You can get more information on the Unemployment benefits related to Coronavirus COVID-19 on the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development here.

You should apply for unemployment benefits online when:

• You are totally unemployed,
• You are partially unemployed (your weekly earnings are reduced), or
• You expect to be laid off within the next 13 weeks and would like to start your benefit year early.

All claims based on work done in Wisconsin are filed through Wisconsin, even if you now live in another state.

Please note that your claim begins the week you apply. To avoid any loss of benefits, apply the first week you are unemployed & do not wait until the week is over.

Applying for unemployment benefits is smoother and faster when you have essential information in-hand.

The information you provide will be used to determine your eligibility for Unemployment Insurance benefits. It is important that your information is accurate and complete for all questions asked. The law provides penalties for withholding information or making false statements to obtain benefits in Wisconsin.

You will need the following information to apply for your benefits online: 

• A valid email or mobile number
• Your social security number *
• Your Wisconsin driver license or identification number
• Your work history for the last 18 months:
  • Employers' business names
  • Employers' addresses (including zip code)
  • Employers' phone number
  • First and last dates of work with each employer
  • Reason no longer working with each employer
• If not a U.S. citizen, your alien registration number, document number and expiration date
• Form DD-214 (Member 4 copy), if you served in the military in the last 18 months
• Form SF-50 or SF-8, if you are a federal civilian employee
• If you are a union member, the name and local number of your union hall
• Your current address. You need a valid mailing address to receive important documents about your claim. Make sure you have notified your post office of any recent changes to your address.

You start a benefit year when you file a new initial claim application. A benefit year lasts 52 weeks. When one benefit year ends, the week that you file your next initial claim application will start a new benefit year.

During the 52 weeks of each benefit year, there is a maximum amount of unemployment benefits you can be paid. This is called your “maximum benefit amount” (MBA). The MBA is the lesser of 26 times your WBR or 40% of your total base period wages from all covered employment. Wages that you earn during a benefit year will not increase your MBA or your WBR for that benefit year.

Use your MBA as you would a checking account balance. As you are paid weekly benefits, simply subtract the amount you are paid from your MBA balance to know how much you can still be paid for that benefit year.

The weekly amount of unemployment benefits you are paid when you have no wages or other income during the week. It is 4% of the total high quarter wages from all covered employment in your base period.

The minimum WBR in the State of Wisconsin is $54, requiring high quarter earnings of $1,350; and the maximum WBR is $370, requiring high quarter earnings of $9,250.

Please note that if you do not have enough earnings for the minimum benefit rate, you do not qualify for unemployment benefits.