Unemployment Laws in Wisconsin
As in much of the country, Wisconsin's unemployment rate was high in December of 2009, when it hit 8.3 percent. This means that a lot of state residents were filing for unemployment insurance, many of them for the first time. Filing in Wisconsin can be an overwhelming process if you don't understand the rules. The key is to remember that in Wisconsin filing for unemployment benefits is a two-step process: You must first file an initial claim and then weekly claim certification requests for every week in which you want to receive an unemployment check.
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The Initial Claim
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If you've been laid off from your job in Wisconsin, your first step to receive unemployment benefits is to file an initial claim with the state. You can do this online or by phone (see References). You'll need to provide the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development your Social Security Number, a Personal Identification Number that you set yourself, your Wisconsin driver's license number, the names and numbers of the companies or individuals for whom you worked in the last 18 months and the name and number of your local union hall if you work in a skilled trade.
After you submit this claim, the department will send you a notice explaining either why you don't qualify for unemployment benefits or, if you do qualify, how much money you'll be eligible to receive and for how many weeks you can claim it.
Claim Certification
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After your initial claim is approved, you must then file a weekly claim certification every week you want to receive benefits. If you don't file this claim for a given week, you won't receive any benefits that week. The department of workforce development recommends that you wait until after Saturday to file your weekly claim.
For more information on how to file this certification, visit the weekly claim certification page of the department of workforce development (see References).
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Timelines
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The department of workforce development says that it generally approves or denies initial claims within seven days. The department says it then sends out its checks within seven days after individuals file their weekly claim certifications.
The department does advise filers that they won't necessarily receive their weekly payments on the same day each week.
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References
- Photo Credit Wisconsin state contour against blurred USA flag image by Stasys Eidiejus from Fotolia.com
