How do I file a claim?
You may apply online at the Idaho Department of Labor Claimant Portal. We don’t accept claims over the telephone.
If you don’t have internet access or need help filing online, you may file at your nearest local Labor office.
If you are filing an Idaho claim but live in another state, file your claim using the Claimant Portal.
How do I verify my identity?
You must verify your identity through the ID.me before using the Claimant Portal. This helps keep your information safe.
To verify your identity, click the Sign in with ID.me button on the Claimant Portal. For more information on using ID.me, follow this link.
Where is the nearest local office?
Find your nearest Labor office in this list of Idaho locations.What information do I need to apply?
- Personal information
- Social Security number.
- Driver’s license.
- Alien Registration number and card (if you are not a U.S. citizen).
- Work History for all your employers in the past 2 years, including:
- Business name.
- Business address (work site and corporate office, if different).
- Business phone number.
- Employment start and end dates.
- Total gross earnings before deductions.
- Reason for job loss.
- Military Service:
- DD form 214, Member 4 (Certification of Release or Discharge from Active Duty); or,
- NOAA Form 56-16 (Report of Transfer or Discharge).
What must I do to be eligible for benefits?
You must:
- Be unemployed through no fault of your own.
- Be a U.S. citizen or legally authorized to work in the U.S.
- Be available for full-time work.
- Be able to perform full-time work.
- Be willing to actively seek full-time work.
- Make enough earnings in the base period:
- Be paid wages for work in at least 2 quarters of your base period.
- Earn at least $1,872 in wages in one of those quarters.
- Earn total wages equal to 1.25 times your highest quarter wages.
When should I apply for benefits/file a claim?
Apply for benefits when your hours have been reduced or you are no longer employed. Apply on the Claimant Portal during the week you are seeking payment. Don’t wait until the week is over.
Apply before Saturday at midnight when the benefit week ends. Then you can file your weekly certification starting Sunday. If you don’t apply during that week, it won’t count as your waiting week or a payable week.
For example, apply for benefits the same week your typical 40-hour workweek is reduced to 15 hours. File your weekly certification the following Sunday. This will earn you credit for your waiting week or a payable week if you are eligible.
What is a waiting week?
A waiting week is an unpaid benefit week every claimant must serve each benefit year. You must serve a waiting week before you can get unemployment benefits.
The first week you are eligible for credit and file a weekly certification will be your waiting week. You must file a weekly certification and meet eligibility requirements to get credit for the waiting week.
For example, if you earn more than 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount in the week you file, then that week won’t qualify as a waiting week. You can work a partial week and still get waiting week credit if your earnings were less than 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount.
What if I am not working but getting severance pay?
Any income you make during a week you claim must be reported. This includes severance pay.
Divide your severance pay by the number of weeks it will be paid to you. Report the weekly amount on your weekly certification for that week.
What if I am getting WARN Act payments from my former employer?
You don’t need to report WARN Act payments on your weekly certification.Can I file a claim in another state if I live in Idaho?
Yes. If you live in Idaho but earned wages in another state, you can file a claim in another state.
The District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are considered “states” when filing an unemployment insurance claim. If you have earned wages in Idaho and at least one other state during the base period, you may transfer wages to the state in which you file your claim. This is called a combined-wage claim. You can’t combine wages earned in Canada.
What if I move out of Idaho?
If you move to another state, update your address online on the Claimant Portal. You must register for work within 2 weeks in your new state. Registration details for each state can be found at CareerOneStop.