Unemployment benefits in Wisconsin
Wisconsin calls it Unemployment Insurance (UI), run by Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Unemployment Insurance Division (DWD). You may get $54 to $370 a week for up to 26 weeks, after a waiting week.
Opens Claimant Portal (my.unemployment.wisconsin.gov) on the state's site.
Or call 1-844-910-3661 · Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Thursday, 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. · TTY 711 (Wisconsin Relay Service)
Checked against official sources: October 31, 2026.
Can I get benefits?
You must have wages in at least two quarters of your base period and a weekly benefit rate of at least $54 (at least $1,350 in your highest quarter).
Law: Wis. Stat. sec. 108.04(4)
If you quit
If you quit without good cause attributable to your employer and your reason is not one of the exceptions in the law, you cannot get benefits until you earn wages of at least 6 times your weekly benefit rate after the week you quit.
If you were fired
If you were fired for misconduct, the wages from that employer cannot be used for your claim, and you cannot get benefits for seven weeks and until you earn 14 times your weekly benefit rate.
Law: Wis. Stat. sec. 108.04(5), (5g), (7), (8)
How much and how long?
- Weekly benefit
$54–$370
- Weeks
Up to 26 weeks
- Waiting week
A waiting week
How to file in Wisconsin
Apply online at my.unemployment.wisconsin.gov (Sunday 9 a.m. to midnight, 24 hours Monday to Friday, Saturday midnight to 3 p.m.). If you cannot apply online, call the Help Center at 1-844-910-3661 during business hours.
Apply if you are out of work, your earnings were cut, or you expect to be laid off within 13 weeks.
What to have ready
- Your current address and Social Security number
- Your Wisconsin driver license or ID number, if you have one
- For each employer in the last 18 months: business name, address, phone, first and last day worked and why you are no longer working there
Certify (claim your weeks)
Weekly. File a weekly claim certification online for each week, starting the Sunday after you apply.
Appeal a denial
- Appeal to an Administrative Law Judge (Appeal Tribunal hearing) — 14 calendar days from the date the determination was issued (the last appeal date is printed on the determination)
- Petition for review by the Labor and Industry Review Commission (LIRC) — 21 calendar days from the date the judge's decision is mailed
- Action for judicial review in Wisconsin circuit court — 30 calendar days
Deadline calculator, appeal letter and hearing checklist: Appeal details →
The hearing
- Format
- Most hearings are by telephone.
- Notice before the hearing
- 6 days
Overpayments and waivers
An overpayment means you were paid benefits you were not eligible for.
- Appeal within
- 14 days from the date the overpayment determination was issued
- Waiver
- The state can waive some overpayments.
Law: Wis. Stat. sec. 108.22
Someone filed a claim in your name
If you think someone used your information to collect Wisconsin unemployment benefits, report it with DWD's online form or call 1-800-909-9472, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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 Wisconsin
Legal aid
- Legal Action of Wisconsin (free help with UI appeals; intake line) · 1-855-947-2529
- Judicare Legal Aid (33 northern counties) · 1-800-472-1638
- Unemployment Compensation Appeals Clinic (law students; appointments through United Way 211) · 1-608-246-4357
Language help
Free language services are available if you do not speak English: call 1-844-910-3661. Many DWD pages and the Claimant Handbook are also in Spanish and Hmong. Tell the Hearing Office in your appeal if you need an interpreter.
- Help Center (Milwaukee area): 1-414-435-7069
- UI Hearing Office (appeals): 1-608-266-8010
- Benefit Collections (overpayments): 1-608-266-9701
- Fraud and identity theft: 1-800-909-9472
- Job Center of Wisconsin Call Center: 1-888-258-9966
- Labor and Industry Review Commission: 1-608-266-9850
Agency guides and handbooks
- DWD: Claimant Handbook (UCB-10-P, printable PDF)
- DWD: Claimant Handbook in Spanish
- DWD: Appeals and Petitions
- DWD: Qualifying Wages
- DWD: Weekly Benefit Rate Chart
- LIRC: Appeal a UI Appeal Tribunal Decision
The agency's unemployment page (DWD)
National help
Go deeper
How to file in Wisconsin
What to have ready, when your claim starts, certifying and your first payment.
Weekly benefit amount in Wisconsin
The wage test, how the amount is figured, weeks, the waiting week, part-time work and an estimate.
Appeal a denial in Wisconsin
Every level and deadline, a deadline calculator, an appeal letter, the hearing and overpayments.
Quit or fired in Wisconsin
What the state says about quitting, being fired and refusing work.
Good to know in Wisconsin
- Wisconsin's first appeal deadline is short: 14 days from the date the determination was issued.
Source: DWD UI Employer Handbook, Appeals
- You must do at least four work search actions every week.
Source: DWD Claimant Handbook UCB-10-P, rev. 06/16/2026
- A regular overpayment caused only by DWD or only by the employer does not have to be repaid.
Source: DWD Overpayments page
Questions about unemployment in Wisconsin
How do I file for unemployment in Wisconsin?
Apply online at my.unemployment.wisconsin.gov (Sunday 9 a.m. to midnight, 24 hours Monday to Friday, Saturday midnight to 3 p.m.). If you cannot apply online, call the Help Center at 1-844-910-3661 during business hours.
How much is the weekly benefit in Wisconsin?
The weekly benefit is $54 to $370. Maximum: the current maximum shown by DWD for claims filed now (October 2026). Your weekly benefit rate is 4% of your wages in the highest-paid quarter of your base period, rounded down to the dollar.
How many weeks of unemployment can I get in Wisconsin?
Up to 26 weeks. The most you can get in your benefit year is 26 times your weekly benefit rate or 40% of your base-period wages, whichever is smaller.
What is the deadline to appeal an unemployment denial in Wisconsin?
Appeal to an Administrative Law Judge (Appeal Tribunal hearing): 14 calendar days from the date the determination was issued (the last appeal date is printed on the determination). File as early as you can.