UI Glossary of Commonly Used Terms

Appeals — the appeal process begins with an appeal of a decision to the Division of Unemployment Insurance. After a hearing takes place and a decision is made, that decision may then be appealed to the Industrial Claim Appeals Office. The Industrial Claim Appeals Office provides opportunities to submit information about the appeal, then a panel reviews and makes a final decision. Any additional appeals take place through the Colorado Court of Appeals.

Base Period — a timeframe in which we review the amount of wages you earned to determine if you qualify for benefits. You must have earned $2,500 during a standard base period, which is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the start date of your claim. A calendar quarter is equal to 3 month segments of the year beginning in January. For example, if a claimant files a claim in October 2020, the last five completed calendar quarters are [2019 - Q3] [2019 - Q4] [ 2020 - Q1] [2020 - Q2] [2020 - Q3].

Benefit Week — The Benefit Week, also referred to as the Claim Week, is the week (Sunday through Saturday) a claimant is eligible for benefits. Claimants can certify their Benefit Weeks starting on Sunday in order to receive benefits for the previous week. 
 

Benefit Year — When a claim is filed, it is good for a full year before it expires. This is referred to as the Benefit Year. If a claim expires, and a claimant is still unemployed, the claimant must file a new claim. 

Benefit Year End (BYE) — Every claim has a Benefit Year End date indicating when the claim expires. If a claimant reaches the BYE date and is still unemployed, the claimant must file a new claim.

Bond Interest Assessment — Interest and administrative costs associated for the bond principal.

Chargeable Wages — Chargeable wages are any wages the claimant earned with previous employers during the Base Period of a Standard Unemployment Claim. CDLE may request a claimant’s wage history as far back as two years before the claim is filed. Employers must pay annual premiums based on a number of factors, including for each employee's chargeable wages.

Claimant — A claimant is any individual who has applied for unemployment benefits. Once an individual applies for unemployment benefits, they are assigned a claimant ID number.

Determination (see non-monetary & monetary determinations below) — An official decision by CDLE regarding the unemployment claim of a person. 

Double Dip — Double Dip refers to the employers and wages CDLE uses to calculate a claimant’s weekly benefit amount. When a claim expires, and a new claim is filed, CDLE looks at a new base period to calculate a new weekly benefit amount. If the claimant has not earned at least $2,000 of new wages earned since the start date of the expired claim, then that claimant would be charging the same employer a second time, thus “Double Dipping” on that employer. In this scenario, the claimant does not meet Double Dip and does not qualify for a new claim.

Effective Date — the day on which you are eligible to start receiving benefits against your claim.

Eligibility — the criteria you need to meet to obtain unemployment benefits, each state’s eligibility is different. Colorado’s information is available on the Eligibility and Work Search Requirements page.

Employer — the owner of the business who will have full right to access his or her account. An Employer may have account users who will be acting on behalf of the employer and who will have a capacity granted by the employer to view information and data to conduct business with CDLE.   

Excess Wages — gross wages of employees less their chargeable wages. 

Exhausted Benefits — Each claim has a Maximum Benefit Amount that can be paid within a Benefit Year. When a claimant has collected the Maximum Benefit Amount before the Benefit Year End, then the claimant has exhausted all of his benefits — these are considered exhausted benefits. 

Fact-finding Questionnaire — When an employee is separated from employment and files a claim to collect unemployment benefits, any employer listed on the claim is notified via fact-finding questionnaire and is required to submit job-separation documentation. This documentation allows us to make decisions about whether unemployment benefits should be paid to the claimant.

Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) —  also known as the Federal Tax Identification Number. It is a 9-digit code used by businesses to classify and identify the business as a taxpayer.

Fraud — the willful misrepresentation or nondisclosure of a material fact by a claimant or criminal fraudster for the purpose of obtaining benefits to which the person is not entitled. If you or your employee suspects they are the victim of fraud due to identity theft, please file a report on the UI Report Fraud page.

Gross Wages — The total wages paid to employees of a company or corporation.

Identity Theft — in this case, identity theft is the use of Personal Identifying Information to fraudulently file an unemployment claim in someone else’s name. If you or your employee suspects they are the victim of fraud due to identity theft, please file a report on the UI Report Fraud page. 

Job-attached — means that you are expected to return to your most recent employer after a brief separation of up to 16 weeks. If you are job-attached, your requirements to seek work and to register with your local workforce center may be waived, but you must be available to return to work during this time frame.

Maximum Benefit Amount — The maximum amount of benefits which a person may receive during a benefit year. Unemployment benefits are approximately 55 percent of a person's average weekly wage over a 12-month time period. The current maximum weekly benefit in Colorado is $809; the minimum is $25. 

Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) — The Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) program was established by the Continuing Assistance Act and provides for an additional $100 weekly benefit to regular state unemployment claimants who have also suffered a loss of self-employment income. To receive MEUC benefits, claimants must submit documentation of at least $5000 in self-employment earnings for the prior tax year. The American Rescue Plan further extended the MEUC program through September 6, 2021.

Monetary Determination — A written notice issued to inform you of whether or not you meet the wage requirements necessary to establish entitlement to compensation. It includes the weekly and maximum benefit amounts you may receive, if entitled, and the beginning and ending dates of your benefit year.

MyUI+ — MyUI+ is the online application CDLE launched in January 2021 for users to file and manage their unemployment claims. 

MyUI Employer — a secure system that gives employers online access to unemployment account information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Registered users have convenient access to the primary tasks needed to complete employer reporting and gain valuable information regarding your unemployment insurance account. Functionality includes responding to requests for information, upload quarterly wage files (FTP), workshare plan management, and more.

Non-Monetary Determination — A written notice issued to inform you whether or not you are eligible for benefits based on a decision on an issue which is not related to wages. 

Notice of Decision — A claimant may receive several Notices of Decisions throughout the lifetime of their claim. These notices are sent when a decision has been made in regards to eligibility, a weekly benefit amount, an overpayment, etc. 

Overpayment — An overpayment happens when unemployment benefits are paid, and it is later determined that the benefits should not have been paid (not eligible or entitled). Several circumstances may cause an overpayment including: 

• A hearing officer’s decision reverses a previous award of benefits.
• A claimant incorrectly reported information when requesting payment, and the information is corrected later.
• Wages were incorrectly reported by an employer, and the wages are corrected later.
• The claim is incorrectly processed, and it is corrected later.

Personal Identification Number (PIN) —  When filing a claim, users will choose a personal identification number (PIN), which may be used to access some unemployment benefits and services. If CDLE staff establishes a claim on your behalf, a random PIN will be generated and emailed to you.

Premium — (formerly known as tax) is paid by the employer on the chargeable amount of every employee’s wages in a calendar year. It is paid into an unemployment fund, which is used to pay unemployment benefits. 

Program Integrity Hold — A program integrity hold refers to a hold that is placed on a claim for potential identity reasons. To stop benefits from being paid to potential fraudsters, CDLE has implemented various measures to ensure that claims are legitimate and that the individual who is filing a claim and requesting payment is the individual named on the claim. In some cases, identity verification through TrueID is sufficient to resolve a program integrity hold, while other cases require additional investigation.

Quarterly Wage and Premium Report —  a report submitted each calendar quarter by an employer. It lists employee wages and the premium due for the quarter.

Reemployment — Reemployment is the process of reentering the workforce and becoming gainfully employed after receiving unemployment benefits. CDLE is committed to helping unemployed workers find valuable employment by providing a variety of free services. Every claimant is required to register with ConnectingColorado.com and participate in work-search activities each week in an effort to reenter the workforce. Once a claimant is hired as a full-time employee, she does not need to notify CDLE, simply stop requesting payment. 

Refusal of Work — A refusal to work happens when a claimant turns down a job offer, or refuses to return to work when a previous employer offers additional hours. Claimants must report any job refusals when completing their weekly certification of eligibility.

ReliaCard — If you signed up to receive your unemployment benefits via a prepaid debit card from U.S. Bank, you will receive a “ReliaCard” by mail. Claimants can make purchases, get cash, and pay bills everywhere Visa® debit is accepted with this ReliaCard. Alternatively, a claimant can choose to receive his or her unemployment benefits via direct deposit with their banking institution of choice.

Remuneration — all of the cash and non-cash compensation you receive from an employer, which could include separation pay or vacation payout.  

Redetermination — A written notice issued to inform a claimant that they may be responsible for an overpayment or underpayment based on a decision made after a claimant has already received benefits.

Separation Pay/Severance Pay — pay that you receive upon separation from an employer. 

SIDES (State Information Data Exchange System) / E-Response — is a nationally-standardized web-based system that transmits questions from CDLE about Unemployment Insurance claims by former employees directly to employers. SIDES users may use the program to respond to the "Request for Facts About a Former Employee's Employment," Form UIB-290. Your Third Party Administrator (TPA) and large-volume employers will use a traditional SIDES account, individual employers will sign up for SIDES through our “SIDES/E-Response” function in MyUI Employer. 

Statement of Wages — Once an individual starts a new claim, CDLE will send a Statement of Wages form that shows how much the claimant has earned in the base period and how much the claimant may receive in benefits. 

Standard Unemployment Insurance (STUI) — Colorado provides up to 26 weeks of standard unemployment benefits. This is the first and main program you will be on when you file for unemployment. For those who exhaust those benefits, you may be eligible to receive federally extended benefits as part of the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program.

System Administrator —  the owner, partner, officer, or other designated representative of the business who will administer a MyUI Employer account for the employer and additional administrators. It is recommended to have at least two System Administrators who know the main account username and password. 

Third Party Administrator (TPA) — a professional employer organization used by employers to handle the processing of your employees' unemployment claims.

Trust Fund (UI Trust Fund) — UI benefits are paid to individuals unemployed through no fault of their own from the UI Trust Fund, which resides in the federal treasury. Employer premium rates can increase when the trust fund balance decreases. 

Unemployment Insurance (UI) — Unemployment Insurance benefits are funded by employers and may be paid to any worker who has lost a job through no fault of his or her own and who meets the eligibility requirements set forth by the law. These benefit payments help job seekers focus on the path to reemployment and help lessen the negative impact of unemployment on the economy.

Wage Report — a report that lists employees and their wages. This is submitted by employers on a quarterly basis and can be submitted through MyUI Employer or our FTP upload program.

Waiting Week — After a claim is processed, and it is determined to be eligible for benefits, the first payment a claimant will receive is postponed by one week's worth of payment. This is called the waiting week. Basically, every claimant who qualifies for unemployment serves an unpaid "waiting week" that begins the first week they become eligible to receive benefits.

Weekly Benefit Amount — The weekly benefit amount is the determined amount a claimant is expected to receive each week in unemployment benefits. This amount is determined by a claimant’s documented wage history with previous employers as far back as two years before the claim is filed.

Work Search — Work search can and should include a mixture of activities, including contacting potential employers, completing applications, and interviewing for jobs. A valid work search means you have completed specific work-search activities that may lead to a new job and that can be verified by CDLE. Various factors are considered when determining if the work you are seeking is suitable including, but not limited to, rate of pay, prior experience, and length of unemployment.

Workforce Center — There are workforce centers across Colorado where citizens can get free, in-person guidance on unemployment, reemployment, and access computer and internet resources. Visit the CDLE website to find your local center. **Due to limited Covid-19 in-person services, please contact your local workforce center before visiting. 
 

Workshare Program — this program is set up with employers and allows employees to keep working, but with fewer hours. While employees are working fewer hours, CDLE pays part of an employee’s regular unemployment benefits. Employers must first apply and be approved to participate in a work-share program.