Indiana Unemployment Benefits 2026: $390 Max, Eligibility, How to File

Indiana pays a maximum weekly unemployment benefit of $390, and that cap applies to every claim. It is a flat dollar figure written into IC 22-4-12-2, not tied to wages or reset each year, and the 2026 Indiana Code still sets it at $390. Neither the statute nor the Department of Workforce Development's claimant materials state a minimum weekly amount.

Regular benefits last up to 26 weeks, but your total is capped at the lesser of 26 times your weekly benefit or 28% of your base-period wages (IC 22-4-12-4). The Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) runs the program and takes claims online through Uplink CSS.

This page covers Indiana's own rules. For how the federal-state system works nationally and how Indiana compares, see our guide to unemployment benefits by state.

Information last verified on October 7, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This page covers regular state unemployment insurance in Indiana under Indiana Code Title 22, Article 4. It does not cover federal programs for federal workers and veterans (UCFE/UCX), Disaster Unemployment Assistance, extended benefits, or claims filed in other states.

Who is eligible for unemployment in Indiana

Eligibility has two parts: enough past wages (the monetary test) and the reason you are out of work plus your weekly availability (the non-monetary tests). DWD decides both.

Your wages are measured over a base period. DWD's FAQ defines it as the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the week you file. The most recent completed quarter, which DWD calls the lag quarter, does not count. DWD's FAQ and claimant handbook describe only this standard base period.

Under IC 22-4-14-5, you must meet all three of these wage requirements:

• Total base-period wages of at least $4,200.
• At least $2,500 of those wages paid in the last two quarters of the base period.
• Total base-period wages of at least 1.5 times your wages in your highest-paid quarter.

The 1.5 test trips up people whose earnings were concentrated in one quarter. If you earned $9,000 in your best quarter, your base period as a whole needs at least $13,500.

Beyond wages, you must be physically and mentally able to work, available for work, and actively seeking full-time work, and you must take part in reemployment services (RESEA) when DWD directs you to. Under IC 22-4-12-3, being unavailable reduces your weekly benefit by one-third for each normal work day you are not available.

How much unemployment pays in Indiana

Indiana's formula, in IC 22-4-12-2, is 47% of your prior average weekly wage, rounded down to the next lower dollar, with a ceiling of $390. Your prior average weekly wage is your total base-period wages divided by 52. Indiana does not add an allowance for dependents.

A worked example, using the statute's formula: suppose your base-period wages total $30,000, spread evenly across four quarters.

• $30,000 divided by 52 is about $576.92, your prior average weekly wage.
• 47% of $576.92 is about $271.15.
• Rounded down to the next lower dollar, your weekly benefit is $271.

Because the cap is $390, base-period wages above roughly $43,150 do not raise the weekly amount further. To estimate your own figure, use our Indiana unemployment calculator. The number that counts is the one on DWD's monetary determination.

How long unemployment lasts in Indiana

DWD's handbook says you may draw regular benefits for up to 26 weeks or until you reach your maximum benefit amount (MBA). Under IC 22-4-12-4(a), the MBA is the lesser of:

• 26 times your weekly benefit, or
• 28% of your base-period wages.

In the $30,000 example above, 26 times $271 is $7,046, and 28% of $30,000 is $8,400, so the MBA is $7,046. Indiana's maximum does not change with the state unemployment rate. A disqualifying separation can also shrink your MBA, as explained below.

Is there a waiting week in Indiana?

Yes. The first week you claim after filing is an unpaid waiting week under IC 22-4-14-4. DWD's FAQ puts it plainly: you are not paid for the first voucher you submit because that is your waiting period week.

You still have to file a voucher for that week, on time, to serve the waiting period. The week is not paid back later in the claim.

Quitting your job and Indiana unemployment

If you quit, you are ineligible unless you left with good cause in connection with the work. Under IC 22-4-15-1(g), you have good cause only if a reasonable person in the same or similar circumstances would also have left. For the separate question of when an employer may end a job, see Indiana at-will employment laws; for unemployment, what matters is why the job ended.

The statute (IC 22-4-15-1(c)) lists situations where leaving does not disqualify you, including:

• Leaving to accept previously secured permanent full-time work with another employer that offered better wages or conditions, and then working that job.
• Leaving one of two jobs you held at the same time while staying employed at the other, or leaving to accept a recall by a base-period employer.
• A medically substantiated physical disability that left you involuntarily unemployed after reasonable efforts to keep the job.
• Leaving to enter the armed forces, or for approved Trade Act training.
• Moving to another labor market to join a spouse who moved there.
• Domestic or family violence. Proof can be a law enforcement report, a protective order, or an affidavit from a domestic violence service provider (IC 22-4-15-1(c)(8), (f)).

Leaving because of harassment or discipline counts only if it was severe and pervasive, motivated by a protected characteristic or endangering your safety or mental health, and you reported it to the employer without action (IC 22-4-15-1(h)). The statute also addresses leaving in anticipation of an imminent discharge that would not have been for just cause (IC 22-4-15-1(i)), and a resignation offered in place of a discharge is analyzed as a discharge (IC 22-4-15-1(j)).

DWD's handbook gives examples of good work-related reasons, such as an employer that "arbitrarily (unreasonably) changes the terms or conditions of your work," safety violations, and harassment. It lists accepting payment to resign or retire as a reason that is not good cause.

Since July 1, 2026, a voluntary leave of absence taken with your employer's consent is not a disqualifying quit, but no waiting week or benefit weeks accrue while you are on the leave (IC 22-4-15-9).

Being fired: just cause and gross misconduct

Indiana's statute speaks of discharge for "just cause" rather than misconduct. IC 22-4-15-1(d) gives a non-exclusive list that includes:

• Falsifying an employment application.
• A knowing violation of a reasonable and uniformly enforced employer rule, including an attendance rule.
• Unsatisfactory attendance, if there is no attendance rule.
• Willful and wanton damage to the employer's property.
• Refusing to obey instructions, or conduct that endangers safety.
• Incarceration after a conviction.
• Any breach of duty reasonably owed to the employer.

If you are interested in how a criminal case or jail time affects benefits generally, see our guide to collecting unemployment after incarceration.

How long the disqualification lasts. A just-cause discharge has the same effect as a quit without good cause. You are ineligible from the week of separation until you have earned pay in at least 8 weeks of new employment and those earnings total at least 8 times your weekly benefit amount (IC 22-4-15-1(a)).

The separation also cuts the MBA on your current claim: to 75% of the original amount for a first disqualifying separation, then to 85% of that result for a second, and to 90% of the result for a third and each later one (IC 22-4-15-1(b)).

Gross misconduct is more serious. Under IC 22-4-15-6.1, it covers a felony, a Class A misdemeanor, intoxication at work or drinking on the premises, battery, theft or embezzlement, or fraud, committed in connection with work and shown by a preponderance of the evidence. All wage credits you earned before the discharge are canceled.

Work search requirements in Indiana

DWD's work search page tells claimants to "Complete two Work Search Activities each week," and since July 1, 2026, IC 22-4-14-3 names at least two acceptable activities in a week as a way of showing an effort to find full-time work. Keep a detailed record of your activities for six months.

You must also register in Indiana Career Connect. An account starts automatically when you file, but you have to complete your profile and resume. If you are not registered within 10 days of filing your initial claim, benefits are denied until you register (IC 22-4-14-2(f)(4)).

DWD may waive the work search requirement if you are:

• Enrolled in training approved by DWD.
• A job-attached worker with a specific recall date not more than 60 days from your separation.
• A member in good standing of a DWD-authorized union hiring hall.

A waiver does not excuse the weekly voucher. You still have to file it and remain able and available for work.

DWD's handbook also sets pay floors for suitable work: during weeks 5 to 8 of benefits you must accept work paying at least 90% of your previous wage, and after 8 weeks, work paying at least 80%.

Working part-time while on unemployment

The first $100 you earn in a week is not deducted from your benefit. Every dollar above $100 is subtracted from your weekly benefit (IC 22-4-5-1(b)). If your earnings above $100 equal or exceed your weekly benefit, nothing is paid for that week.

Deductible income also includes severance or dismissal pay, pay for idle time, net self-employment earnings and NLRB back pay. Under the statute, pension or annuity payments are deducted dollar for dollar unless you contributed to the plan.

A rule that took effect July 1, 2026 (IC 22-4-14-12) makes you ineligible for partial benefits unless you are working less than your normal, customarily scheduled hours for your regular employer. DWD's handbook also says you are not eligible while working full-time, even on commission or for less than your weekly benefit.

How to file for unemployment in Indiana

File as soon as you become unemployed. DWD takes initial claims online through Uplink CSS. If you do not have internet access, go to your nearest full-service WorkOne Career Center.

Have this ready before you start:

• Your address, Social Security number, date of birth and phone number.
• Your last employer's name, mailing address and phone number.
• Your dates of employment and the reason you are unemployed.

DWD's claimant handbook lists 1-800-891-6499 for help, and 1-317-232-7560 for hearing-impaired callers.

Weekly vouchers. Benefit weeks run Sunday through Saturday. You file a voucher each week for the week before, starting Sunday, and it must be completed by 8:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday. Late vouchers are not accepted, and you must keep filing them even while an issue on your claim is pending.

When your job ends, also check what your employer owes you under Indiana's final paycheck rules, since severance and some other separation payments can reduce your weekly benefit.

Denials and appeals

If DWD denies your claim, you have 15 days from the date your Determination of Eligibility was sent to ask for a hearing before an administrative law judge (IC 22-4-17-2(a)(1), (h)). If you miss the deadline, the determination becomes final. Aim to file within the 15 days; the statute adds three days when the notice was mailed (IC 22-4-17-14(e)) and, since July 1, 2026, moves a deadline that ends on a weekend, legal holiday or DWD closure day to the next business day (IC 22-4-17-16). DWD's handbook and appeals page list four ways to file: online through the Issue History "File Appeal" option in Uplink, by mail, by fax to (317) 233-6888, or in person.

The appeal levels are:

1. Administrative law judge in DWD's Appeals Division. DWD's appeals page says hearings are generally held within about 30 days of filing, while the 2026 claimant handbook says scheduling generally takes eight to ten weeks.
2. Review Board. The judge's decision becomes final unless you appeal to the Review Board within 15 calendar days after the decision was sent (IC 22-4-17-3(b)).
3. Indiana Court of Appeals, for errors of law, within 30 days after notice of intention to appeal (IC 22-4-17-12(a)).

Keep filing your weekly vouchers while the appeal is pending. DWD's handbook tells disqualified claimants to continue filing vouchers and tracking work searches so they are covered if they win.

Overpayments

If DWD pays you more than you were owed, you generally must repay it. For an overpayment that was not caused by knowing concealment, such as unreported wages, you repay without interest or have the amount deducted from future benefits (IC 22-4-13-1(d)-(e)).

If you knowingly failed to disclose or falsified information, the overpayment carries interest of 0.5% per month (IC 22-4-13-1(c)). You also forfeit your wage credits and any benefits for the affected weeks, and owe a civil penalty of 25% of the overpayment for a first instance, 50% for a second, and 100% for the third and each later instance (IC 22-4-13-1.1).

You can ask for a waiver if the overpayment was not your fault and repaying it would be contrary to equity and good conscience, which the statute limits to households whose gross income was 65% or less of the federal poverty guidelines over the measured period (IC 22-4-13-1(i)-(j)). Waivers are not available for fraud. Since July 1, 2025, the request must be filed within 15 days of the date the determination creating the overpayment becomes final (IC 22-4-13-1(m)).

A Notice of Overpayment itself cannot be appealed. DWD says you must appeal the determination or decision that caused the overpayment.

Does Indiana tax unemployment benefits?

Yes. The Indiana Department of Revenue says unemployment compensation is taxable on both federal and state returns, and DWD issues Form 1099-G for the benefits you received. For federal tax treatment and withholding, see our national unemployment guide.

Recent changes to Indiana unemployment law

Senate Enrolled Act 214 (P.L.121-2026), approved March 5, 2026, took effect July 1, 2026. It added the partial-benefit hours rule in IC 22-4-14-12 and the leave-of-absence rule in IC 22-4-15-9, and it revised parts of the work search, registration and separation sections. It did not change the 47% formula, the $390 cap or the 26-week maximum.

DWD's claimant handbook carries a "Version Jul-25" cover, so it may not yet reflect the July 2026 changes. If a handbook rule looks different from what is described here, check with DWD.

Common myths about Indiana unemployment

• "The maximum went up to $445." A 2025 bill proposed that, but it did not become law. The 2026 Indiana Code still caps the weekly benefit at $390.
• "Everyone gets 26 weeks." Your total is capped at the lesser of 26 times your weekly benefit or 28% of your base-period wages, and a disqualifying separation cuts it further.
• "The first week gets paid at the end." The waiting week is unpaid, though you must still file a voucher for it.
• "You only need one work search a week." The statute and DWD's instructions require two acceptable activities each week.
• "Indiana doesn't tax unemployment." The Department of Revenue says it is taxable on both federal and state returns.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Indiana unemployment insurance, verified on October 7, 2026. It is not legal advice and not a benefit determination. Only the Indiana Department of Workforce Development decides whether you are eligible and how much you receive. If your claim is denied, consider talking with a lawyer licensed in Indiana or a legal aid office.

Related

• Unemployment benefits by state
• Indiana unemployment calculator
• Indiana at-will employment laws
• Indiana final paycheck laws

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the maximum unemployment benefit in Indiana in 2026?

$390 a week, the cap set by IC 22-4-12-2. It applies to all claims and is not adjusted each year; the 2026 Indiana Code still sets it at $390.

What is the minimum unemployment payment in Indiana?

Neither the statute nor DWD's claimant materials state a minimum weekly dollar amount. Your amount is 47% of your prior average weekly wage, rounded down, so DWD's monetary determination is the figure to rely on.

How long can you collect unemployment in Indiana?

Up to 26 weeks of regular benefits, or until you reach your maximum benefit amount, which is the lesser of 26 times your weekly benefit or 28% of your base-period wages (IC 22-4-12-4).

How much do I need to have earned to get unemployment in Indiana?

At least $4,200 in your base period, with at least $2,500 in its last two quarters, and total base-period wages of at least 1.5 times your highest-paid quarter (IC 22-4-14-5).

Is the first week of unemployment paid in Indiana?

No. The first week you claim after filing is an unpaid waiting week under IC 22-4-14-4. You still have to file a voucher for that week on time.

Can I get unemployment in Indiana if I quit my job?

Only if you had good cause in connection with the work, meaning a reasonable person in the same circumstances would also have left, or a statutory exception applies, such as leaving because of domestic or family violence (IC 22-4-15-1). DWD decides each case.

How many job searches do I need per week for Indiana unemployment?

Two. DWD's work search page tells claimants to complete two work search activities each week, and since July 1, 2026, IC 22-4-14-3 names at least two acceptable activities in a week as a way of showing an effort to find full-time work. Keep a detailed record of them for six months.

How much can I earn while on unemployment in Indiana?

The first $100 you earn in a week is not deducted. Every dollar above $100 is subtracted from your weekly benefit (IC 22-4-5-1), and since July 1, 2026 partial claims also require working less than your normal scheduled hours.

How do I appeal an unemployment denial in Indiana?

File an appeal within 15 days from the date your Determination of Eligibility was sent, online through Uplink, by mail, by fax to (317) 233-6888, or in person. An administrative law judge hears it, and you should keep filing weekly vouchers.

Does Indiana tax unemployment benefits?

Yes. The Indiana Department of Revenue says unemployment compensation is taxable on both federal and state returns, and DWD issues Form 1099-G for it.

What is the phone number for Indiana unemployment?

DWD's claimant handbook lists 1-800-891-6499, and 1-317-232-7560 for hearing-impaired callers. Claims are filed online through Uplink CSS or at a WorkOne Career Center.