The Unemployment Insurance (UI) program provides unemployment benefits to eligible workers who become unemployed through no fault of their own, and meet certain other eligibility requirements.

A recipient’s benefit year is the one-year period during which she or he can claim benefits.  In states with a variable benefit year (different beginning and ending dates across claimants), most claimants are issued only one first payment during a calendar year. In states with a uniform benefit year (the same beginning and ending dates for all claimants), it is possible for a relatively few claimants to be issued two first payments during a calendar year.