Unemployment benefits in Connecticut
Connecticut calls it Unemployment Insurance (UI), run by Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL). You may get $44 to $721 a week for up to 26 weeks, with no waiting week.
Opens ReEmployCT on the state's site.
Or call 1-800-956-3294 · Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed weekends and holidays. · TTY 1-800-842-9710
Checked against official sources: October 31, 2026.
Can I get benefits?
Your total base-period wages must be at least 40 times your weekly benefit rate.
Law: Conn. Gen. Stat. secs. 31-230, 31-235(a)(3)
If you quit
If you quit, you are not eligible unless you left for good cause connected to your employer or for another reason the law allows.
If you were fired
Being fired does not by itself stop benefits.
Law: Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 31-236(a)(1), (2)
How much and how long?
- Weekly benefit
$44–$721
- Weeks
Up to 26 weeks
- Waiting week
No waiting week
How to file in Connecticut
Apply online through ReEmployCT (also reached at FileCTUI.com). You need an email account to set up your ReEmployCT account.
Apply as soon as you lose your job or your hours are cut.
What to have ready
- An email address you can check (ReEmployCT sends a verification code)
- Your work history for about the last 18 months, including any out-of-state employers
- Information about your dependents, if you want a dependency allowance
Certify (claim your weeks)
Weekly. File a weekly claim online each week, starting the Sunday after you apply.
Appeal a denial
- Appeal to an Appeals Referee — 21 calendar days from the mailing date of the decision (determination) you disagree with
- Appeal to the Employment Security Board of Review — 21 calendar days from the date of the Referee's decision (the date a copy was provided to you)
- Appeal to the Superior Court — 30 calendar days
Deadline calculator, appeal letter and hearing checklist: Appeal details →
The hearing
- Format
- A Referee holds a hearing and decides the case fresh.
- Notice before the hearing
- 5 days
Overpayments and waivers
If you were paid benefits you were not entitled to, CTDOL charges you with an overpayment.
- Respond within
- 14 days
- Appeal within
- 21 days from the mailing date of the final overpayment determination letter
- Fraud penalty
- 50% added when the overpayment is fraud
- Waiver
- The state can waive some overpayments.
Law: Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 31-273
Someone filed a claim in your name
If you did not file a claim but got a monetary determination letter, a 1099-G, unexpected benefits, or your employer got a notice about a claim, submit the CTDOL ID Theft Report Form right away (also in Spanish). CTDOL's Integrity Unit will respond.
National steps
- Report it to the state where the claim was filed and follow its instructions. Some states ask for a police report or a sworn statement.
- If you got a 1099-G for benefits you did not receive, the state will send a corrected 1099-G. When you file taxes, report only the income you actually received; do not wait for the corrected form.
- Check your free credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com or 877-322-8228. Report other identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov.
- You can also report unemployment identity fraud that happened after March 2020 to the U.S. Department of Justice National Center for Disaster Fraud. You must still report it to the state.
U.S. Department of Labor: report unemployment identity fraud
Free help in Connecticut
Legal aid
- Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut (entry point to free legal aid; listed by the Appeals Division) · 1-800-453-3320
- Connecticut Legal Services (regional offices; listed by the Appeals Division)
- Greater Hartford Legal Aid (listed by the Appeals Division)
- CTDOL: Listing of free legal services
Language help
Call the Consumer Contact Center for language assistance. You can also chat with an agent or schedule a call back online. The identity theft report form is available in Spanish.
- Consumer Contact Center (local): 203-941-6868
- Consumer Contact Center (local): 860-967-0493
- Employment Security Board of Review: 860-263-6977
- Appeals Division, Waterbury office: 203-596-4138
- Appeals Division, Middletown office (Hartford line): 860-566-5262
Agency guides and handbooks
- CTDOL: Guide to Unemployment Insurance (claimant handbook)
- CTDOL: ReEmployCT FAQs for claimants
- CTDOL: Work search
- Employment Security Appeals Division: Claimant's Guide to the Appeals Process
- Employment Security Appeals Division: Filing a Claimant Appeal
- CTDOL: Overpayment FAQs
The agency's unemployment page (CTDOL)
National help
Go deeper
How to file in Connecticut
What to have ready, when your claim starts, certifying and your first payment.
Weekly benefit amount in Connecticut
The wage test, how the amount is figured, weeks, the waiting week, part-time work and an estimate.
Appeal a denial in Connecticut
Every level and deadline, a deadline calculator, an appeal letter, the hearing and overpayments.
Quit or fired in Connecticut
What the state says about quitting, being fired and refusing work.
Good to know in Connecticut
- By law the maximum weekly benefit is frozen at $721 for new claims until the first Sunday of October 2028 (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 31-231a(b)(4); CTDOL, 2023).
- The minimum weekly benefit rises each January with the federal employment cost index; it is $44 for 2026.
Law: sec. 31-231a(b)(3)
Source: CTDOL guide
- Connecticut gives 21 calendar days to appeal, and has no unpaid waiting week.
Changes in 2024–2026
Under Public Act 21-200: the minimum weekly benefit became $40 for benefit years starting January 1, 2024 and is raised each January ($42 in 2025, $44 in 2026); the maximum ($721 since October 2023) cannot rise before October 2028. From January 1, 2024, vacation pay for a designated vacation period counts against benefits.
Law: sec. 31-236(a)(4)(B)
Questions about unemployment in Connecticut
How do I file for unemployment in Connecticut?
Apply online through ReEmployCT (also reached at FileCTUI.com). You need an email account to set up your ReEmployCT account. If you do not have a computer, an American Job Center can help you file. For help, contact the Consumer Contact Center by phone, chat or scheduled call back.
How much is the weekly benefit in Connecticut?
The weekly benefit is $44 to $721. Maximum: new claims effective on or after October 1, 2023; by law the maximum stays at $721 until the first Sunday of October 2028. CTDOL adds your wages in the two highest-paid quarters of your base period, averages them, and divides by 26.
How many weeks of unemployment can I get in Connecticut?
Up to 26 weeks. The most you can get in a benefit year is 26 times your weekly benefit rate, so most claims last up to 26 weeks.
What is the deadline to appeal an unemployment denial in Connecticut?
Appeal to an Appeals Referee: 21 calendar days from the mailing date of the decision (determination) you disagree with. File as early as you can.