How To File For Louisiana Unemployment
This page provides information on how to file for unemployment in Louisiana. If you lost your job or your hours were reduced at no fault of your own, you may qualify to receive unemployment benefits in your state. Review the information below, if you still have questions or issues about these benefits, then we suggest to contact your local Louisiana Unemployment Department for assistance. It is important that you file your new claim right away because Louisiana unemployment insurance are not retroactive.
Qualify for Louisiana unemployment benefits
The law sets qualifying requirements in three main areas: your past wages, your job separation, and ongoing availability and work search requirements. You must meet all of the following qualifying requirements in order to receive benefits.
Past Wages
You must have earned enough wages in your base period. The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim.
Reason for separation from your last work
You must be unemployed or partially unemployed through no fault of your own in order to receive benefits.
Ongoing availability and work search
You must be physically able and available to work. You must also be actively seeking work. If you are temporarily laid off and have a definite return-to-work date, your work search requirements may be waived.
File for Louisiana unemployment benefits
To file a claim for unemployment insurance, you may contact the UI Call Center at 866-783-5567 or you may file online by clicking here. Before filing a claim, you will need the following information:
- Your social security number
- Names, addresses, job-site locations and telephone numbers of any employers for whom you worked during the last 18 months
- Name and local number of union hall (if applicable)
- Alien registration number (if applicable)
- The member-4 copy of your DD214 (if you served in the military during the last 18 months)
- Your SF-8 and SF-50 (if you worked for a federal employer during the last 18 months). However, do not delay filing if you cannot locate your federal documents
The minimum weekly benefit amount of UI in Louisiana is $10. The maximum is currently $247. Your weekly benefit amount could be anywhere in this range, depending upon the total amount of wages paid to you during your base period. The total amount of unemployment insurance benefits payable to you would be equal to 26 times your weekly benefit amount.
How do I file for weekly benefits?You should file your weekly claims by phoning the Interactive Voice Response System, Easy Call. For Easy Call information and phone numbers, click here.
What are Extended Benefits?During periods of high unemployment, the Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 provides for additional unemployment insurance benefits to claimants. When this occurs, potentially eligible claimants will be notified by the Louisiana Workforce Commission and through the local news media.
File an appeal
If you have received a Notice of Claim Determination or a Notice of Over payment with which you disagree, you may appeal that determination within 15 days of the mailing date of the document. By doing so, you are requesting a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. There are three methods of filing an appeal: on-line at www.LAWORKS.net, by mail addressed to: Louisiana Workforce Commission, Appeals Unit, PO Box 94094, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9094 or fax to 225-342-4223. If mailed, the letter must be postmarked no more than 15 days from the date of the determination and must be signed by the person filing the appeal. If you file the appeal by mail, enclose a complete copy of the determination with your letter of appeal. If you appeal as a claimant, you should continue to file weekly claims until a final decision is rendered or until you return to work.
What happens after the appeal is filed?When an appeal is filed, you will be mailed a letter acknowledging receipt of your appeal. If you do not receive an acknowledgement letter within ten days of the date you filed the appeal, contact the Appeals Clerk of Court at 800-256-8023 for assistance. When the acknowledgement letter is generated, the appeal is sent to the Appeals Section where an Administrative Law Judge reviews it and then schedules it for a hearing.
