File for Unemployment Benefits

File Your Unemployment Application and Initial Claim Process

Need to file for unemployment in Indiana? The following process is necessary when you are filing for unemployment:

1. Go to Uplink CSS and click on “File A New Claim” to get started
2. Create your personal login information, including a username and password. This information must not use your last name or passwords from any other site. Your profile will also be linked to a personal e-mail, so you will need create one if necessary.
3. Fill in the relevant information, including your full name, residential and mailing address, Social Security Number, personal identification information, most recent employer's name and address, the dates you worked for them, and the reason for employment termination.
4. Double-check all of your information to make sure it is accurate – if necessary, call your old employer to verify start and end dates, wages paid, and other information
5. Register for work at IndianaCAREERconnect.com to fulfill your work search requirement (will be discussed more in-depth below)

Documents and Information Needed During Filing

• Name and address
• Social Security Card
• W-2 tax information (if a federal employee)
• Driver's license
• Any identification cards given out to you at the Work One center
• Information about your last employer, including their name, address, the type of work you did, your start and end dates, and any other relevant information
• Alien Registration Number (if you are not a citizen)

Claim Weekly Benefits

In Indiana, you need to claim your benefits every week by logging into your Uplink profile. Here, you will let Indiana unemployment know that you are able to and are actively searching for work. You also need to report any employment changes, such as receiving a new full-time job or a part-time job. This will vary your weekly benefits significantly.

How to Claim Weekly Benefits

The first week that you file is known as a “waiting week,” during which you will not receive benefits. After this, you will continue to receive weekly benefits as long as you claim them using the following process:

1. Login to Uplink
2. Click on “File My Weekly Claim”
3. Answer all the relevant questions including:
1. If you are currently looking for work
2. Have not done any work that week
3. Made no money that week
4. Have not found another job
5. Wish to receive your check that week
4. Include any work contacts you made (at least two per week)
5. After answering these questions, submit your form

It's not a bad idea to set a weekly reminder on your account to ensure that you file every week. Forgetting to file will cause you to lose benefits for that week, unless you can provide a good reason (such as medical problems) that made it impossible for you to file.

Claim Denials or Discrepancies

All unemployment claims are carefully checked by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. They will examine information presented in your claim and compare it with that of what your past employer presents.

If there are discrepancies or if your claim has been denied, you will receive notification by mail and in your Uplink account. These discrepancies can be appealed to the Appeals Division, which is made up of a variety of legal professionals, in eight different offices located throughout the state.

Appeals Process for Denied Claims

To file your unemployment appeal, follow these steps:

1. Pick up an appeal form from a Work One center, fill it out (including the reasons you disagree with the determination), sign your name, and add your mailing address, telephone number, and Social Security Number
2. Mail your appeal to the Appeals Division within 10 days of the date it was mailed out (will be included on the “Determination of Eligibility” form received in the mail)
3. The staff will review the appeal, establish the case, and enter it into the computer system – this will take up to a week or so
4. Receive your appeal hearing notification
5. Attend the hearing with information that proves your case, including written warnings, witnesses, and anything else that can help

You may attend the hearing via telephone if you can prove you have a just cause, such as a medical concern or an inability to get transported to the hearing. After the hearing is over, wait at least a week to receive your determination.

If your appeal was denied, you can appeal to the Review Board within 18 days after the mailing of the decision. Make sure your appeal is in writing, signed, contains the case number, your Social Security Number, and an explanation for your appeal. If new evidence is available, you must also submit it with the letter.

Office of Appeals Contact Information

Department of Workforce Development

UI Review Board

100 North Senate Avenue, Suite N802

Indianapolis, IN 46204

Fax:  (317) 233-3348