Guide to Alaska (AK) Unemployment Insurance Benefits

Introduction

The Alaska Section of Labor and Workforce Evolution oversees Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits in the land.  Employers fully fund the plan, and no taxes are taken out of employee's pay to cover any expenses.

To be eligible, you must run across several conditions including being unemployed through no fault of your own, earning plenty wages during your base of operations period, and other several other requirements.

How Unemployment benefits piece of work in Alaska

  1. Make sure you meet all benefit requirements before you use.  Review all the requirements to ensure your application is accepted.
  2. If you meet all benefit requirements, and so you can apply for unemployment insurance.    In Alaska, to file a merits and to manage your account, get here and create an online account.  You tin file a claim online 24 hours a day, vii days a week.  Y'all can besides file past phone through the state'southward VICTOR system in you lot are not able to file online.
  3. Make up one's mind the amount of your benefit.   The amount of your unemployment insurance benefit is calculated by the amount of insured wages paid to your during a one-year period called a Base Menstruation.
  4. Decide the number of weeks you lot can depict benefits.  The number of weeks you tin collect unemployment benefits volition exist determined by how much and when yous earned wages in your Base Period.  Y'all can describe benefits for between 16 and 26 weeks.
  5. Know how and when y'all will exist paid.  Alaska makes UI payments to claimants either by direct deposit or through the use of a debit carte du jour.  You will demand to decide which grade you want when yous file your claim.
  6. Conduct an ongoing job search.  Yous are required to actively seek full-time employment while collecting benefits by making either one or two job search contacts per week, depending on where you live.  Yous must besides register with the state's job search organisation and post a resume online at the Alaska Labor Substitution Organisation (ALEXsys).
  7. You lot can file an appeal if you are denied benefits.  If you lot are denied or disqualified from receiving benefits, yous have the right to file an appeal.

Eligibility requirements

Yous are responsible for meeting all eligibility requirements when you file an application for Alaska UI benefits.  Those requirements include:

  • Actively seeking suitable full-time employment.
  • Reporting weekly employer work search contacts.
  • Reporting all piece of work activity and earnings for each week you file.
  • Registering for work every bit directed by your local state workforce agency.
  • Being set and able to work.  You lot must be physically able and available to seek and accept suitable total-time piece of work.  If you utilize for or are a recipient of Workers' Bounty or Social Security Disability, you must study this to your claim eye.
  • Employers and department staff must be able to contact you lot.
  • You must take transportation and child intendance coverage.
  • Yous must not exist incarcerated in a correctional center, metropolis jail or community residential centre.
  • You must be available and accept suitable work, meaning piece of work you are suited for past feel or training that meets the prevailing wage and working conditions for your locality and is realistic to your labor marketplace.
  • You are expected to be flexible in your piece of work search and to accept suitable work even if the pay is less than y'all earned in your final chore.
  • You may be eligible to receive benefits while attending approved vocational or bookish training. Study any school or training when you lot file your biweekly merits or telephone call your UI claim center.
  • You must written report if you quit your job, are fired or refuse work then a determination of eligibility tin can be made.  If you lot left your job for good cause, such as dangerous working weather condition, you may still exist eligible for benefits.
  • When called to active duty, National Guard members must written report encampments and wages earned. Do not report weekend drills.

How to file a claim

Before you file a merits

Before you file a claim, you volition need to get together several pieces of information.

  • Social Security number
  • Name of your terminal employer, mailing address and phone number
  • Dates of employment for the past xviii months
  • Hours and gross wages earned in your concluding week y'all worked
  • If not a U.Due south. denizen, your alien registration number, work allow type, and/or passport number and expiration appointment
  • Gross amount of holiday, holiday, severance or bonus pay you lot received the final week you worked
  • Retirement information if currently receiving retirement payments
  • If you worked for the federal government in the past xviii months you will need Form SF8 or SF50
  • If you were active duty military in the past 18 months y'all volition need copy iv of your DD214

Filing an initial claim

In Alaska, you tin can file an unemployment benefits merits either online or by telephone.  Claims are effective Sunday of the week in which you lot open or reopen it.

To file a claim and to manage your business relationship, go here and create an online account.  You tin file a claim online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If you are unable to file online, you tin can file by phone using the automated filing system VICTOR. VICTOR does non provide full service and has limited hours. Alaska residents more than than 55 road miles from an Alaska chore center tin file Wednesday-Sabbatum, half dozen am to 7 pm. All other VICTOR filers can file on Thursdays, from 10 am to three pm.

Whether filing online or by phone, yous are responsible for the answers provided and payments fabricated using your username, password and Pivot. These electronic signatures accept the same legal say-so as your signature on paper.

Filing biweekly claims

Once you've opened a new claim or reopened an existing claim, you volition be given dates to file your biweekly claims. You must continue to file in a timely mode every ii weeks to keep your claim active and to keep receiving benefits.  Weeks that are filed after 7 days after the final Saturday of your two-week claim period will be considered tardily and may exist disqualified.

Yous should note that the first week that you file a claim is considered a "waiting week" and you lot will not receive any payment for this week.  Yet, you must file for benefits to get credit for this calendar week before you can receive payment for subsequent weeks.

Yous must written report gross wages for each week that you file.  Gross wages are the amount you earned before any deductions were taken out.  You must report these wages whether you lot were actually paid or not.

If you earn any wages from being cocky-employed, subtract your business expenses for that week from your total income earned for that calendar week from your self-employment work.  If you did not and will non receive payment for the cocky-employment services, you must nevertheless written report the hours you spent on your business.

How much will I be paid?

The maximum weekly benefit corporeality (WBA) in Alaska is $370. The minimum WBA is $56.   The duration of benefits yous can collect is between 16 and 26 weeks, depending on the amount of wages that you earned during your base period and how they were distributed to you lot. claim is based on wages paid to you lot in the first four of the concluding 5 completed calendar quarters from when y'all file your claim.

If you do non qualify for a regular base menstruum claim, you may be eligible for an alternate base period claim. This uses wages earned in the terminal 4 completed calendar quarters from when you led your claim.

If you have worked in another state during the do good year, those wages may be requested to increment your weekly do good amount, or yous may choose to file for benefits with the other country, but you can only file for benefits in one state at a fourth dimension.

Dependents' allowance

You may be able to receive an boosted assart of $24 per calendar week per child, for up to three children, subject to the following weather condition:

  • A dependent is your natural child, stepchild (by marriage), legally adopted child or court-appointed legal ward.
  • Your dependent must be unmarried and nether the age of xviii, unless they have a permanent disability.
  • A dependent must reside with yous, or you must certify that you provided more than 50 pct of the dependent'southward support over the by 12 months or since the loss of custody.
  • If you lot certify to providing more than 50 percent support, you lot may be required to provide proof.

You can add a dependent to your claim someday during your do good twelvemonth earlier y'all exhaust your benefits. To add a dependent, telephone call a UI merits heart.

Do non commit fraud

You must answer all questions related to your unemployment claim truthfully.  Failing to do and attempting to collect benefits as a result will exist considered fraud.  All fraud cases may be subject to criminal charges, fines and in some cases, jail or prison fourth dimension. Non only will you lot be required to repay whatsoever illegally obtained benefits, but you may besides take to pay a penalty equal to 50% of the benefits that were paid to you every bit a result of the misrepresentation.  And, farther benefits may be withheld.

Yous must report all the wages you earned each calendar week. Your do good payment will be reduced by 75 cents for each dollar you earn more than $50. If you do not know how much you earned at the fourth dimension y'all report, call the UI merits center within seven days with the right wage corporeality.

If you take gross wages equal to or more than than one and one-tertiary times your weekly benefit amount plus $fifty, y'all will not receive a do good payment for that week.

If y'all doubtable someone is committing fraud, contact the state offices by e-mail at uifraud@alaska.gov or by calling  (907) 269-4835, (907) 269-4880 or (877) 272-4635.

Your benefits are taxable

When you file your tax return yous will demand to report any unemployment benefits as income and pay taxes appropriately.  You will be sent a 1099G by January 31 detailing the amount of your benefits paid to you for the previous year.  When you file a claim you tin request that x% of your benefits be withheld for tax purposes.

Extended Benefits

Extended Benefits may be available during times of high unemployment for recipients who exhaust their regular benefits.  They are available only when the program is active.  Eligible recipients will exist contacted and provided with instructions when Extended Benefits becomes active.

When and how will I be paid?

Alaska unemployment benefits are paid either through directly deposit to you bank account or by debit menu.

The default payment method is a debit card unless yous choose straight deposit when you lot sign up for benefits.  Electronic payment is usually deposited within 3 business organisation days of filing your biweekly certification.  A debit carte and information packet volition exist mailed to you when y'all file a claim for benefits. Included in the packet is data on how to activate your menu which is issued through KeyBank. If you have debit card questions, you can contact KeyBank'southward toll-free customer service number at (866) 295-2955.

Looking for work while claiming benefits

While y'all are drawing UI benefits in Alaska, you must conduct an ongoing job search for full-time work.

Role of this involves registering for work and posting a resume online at the Alaska Labor Substitution System (ALEXsys).  You can also register past calling your nearest chore center.  You must keep your resume current and accessible at all times. Your registration and resumes stay agile while yous are engaged in job search and referral activities in ALEXsys and/or while receiving reemployment services from task service staff.

If y'all are a member of a dispatching union you must be in good continuing and on the out-of-piece of work listing. If you are outside of Alaska, you must annals with the local land workforce agency office or with the local chapter of a dispatching union. Proof of out-of-state registration may be requested.

Your work search effort must be with employers and positions that are suitable based on your skills and capabilities.  To be considered valid, contact must be fabricated with a person who has the authorization to hire, using a method of contact appropriate for the occupation (i.e., in person, telephone, fax, postal service, email or employer website).

For each work search you are required to report the date, proper name of the employer and the method of contact when you merits benefits.

You tin get more information on conducting an effective work search past going hither.

Alaska Task Centers assist seekers with task leads, training, and advancing your career, among many other services offered.  Y'all can become more information on Job Centers online or by calling (877) 724-2539.

What if I am denied benefits?

If you are denied benefits for any reason, you tin can appeal that decision by filing an appeal. You must phone, fax, postal service or electronic mail your request for an appeal to a UI claim center or an Appeals part inside xxx days of the decision.

A hearing will be scheduled and you volition be mailed a notice giving you details of when and where to report for the hearing.  If you are withal denied benefits afterward an initial hearing you lot practice accept the right to file further appeals.  To make sure y'all are paid benefits for all weeks while waiting for your appeal to be heard, you lot must keep filing biweekly claims.  If your entreatment is granted, yous will be paid only for those weeks that you did file a claim.

For more than data on the appeals process, you can go hither.

Cardinal terms

Benefit Year - typically 52 weeks following the effective date of your claim. The effective engagement of your claim is Lord's day of the calendar week in which you file.

UI – Unemployment Insurance

WBA – Weekly Do good Amount.  This is the amount of benefits y'all will receive each week that you lot meet all requirements when claiming benefits.

Base of operations Period – this is the showtime 4 of the last v completed agenda quarters from when you file your claim.  You lot weekly benefits are determined based on the amount of wages you earn during your Base Menstruum.

Alternate Base Period – If you lot have not earned enough wages during your Base Period, an Alternate Base Period may be used to see if y'all authorize for benefits.  It is the last 4 completed quarters from when you file your merits.

For more information

For general Alaska UI information online become hither.

To file a merits online, go here.

If yous are interested in seeking work, chore training or advancing in a career, visit 1 of the Alaska chore centers listed online or telephone call (877) 724-2539.

Claim Center phone numbers

For UI claims assistance, call your nearest Claim Center or go online hither.

Anchorage UI Claim Eye (907) 269-4700

Fairbanks UI Claim Center (907) 451-2871

Juneau UI Claim Center (907) 465-5552

Price gratuitous for remote locations: (888) 252-2557

(888) 25CALLS

Telephone hours are 10 am to 3 pm, Monday-Friday (except holidays).

Victor Telephone Numbers

Phone call the number closest to your community:

Anchorage (907) 277-0693

Fairbanks (907) 451-6126

Juneau (907) 586-4650

Relay Alaska

For the deaf and hard of hearing, if you need help with your unemployment claim, dial 711 from inside Alaska or (800) 770-8255 from outside the country.

Mailing address

Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development

Division of Employment and Grooming Services

P.O. Box 115509, Juneau, AK 99811-5509

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