Maintaining Your UI Eligibility

 To get paid you must maintain your eligibility. In order to remain eligible and continue to receive benefit payments, you must:

You must comply with each of the tasks listed above in order to avoid possible overpayments or a fraud investigation.

Searching for Work

You are required to actively search for work every week you receive UI benefits by completing work search activities. We recommend that you complete at least five work search activities per week. If you are union or job-attached, you may not need to search for work. 

Examples of work-search activities include:

• Applying or interviewing for a job for which you are qualified.
• Taking an exam as part of an application process for a job for which you are qualified.
• Participating in reemployment services at a state workforce center or other location where similar services are provided, including resumé building.

We regularly audit unemployment insurance claims. If you are audited, you will need to provide proof of your work search efforts. Failure to complete work-search activities each week and document those activities with information that can be confirmed may cause the denial of benefits and may result in an overpayment.

Requesting Weekly Payment & Reporting Earnings

• You must request payment every week
• Request your payments every week online through MyUI+ or by telephone at 303-813-2800 or 1-888-550-2800 (outside the Denver metro area)
• Payments will be made by direct deposit to your bank account or to your UI debit card
• Request payment only for any weeks you are unemployed or worked fewer than 32 hours.
• If you are working while claiming UI benefits, you must report how much money you made. The amount you must report is your gross earnings, not your net earnings.

What Earnings to Report

When you have an open unemployment claim but are still getting some hours of work, you may be awarded part of your weekly benefits, but you must have earned less than your weekly benefit amount and worked fewer than 32 hours that week. The law states that you can earn up to 50 percent of your weekly benefit amount and still be paid your full benefit payment. After that, we must reduce your benefit payment by one dollar for each dollar you earn.  We require that you report the time and gross earnings the week they were earned (not the week they are paid).

Any money received in exchange for work or services MUST be reported as earnings on your claim, even if it’s just one hour worked or one dollar earned. Tips must be reported as wages. Be sure you are reporting for the week you worked, not when you get paid.

Payments you must report as earnings or wages include: This includes all work, including Full-Time, Temporary Work, Self-Employment, Military Employment, Federal Employment, Commission, Paid Training, 1099, Contract Jobs, Cash Jobs, Paid Time Off when work was available.

If you make a mistake when reporting your earnings, you may correct this information in MyUI+ or by calling the Benefits Payment Center at 303-318-9035. Failing to accurately report wages, earnings, or other types of payment may be considered fraud and could result in penalties or denial of benefits.

How and When to Report Earnings

When requesting payment of benefits, you must report your hours worked and gross earnings (i.e., earnings before tax withholdings, child support, etc.) for each week that you request payment, so it is important that you keep a record of all of your hours and earnings.

• You can report your hours in MyUI+ online or by calling our automated system at 303-813-2800 (Toll-Free 1-888-550-2800).

• Report hours and earnings for each week. Weeks are always Sunday through Saturday.

• Report hours and earnings for the week that the hours were worked, not when you were paid.

• Report the total amount that you earned, not your hourly wage.

• Report hours and earnings before any withholdings or deductions.

• Report all your earnings from any type of work you did, including tips, commission, paid orientation/training, self-employment, temporary work, seasonal work, day labor, and any other part-time work.

Self Employment

Self-employment is considered work. You will need to report your hours worked and profits or gross earnings for the hours worked each week when you request payment (not when you get paid), so be sure to keep track of all of your hours and earnings. You must also maintain your eligibility by meeting all the requirements in order to be paid benefits.

Commission Earnings

Commissions are considered earnings. You will need to report your hours worked and estimate your commissions earned for each week you request payment, so be sure to keep track of all your hours and earned commissions. Instead of waiting until you are paid, we require that you report the estimated commissions as they are earned (when you request payment). 

How to Calculate Gross Earnings

You will need to report your hours worked and gross earnings (pay before any withholdings, e.g., taxes or child support) information for each week when you request payment, so be sure to keep track of all your hours and earnings.

For instance, if you worked 30 hours in a week at $20 per hour, you would report $600 in gross earnings for the week.

Processing Your Claim

Processing your claim usually takes four to six weeks to complete. After you file your claim, we request separation information from your previous employer(s), evaluate your previous wages, and review any additional income. When processing is complete, you will begin to receive your requested payment(s) if you qualify. You may also receive a Notice of Decision explaining why you will or will not receive a payment. You may appeal any decision you disagree with through an appeal process.

While Your Claim is Processing 

During the processing time frame, you may be sent notices regarding your claim. Communications will be based on your identified preference of either email or mail. The Division highly recommends email as it is recognized as the most timely delivery of documents. Check your email and/or mail, and respond to any requests for information by the due date.

You must request payment every week and meet all eligibility requirements even while you wait for your claim to be processed. Your first request for payment will be on the Sunday immediately following the first week of your claim.

Reopening Your Claim 

If you stopped requesting payment and need to reopen your claim, please do so in MyUI+. To avoid delays on your claim, you should reopen your claim as soon as you stop working or when you begin meeting all the eligibility requirements. If you have tried to reopen your claim online but need additional assistance, you may contact the Customer Service Center at 303-318-9000 or 1-800-388-5515 (outside Denver-metro area) during the hours of operation for claim-filing services.

Overpayments 

An overpayment occurs when unemployment benefits are paid, and it is later determined that benefits should not have been paid (not eligible or entitled). You are required to repay these benefits no matter what caused the overpayment.

Some of the common causes of overpayments include:

• A hearing officer's decision reverses a previous award of benefits.

• You incorrectly report information when requesting payment and the information is corrected later. 

• Your base period wages were incorrectly reported by your employer, and the wages are corrected later. 

• Your claim is incorrectly processed, and it is corrected later. 

If you cannot repay the entire amount immediately, contact us to ask if you can setup a repayment plan at 303-318-9035 (Denver-metro area) or 1-877-464-4622 (outside Denver-metro area).