How To File For Arizona Unemployment

This page provides information on how to file for unemployment in Arizona. 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 Arizona Unemployment Department for assistance. It is important that you file your new claim right away because Arizona unemployment insurance are not retroactive.

Eligibility requirements for Arizona unemployment benefits

Whether you receive Arizona Unemployment Insurance benefits and how much you're entitled to each week depends on how much you earned during your base period. All states have similar wage requirements which are determined by the laws in each state. To qualify for benefits in Arizona, you must have worked for an employer who paid unemployment tax and you must have earned:

  • At least 390 times the Arizona minimum wage in your highest earning quarter and the total of the other three quarters must equal at least one half of the amount in your high quarter. For example, if you made $5000 in your highest quarter you need to have earned a total of $2500 within the remaining three quarters combined,
  • Or at least $7000 in total wages in at least two quarters of the base period, with wages in one quarter equal to $5987.50 or more.

If you have Arizona wages and also worked in another state, or currently reside in Arizona and have earnings from employers in two or more other states (within the base period), you may choose to combine these wages to establish monetary eligibility. If you were employed in more than one state at any time during the current base period, you may have the option of:

  • Filing a claim against any state in which you were employed using only the wages from that state
  • Filing a claim against any state in which you were employed, using the wages from all states in which you earned wages

Weekly unemployment benefits amount

Your weekly Unemployment Insurance Benefit Amount is calculated on wages you earned from employers who paid Unemployment Tax to the State of Arizona. The WBA is 4% of the wages paid in the highest quarter of your base period. The current maximum WBA is $240.

The following list shows examples of issues that could affect your eligibility and prevent you from receiving benefit payments:

  • Illness or injury
  • School attendance
  • Failure to look for work
  • Being out of the area
  • Not being willing or ready to accept work
  • Failure to report to a scheduled Re-employment Services Orientation
  • Failure to return UI claim-related documents within specified time frames
  • Refusing or not responding to a referral to suitable work by DES Employment Service
  • Refusing a genuine offer of suitable work without good cause
  • Retirement pay (other than Social Security)
  • Severance Pay
  • Vacation or holiday pay if allocated to a period during which benefits are claimed.

How to apply for Arizona unemployment benefits

Unemployment Insurance (UI) Benefits are not retroactive. Therefore, you should apply for UI Benefits as soon as possible after the last day of work. If you are still currently working, you will need to wait until after your last day of work to complete your application for UI benefits.

The following information is needed to file an application (initial claim) for benefits:

  • Your Social Security Number
  • Arizona Driver's License or Arizona State Issued ID (Note: you may still complete your application without these two items)
  • Your mailing address, city, state and ZIP code
  • If you live in Arizona, know the county where you reside
  • The names, addresses, and phone numbers of all your employers for the last 18 months
  • The last day you worked immediately prior to filing your UI claim
  • If you received severance, vacation, holiday or payment for unused sick pay: give the amount (before deductions) and the date it was paid to you
  • The name and local number of your union hall, if applicable
  • Alien Registration Number, if applicable
  • Copy # 4 of your DD Form 214 if released from the military in the last 18 months
  • SF 8 or SF 50 if employed in Federal Civilian service in the last 18 months
  • If you are collecting a pension (other than Social Security), you will need the start date of the pension and the monthly benefit amount

When you apply for UI benefits, you must provide the correct mailing address and telephone number for your most recent employer (the individual or company you worked for immediately prior to filing your application for benefits).

The effective date of your claim is the start of your benefit year which is normally the Sunday of the week in which you file your initial application for Unemployment Insurance benefits. Your benefit year ends 365 days later. Your benefit year ending date will appear on your Wage Statement UB-107.

You must apply for benefits online. If you don't have a computer, you may visit a One-Stop Center or DES Employment Service office resource center. Staff at the One-Stop Centers or DES Employment Service office can help with the online application. Staff at those offices can also provide information about the other services available to help you find employment. To find a location, Arizona Unemployment Office Locations.

Each time you file your weekly UI claims using the Internet you will be required to enter the Personal Identification Number (PIN) that you created when you completed your initial application for UI Benefits (if you applied online). If you didn't apply for benefit online, you will need to create a PIN that will be used to file all future weekly claims and to view payment information. Your PIN can be any combination of numbers except all zeroes (0000), all nines (9999), or any symbols (#, *).

If there are eligibility issues identified during the application process, a window will appear for each issue identified which will allow you to provide general information related to the situation. After the application is processed, questionnaires (form UB-436) will be mailed to you for each issue. This will give you the opportunity to provide more complete details and any supporting documents you wish to supply.

Your application is successfully completed when you receive a confirmation number after certifying that the statements you made on your application are true to the best of your knowledge and belief. If you do not receive a confirmation number, please complete the application again.

Once you completed the application process

You should expect the following documents by postal mail within approximately one week (it may take longer for the documents to arrive if you live in another state). These documents are sent to all applicants:

  • A Guide to Arizona UI Benefits PAU-007
  • Wage Statement UB-107
  • Certificate of Understanding (Eng/Span) UB-99Y

Some applicants will receive:

  • An Electronic Payment Card (EPC) which is like a debit card. The EPC is sent to new applicants who are monetarily eligible for benefits and is issued by Bank of America. Note: Your card will be mailed in a plain envelope (may look like junk mail), so DO NOT discard! This does not mean you will receive benefits.
  • Form UB-436 if eligibility issues were detected when you filed your application for benefits.
  • Report of Illness or Physical Disability UB-296

If you did not receive the documents you were expecting, contact the AZ Unemployment Insurance Call Center or send them an email, select "Documents Not Received by Mail" for the subject. Please see Actions Needed for more information about what is required once these documents are received.

AZ Unemployment Insurance Call Center
Toll Free: -877-600-2722
Phoenix: 602-364-2722
Tucson: 520-791-2722
TDD: 877-877-6226 Toll-Free
Office hours are from 8am to 5pm

Filing weekly Arizona unemployment claims

Applying your initial claim only begins the benefit claims process. You must file regular weekly claims either on the Internet or by submitting a paper certification. You must continue to file each week for as long as you are unemployed, meet all eligibility requirements and wish to make a claim for benefits. To file your weekly claim now online, click here.

The first weekly claim must be filed beginning the Sunday after you initially apply for benefits (whether or not your application has been processed) and no later than Friday by 6 p.m. (MST). Note: When a state holiday is observed on a Friday, the Internet Weekly Claim Filing system will NOT be available on that day. When a state holiday falls on Friday, you must file your weekly claim by 6 p.m. (MST) on Thursday. All weekly claims for benefits are for a calendar week, beginning Sunday and ending Saturday.

To be considered eligible to receive benefits with respect to any week, you must be available for work and both of the following must apply: you have engaged in a systematic and sustained effort to obtain work during at least four different days of the week and you have made at least one job contact on each of those four days during the week being claimed. Legislation enacted in 2012 provides that a failure to meet these work search requirements will result in a disqualification from benefits beginning with the week in which you failed to meet the requirements and will continue until you have earned wages in an amount equivalent to eight times your weekly benefit amount.

Each time you file your weekly UI claims using the Internet you will be required to enter the Personal Identification Number (PIN) that you created when you completed your initial application for UI benefits (if you applied online). If you applied for UI benefits through the Call Center (by telephone), you will need to create a PIN that will be used to file all future weekly claims and to view payment information. Your PIN can be any combination of numbers except all zeroes (0000), all nines (9999), or any symbols (#, *). To file your weekly claim online, click here.

You may view information about your claim online by accessing the Weekly Claim System. After making your language selection and entering your Social Security Number, choose "View Claim Information" from the drop down options.

  • Remaining balance
  • Claim status
  • Information about weeks claimed and processed
  • Unresolved issues
  • Disqualifications
  • Benefit payment information for income tax purposes

Filing An Appeal

You must file your appeal within 15 calendar days after the mailing date of Determination of Deputy or Determination of Overpayment. Appeals that are filed late will generally be allowed only in cases of departmental error or misinformation, or failure by the post office to properly deliver the determination. Do not wait to appeal until you have proof to support your case, you will have enough time to gather evidence after filing your appeal. There are several ways for you to file your appeal:

By Telephone:

Call the telephone number listed on the Determination of Deputy or Determination Overpayment to speak with a DES representative about filing an appeal. Be prepared to state why you believe the decision is in error.

In Writing:

You may fax or mail your appeal to the Department. Both the FAX number and mailing address are shown on the determination. You may submit your written appeal in person at any Employment Service Office. For your convenience, you may use the Request for Reconsideration/Appeal (form UB-126) form or other method of your choice (typed and printed or handwritten). Attach a copy of the determination or decision you are appealing. Please note, you or your authorized representative must sign your appeal. Your appeal must include your name and Social Security number.

Online:

At this time, the option to file an appeal online is only available to claimants. Be prepared to provide the following:

  • Social Security Number
  • PIN Number
  • An explanation of why you believe the decision is in error