Oklahoma requirements for UI applicants.

Oklahoma Unemployment insurance is not for everyone. To qualify for unemployment benefits you must be an insured worker. This means your employer must be registered in the state of Oklahoma and you must meet the financial eligibility requirements set by Oklahoma UI Law. There are four key terms you must know before you can begin to understand how the Oklahoma UI benefits system works.

Base Period. Your base period is the period of time used to establish your eligibility for benefits based on your income. It includes the first four quarters of the last five since you apply for unemployment. A quarter is a three-month period. To illustrate, if you file your application in November 2011, your base period will start in April, 2010, and en in June 2011. It is the income you generate in that period that will determine if you qualify for payments.

Benefit Year. This is a period of 52 weeks which begins when you first file your application. Once your application is approved you have 52 weeks to use up your Oklahoma UI benefits. Once your benefit years ends you will not be able to use any of your benefit weeks even if you still have some left. Of course, there are other programs you can qualify for, such as the federal EUC program.

Covered Employment. This includes any type of employment under a registered employer in Oklahoma.

Weekly Benefit Amount. This is the weekly amount you receive before deductions. In Oklahoma the maximum is $409 and the minimum is $16.

When Should I File For Unemployment? As soon as you can. If you wait, you could jeopardize your chances of meeting the program’s requirements.

What Other Requirements Must I Meet?

Besides meeting the financial requirements set by Oklahoma UI Law you must also have a reason for terminating your employment which is approved by the Oklahoma ESC. In a nutshell, you must have lost your job due to no fault of your own. For example, if you voluntarily quit, are self-employed, were involved in a strike, you are not fit for work or you were sacked because of a felony or gross negligence you will not receive benefits.

How Do i File For Unemployment Benefits in Oklahoma?

You can file either online (click here to file online) or over the phone by calling 1-800-555-1554 between 8:00 and 16:00 from Monday to Fridays, not including state holidays.