Colorado Unemployment Benefits and Eligibility

COVID-19 UPDATE: Because the coronavirus pandemic has left so many Americans jobless, the federal regime has given states more flexibility in granting unemployment benefits. If you have questions nigh whether you're eligible for unemployment benefits read our COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits and Insurance FAQ and bank check out Colorado's claimant handbook.

A guide to unemployment eligibility in Colorado

In the state of Colorado, unemployment insurance benefits are administered by The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE). Benefits may be available to workers who accept lost their job through no fault of their own, such equally through a layoff, plant closure, or other similar circumstances.

Employers pay into a fund that provides benefits to the unemployed. Workers do not contribute to the fund. If you meet all the Colorado unemployment requirements, you'll receive benefits every ii weeks until you become employed again.

The CDLE as well staffs 50 workforce centers throughout the state, providing a diversity of services such as chore training, job search, resumé preparation, interviewing skills, market research, and other information at no cost to job seekers.

How do I file a Colorado unemployment claim?

You should utilise for Colorado unemployment through the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment every bit presently as y'all become unemployed.

  1. Gather your information. Earlier you lot apply, make sure you have all the necessary information in front of you for easy access:
    • Social Security number
    • Your home accost, mailing accost, phone number, and a valid electronic mail address
    • Addresses, telephone numbers, employment dates, reason for leaving, and whatsoever other contact information for employers from the past 18 months
    • Any additional wages you take received from holiday pay, severance pay, or other sources
    • Bank name, address, and account and routing number if you lot would like to employ direct deposit
    • An Alien Registration number if you aren't a US denizen
    • A DD Form 214, Member four, if yous were on active duty in the Us military machine in the past 18 months
    • A Standard Class viii and Standard Course 50 if you worked for the federal government in the by xviii months
  2. Submit your claim. You can file online past creating a MyUI business relationship. You tin also file by phone through the Colorado unemployment phone number:
    • 303-318-9000 (metro Denver)
    • ane-800-388-5515 (exterior metro Denver)
  3. Wait for approval. After filing a Colorado unemployment application, you will receive an approval or rejection from CDLE.
  4. Continue to send in claims. Be certain to request your benefits every two weeks to ensure that you continue receiving your allotted payment.
  5. Search for new employment. To continue receiving benefits, you must turn in task search data every two weeks for every bit long every bit yous're eligible for benefits.
  6. File an appeal if your claim is rejected. If your unemployment request is denied, y'all have the right to request an appeal to review your claim if you believe you should have been approved.

Newly unemployed?

Several online services—like FlexJobs, 360training, or MyPerfectResume—can help you find piece of work-from-home jobs, build a better resume, or earn preparation certifications.

Where do I submit my unemployment merits in Colorado?

Online

Log in to your MyUI account to file or certify your merits. You lot must file on an assigned day based on the offset letter of your concluding name.

  • Last names that showtime with A–M: File your claim on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or after 12 p.m. on Sat
  • Last names that kickoff with Due north–Z: File your merits on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or before 12 p.m. on Sat

Y'all can detect more information well-nigh unemployment benefits on the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment website.

Past phone

The unemployment benefits customer service center can assist with questions about your claim.

If your last name begins with messages A–One thousand, telephone call the following numbers on Tuesday or Thursday from viii a.m. to 4 p.grand. or on Sat betwixt 12 p.m. and iv p.m. If your terminal proper name begins with a letter from Due north to Z, call on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday between 8 a.one thousand. and 4 p.m.

  • 303-318-9000 (metro Denver)
  • ane-800-388-5515 (exterior metro Denver)

For TDD, utilize the following numbers:

  • 303-318-9016 (metro Denver)
  • 1-800-894-7730 (outside metro Denver)

For assistance in Castilian, use these numbers:

  • 303-318-9333 (metro Denver)
  • 866-422-0402 (outside metro Denver)

To asking payment every ii weeks, call these numbers:

  • 303-813-2800 (metro Denver)
  • 888-550-2800 (if outside metro Denver)

If you lot have questions virtually an entreatment, call 303-318-9299 (or toll-free at 800-405-2338).

How unemployment works in Colorado

Afterward you submit an initial merits, CDLE will asking separation data from your onetime employers, evaluate your previous wages, and take into consideration any additional income you have received.

For some claims, the CDLE volition ask for Verification of Personal Data. This asking requires your signature affirming that you're a U.s. denizen or are legally present in the country. This is an important certificate, and failing to return it in a timely manner could impact the timely delivery of your benefits.

You may also be asked to provide proof that you lawfully reside in the US. You can provide at least 1 of the following forms of identification:

  • Colorado driver'southward license or Colorado ID card
  • The states armed forces ID bill of fare or military dependent ID carte du jour
  • US Coast Baby-sit Merchant Mariner carte
  • Native American tribal document
  • A driver's license or ID card issued by some other state or Canada

Afterward you're canonical for benefits

When your claim is processed and you have obtained Colorado unemployment benefits eligibility, you will need to go through a waiting week, which means yous'll have an unpaid calendar week without benefits. However, Colorado is temporarily waiving the waiting week due to COVID-19.

Next, you'll demand to certify for benefits every 2 weeks you wish to merits unemployment. These biweekly certifications can be washed through your MyUI account or over the phone. Your offset asking for payment volition be on the Sunday immediately following the first two weeks of your merits.

If you file a claim Sun through Wednesday, your claim will be effective the calendar week you file. If you file a claim on Th through Saturday, your claim volition be effective the following calendar week.

In add-on to submitting your claims, you must annals with a local workforce heart inside four weeks of your initial merits. To register, get to www.connectingcolorado.com or visit any one of the 50 workforce centers located throughout Colorado. If you have difficulty registering, or have questions almost Colorado unemployment, contact a CDLE office to ensure you do not miss benefits.

Note: Colorado has temporarily suspended the task-search requirement due to COVID-xix—however, you nonetheless have to annals for work.

FAQs

What are Colorado'due south unemployment eligibility requirements?

To be eligible to receive Colorado's unemployment benefits, both on an initial basis and an ongoing basis, you must meet all requirements set along past the CDLE:

  • You must have lost your job through no mistake of your own. This can be due to a layoff, a lack of work, or a plant closure. You must also come across Colorado unemployment qualifications if yous're withal employed but have experienced a reduction in hours and see certain minimum conditions.
  • If you quit your job, you may however be eligible for benefits if you left under certain circumstances, such equally being asked to perform illegal acts or work in hazardous weather condition. You lot may also qualify for unemployment benefits in CO if you have experienced personal harassment by your employer or you lot suffer from qualifying medical conditions.
  • You lot must have earned at least $2,500 in wages during your standard base period. A standard base period is defined as the first iv of the last five completed calendar quarters before you started your Colorado unemployment claim. Calendar quarters are cleaved into three month segments first in January of each year.
  • If you did not earn at least $2,500 in wages during your base period, then you may be eligible to file a claim based on wages earned during an alternate base period. The alternate base menstruation is divers equally the about recent iv completed calendar quarters.
  • Other factors that may have an impact on your claim will include whether or not you received vacation pay, severance pay, pension payments, or workers' bounty payments. It could also impact your claim if you worked in whatever other states during your base of operations period. If any of these situations took identify, your benefits may be reduced or delayed and you will receive a Notice of Decision.
  • Federal civilian wages and war machine wages are not reported to the CDLE, which means that they may not be reported on your first Statement of Wages and Possible Benefits. Yous must file appropriate paperwork and report those wages to CDLE and then that they can be considered as part of your claim. Failure to do and so could establish fraud and result in fines, penalties, and other consequences.
  • You must register at the state's job program Colorado Connects within four weeks of the first of your claim. If you lot exercise non, y'all may lose your benefits.

Maintaining your colorado unemployment eligibility

To go on receiving benefits, you must meet all the requirements to maintain your eligibility. Keeping records is an important office of this process because y'all can be audited for upward to two years from the start of your merits.

To maintain your eligibility, you must exercise the following:

  • Asking benefits payments every two weeks. Be physically and mentally able to work.
  • Be willing to accept suitable work and exist available to start work immediately if a position is offered to y'all.
  • Report all hours and gross wages that y'all earned if you're still making a asking for do good payments. Failure to do so could institute fraud.
  • Register with your local workforce middle or at Connecting Colorado within four weeks of filing your initial merits.

FAQs

How much volition I get paid?

The CDLE has created a Benefits Estimator that allows you to enter your wage information into a benefits computer. The calculator projects the weekly and maximum benefits amounts for both the current calendar quarter and the next calendar quarter. The maximum weekly benefit in Colorado is $618. The minimum is $25.

You may exist eligible to collect partial benefits if you worked less than 32 hours in a calendar week, as long equally the wages you earned are less than your Colorado unemployment weekly merits amount.

Colorado unemployment laws allow yous to earn up to 25% of your weekly benefit corporeality and still be paid your full benefit amount. After that, your Colorado unemployment amount is reduced by one dollar for every dollar that you earn.

With a few exceptions, unemployment benefits in Colorado last for approximately 26 weeks within a benefit year—plus any boosted time allowed under federal unemployment programs. Any extensions usually occur when the Colorado unemployment rate is high during an economic downturn. Though, yous should know that extensions occur on a example-by-case basis.

If your benefits run out earlier the stop of your benefit year, you cannot collect any additional benefits until a new benefit year tin be established.

You're responsible for knowing when you're scheduled to request a payment. If you lot request a payment either too early or too late, your claim will be closed and you lot will exist required to reopen your claim earlier future benefits can be paid.

Information technology is important to notation that self-employment and commission wages are considered income and yous will demand to written report them when yous request payment. Not doing so could jeopardize your CO unemployment eligibility.

When and how will my Colorado unemployment benefits be paid?

If you lot're eligible for UI benefits, you will be paid by having funds deposited to a prepaid debit card from United states Bank or into your elected bank business relationship. After your claim is processed, it may take 2 to 3 business days for the funds to be bachelor from the time you submit your payment request.

Users accept access to their funds 24 hours a twenty-four hours, 7 days a week, and the debit bill of fare tin be used anywhere that Visa debit cards are accepted. Your debit carte will be valid for three years so you'll demand to keep it on paw in case you need to file another unemployment claim in Colorado during that time.

If you do not desire to be paid through a debit card, yous have the option of having funds deposited directly into your own personal checking or savings business relationship at any participating banking company, savings and loan, or credit union. Many people prefer to use this method because it helps avoid debit fees.

Exercise I take to look for a job while collecting Colorado unemployment benefits?

Colorado has temporarily suspended the requirement to look for work due to COVID-19.

Under normal circumstances, though, one of the most of import requirements y'all must encounter is to make a continued endeavour to look for work. The CDLE takes various factors into business relationship when determining if the work you're looking for is suitable for yous or not. This includes the rate of pay, prior experience, the length of your unemployment, commuting distance, and other factors.

To brainstorm your task search, you must register with a workforce center which you lot tin can do online or in person. To maintain benefits eligibility, you will exist assigned to brand up to five contacts each week, though a workforce center may adjust this number depending on your circumstances.

Part of your job search requirement is that y'all must document your efforts. The CDLE can audit your records at any fourth dimension for upwards to two years following the filing of your initial claim, so keeping detailed information about your search is essential.

For every chore contact, you must go along a record of the following:

  • What action you took (submit an application, interview, etc.)
  • How you applied for the position (in person, online, etc.)
  • The type of work you were looking for
  • The person you contacted as well as their contact information
  • The outcome of your activity

How do I file an entreatment if my unemployment claim is denied?

If you receive a notice that your merits has been denied, you have the right to submit a written or an online appeal.

To submit an appeal online, apply your MyUI business relationship. You lot tin can likewise mail your appeal to this accost:

Unemployment Appeals Section PO Box 8988
Denver, CO 80201-8988

Or fax your entreatment to 303-318-9248—merely make sure to include the front and the back of the form that you're required to fill out.

Later CDLE receives your entreatment, a hearing will be scheduled and you volition be notified of the details by post. You can either participate in the hearing past telephone or in person.

Y'all'll have roughly 20 days to file an appeal from when your denial is mailed out.

One time you submit your entreatment, go on to file claims for your unemployment benefits. If your rejection is overturned, you volition only receive benefits for the weeks during the appeal if y'all filed for them.

If your appeal is denied and you notwithstanding experience yous're eligible for unemployment benefits, you can file an boosted appeal. Call one of these numbers if you have questions well-nigh your appeal:

  • 303-318-9299
  • or price-gratuitous at 800-405-2338

Eligibility Team

Written by

Eligibility Team

We are a team of experts dedicated to finding the right government programs for you. Our mission is uncomplicated: assistance people chop-chop and easily empathise which programs they might exist eligible for—all in one identify. Our team is defended to researching and providing yous with the most relevant information. We compile just the nearly trusted data from government sources into one place so y'all tin find the facts you demand and skip what yous don't.