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West Virginia Unemployment Insurance Benefits
Unemployment insurance benefits in West Virginia provide temporary financial assistance to eligible unemployed West Virginians who lose employment through no fault of their own.
West Virginia Unemployment Services
Website | https://workforcewv.org/unemployment |
Private Website | West Virginia Unemployment |
Phone | 800-252-5627 |
Apply Online | File a New Claim |
Weekly Certification | File a Weekly Claim |
Appeal a Denial | Request a Hearing |
Find a Local Office | https://workforcewv.org/about-us/contact-us |
Report Fraud | https://uc.workforcewv.org/consumer |
Coronavirus Updates | https://workforcewv.org/covid19 |
Am I Eligible for Unemployment Benefits in West Virginia?
To qualify for unemployment insurance assistance, a claimant must have earned wages in West Virginia for the 12 to 18 months before the initial claim, along with earning a minimum amount of wages as outlined in West Virginia’s unemployment benefits guidelines. A claimant also must be able and available for employment during every week for which they apply to collect benefits. Eligibility is determined during the process of filing a claim. If you’re not sure if you qualify, you should still apply.
You must be a resident of West Virginia and all of the following must be true:
- You are unemployed through no fault of your own
- You worked in West Virginia during the past 12-18 months
- You earned a minimum amount of wages determined by West Virginia guidelines
- You are actively seeking work each week you are collecting benefits
Benefit Payments and Duration
Base Period | First 4 of the last 5 completed quarters |
Alt Base Period | Last 4 completed quarters |
Duration of Benefits | Weekly Payment | Maximum Benefits Amount (1 year) | |
Min | Max | ||
26 weeks | $24 | $424 | $11,024 |
How To Apply
West Virginia applicants are required to submit an Initial Unemployment Compensation Application for unemployment assistance online. Visit uc.workforcewv.org and select the option to file a new/additional Initial Unemployment Claim. In the case of workers who receive a Low Earnings Report from their employers, applicants may submit the form in person or by mailing it to the nearest unemployment claims office. A directory of those mailing addresses is available on the Workforce West Virginia website for your reference.
How Do I Manage My Unemployment Benefits?
West Virginia makes it easy for benefits recipients to manage their unemployment benefits online. Once approved for assistance, you must file a weekly claim in order to receive unemployment compensation benefits for each week you remain unemployed. You can do so by visiting https://uc.workforcewv.org/Consumer/Login.aspx?app=cc.
You also have the option of calling 800-379-1032 each week to submit your weekly benefit claim. Once you submit the form, your answers are considered final and cannot be changed – so make sure you’re providing complete and accurate information before submitting. You will also be required to certify that the information you are submitting is accurate and free of fraud.
Your weekly benefit claim should be submitted between Sunday at 12:01 a.m. EST and Friday at 5 p.m. EST. Unless you request direct deposit, your assistance will be delivered via a state-issued prepaid debit card, where your assistance payment will be added each week.
How Do I Appeal a Decision?
If you receive a decision that you’d like to appeal, you must do so within eight days of the date your decision was mailed – either the claimant or the employer may initiate an appeal. At that point, you may be asked to participate in a hearing with an administrative law judge – the purpose of this hearing is to determine whether unemployment benefits should be granted or denied. Any appeals of the judge’s decision will need to be submitted to a Board of Review, at which time you will be invited to a Board of Review hearing in Charleston to answer questions and provide evidence for your claim.
Reporting Fraud
Unemployment fraud, including identity theft and fraudulent unemployment claims, is something the state of West Virginia takes very seriously. Any attempt to collect unemployment insurance benefits under untruthful circumstances – including leaving a position without good work-related cause, is considered fraud. You have three different options for reporting instances of unemployment fraud, as outlined below:
- Online: uc.workforcewv.org/Consumer/Fraud.aspx
- Email: reportunemploymentfraud@wv.gov
- Call: 681-313-2711
Penalties related to fraud may include fines, jail time, or the inability to receive future unemployment benefits until all fraudulent claims and fines have been retired.
West Virginia Unemployment Office Locations
WorkForce WV – Beckley | 200 New River Town Center Beckley, WV 25801 |
304-256-6792 |
WorkForce WV – Charleston Center | 1321 Plaza East PO Box 2753 Charleston, WV 25330-2753 |
304-558-0291 |
WorkForce WV – Clarksburg | 153 W. Main St. Suite B Clarksburg, WV 26301 |
304-627-2125 |
WorkForce WV – Elkins | 1023 North Randolph Avenue Elkins, WV 26241 |
304-637-0257 |
WorkForce WV – Fairmont | 416 Adams Street Suite 220 Fairmont, WV 26554 |
304-363-0654 |
WorkForce WV – Huntington | 2699 Park Avenue Suite 240 Huntington, WV 25704 |
304-528-5528 |
WorkForce WV – Putnam | 3554 Teays Valley Road Mid Valley Square Suite 117 Hurricane, WV 25526 |
304-397-3033 |
WorkForce WV – Logan | 130 Stratton Street PO Box 1619 Logan, WV 25601-1619 |
304-792-7010 |
Career One Stop – Martinsburg | 202 Viking Way Martinsburg, WV 25401 |
304-264-6133 |
Region 7 Workforce Development Board | 151 Robert C Byrd Industrial Park Rd Suite 2 Moorefield, WV 26836 |
304-530-3917 |
WorkForce WV – Morgantown | 304 Scott Avenue Morgantown, WV 26508 |
304-285-3124 |
WorkForce WV – New Martinsville | 257 North State Route 2 New Martinsville, WV 26155 |
304-455-6184 |
WorkForce WV – Parkersburg | 300 Lakeview Center Parkersburg, WV 26101 |
304-420-4525 |
WorkForce WV – Mercer | 195 Davis Street Suite 102 Princeton, WV 24739 |
304-425-1896 |
WorkForce WV – Greenbrier Valley | 330 Red Oaks Shopping Center Suite 1 Ronceverte, WV 24970 |
304-647-7410 |
WorkForce WV – Summersville | 830 Northside Drive Suite 123 Summersville, WV 26651 |
304-872-0820 |
WorkForce WV – Weirton | 100 Municipal Plaza Suite 300 Weirton, WV 26062 |
304-794-2000 |
WorkForce WV – Welch | 110 Park Avenue Suite 100 Welch, WV 24801 |
304-436-3131 |
American Job Center – Wheeling | 1275 Warwood Ave Wheeling, WV 26003 |
304-232-6280 |