CITY OF PHOENIX
Pinal County

Unemployment Insurance

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN FILING A COVID-19 RELATED UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE CLAIM

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FAQs about Unemployment Insurance

FILE WEEKLY UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE (UI) CLAIM

The weekly claim filing process (also referred to as weekly certification) is used to verify that you were unemployed during the week and are eligible to receive benefit payments (provided that you qualify monetarily and are determined eligible to receive benefits). Weekly claims are filed by individuals who have applied for Unemployment Insurance (UI) Benefits and/or have an existing Arizona Unemployment Insurance Claim with a monetary balance (meaning, you still have money remaining in your total benefit entitlement).

Notice: On August 3, 2018, changes to Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) § 23-776 enacted in
Senate Bill 1398 take effect.  Review the full notice.

To apply for Unemployment Insurance Benefits, or if you already have a benefit year that hasn't expired and want to restart filing for benefits after a break (due to employment or some other reason), use the same online application that you used to initially apply for benefits.

Information Needed to File Weekly Claims:

  • PIN (I don't remember my PIN)
  • Reporting Wages (Why and How to Report)
  • Record of work search for the week being claimed.

The online Weekly Claims System is available from 12:01 a.m. Sunday to 6 p.m. Friday (except on certain State holidays).

Important Information - Unemployment Insurance Fraud is a Felony!

In an effort to prevent improper payments of benefits, the Department regularly audits Unemployment Insurance claims.

Overpaid benefits may be recovered by diverting either your Arizona or federal income tax refunds (or both)

Not reporting earnings can result in legal action

You may be prosecuted for withholding or falsifying information to obtain or increase your benefits

Penalty for false statements: It is a felony to misrepresent or fail to disclose facts or to make false statements in order to obtain or increase benefits. If you knowingly make a false statement or withhold information in order to collect unemployment insurance benefits to which you are not entitled, the Arizona Department of Economic Security may take civil or criminal action against you. Criminal action will result in a fine and/or imprisonment. In addition, you will be required to repay the amount you illegally received.

APPLY FOR UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE (UI) BENEFITS

 

To file a new Unemployment Insurance Claim - CLICK HERE 

Note: For New Military or Federal claims only, please contact (602) 542-5954 (during normal business hours - 8:00AM to 5:00PM MST)

The following information is required to file a new application for regular UI benefits or to file an additional UI claim (an additional claim is filed when you have a benefit year that has not yet expired, you found a job that has now ended and have become unemployed again).

  • Your Social Security Number.
  • AZ Driver's License or AZ State Issued ID (Note: you may still complete your application without these two items).
  • Your mailing address, city, state and ZIP code.
  • If you live in Arizona, know the county where you reside.
  • The names, addresses, and phone numbers of all your employers for the last 18 months.
  • The last day you worked immediately prior to filing your UI claim.
  • If you received severance, vacation, holiday or payment for unused sick pay: give the amount (before deductions) and the date it was paid to you.
  • The name and local number of your union hall, if applicable.
  • Alien Registration Number, if applicable.
  • Copy # 4 of your DD Form 214 if released from the military in the last 18 months*
  • SF 8 or SF 50 if employed in Federal Civilian service in the last 18 months*
  • If you are collecting a pension (other than Social Security), you will need the start date of the pension and the monthly benefit amount.

* Fax a copy of SF8 SF-50 or DD214 form to (602) 364-1416 or Email a copy to [email protected]

The Initial Claims Online Application is available from 12:01 a.m. Sunday to 5 p.m. Friday each week. 

Please note that this same online system is used to reopen an existing claim. Meaning: you have a benefit year that has not yet expired, you stopped filing weekly claims for reasons other than returning to work and you now wish to begin filing for weekly benefits again.

It is a felony to misrepresent or fail to disclose facts or to make false statements in order to obtain or increase benefits. If you knowingly make a false statement or withhold information in order to collect unemployment insurance benefits to which you are not entitled, the Arizona Department of Economic Security may take civil or criminal action against you. Criminal action may result in a fine and/or imprisonment. In addition, you will be required to repay the amount you received illegally as well as penalty amounts which are added to each week that was fraudulently claimed. As part of our fraud prevention efforts, the Department regularly conducts several types of audits to detect improper benefit payments. View more information about Unemployment Insurance Fraud.

For more information on Unemployment click HERE