If you're receiving unemployment benefits in Arkansas, filing your initial claim is only the beginning. To keep receiving payments, you must submit a weekly claim — also called a weekly certification — for every week you want benefits. Miss a week, and you may not get paid for it.
Here's what that process looks like, what information it requires, and what factors shape whether a given week's payment is approved, reduced, or denied.
A weekly claim is a short certification you file with the Division of Workforce Services (DWS), Arkansas's unemployment agency, confirming that you were eligible for benefits during the prior week. It's not a new application — it's an ongoing confirmation that you remain eligible under the rules that apply to your claim.
Arkansas uses a Sunday–Saturday benefit week. You file after the week ends, typically during a designated filing window. Payments are not automatic; they're tied directly to each certification you submit.
Each week, you'll answer a standard set of questions. Your answers determine whether you're paid for that week. Common questions include:
Your answers are submitted under penalty of law. Inaccurate or incomplete responses can result in overpayment, benefit denial, or fraud referral.
Arkansas requires claimants to actively look for work during each benefit week. As a general matter, you must document a set number of work search contacts per week — Arkansas has set this at three job contacts per week as its standard requirement, though this can change and exceptions may apply depending on your circumstances (such as participation in approved training or a union hiring hall arrangement).
You're expected to keep a record of each contact, including the employer name, date, method of contact, and result. DWS can audit work search records and may request them at any time. Failing to meet the requirement — or failing to document it — can affect payment for that week.
If you work part-time or pick up temporary hours during a week, you're still required to report those earnings. Arkansas applies an earnings offset to determine how much, if any, of your weekly benefit you receive for that week.
Generally, states allow claimants to earn a small amount before benefits are reduced dollar-for-dollar. In Arkansas, the structure works roughly like this:
| Scenario | Effect on Weekly Benefit |
|---|---|
| No earnings reported | Full weekly benefit amount paid (if otherwise eligible) |
| Partial earnings reported | Benefit may be reduced based on offset formula |
| Earnings equal or exceed weekly benefit | No payment issued for that week |
| Earnings not reported | Potential overpayment and fraud flag |
The exact offset formula, earnings thresholds, and how Arkansas calculates deductions are governed by state rules that apply to your specific benefit amount and wage history.
Arkansas processes weekly claims through its online portal (the DWS online system) or by phone. Most claimants are expected to file online. The phone option typically serves claimants without reliable internet access or those with specific accessibility needs.
You must file each week separately — there's no batching or retroactive filing for missed weeks (except in limited circumstances where DWS may allow a backdated week with a documented reason). Filing on time, within the designated window, matters.
Even after your initial claim is approved, a weekly certification can be denied or held for several reasons:
When a week is flagged, you may receive a determination explaining the reason. Many issues can be resolved or appealed if you disagree with the outcome.
Arkansas generally provides up to 16 weeks of benefits during a standard benefit year, though the actual number of weeks available to a claimant depends on their base period wages and other factors. This is lower than most other states, which commonly offer 26 weeks as a maximum.
If unemployment remains high and federal extended benefit programs are active, additional weeks may be available — but those programs are tied to national and state unemployment thresholds, not individual circumstances.
How much you receive each week, whether a given week is paid in full or partially, and whether your claim stays in good standing all depend on factors specific to you: your base period wages, how your weekly benefit amount was calculated, whether any issues were flagged at initial determination, and how accurately and consistently you complete each weekly certification.
The general rules described here apply broadly to Arkansas claimants — but your claim history, your reported earnings, and your week-by-week answers are what actually drive what happens on your account.