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Lost your job in Indiana? How unemployment works

Indiana pays regular unemployment insurance through the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. Weekly benefits run $37–$390 for up to 26 weeks. Up to 26 weeks or until the maximum benefit amount is used; the benefit year is 52 weeks. 1 unpaid waiting week. Last checked .

What to do this week

  1. File your claim now. File as soon as you become unemployed. You can only claim benefits for weeks you file; claims cannot be backdated, and the application must be completed by 8:59 p.m. Eastern on the Saturday of the week you become unemployed to get a voucher for that week. You can file online, in person. Open the DWD filing page or call 800-891-6499 (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Eastern (Benefit Call Center; closed Saturday-Sunday)).
  2. Gather your records. The agency will ask for your last employers, dates and pay. To qualify: Total base period wages of at least $4,200, with at least $2,500 earned in the last six months of the base period, and total base period wages at least 1.5 times the highest quarter.
  3. Start certifying every week. File a claim voucher online in Uplink every week (Sunday through 8:59 p.m. Eastern Saturday) for the previous week. At least two work search activities every week you file; keep a written log for six months; register on IndianaCAREERconnect.com; visit WorkOne for orientation and review after the 4th week of benefits.
  4. Line up other help. Indiana SNAP income limits, Indiana health coverage, Indiana local income tax by place.

Indiana unemployment at a glance

Agency
Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD)
Weekly benefit
$37–$390 (table in force from July 1, 2026)
Most weeks
26 — Up to 26 weeks or until the maximum benefit amount is used; the benefit year is 52 weeks.
Waiting week
A one-week unpaid waiting period follows your initial claim; you must file a voucher for it and report any wages earned that week. Benefits are not paid for it.
Appeal deadline
Appeals must be filed within the statutory 15-day limit from the date the Determination of Eligibility was sent; late appeals are not accepted under Indiana law.
Spanish / Chinese help
DWD's file page links the claimant handbook in Spanish, Burmese, Arabic and Haitian Creole; the handbook's notice offers free translation help in Chinese and other languages at 800-891-6499. No Chinese claim pages found.

How much you could get

The maximum weekly benefit amount is $390, set by Indiana law. The $37 minimum is not stated by DWD; it equals the $4,200 minimum base period wages x 0.47 / 52 rounded down, and matches the US DOL July 2026 figure. How it is figured: Total base period wages divided by 52, multiplied by 0.47, rounded down to the next whole dollar, up to the $390 maximum.

At the top of the table — $390 a week for 26 weeks — the most a claim can pay is $10,140. That is a ceiling, not a typical claim; most people get less because the amount follows past wages.

Who qualifies

  • Base period. The first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the week you file; wages in the most recent completed quarter (the lag quarter) do not count.
  • Work and wages. Total base period wages of at least $4,200, with at least $2,500 earned in the last six months of the base period, and total base period wages at least 1.5 times the highest quarter.
  • If you quit. Quitting without good, work-related reasons may disqualify you; good reasons include unsafe worksites, harassment, domestic or family violence, a spouse's job move, and military service.
  • If you were fired. Discharge for misconduct (such as knowingly breaking rules, unexcused absences, or refusing instructions) can disqualify you; a claims investigator decides after fact-finding.
  • Part-time, gig and self-employed work. Wages above $100 in a week are deducted dollar for dollar from the weekly benefit; you must report all income, including cash work and self-employment earnings, and keep seeking full-time work.

Weekly certification, taxes and appeals

How to file
File online in Uplink (Claimant Self-Service) at in.gov/dwd; if you have no internet, contact the nearest full-service WorkOne Career Center. You need a valid email address, ID, Social Security number and last employer details.
Weekly certification
File a claim voucher online in Uplink every week (Sunday through 8:59 p.m. Eastern Saturday) for the previous week.
Work search
At least two work search activities every week you file; keep a written log for six months; register on IndianaCAREERconnect.com; visit WorkOne for orientation and review after the 4th week of benefits.
Taxes
Benefits are taxable; at the initial claim you may choose 10 percent federal and 4 percent state withholding, and you cannot stop it during that claim.
State withholding
optional, 4 percent (chosen when filing the initial claim)
If you are denied
Indiana DWD UI Appeals Division, online in Uplink ('File Appeal') or by fax to 317-233-6888 Keep certifying every week while the appeal is pending.
Overpayments
You must repay benefits received because of incomplete or inaccurate information, and fraud adds penalties of 25 to 100 percent; a repayment plan can be arranged by calling 317-233-4838.

Good to know in Indiana

  • Benefit Call Center hours for 800-891-6499: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Eastern (DWD Contact Us page).
  • The waiting week may be waived for workers laid off through a business closing, bankruptcy or WARN-covered reduction (US DOL 2023 comparison); DWD pages state it generally.
  • The $37 minimum weekly amount is derived/cross-checked (see benefit.text).

Sources

Legal and agency information, not legal advice. Rules and benefit tables change — confirm with DWD before you rely on a number. How we check: methodology.