Delaware Unemployment Benefits: Who Qualifies, How Much, and How to Apply
Delaware unemployment: can you get benefits if fired or you quit, weekly benefit amounts, how many weeks, work search rules, how to apply and appeal.
Quick answers for Delaware
- If you were fired
- You may be denied benefits if you were discharged for just cause in connection with your work, such as lateness, unexcused absences, or violating company rules. Delaware Division of Unemployment Insurance, UI Claimant Handbook (revised April 2020)
- Weekly benefit amount
- Your weekly benefit is 1/46 of your wages in the two highest-paid quarters of your base period. The current range under Delaware law is $20 to $450 per week. The $450 maximum took effect April 2, 2023 under House Bill 49 (84 Del. Delaware Division of Unemployment Insurance, Claimant FAQs; UI Claimant Handbook; Delaware General Assembly, HB 49 (152nd General Assembly)
- How many weeks
- Normally up to 26 weeks: total benefits are 50% of your base period wages or 26 times your weekly benefit amount, whichever is less. A special program may add weeks during periods of high unemployment. Delaware Division of Unemployment Insurance, UI Claimant Handbook; Claimant FAQs
- How to apply
- File a new or reopened claim online through the Division's claim system. Request your weekly benefits through WebBenefits (online) or TeleBenefits (phone), reporting gross wages for the week earned and your work search contacts. Delaware Division of Unemployment Insurance, File an Unemployment Claim; UI Claimant Handbook
Last verified: 2026-10-27
Who qualifies
| If you were fired | You may be denied benefits if you were discharged for just cause in connection with your work, such as lateness, unexcused absences, or violating company rules. |
|---|---|
| If you quit | You may be denied benefits if you quit your job voluntarily without good cause attributable to your work. In an appeal hearing about a quit, you have the burden of proving good cause. |
| Layoffs and reduced hours | You must be partially or totally out of work through no fault of your own. If your regular hours are reduced, you may be eligible for partial benefits under the earnings allowance rule. |
| Earnings needed to qualify | You must have been paid at least 36 times your weekly benefit amount by covered employers in your base period. The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters; if you do not qualify, an alternate base period using the four most recent completed quarters may be used. |
| Self-employed, 1099 and gig workers | Delaware courts have consistently ruled that self-employed people are not eligible for unemployment benefits; benefits are not meant to support the early stages of a new business. Self-employment can be found when you have made more than minimal efforts on behalf of a business you own, even if it is not profitable and even if you remain available for other work. If you are self-employed when you file, or become self-employed while collecting, you must tell the Division of Unemployment Insurance. |
How much and how long
| Weekly benefit amount | Your weekly benefit is 1/46 of your wages in the two highest-paid quarters of your base period. The current range under Delaware law is $20 to $450 per week. The $450 maximum took effect April 2, 2023 under House Bill 49 (84 Del. Laws c. 2), which raised it from $400. The claimant handbook (revised April 2020) still shows the old $400 maximum. Bill status and effective date: https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail/129939 |
|---|---|
| How many weeks | Normally up to 26 weeks: total benefits are 50% of your base period wages or 26 times your weekly benefit amount, whichever is less. A special program may add weeks during periods of high unemployment. |
| Working part-time on benefits | You may earn up to 50% of your weekly benefit amount without any deduction. Anything over 50% is deducted dollar for dollar. For example, with a $100 weekly benefit, $60 in gross earnings reduces your payment to $90. |
| Severance and vacation pay | Dismissal payments and severance pay, bonuses, holiday pay, back pay and workers' compensation are treated as income you must report. You must also report all pensions, annuities and similar periodic payments, because your weekly benefit may be reduced. If you receive or expect severance, file your claim as soon as you become unemployed. |
Applying and keeping benefits
| How to apply | File a new or reopened claim online through the Division's claim system. Request your weekly benefits through WebBenefits (online) or TeleBenefits (phone), reporting gross wages for the week earned and your work search contacts. If separation issues come up, return the separation questionnaire within 10 days of its mailing date. |
|---|---|
| Work search requirements | You must actively seek work and make at least one new work search contact each week, recording the employer's name and address, type of work sought, result and date on your Work Search Log and when you request weekly benefits. Registering with the public employment office (JobLink) alone is not enough. If you do not search in a required week, you are ineligible for that week, and your log may be audited. |
| Appealing a denial | You may appeal within 10 calendar days of the date of the Notice of Determination and request a hearing before an appeals referee; appeals must be filed in person at the local office or postmarked within that time. A referee's decision may be appealed to the Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board within 10 days of its mailing date. Keep requesting weekly benefits while your appeal is pending. |
| Logging in and filing weekly claims | Delaware unemployment claimants file weekly certifications online through WebBenefits or by phone through TeleBenefits (Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Unemployment Insurance). TeleBenefits is available 24/7 at (800) 794-3032 (outside New Castle County) or (302) 761-6576 (New Castle County): press 1 to file your weekly certification, enter your Social Security number and your 4-digit PIN, and answer the questions about earnings, availability and work search. The system only lets you claim the current week; to file for a prior week, go to your local office. A visual voice-response line for weekly certification is at 302-761-8446. The same pages link to direct deposit enrollment, overpayment help and the Claimant Handbook. WebBenefits link on the agency page: https://uicc.delawareworks.com/Consumer/Default.aspx |
Where to get help in Delaware
Unemployment Benefits FAQ
Can you get unemployment if you were fired in Delaware?
You may be denied benefits if you were discharged for just cause in connection with your work, such as lateness, unexcused absences, or violating company rules.
Can you get unemployment if you quit in Delaware?
You may be denied benefits if you quit your job voluntarily without good cause attributable to your work. In an appeal hearing about a quit, you have the burden of proving good cause.
Can you get unemployment if your hours were cut in Delaware?
You must be partially or totally out of work through no fault of your own. If your regular hours are reduced, you may be eligible for partial benefits under the earnings allowance rule.
How much do you need to have earned to get unemployment in Delaware?
You must have been paid at least 36 times your weekly benefit amount by covered employers in your base period. The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters; if you do not qualify, an alternate base period using the four most recent completed quarters may be used.
How much is unemployment in Delaware?
Your weekly benefit is 1/46 of your wages in the two highest-paid quarters of your base period. The current range under Delaware law is $20 to $450 per week. The $450 maximum took effect April 2, 2023 under House Bill 49 (84 Del. Laws c. 2), which raised it from $400.
How long can you get unemployment in Delaware?
Normally up to 26 weeks: total benefits are 50% of your base period wages or 26 times your weekly benefit amount, whichever is less. A special program may add weeks during periods of high unemployment.
What are the work search requirements for unemployment in Delaware?
You must actively seek work and make at least one new work search contact each week, recording the employer's name and address, type of work sought, result and date on your Work Search Log and when you request weekly benefits. Registering with the public employment office (JobLink) alone is not enough. If you do not search in a required week, you are ineligible for that week, and your log may be audited.
Does severance pay affect unemployment in Delaware?
Dismissal payments and severance pay, bonuses, holiday pay, back pay and workers' compensation are treated as income you must report. You must also report all pensions, annuities and similar periodic payments, because your weekly benefit may be reduced. If you receive or expect severance, file your claim as soon as you become unemployed.
How do I apply for unemployment in Delaware?
File a new or reopened claim online through the Division's claim system. Request your weekly benefits through WebBenefits (online) or TeleBenefits (phone), reporting gross wages for the week earned and your work search contacts. If separation issues come up, return the separation questionnaire within 10 days of its mailing date.
How do I appeal an unemployment denial in Delaware?
You may appeal within 10 calendar days of the date of the Notice of Determination and request a hearing before an appeals referee; appeals must be filed in person at the local office or postmarked within that time. A referee's decision may be appealed to the Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board within 10 days of its mailing date. Keep requesting weekly benefits while your appeal is pending.
Can you work part-time and collect unemployment in Delaware?
You may earn up to 50% of your weekly benefit amount without any deduction. Anything over 50% is deducted dollar for dollar. For example, with a $100 weekly benefit, $60 in gross earnings reduces your payment to $90.
Can self-employed or gig workers get unemployment in Delaware?
Delaware courts have consistently ruled that self-employed people are not eligible for unemployment benefits; benefits are not meant to support the early stages of a new business. Self-employment can be found when you have made more than minimal efforts on behalf of a business you own, even if it is not profitable and even if you remain available for other work. If you are self-employed when you file, or become self-employed while collecting, you must tell the Division of Unemployment Insurance.
Where do I log in to my unemployment claim in Delaware?
Delaware unemployment claimants file weekly certifications online through WebBenefits or by phone through TeleBenefits (Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Unemployment Insurance). TeleBenefits is available 24/7 at (800) 794-3032 (outside New Castle County) or (302) 761-6576 (New Castle County): press 1 to file your weekly certification, enter your Social Security number and your 4-digit PIN, and answer the questions about earnings, availability and work search. The system only lets you claim the current week; to file for a prior week, go to your local office. A visual voice-response line for weekly certification is at 302-761-8446. The same pages link to direct deposit enrollment, overpayment help and the Claimant Handbook.
Unemployment Benefits in other states
More Delaware law
- Delaware tenant rights & landlord-tenant law
- Delaware small claims court
- Delaware wills, probate & estates
- Delaware protective & restraining orders
- Delaware employment law
- Delaware debt & collections
- Delaware divorce & family law
- Delaware expungement & criminal records
- Delaware traffic tickets & dui
- Delaware personal injury & wrongful death
- Delaware workers' compensation
- Delaware foreclosure & homeowner law
- Delaware consumer protection
- Delaware starting an llc & small business
- Delaware bankruptcy
- Delaware car insurance & vehicle laws
- Delaware criminal law
- Delaware gun laws
- Find a lawyer or free legal help in Delaware
- All Delaware law guides
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.