Utah Unemployment Benefits: Who Qualifies, How Much, and How to Apply

You are disqualified if you were discharged for just cause, or for a deliberate, willful or wanton act or omission against the employer's rightful interest. The disqualification lasts until you earn at least 6 times your weekly benefit amount in bona fide covered work. If you were fired for dishonesty that is a crime, or for a felony or class A misdemeanor connected with your work, you are disqualified for that week and the next 51 weeks, and those wages are removed from your base period.

If you quit without good cause, you are disqualified until you earn at least 6 times your weekly benefit amount in bona fide covered work. You may still be paid if denying benefits would be contrary to equity and good conscience. DWS looks at whether your actions were reasonable and whether you remain genuinely attached to the job market. Quitting to follow a spouse to a new place is not good cause, unless your spouse is in the armed forces and was reassigned for at least 180 days and the other conditions in the law are met.

If you work less than full-time and earn less than your weekly benefit amount, you can keep filing and may receive partial benefits. When you quit or are fired, DWS asks you and your employer for information before deciding your eligibility.

For claims in 2026, you must have earned at least $5,500 in your base period, with wages in two or more quarters. Your total base-period wages must be at least 1.5 times your highest quarter. The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. If you do not qualify that way, an alternate base period of the most recent four completed quarters can be used.

For claims effective January 1 through December 31, 2026, the maximum weekly benefit is $806 and the maximum total benefit is $20,956. Your weekly amount comes from your highest base-period quarter of wages, using DWS's benefit schedule. For weekly amounts under $574, it is the high quarter divided by 26, minus $5.

Multiply your total base-period wages by 27%, then divide by your weekly benefit amount, dropping any fraction. The result is your number of weeks, with a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 26.

Yes. Utah law does not pay the first eligible week you claim, called the waiting week. You must still file for it and meet all requirements to get waiting-week credit. Your first payment usually comes about three weeks after you apply.

Unless DWS tells you otherwise, make at least four new full-time employer contacts each week. A new contact is an employer you have not contacted before, or a new job opening at an employer you contacted earlier. Just looking at a website does not count; you must send a resume or application. Keep detailed records and report them when you file each week. You must also complete work registration on jobs.utah.gov within 10 working days of applying.

Vacation, holiday, severance, paid time off and separation pay must be reported and are usually treated as earnings. You get no benefits or waiting-week credit for any week in which those payments equal or exceed your weekly benefit amount. Only pension, retirement or disability pay that a base-period employer maintained or contributed to is deducted.

Apply online through your "my Unemployment" account at jobs.utah.gov, or call the Claims Assistance and Re-Employment (CARE) Team at 801-526-4400. File a weekly claim every week, even while waiting for a decision. If you do not file within 27 days of the Saturday of the last week you filed, your claim closes and you must reopen it.

File your appeal by the deadline stated in the decision letter. The preferred method is online at jobs.utah.gov/appeals. You can also fax it to 801-526-9242 or mail it to Appeals Unit, P.O. Box 45244, Salt Lake City, UT 84145-0244. A late appeal may be accepted if you show good cause. An administrative law judge holds the hearing by phone.

DWS applies a 30% earnings allowance. You can earn up to 30% of your weekly benefit amount with no reduction, and earnings above that reduce your payment. You get no payment or waiting-week credit for a week in which you earn your full weekly benefit amount or more, or work 40 hours or more.

You may be denied benefits if you are self-employed or working on a commission basis. All self-employment and commission sales activity must be reported on your weekly filing; involvement in self-employment or commission sales can lead to a denial even if you earn nothing.

Utah Department of Workforce Services: sign in at jobs.utah.gov, choose "my Unemployment," then "File Weekly Claim" (have your SSN and 4-digit PIN). The week runs Sunday through Saturday; file on Sunday or as soon as possible after. If you don't file within 27 days from the Saturday of the last week filed, your claim closes and must be reopened. In my Unemployment you can also see payment summaries and why no payment was issued, view your remaining balance, change payment method, contact information and tax withholding, view documents through electronic correspondence, get Form 1099-G and change your PIN. Claims are not taken by phone; for help use Live Chat or the CARE Team (Salt Lake and South Davis: 801-526-4400; Weber and North Davis: 801-612-0877; Utah County: 801-375-4067; elsewhere: 888-848-0688).