A. The electronic handbook, “Your Guide to Unemployment Insurance Benefits“, includes a “Weekly Benefit Amount Chart” that indicates the range of minimum to maximum benefits for which you may be eligible. The amount is known as the “weekly benefit amount (WBA)”. The current range provided by the Delaware Unemployment Insurance Law is $20 to $400.

A.  The weekly benefit amount (WBA) is based on the amount that you were paid during the base period.  The base period is the first four of the last five calendar quarters completed as of the Sunday before you file your first claim for benefits. Your weekly benefit amount will be 1/46th of your two highest calendar quarters in the base period. If you worked full-time during the four quarters, your WBA will be a little more than half your gross weekly wage up to the maximum weekly benefit amount in effect at the time.
Example:
If you file your claim in March, your base period will be the 12-month period from October 1st through September 30th before you filed your claim. The table shows the base period for a new claim filed in any month of the year:

If you have worked outside of Delaware or for the federal government or served in the Armed Services during your base period, you must report this information when you file your claim. Under certain circumstances, these wages can be combined with your Delaware wages to give you a higher weekly benefit amount. If you have no Delaware wages during the base period, you may be required to file a federal claim or an interstate claim.

Alternate Base Period

When you receive your “Determination of Monetary Eligibility” if it indicates you have insufficient wages during the above base period, you may be eligible to receive benefits using an alternate base period.  We’ll need your Social Security card, check stubs, W-2 forms and any other proof of wages that you have.

A. You will receive a form called a “Determination of Monetary Eligibility.” It will show your base period wages and your weekly benefit amount if you are monetarily eligible. The “Monetary Determination,” is mailed to you within 3 days after you file your claim. This is for your records and it contains a completed copy of your base period earnings. It lists all the employers who are covered by the Delaware Unemployment Insurance Law and all wages these employers reported under your Social Security number and your name during the base period. It also shows your “Weekly Benefit Amount” and the maximum amount of benefits you could be eligible to receive.

Check this form carefully. See if it:

1. Lists any employers for whom you did not work;
2. Lists only those employers for whom you worked during your base period; and,
3. Lists all of your wages during the base period.

If you would like to protest the amount of your monetary determination, notify your local UI office within 10 calendar days, in writing, at Dol_DUI_APPEALS_REQUEST.@DELAWARE.GOV or mail a written appeal to:

Division of Unemployment Insurance Appeals Unit
PO Box 9950
Wilmington, DE 19809-0951

You must include your full name, contact information and case number when filing an appeal. If you think a correction should be made to your monetary determination, call the Division at (302) 761-8446 and ask to speak with a Benefit Accounting Specialist. Note that you must continue to file weekly claims while you await the result of the protest.

In addition to being monetarily eligible, you must be unemployed through no fault of your own, able to work, available for work, looking for full-time work, and willing to accept a job for which you are qualified in order to collect benefits. 

A:  If you remain totally unemployed and otherwise remain eligible, you can normally receive 26 times your weekly benefit amount. Once you qualify for benefits, you establish what we call a “benefit year.” Your benefit year is the one-year period beginning with the Sunday of the first week in which you file your new claim. For example, if you filed your new claim on Thursday, June 10, 2021, your benefit year would start with the preceding Sunday, June 5, 2021, this would be your “effective claim date.” Your benefit year would last until June 5, 2022. Under normal circumstances, you may not start another benefit year until the first one is completed. However, if you have also worked in another state during your benefit year and have received all your Delaware benefits in your benefit year, you may file against the other state in which you worked and you may be eligible for additional benefits from that state. (Your local unemployment insurance office can give you details.)

The maximum amount of unemployment insurance benefits payable in Delaware under normal circumstances in any benefit year may not exceed 26 times your weekly benefit amount. Since Delaware has a weekly claim processing system, you will receive a check for every weekly claim you make. You may file claims for more than 26 weeks if you work part-time and partial benefits are paid. If you have received all the benefits to which you are entitled (normally 26 weeks), then you may receive no more until the benefit year is over, even if you work again and become unemployed. However, during periods of high unemployment, a special program is placed in effect, which provides additional weeks of benefits.

At the end of your benefit year, you may be eligible to establish a new benefit year. If you have been employed during the current benefit year and earned at least 10 times the weekly benefit amount for which you would be eligible during the new benefit year. An employee at your local unemployment insurance office can provide you with further information on establishing a new benefit year.

When you are granted benefits, your benefit year provides you with a 52-week period beginning with the date of your application for unemployment compensation benefits. If you claim the full amount for each week, you will receive your maximum allowance of benefits. This information can be found on your Financial Determination.

If you filed online, you should receive an email confirmation after you file your claim. In the first week you will receive three mailings: Notice of Financial Determination (UC-44F), UC Claim Confirmation Letter (UC-360) and the Delaware UC Handbook (UCP-1).

Note: Currently, a determination regarding your separation from employment could take 4-6 weeks, so continue to file your weekly claims during that time.

Yes. You can go to https://labor.delaware.gov/audience-portals/claimants/ to re-open your claim.

Please note: If you choose to re-open your claim online, you will do so by using the “Reopen a Claim” button on the right tabs. The process to re-open a claim is exactly the same as the initial claim process and the entire form must be completed. When you submit the claim, it will be processed as a re-open application, not a new application, as long as you have a current claim in place, i.e. less than one year has passed from your Application for Benefits date. After you hit the submit button, you should print the confirmation page and retain it for your records.

If you received your benefits on your UC Debit Card and no longer have it or it is no longer active, please contact the Debit Card Company at 866-586-1706.

Yes. If you have decided that you do not want to claim UC and you have not filed for any weeks, you can request to cancel the claim. This will allow you to file a new claim when it is appropriate. If you would like to cancel your current claim, you can email uiclaims@delaware.gov to request the withdrawal of your application. 

A:  If you are receiving unemployment insurance benefits, you must be able to work and available for work. In addition, you must make an active search for work, register for work with the Division of Employment and Training when required to do so, accept suitable work as defined by law, and file a weekly claim for benefits properly and on time (see the question, “How often do I file claims and when must I file claims?”, for more information). You must report all wages, including self-employment and odd jobs, pensions, annuities, holiday pay, vacation pay, severance pay, and bonuses and special payments.

A. You must file a Weekly Pay Authorization or call TeleBenefits every week. Be sure to keep your records for unemployment insurance eligibility requirements on a weekly basis since the Weekly Pay Authorization or TeleBenefits will require you to answer specific questions about each compensable week that you claim benefits. A “compensable week” for unemployment benefits runs from Sunday through Saturday. It is your responsibility to return your Weekly Pay Authorization or to call TeleBenefits each week. Failure to return your Weekly Pay Authorization or to call TeleBenefits timely will cause a delay in benefits and may result in denial of benefits. If you have selected to claim benefits by using the Weekly Pay Authorization option and do not get a new Weekly Pay Authorization covering the weekly claim period (compensable week) in the mail within one week of the Sunday date you mailed your last Weekly Pay Authorization, it is your responsibility to email the UC office at UICLAIMS@DELAWARE.GOV or call the UC office at 302-761-8446 on the next working day in order for your Weekly Pay Authorization to be received on time. Backdated claims may not be accepted.

If you have selected to claim benefits using TeleBenefits, please follow the instructions in the TeleBenefits brochure, Filing for Weekly Unemployment Insurance Benefits by Telephone, or on the TeleBenefits webpage.

A. UI will make a determination on your request to backdate your application for benefits and claim(s) for missed weeks. You can also email uiclaims@delaware.gov to request backdating. Email Backdating Request:

• Include “Back Date Request” in the subject line of the email
• Provide exact date and any relevant information about your separation for the additional weeks you wish to claim.
• Send only one email request as they will be processed as fast as possible and multiple requests will only delay our ability to process in a timely manner.

An application for benefits may be backdated in only a very limited number of circumstances. Generally, backdating is permitted only where the individual did not file timely claims, through no fault of his/her own.

A. The Office of Unemployment Insurance has an automated telephone information system that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The information hotline number is 302-761-6576. The telephone information service will be able to tell you:

• How to file a claim for benefits
• The date and amount of the last check issued to you
• How to claim your weekly unemployment insurance check using TeleBenefits.

A. If you are eligible to receive benefits, your first check will normally be mailed within three weeks after filing your claim, and a check should arrive every week after that if you continue to mail your Weekly Pay Authorizations weekly. However, the checks will not always arrive on the same day of the week. For your convenience, a check stub is provided with pertinent information needed for your records. Be sure to keep your check stubs to refer to if you think you are missing a check or have been paid improperly. Each time you receive an unemployment insurance check the Weekly Pay Authorization (for the following week will be received with the check. Remember, if you make false statements or fail to give required information in connection with your claim, you may be subject to prosecution for fraud, which could result in disqualification for one year and an overpayment on benefits received after the date of the false statement or both, plus interest on the fraudulently collected benefits.

A.  The Delaware Division of Unemployment Insurance is pleased to offer Direct Deposit of unemployment insurance benefits to new and existing claimants. With Direct Deposit your weekly unemployment insurance benefits payment is electronically deposited into your checking or savings account as long as your financial institution participates in the Direct Deposit program. It is your responsibility to verify that your financial institution will accept Direct Deposit to your account. Some banks and credit unions will not accept Direct Deposit or they require that a special account number be used for Direct Deposit. Many brokerage accounts will not accept electronic transactions of any type. You may apply for direct deposit online at: https://uidd.delawareworks.com/.

A.  Yes, our site permits an unemployed Delaware worker to file an initial claim for unemployment insurance benefits online.

Apply Online

A.  There are many types of notices that will be sent to you while you are filing for unemployment insurance. Read all notices you receive carefully. If you have any questions, call the UI office immediately at 302-761-8446 or email us at UIClaims@Delaware.gov. If you have filed any type of appeal, you will get a notice telling you the time, date, and place of your appeal hearing. You may be called in periodically for an Eligibility Review Interview. You will be given an “Eligibility Review Questionnaire” when you file your claim. Also, you may periodically be sent an “Eligibility Review Questionnaire” to complete and return to us. The questionnaire helps us offer you assistance in searching for work and enables us to make sure you are still available for full-time work and that you are actively seeking work. It tells us whether you are also meeting the other eligibility requirements of the law. Therefore, it is important that you carefully and thoughtfully complete the form. Failure to do so may result in your benefits being denied or delayed.

A.  If you are disqualified, you will not receive any further benefits unless you file an appeal, and the disqualification is reversed. You may file an appeal by emailing: Dol_DUI_APPEALS_REQUEST.@DELAWARE.GOV or mailing a written appeal to:

Division of Unemployment Insurance Appeals Unit
PO Box 9950
Wilmington, DE 19809-0951

You must include your full name, contact information and case number when filing an appeal.

It is also possible that you will be denied benefits for weeks you have already received and will be required to repay these benefits to the Department. The issues to be resolved that will be printed on your appointment notice, the reasons you may be disqualified and the penalties for each are:

• Meeting Reporting Requirements
• Filing Proper Claims
• Not being Able and Available for Work
• Not Making an Active Search for Work
• Second Benefit Year Eligibility
• If You Voluntarily Quit Employment
• If You Were Discharged for Just Cause from Employment
• Refused Job or Job Referral
• Are Unemployed Due to A Labor Dispute
• If You Are Entitled to Benefits Under Either the Railroad Retirement Act, Federal Employment or Other State Eligibility
• If You Have Received an Overpayment of Benefits

A.  You may appeal within 10 calendar days and request a hearing on the facts. The appeal must be filed in writing or in person at your local unemployment insurance office and it must be filed within 10 calendar days. Your signature must be included on the request for appeal.

1. You must file an appeal with the local unemployment insurance office within 10 days and submit it to DOL_DUI_APPEALS_REQUEST@DELAWARE.GOV.

2. You must continue to file claims weekly.

A.  Your claim is governed by the laws of the State against which you file. This is called an “Interstate” claim. If you worked in a State outside of Delaware, you must file in that State. Any benefits you receive will be paid by the State against which you filed and will be mailed directly to your home. You must meet all the requirements of that state’s laws in order to be eligible. Also, you must be registered for work with the Delaware Job Service when required to do so and must be actively looking for work in the area where you now live. Since the laws of each State are different, it is possible that your base period, benefit year and check amount will be different from that of a Delaware worker. Your claim is governed by the laws of the State against which you file (the State that pays your benefits). You may file in Delaware against any of the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. Note: Different States may also have different penalties, rules for dependents’ allowances and sick claims. Also, other deductions may be required.

A.  Generally, first you should identify the state, or states, where you worked and were paid wages during your base year.

If you have earned wages in only one state during your base year period, you should file for unemployment compensation (UC) with the state where you worked. If you have earned wages in more than one state during your base year period, you must file a Combined Wage Claim (CWC) by contacting one of the states where you worked and were paid wages during your base year.

If you need assistance in determining the state where you should file your UC claim, you should contact the Delaware UC service center by email at UIClaims@Delaware.gov or by phone at 302-761-8446.

A.  You should file for benefits in the state where wages were earned.

A.  No, if you are collecting severance pay, or are going to be collecting severance pay, file your application as soon as you become unemployed. The answers you provide in your application regarding severance pay will help determine the impact severance pay may, or may not, have on your eligibility for benefits. Before a determination can be issued, additional information will also be requested from you and/or your employer.

A.  Notify the UC service center immediately if you return to work. If you return to work full time with your former employer or a new employer, you are no longer eligible for benefits. However, remember to file claims for weeks you were unemployed before you returned to work.

A.  When filing for unemployment compensation (UC) benefits, you are required to report all pensions, including retirement, retired pay, annuities or other similar periodic payments and lump-sum pension payments.

A.  In order to receive benefits, an individual must meet the financial eligibility requirements of the Delaware UC Law; be unemployed through no fault of his/her own; and be able and available for work.

The Delaware UC Law does not disqualify you for benefits simply because you are a full or part-time student. Additionally, you will not be ineligible for any claim week that you are in training approved by the secretary of the Department of Labor and are otherwise eligible.

You may not be eligible for UC benefits if you quit your job to enroll in an academic credit training program. There is no requirement that you must be available for full-time or permanent work. Your work history can be full-time, part-time, or seasonal. However, you must not refuse suitable work when offered. You may also be ineligible if you refuse a referral to a job opportunity.

A.  Every naturalized or authorized worker MUST email or mail legible images of the front and back of their Social Security Card and front and back images of their Employment Work Authorization within 14 calendar days to be eligible to receive benefits.

If sending the documents via email, please send to UIClaims@Delaware.gov with the email subject as: First & Last Name.

A.  You receive a UC debit card (if financially eligible) at the start of a new UC claim. If your UC debit card is lost or compromised, you may request a new one from US Bank at 866-567-850 or online at www.usbankreliacard.com. Reopening your claim or starting a UC claim does not trigger a new mailing for these items. If you are financially ineligible, you will not receive a debit card.