (unless the work search requirement is waived).

The following information is needed when filing for UI benefits online in Iowa:

• social security number
• name, payroll address and telephone number of your last employer
• start and end dates of your last job
• whether or not you will receive vacation pay, severance, etc.
• alien registration number (if not a U.S. citizen or permanent refugee)
• DD-214 (Member 4) if you served in the U.S. military during the last 18 months
• Verifying your identity by answering security questions
• Standard Form 8 (SF-8) if you worked for the federal government in the last 18 months
• name(s), date(s) of birth, and social security number(s) of any dependents that are claimed as exemptions on your federal income tax return
  • Spouses may be claimed as a dependent if their gross wages were $120.00 or less in the week prior to filing your claim.
  • Self-employment does not count as gross wages for dependent purposes.