Studies completed by the U.S. Department of Labor found that people who received reemployment services returned to work earlier than people who did not receive services.
We use profiling to select individuals who are required to look for work to participate in Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA). We look at a variety of factors such as occupation, industry, education, length of employment, wages, etc. Participants are selected within the first five paid weeks of their claim.
RESEA is designed to assure that you are registered for work and to provide customized reemployment services. If selected, participation is mandatory and is a condition of eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits. If you do not participate, it could result in a denial of benefits.
You will receive a letter informing you where to report and what documents to bring. You must contact your RESEA Advisor prior to your scheduled appointment if you are unable to attend. Appointments may be rescheduled for justifiable cause.
This program is an overall eligibility assessment review of your unemployment insurance claim. You meet one-on-one with a RESEA Advisor to:
If you are attending school or a training course, you may apply for Training Extension Benefits (TEB) to receive an additional 26 weeks of benefits. TEB is available if you:
In addition to the above requirements, the school or training course must be one of the following:
TEB is only payable after all other unemployment benefits are exhausted. The TEB application and lists of high demand and declining occupations are available at www.iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov.
You must submit an application for TEB within 30 days of the last week you receive benefits.
If you are attending school or a training course, you may request to waive the work search requirement for each semester of school you attend. You should submit an application for Department Approved Training (DAT) to IWD with the following information:
You will receive a decision in the mail approving or denying your request for DAT. The decision will include appeal rights. If you are approved for DAT, even though the work search requirement is waived, you must continue to be able and available to attend school. You must also file a weekly claim to receive payment while you are in school. If training stops for any reason, you must notify IWD and begin making work search contacts immediately. To be eligible for a continuing DAT each semester, you will need to submit a new application for DAT including your schedule and prior semester’s grades so we can determine your progress.
The Voluntary Shared Work (VSW) program offers an alternative to layoffs of five or more workers and is an effective tool for Iowa businesses experiencing a decline in regular business activity. Under VSW, work reductions are shared by reducing employees’ work hours and Unemployment Insurance (UI) partially replaces lost earnings. By avoiding layoffs, employees stay connected to their jobs and employers maintain their skilled workforce for when business improves.
If you have served on active military duty during the base period, you can file an unemployment insurance claim in any state as long as you are physically present in that state at the time of filing. To add military wages to a claim, you must have served on active duty in the Armed Forces or served at least 180 consecutive days of active service in a US Military Reserve Force and meet all other eligibility requirements. You must provide a copy of your DD–214 (member copy 4) to determine if military wages can be used on the unemployment insurance claim.
The US Military service, not IWD, will determine if the earnings can be used on a claim. If the wages can be used, you will receive a new monetary record in the mail. If your request to add wages is denied, you will receive a decision with appeal rights. The DD–214 may be submitted any of the following ways:
UI Benefits Bureau
PO Box 10332
Des Moines, IA 50306-0332
Military wages are determined based on the pay grade of the service member at the time of discharge. The schedule of remuneration is issued by the Secretary of Labor and determines the wage credits and wage assignments.
Federal wages are not assigned to a state until after an unemployment insurance claim is filed. If you have worked for the federal government during the base period, you must report this employment when filing an unemployment insurance claim. We will send a request to the federal employer to determine if the wages can be assigned to Iowa. Once wages are assigned, you will receive a new monetary record in the mail.
If you have worked in Iowa and other states during the base period, you may request to have your out-of-state wages added to your Iowa unemployment insurance claim. Out-of-state wages will only be combined with the Iowa wages if the additional earnings will increase the WBA or MBA. You have the option to file in any state where an employer reported earnings for you during the base period.
If you move out of Iowa, you must immediately notify us of your address change. Mail from Iowa Workforce Development may not be forwarded by the U.S. Postal Service. If you are required to do work searches, you must contact the workforce agency in the state where you reside to register for work. You should still file your weekly claim in Iowa. Benefits will continue to be paid by Iowa until you begin working, exhaust benefits, or your benefit year expires.
Trade Readjustment Allowance and Trade Adjustment Assistance are programs available if you are unemployed or underemployed due to increased foreign imports. Affected employers must be approved by the US Department of Labor. For more information contact us at 866-239-0843 or a local IowaWORKS office.
In keeping with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Iowa Open Records Act, Iowa Workforce Development is committed to providing assistance to those seeking access to open records created by or in the legal custody of our agency. Any person may submit their request to examine and copy an open record created by or in the custody of the Iowa Workforce Development through this records requests portal. If you still have additional questions please contact us at uiclaimshelp@iwd.iowa.gov or by phone at 866-239-0843, Monday through Friday from 8:00am - 4:30pm.
The department shall hold confidential the information obtained from an employing unit or individual in the course of administering this chapter and the initial determination made by a representative of the department under section 96.6, subsection 2, as to the benefit rights of an individual. The department shall not disclose or open this information for public inspection in a manner that reveals the identity of the employing unit or the individual, except as provided in subparagraph (3) or paragraph “c”. Iowa Code § 96.11(6) (b) (1); 20 CFR 603. To obtain confidential information a requesting party must show entitlement to such information under Iowa Code § 96.11(6). All fact-finding records, including audio recordings, are confidential and can only be released to the claimant and employer.