B C D E F H I J L M N O P Q R S T U V W

Additional Benefits: The program in some states that pays additional compensation to exhaustees of regular compensation by reason of conditions of high unemployment or other special factors. This Program is totally financed under the State Unemployment Compensation Law, except that such benefits paid to Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) and Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Servicemen (UCX) Claimants are financed by Federal Funds.

Additional Claims: A notice of new unemployment filed at the beginning of a second or subsequent series of claims within a Benefit Year or within a period of eligibility when a break of one week or more has occurred in the claim series with intervening employment.

Adjudication Specialist: The Division representative responsible for the non-monetary determination process on claims with detected issues.

Affected Group: At least two or more employees designated by an employer to participate in a Shared Work Plan.

Alternate Base Period: An alternate base period is the four completed calendar quarters immediately preceeding the quarter in which the initial claim is filed. Arkansas Code Ann. §11-10-201 creates an alternate base period for individuals who cannot establish initial claims because the individual lacks sufficient base period wages.

Amended Non-Monetary Determination: A decision made under Statute, Regulation or well defined Policy specifically requiring a change or correction of a Non-Monetary Determination and is necessitated because of the failure to gather sufficient information to make a decision, the misinterpretation of facts, use of the incorrect Section of Law or Code, etc. (These things are considered as part of the action of making the original determination.)

Appeal: A request for a hearing to be held by appeals authority on an Agency Determination or Re-Determination, or a request for a review to be held by a higher appeals authority on a decision made by a lower appeals authority.

Appeal Decision: The disposition of an appeals case by a written ruling that is issued to one or more parties. A disposition may or may not involve a review of a previous decision. A disposition that is not written and issued to any party is not a decision. In a Multi-Claimant Case, only one decision is made which applies to all the claimants involved regardless of their number.

Appeal Rights: A right to appeal from any determination issued by the Division of Workforce Services by contacting in person or by mail any local DWS claims office or Appeal Tribunal during the appeal period.

Approved Plan: An employer’s voluntary written plan for reducing unemployment under which a specified group of employees shares the work remaining after their normal weekly hours of work are reduced, which plan meets the requirements of Section 3(e)(2) of the Division of Workforce Service Law and has been approved in writing by the Director.

ArkLine: Arkansas’ Interactive Voice Response system that allows the claimant to claim for weekly benefits by telephone.

ArkNet: Arkansas Online Continued Claims Application that allows the claimant to claim for weekly benefits on the internet.

Automated Adjudication System (AAS): The process by which a detected issue is routed to an Adjudication Specialist for a non-monetary determination to be made.

Base Period: A statutory period of 12 consecutive months, the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters prior to the quarter in which a New Claim is filed.

Benefit Rights Interview: Information provided to a claimant for the purpose of explaining the individual’s rights and responsibilities under the Arkansas Law or Federal Law.

Benefit Year: A 12-month period beginning the first day of the calendar quarter in which a valid claim is filed, during which an individual may receive his/her maximum potential benefit amount.

Calendar Quarter: A three-month period beginning and ending as follows:

Beginning – Ending
Jan. 1 – March 31
April 1 – June 30
July 1 – Sept. 30
Oct. 1 – Dec. 31

City Code: A four (4) digit code for identifying cities within the State that meet specifications set forth in the Federal Information Processing Standards. (See “FIPS Code”.)

Claim: A notice of unemployment filed to request a determination of eligibility and the amount of benefit entitlement or to claim benefits or waiting period credit.

Claim Series: A series of claims filed for continuous weeks of total, part-total, or partial unemployment.

Claimant: A person who files either an Initial or a Continued week State or Federal Unemployment Compensation Program.

Combined-Wage Claim: A claim filed in one state against wage credits earned in two or more state:

Compensable Week: A continued week claimed under an Intrastate or Interstate Claim for which the claimant is paid Unemployment Compensation.

Contested Claim: A claim which has not yet reached an appeal stage but benefit rights for either a Monetary or Nonmonetary reason are questioned by the Division, the claimant the employer, or another interested party.

Continued Claim: A claim filed by mail, telephone IVR, on the internet, or in person for waiting period credit or payment for one or more weeks of unemployment.

Continuous Period of Unemployment: For the purposes of Regulation 14(d)(G), continuous period of unemployment begins when an individual files an initial, additional, or reopened claim for benefits and continues thereafter for as long as he files weekly claims for benefits on a continued week basis.

Contribution Report: An employer’s quarterly report of total and taxable wages, the amount of contributions due the State Unemployment Fund.

County Code: A three (3) digit code for identifying counties. (See “FIPS Code”.)

Courtesy Claim: An Interstate Claim for week(s) of unemployment taken by a state other than the regular Agent State from a visiting claimant.

Covered Employment: Employment as defined in the State Unemployment Compensation Law, performed for a subject employer, or Federal employment as defined in Chapter 85, Title 5, United States Code (UCFE-UCX).

Covered Worker: An individual who has earned wages in covered employment.

Denial of Benefits: Action imposed by a Non-Monetary Determination or an appeals decision that cancels, reduces, or postpones a claimant’s benefit rights.

Arkansas Division of Workforce Services Law: A body of law which establishes a free public Employment Service, or a system of Unemployment Insurance, or both, and which may also establish other systems compensating for wage loss.

Dependents’ Allowance: Special allowances provided under some State Unemployment Compensation Laws to claimants with family support responsibilities as defined under the Statutory Provisions of the Laws.

Disapproved Plan: A voluntary written plan submitted by an employer for approval for SW Unemployment Compensation, which does not meet the requirements of Section 3(e)(2) of the Division of Workforce Services Law and which has been disapproved in writing by the Director.

Disqualification Provisions: The Provisions of the State Unemployment Compensation Laws or Federal Laws setting forth the conditions that bar an individual from receiving waiting period credit or payment of compensation for a specified period and/or reduce the Maximum Benefit Amount or cancel wage credits.

Earnings Allowance: The amount prescribed by Law that a claimant may earn without reduction in the Weekly Benefit Amount for a week of unemployment.

Eligibility Review and Reemployment Assistance Program: Selection of UI Claimants by discreet process for Special Interviews to explore continued eligibility for Unemployment Compensation and to provide Intensive Reemployment Assistance through job search and training.

Employer Account Number: An Identification Number assigned by the Agency to subject employer accounts to control reporting and accounting functions. This number is not compatible with the Federal Employer Identification Number assigned by the Internal Revenue Service for Federal reporting and control purposes.

Employer Contributions: Taxes and special assessments, paid by subject employers into the State Unemployment Fund.

Employer Field Audit: A systematic examination and verification of a subject employer’s books and records covering a specified period of time for which the employer is liable for reporting under the State Unemployment Compensation Law.

Employing Unit: An individual or organization, which employs one or more workers, subject under State or Federal Unemployment Compensation Laws.

Excessive Earnings: When an individual’s earnings equal or exceed 140% of the individual’s Weekly Benefit Amount.

Exclusive Hiring Employer: An employer who agrees in writing to list all his job openings with the Division of Workforce Services and not to list openings or hire or fill such openings from other sources.

Experience Rating: A method for determining the contribution rates of individual employers on the basis of the factors specified in the State Unemployment Compensation Law for measuring employer’s experience with respect to unemployment.

Experience Rating Account: An employer account which is maintained by the Division for the purpose of determining the contribution rate of the employer.

Ex-Serviceman: A person in active duty capacity in a Reserve Status or the National Guard that had a period of 90 days or more of continuous service; the person was released or discharged under honorable conditions (if an officer, did not resign for the good of the service); and the person was discharged or released after completion of his first full term of active service which the person initially agreed to serve. -This definition is used in the determination of eligibility for Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Servicemen (UCX).

Extended Benefits (EB): The Supplemental Program that pays extended compensation during periods of specified high unemployment to individuals for weeks of unemployment after (1) they draw the maximum potential entitlement to regular compensation within their Benefit Year or (2) after their Benefit Year ends while they are in continued unemployment status and have insufficient wage credits to establish a new claim provided, however, that the Extended Benefit Period in the State began prior to the end of their Benefit Year.

EZARC: The process of an individual filing an Arkansas claim for unemployment insurance benefits via the Internet.

Final Payment: The last payment to a claimant which exhausts the individual’s maximum potential benefit entitlement under a specific program.

FIPS Codes (Federal Information Processing Standards): WA standard Coding System for identifying the county of residence, state of residence, and city of residence, if applicable, of each claimant for Unemployment Compensation. The County Code is a three (3) digit code; the State Code is a two (2) digit code; and the City Code is a four (4) digit code. These codes are used to generate data for JTPA, Revenue Sharing, Economic Development, Unemployment Estimates, and DWS Work Load Items.

First Payment: The first payment for a week of unemployment claimed under a specific program.

First-Payment Time Lapse: A measurement in terms of days representing the length of time between the end of the first compensable week of total unemployment and the date of the first payment for total unemployment. The Federal first-payment, time-lapse criteria is 14 days following the end of the first compensable week. The Arkansas criteria for non-monetary time lapse is that the decision (DWS-Ark-578) must be issued with a mailing date within twenty-one (21) days from the date the issue is first detected by the Division. If the Arkansas time lapse for Non-Monetary Determinations is met, the Federal first-payment time-lapse criteria would be met.

Formal Determination: A Non-Monetary Determination where a written determination is made and is sent either to the employer or claimant or both.

Fraud: To willfully withhold information or deliberately give the wrong information when filing for unemployment insurance benefits in order to obtain benefits to which you are not entitled. A fraudulent act when filing for UI benefits is a crime and punishable by law, including fines and /or imprisonment.

Fringe Benefits: An employment benefit (i.e., a pension, a paid holiday, sick leave, or health insurance, etc.) granted by an employer in addition to the cash remuneration earned.

Full Benefits: Amount of compensation to which a claimant is entitled for weeks of total unemployment.

Full Board Hearing: A hearing conducted by the Chairman of the Board of Review and the three (3) Board Members upon written request of a petitioner.

Full-Time Employment: Employment for the customary or normal number of hours in a calendar week for the industry, which may be more or less than 40 hours a week.

High Quarter Formula: A benefit formula that uses an individual’s highest quarter of wages in the base period to compute the Weekly Benefit Amount.

Higher Authority Appeal: The higher of two (2) administrative authorities provided by the State Unemployment Compensation Law to make decisions with respect to appeals. This is the Board of Review.

Informal Determination: A Non-Monetary Determination that does not require that a written determination be provided to the interested parties.

Insured Unemployment Rate (IUR): Rate of unemployment during a week for which waiting period credit or benefits are claimed under the Regular Compensation Programs, Supplemental Extended Benefit Programs, or the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Program. The IUR is used for determining National and State “Off” and “On” Triggers for Extended Benefits. (It is the number of insured weeks claimed, as a percentage of UI covered workers.)

Interstate Claim: A claim filed in one (Agent) State based on monetary entitlement to compensation in another (Liable) State.

Interstate Combined-Wage Claim: A Combined-Wage Claim in which the Paying State is not the state in which the claim is filed.

Intrastate Claim: A claim filed in the same state in which the individual’s wage credits were earned.

Itinerant Point: A location at which Division of Workforce Services are provided on a scheduled part-time basis by staff from a local office operated at another location.

Job Search Workshop: A workshop offered by DWS designed to sharpen job-seeking skills of those individuals selected to attend, as a service to claimants required by Public Law 103-52.

Joint Claim: A claim for benefits based upon work experience under both State and Federal Unemployment Compensation Laws or under two Federal Unemployment Compensation Laws.

Labor Area: Consists of a central city or cities and the surrounding territory within commuting distance. Labor areas in Arkansas include one or more entire counties.

Last Employer: The employer for whom you last worked immediately prior to completing an initial application or an additional claim for UI benefits. You will be asked to provide the last employer’s correct name and address, dates of your employment, and the reason you became unemployed.

Lower Authority Appeal: The lower of two administrative authorities provided by the State Unemployment Compensation Law to make decisions with respect to appeals. This is the Appeal Tribunal.

Mail Claim: A claim filed by mail instead of being filed in person at a local Division of Workforce Services office. Such claim shall be considered to have been filed on the date of its postmark.

Maximum Potential Benefit Amount: The largest amount of benefits for weeks of total unemployment that an individual may receive under a State or Federal Unemployment Compensation Law.

Maximum Potential Duration: The highest number of weeks of total unemployment for which benefits are payable to any claimant in a Benefit Year or other period of eligibility under a State or Federal Unemployment Compensation Law.

Maximum Weekly Benefit Amount: The highest Weekly Benefit Amount for a week of total unemployment as provided under a State or Federal Unemployment Compensation Law.

Message Cards: A system to provide the claimant a Message Card with a reason a payment was not issued for a week claimed.

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA): A geographic area with a large population nucleus, together with adjacent communities that have a high degree of economic and social integration with that nucleus.

To qualify for recognition as an MSA, an area must either have a city with a population of at least 50,000 within its corporate limits; or it must have a Bureau of the Census urbanized area of at least 50,000, and a total MSA population of at least 100,000.

Each metropolitan statistical area has one or more central counties containing the area’s main population concentration. An MSA may also include outlying counties that have close economic and social relationships with the central counties. Such counties must have a specified level of commuting to the central counties and must also meet certain standards regarding metropolitan character, such as population density. In New England, metropolitan statistical areas are composed of cities and towns, rather than whole counties. Under specified conditions, two adjacent areas may be consolidated or combined into a single metropolitan statistical area.

Each metropolitan statistical area has at least one central city. The titles of MSA’s include up to three central city names, as well as the name of each state into which the MSA extends.

Minimum Potential Benefit Amount: The smallest amount of benefits for weeks of total unemployment that an individual may receive under a State or Federal Unemployment Compensation Law.

Minimum Weekly Benefit Amount: The lowest Weekly Benefit Amount for a week of total unemployment as provided in the State Unemployment Compensation Law.

Monetary Determination: A written notice issued to inform an individual whether or not the individual meets the employment and wage requirements necessary to establish entitlement to compensation under a specific program, and, if entitled, the Weekly and Maximum Benefit Amounts the individual may receive.

Monetary Redetermination: A record of a decision made after reconsideration and/or recomputation of a claimant’s monetary entitlement based on the receipt of new employment and wage information, a Non-monetary Determination, or a question raised by an interested party (whether or not a change is made in the original determination).

Multi-Claimant Appeals Case: A case that involves more than one claimant. The resulting decision is applicable to more than one claimant.

Multi-Claimant Non-monetary Determination: A Non-monetary Determination based upon a set of facts that apply to more than one individual and may result in the issuance of one or more notices, depending upon the number of individual claimants involved in the facts.

New Claim (Initial): The first claim filed in person, via the Internet, or by mail, to request a determination of entitlement to, and eligibility for, compensation that results in a Department generated document of an appealable Monetary Determination provided to the potential claimant excluding Transitional Claims.

Noncompensable Week: A week of unemployment for which benefits or waiting week credit shall not be allowed but which may qualify as a week allowable in satisfaction of a disqualification.

Non-monetary Determination: A decision made by the initial authority based on facts related to an “issue” under the following conditions:

1. The present, past, or future benefit rights of a claimant or claimants are involved;

2. A week of unemployment is claimed and the determination affects such week or could result in a reduction of the monetary award;

3. There are identifiable documents showing the type and disposition of an issue, the material facts considered in arriving at the determination, and the legal result; and

4. The determination, if it involves the denial of benefits, is issued in the form of a written determination notice to the claimant.

NOTE: No determination denying benefits may be considered to be a Non-Monetary Determination until the claimant has been afforded an opportunity to furnish any facts he may have relating to disqualifying information received from other sources.

Non-Monetary Redetermination: A decision made under Statute, Regulation or well-defined Policy specifically requiring the reopening of a Non-monetary Determination prior to the administrative appeal stage, and which affirms, reverses, or modifies such determination.

Normal Weekly Hours of Work: For shared work purposes the normal hours of work or full-time and permanent part-time employees in the affected group when their employing unit is operating on its normal, full-time basis, not to exceed forty hours and not including overtime.

Overpayment: An amount of benefits paid to an individual to which the individual is not legally entitled, regardless of whether or not the amount is subsequently reversed or waived.

Overpayment Due to Willfull Misrepresentation: An overpayment for which facts material to the determination or payment of a claim are found to have been knowingly misrepresented or concealed by the claimant (claimant fraud) in order to obtain benefits to which the individual is not legally entitled.

Partial Benefits: Unemployment Compensation of less than the full Weekly Benefit Amount payable to a claimant.

Paying State: The state in which a claimant files a claim after qualifying in that state on the basis of combined employment and wages.

Personal Identification Number (PIN): A 4-digit number of your choosing that serves as your legal signature for accessing your claim by telephone (see ArkLine) or by internet (see ArkNet).

Potential Duration: The total number of weeks of total unemployment for which an individual claimant may receive benefits in a Benefit Year or period of eligibility under the entitlement provisions of a State or Federal Unemployment Compensation Program or any other program administered by the Department.

Qualifying Wages: The amount of wages an individual must have within a specified period in order to be entitled to compensation under a specific program.

Regular Compensation: Benefit payments to individuals with respect to their unemployment under any State Unemployment Compensation Law including payments pursuant to 5 U.S.C., Chapter 85, (UCFE-UCX), but not including Additional, Extended Benefits, Disaster Unemployment Assistance, or Trade Readjustment Allowances.

Reimbursable Employer: Certain nonprofit organizations, state or local government and political subdivisions which elect, or are required, to pay into the State Unemployment Fund a sum in lieu of contributions as provided in the Arkansas Unemployment Compensation Law (usually an amount equal to Unemployment Benefits drawn against such employer account). (Federal Government for UCFE, UCX, and PSE.)

Reopened Claim (Lapsed): The first claim filed following a break in a Claims Series during a Benefit Year that was caused by other than intervening employment (i.e., illness, disqualification, unavailability, etc.)

Reporting Requirements: The Rules, Regulations, or Procedures of the Department concerning the manner, frequency, and time required for claimants to report to offices of the Division of Workforce Services. This can be in person, by mail, weekly, or bi-weekly.

Requalifying Work: A claimant may not requalify on a succeeding Benefit Year unless he has had insured work and been paid wages for such work equal to ten (10) times his Weekly Benefit Amount since filing the preceding valid claim that established his Benefit Year.

Seasonal Industry Determination: A Determination made as to whether the Seasonality Provision of the State Unemployment Compensation Law shall be applied to the benefit rights of workers employed in seasonal operations of an industry, occupation, establishment, or employer.

Self-Filing of a Claim: The partial or full completion of a claim form by the claimant.

Shared Work Benefits: The Unemployment Compensation Benefits payable to employees in an affected group under an approved plan as distinguished from regular Unemployment Insurance Benefits (i.e., UCFE, UCX, EB, FSC, etc.).

Shared Work Compensation Plan: A plan of an employer, under which there is a reduction in the number of hours worked by employees in lieu of temporary layoffs.

Shared Work Employer: An employer with an approved Shared-Work Plan in effect.

Special Examiner: In Multi-Claimant circumstances or situations, if it appears advisable, the UI Director may request that the records of the claimants involved be transferred to a Special Examiner for hearing and decision.

Stabilization Rate: Each employer, except those employers who have elected to reimburse the Fund in lieu of contributions, is required to pay a Stabilization Tax on wages paid by him with respect to employment when the assets of the Fund on the computation date are less than 2.5% of the total payrolls for employment during the preceding Calendar Year. The stabilization rate is determined by the assets of the Fund.

State Code: A two (2) digit number that identifies the States of the United States, the District of Columbia, and the Territories of the United States. (See FIPS Code.)

Subgroup: A group of employees that constitutes at least ten percent of the employees in an affected group.

Temporary Employment: Work that an individual accepts, knowing it is for a limited time or specified short time.

Transferring State: A state that transfers wage credits earned in that state by a Combined-Wage Claimant to the state, which is the Paying State.

Transient Claimant: A claimant who is moving from place to place in search of work and who indicates to the Agent State Local Office that he will be in the area served by the Local Office for less than a full claims reporting period.

Transitional Claim: A new claim was filed to request a determination of monetary eligibility and to establish a new Benefit Year with an effective date within the seven (7) day period immediately following the Benefit Year ending date and a week for which compensation or waiting period credit was claimed. (There was not a break in the weeks claimed, and the last week claimed in the previous Benefit Year was not disallowed due to excessive earnings.) However, whenever a claimant files a claim for Extended Benefits in the last week of his Benefit Year and a Determination must be made on whether he can establish a new Benefit Year, this request and any subsequent requests made while in continuous extended compensation claim series are Transitional Claims.

Unemployment Compensation: The Unemployment Benefits payable under the Division of Workforce Services Law other than Shared Work Benefits and includes any amounts payable pursuant to an agreement under any Federal Law providing for compensation, assistance, or allowances with respect to unemployment.

Unemployment Compensation (UC): The State Programs that provide benefits to individuals covered under State and Federal Unemployment Compensation Laws, Supplemental Extended Compensation (payable to eligible individuals under other provisions of State and/or Federal Laws during periods of high unemployment) and other special programs which compensate individuals involved in situations which adversely affect their employment status through no fault of their own.

Unemployment Compensation For Ex-Servicemen (UCX): The Federal Program that provides benefits to ex-servicemen established by 5 United States Code, Chapter 85. Supplemental Extended Compensation is payable to ex-servicemen under other provisions of State and/or Federal Laws during periods of high unemployment.

Unemployment Compensation For Federal Employees (UCFE): The Federal Program that provides benefits to Federal employees established by 5 United States Code, Chapter 85. Supplemental Extended Compensation is payable to Federal employees under other provisions of State and/or Federal Laws during periods of high unemployment.

Unemployment Insurance (UI): The Program Term that encompasses all State and Federal Unemployment Compensation Laws and related programs administered by the State and Federal Unemployment Insurance Services.

Wage Credits: Wages earned by persons working in employment covered by State Unemployment Compensation Laws.

Wage Record: A record maintained by the Division of quarterly wages of an individual employee’s earnings in covered employment reported by subject employers.

Wage Request State: The method used by a Wage Request State Agency to obtain wage and separation report(s) from a base period employer(s) after the claimant files a New or Transitional Claim for Unemployment Compensation.

Wages Earned: Wages earned by an individual for work performed. For claiming weekly Unemployment Compensation, gross wages (earnings) are to be reported for the week in which the work is performed, regardless of when the individual will be paid for the work.

Wages Paid: To qualify monetarily, a claimant must have been paid wages in at least two (2) quarters of his Base Period for insured work and such total wages paid during his Base Period must equal not less than thirty (30) times his Weekly Benefit Amount. When subject employers report an individual’s wages on Quarterly Contribution Reports, the employers report the wages in the quarter in which the wages were paid.

Waiting Week: A week of unemployment for which a claimant does not receive compensation but must meet the same Eligibility Requirements that are necessary to qualify for subsequent weeks of unemployment during the Benefit Year.

Week of Total Unemployment: A week in which an individual performs no work and earns no wages or has less than full-time work and earns not more than the allowable earnings prescribed in the State Unemployment Compensation Law, so that, if eligible, the individual receives his full Weekly Benefit Amount. (An exception may be the final payment when an individual’s benefit balance would preclude payment of the full Weekly Benefit Amount.)

Week of Unemployment: Any week during which an individual is totally or partially unemployed.

Weekly Benefit Amount: The amount payable to a claimant for a compensable week of total unemployment.

Weeks Claimed: The weeks covered by Intrastate Continued Claims and Interstate Continued Claims for which Waiting Period Credit or payment of compensation is requested. A week for which excessive earnings are reported does not constitute a claim for a week of unemployment. However, when other deductible income exceeds the Weekly Benefit Amount, it is to be considered a week claimed.

Weeks Compensated: The number of weeks claimed that are actually paid.

Weeks of Partial Unemployment: A week in which an individual works less than forty (40) hours in a calendar week, and earns less than the amount normally paid for full-time weekly wage but more than the allowable earnings prescribed by the State Unemployment Compensation Law, so that, if eligible, the individual received less than his weekly benefit payment.