How to file for unemployment in Delaware

The online claim is usually the fastest way. Here is what to have ready, when your claim starts and what comes after you file.

All about unemployment in Delaware

Checked against official sources: October 31, 2026.

Filing, step by step

File online. You will verify your identity with ID.me. For help, call 302-761-8446 or email uiclaims@delaware.gov. After you file, register with the Division's Claimant Portal to send documents and get forms.

When to file and when your claim starts

File in the first week you are out of work. Your benefit year starts on the Sunday of the week you file. The Division backdates a claim only in a few cases, usually when you could not file on time through no fault of your own; email uiclaims@delaware.gov with "Back Date Request" in the subject line.

What to have ready

Your name and address
Your Social Security card (or a W-2 or pay stub showing your name and Social Security number, plus a government photo ID)
Names and addresses of all employers in the last 18 months
The reason you lost your job
Veterans with service in the last 18 months: DD-214 (Member 4)
If you are a naturalized or authorized worker: front and back images of your Social Security card and your employment authorization, sent within 14 calendar days

Certify (claim your weeks)

How often: Weekly. Request your benefits every week through WebBenefits online or TeleBenefits by phone (302-761-6576). Each week you report your work search and all gross earnings for the Sunday-to-Saturday week.

Your first payment

If you are eligible, your first payment is normally sent within three weeks after you file. You can choose direct deposit or a stored value (debit) card. A decision on a separation issue can take 4 to 6 weeks; keep filing weekly while you wait.

Register for work

Unless exempt by law, you must register for work and create a resume with the Division of Employment and Training in Delaware JobLink, and keep the registration active while you collect benefits.

Delaware JobLink

Law: 19 Del. C. secs. 3315(1)-(3), 3317

Official source: Source page

What applies in every state

File with the unemployment program of the state where you worked. If you worked in another state or in several states, the agency in the state where you live now can tell you how to file with other states.
It generally takes two to three weeks after you file to get your first payment. Some states require a one-week waiting period, so the second week you claim is the first week paid.

Free help

Call 302-761-8446. Legal aid and other free help in Delaware → Official sources →