How To File For Wyoming Unemployment

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

Preparing Before You File for Unemployment

Filing your weekly claim by telephone or Internet will be much easier if you take the following steps:

  • Be sure you have your Social Security Number ready and your Username and Password set up
  • If you worked during the week you will need the hours worked, rounded down to the next lowest hour, as well as the gross amount earned (the total before any deductions),rounded down to the next lowest dollar amount
  • If you worked during the week, you will not be allowed to claim the week without wage and hour information
  • Be aware that wages reported are verified with employers to ensure proper payments
  • If you received holiday pay, vacation pay or severance pay be sure you know the gross amount for each, rounded down to the next lowest dollar amount
  • If you received self-employment income, be sure you know the net amount rounded down to the next lowest dollar amount

When you file your claim by phone, the Voice Response system will follow a script of basic questions. Other questions may be asked depending on the answers you give to the basic questions.

When you file your claim online, the system will determine which weeks you can file for and will identify those weeks. A list of questions will be shown to you. You must answer each question "Yes" or "No" for each week that you are filing for. Based on your answers to these basic questions you may have additional fact finding questions to answer. There is help text for each question if you are not sure what the question is asking you. When your claim is complete, you will be shown a screen with all of your answers. It would be a good idea to print this screen for your records. All of your answers will become a part of your account record.

Base Period

The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the start of your claim. For example, the base period for a claim opened in August (find the month in the unshaded box below) would include April of the prior year through March of the current year (found in the shaded boxes below). Wages earned only during that time frame will be used when calculating benefits.

Your weekly benefit payment amount depends on how much you earned during a "base period." A base period represents one year of your work and wages (four calendar quarters). Calendar quarters are the three-month blocks of time shown in the chart below. Wages earned in your base period are used to calculate your benefits. Your Base Period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the quarter in which you file for benefits. If you have enough wages in your Base Period, they will use it to calculate your benefit payment.

Filing for Wyoming unemployment benefits

The Department is committed to creating a process to access unemployment insurance benefits easy for those who need them. With this in mind, individuals who want to apply for Unemployment Insurance can do so electronically. To file your unemployment claim online, click here. Or you can file your claim over the phone by calling 307-473-3789.

Filing for Wyoming weekly claims

There are three ways to file your Weekly Claims:

The Wyoming Telephone Claim System is an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System designed to allow you to file your weekly claim for unemployment insurance or to inquire about the payment status of your claim. You have the choice of hearing the words spoken in either English or Spanish. The Wyoming Internet Continued Claim (ICC) system is designed to allow you to file your weekly claim for unemployment insurance online.

The Internet Continued Claims system is available 24/7. Should the ICC system be unavailable, you will receive a system down message and should either try again later or use one of the other methods for filing your weekly continued claim or certification.

The Interactive Voice Response system for filing your claim for weekly benefits and for making inquiries about your claim require you to enter a four-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN). Your PIN is your electronic signature and it will help protect you from another person obtaining information about your claim or filing against your claim.

Payment Method

When you file your initial claim, you will receive a ReliaCard prepaid debit card issued by US Bank, watch for it in the mail. The card is issued on all Wyoming claims to make sure payments can be made in an emergency where it is not possible to issue checks or if a payment to direct deposit fails. When you receive the card, follow the instructions for activating it by calling 855-233-8371.

  • Debit Card: You will receive a debit card and can request other payment methods any time during your claim. You can use the same debit card for future unemployment insurance claims
  • Direct Deposit: Your unemployment benefits can be deposited directly into your checking or savings account. To do so, you must go to wyomingworkforce.org and log on to your WYUI account to update your payment method. You will need your username and password, bank account, and routing numbers.

File an appeal

If they send you a determination informing you that you cannot receive unemployment benefits, you may appeal the decision. This can be done by completing the online appeal form on WYUI, mailing, or faxing a signed statement that you disagree with the determination to the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Division at the address or fax number listed on the determination. You may also deliver the appeal to a Workforce Center in Wyoming. The appeal must be filed no later than twenty-eight days from the mailing date on the form. You cannot file an appeal by any method other than those above. Your appeal should include:

  • Your name and social security number
  • Your current mailing address and phone number
  • A copy of the decision that you are appealing
  • The reason you disagree with the decision you are appealing and
  • Your signature
  • If you fax your appeal, the date the fax is stamped "RECEIVED" will be used to determine timeliness. If you do not have a fax machine, you can use a fax machine at your local workforce center. Ask a workforce center representative to date stamp the appeal prior to faxing it. If you mail the appeal, the postmark will be used to determine timeliness

You or your employer may file an appeal. The appeal may result in a hearing before a hearing officer. All interested parties may participate in the hearing. They will mail you a hearing notice packet with the date and time of your hearing and instructions on how to submit any additional documents or evidence you may wish to present. If you have additional evidence you wish to submit, you must be sure to mail or deliver it to the hearing officer and all other interested parties before the day of the hearing.