Filing for Unemployment Benefits in Missouri

When you have been laid off, filing for unemployment benefits can seem like an impossible task. Don't get discouraged! There are several ways to file for unemployment benefits in the state of Missouri.

You should file a claim for unemployment benefits as soon as you are laid off. Missouri has a "waiting week," meaning that you do not receive benefits for the first week that you are eligible. You cannot receive benefits for weeks that you do not file a claim, so file today!

The first way to file for unemployment benefits is to call the nearest Regional Claims Center. There are Regional Claims Centers in Jefferson City, Kansas City, Springfield, and St. Louis. An automated system can answer questions or accept your claim 24 hours a day. Or, if you call during business hours of 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, you can speak to a representative, but you may be on hold for a long time. Interpreters are available if you need one. Don't forget to call from a touch tone phone! Make sure you stay on the phone until the recorded message confirms that your claim was filed. If you hang up before the system is finished, your claim will not be filed.

The other way to file for unemployment benefits in the state of Missouri is to use the internet system at www.moclaims.com. The site can be used to file your inital claim, or your weekly claims.

After you file your initial claim for unemployment benefits, you will receive a notice stating your weekly and maximum benefit amounts, the beginning date of your claim, and the amount of wages your employer paid you. If you think any of this information is wrong, call the Regional Claims Center.

Once your initial claim for unemployment benefits is filed, you must begin filing a claim every week. A week begins on Sunday and ends on Saturday. You cannot file a claim for a week until the week is over. Just like the initial claim, the weekly claims can be filed on the phone or online. File the weekly claims within 14 days of the end of the week that you are claiming benefits for.

In Missouri, unemployment benefits are paid via direct deposit into your bank account, or if you prefer, to a debit card that you will be mailed. If you are eligible for benefits and no investigation is needed, you will receive your first payment of benefits 18-22 days after your inital claim.

Being out of work is hard, but unemployment benefits are there to make it easier. Don't delay in filing after you lose your job.