Virginia Unemployment Insurance (UI) program provides temporary and partial wage replacement for unemployed workers who have worked in the state of Virginia. The program only accepts claimants who have lost their job due to no fault of their own. Claimants can easily file for UI benefits in Virginia using traditional telephone application or an intuitive online application system.

Before you apply for Virginia UI benefits, you should collect all the information that you may have to provide in the application form. This speeds up application process. You will need to provide personal and work related information. You will also need to provide information about your previous employers and the reason you were separated from employment. To receive benefits, you will need to select a method of payment. You can choose between VA Debit and Direct Deposit.

Eligibility Requirements

Getting help with filing online claim

If you need assistance with anything while filing your claim, it is always a good practice to look in FAQ section here before you move ahead to VEC local office with your query. You can find a list of VEC local offices along with their contact details here.

You can also contact VEC Administrative office by dialing 804-371-8050 (TTY) or 1-866-832-2363.

Managing your claim in Virginia

You can read benefits related FAQ here to find answers to most queries.

You can easily manage and keep your claim active in Virginia by filing weekly claim online. You can access Virginia Online Claims here. Sign in with your username and password to access your account. You can easily file weekly claims, change payment methods and download important forms using this online services.

Learn more about filing a UI Claim in Virginia

You can learn more and watch an informative video by visiting this page at Virginia Employment Commission website. You can read Claimant Handbook for UI claims in Virginia here. To learn more about benefits, download this Benefits Table.�

Unemployment Application Instructions

Filing a claim for UI benefits in Virginia is easy with online application. The Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) Workforce Services provides an intuitive online system for both filing and maintaining your claim. Claimants can file their weekly claims, change payment methods and check benefits — all using the same online services system. You can access Virginia Unemployment website here to get started or simply follow steps below to file your UI claim.

- Access the VEC UI Online Claim services using this link and login with your username and password.

- If you don't have a user ID and password already, visit this link to generate a new one. Use this link to reset a forgotten password.

- Complete all the five section of the application form. You will need to provide information related to yourself, employment, and eligibility in the first three sections. Fourth section is about unemployment instructions that will help you to keep your claim active. In the fifth and final section, you will choose and provide details about your preferred method of payment.