How Long Can You Receive Unemployment Benefits

Unemployment Benefits During A Pandemic

There is no special unemployment benefit provision that applies during a pandemic. The federal and state governments may, however, enact their own rules and guidance as they see fit. For instance, the federal government has allowed states to expand the eligibility of people to get unemployment benefits amid the COVID 19 pandemic.

Accordingly, employees who are laid off because their employer temporarily shut down the business can file for benefits. The same holds true for people who are under quarantine but expect to go back to work later.

Can An Employer Contest An Unemployment Claim

As an employer, you have the right to contest an unemployment claim that you think is invalid or misleading. When a former employee makes a claim, youll receive a notice from the state or federal unemployment agency along with details surrounding the termination.

At this point, you can determine whether to accept or contest the claim. Keep in mind, an employee also has the right to fight the denial of an unemployment claim. If you’re going to contest an employees claim for unemployment, be sure that you have clear and proper documentation to back up your case in order to avoid an expensive employment lawsuit.

How Long Do Unemployment Benefits Last In California

An unemployment benefits claim is effective for one year. During the year, claimants can receive from 12-26 weeks of full benefits. The number of weeks varies, based on total earnings during the base period .

Click here for a 100% FREE EDD Benefits guide: EDD Benefits guide

Once you finish your benefits i.e. after 26, you may no longer collect any unemployment benefits until the benefits year has completely transpired, which is typically 52 weeks after the time of your first benefits claim was filed. However, you are permitted to file a second claim for additional benefits following the completion of your 52 week benefits year so long as you can meet the standard eligibility requirements as well as an additional past earnings requirement. This modified past earnings requires that you earn wages during the benefit year of your first claim. The purpose of this modified requirement is to ensure that you do not collect unemployment for a second claim if you have not worked or earned any compensation during the entire benefit year of your first claim.

You May Like: How To File A Va Claim For Disability

What Are The Unemployment Qualifications In Indiana

To qualify for unemployment benefits in Indiana, you must meet several qualifications before being granted unemployment payments. There are three specific requirements mandated by the Indiana unemployment department that impact whether or not you qualify for unemployment:

Requirement #1: You are able to work.

Indiana unemployment laws require you to be able to find new work before you can receive benefits.

• You must be able to work.
• You must be available to work.
• You must be actively searching for a full-time job.

Requirement #2: You lost your job through no fault of your own.

• Did you quit your job voluntarily? If so, and your reason for quitting was not work-related, you cannot receive benefits. Work-related reasons for quitting that still allow you to qualify for unemployment benefits include the following:
• Worksite safety violations
• Unreasonable changes to your work duties or conditions
• Military service
• Moving to follow a spouse who has accepted a new job
• Harassment, family violence, or domestic abuse

Requirement #3: You earned enough during your base period.

For your claim to be valid, you must have earned at least 1.5 times the amount of your highest-quarter wages in your base period and have made at least $2,500 in the final six months of that period.

I Still Have More Questions About How To Apply For Unemployment Benefits Where Can I Find More Answers

You can find more answers on the Texas Workforce Commissions website, Unemployment Benefits Handbook, or virtual assistant. The virtual assistant is available on any Texas Workforce Commission webpageat the bottom of the page under the CHAT WITH US tab. You can also contact Texas RioGrande Legal Aid at 888-988-9996.

Read Also: Does Filing Unemployment Hurt Your Credit

What You Need To File For Unemployment Benefits

To expedite your claim, its best to have all the relevant information and documents at hand before you file. While requirements vary by state, you may need some or all of the following in order to apply:

• Your Social Security number.
• Your driver’s license, state ID, or motor vehicle ID card number.
• Your mailing address.
• Your telephone number.
• The full company names and addresses of all employers that you worked for in the last two years.
• The Employer Registration number or Federal Employer Identification Number of your most recent employer.
• If you were a federal employee, copies of forms SF8 and SF50 if you had federal employment within the last 18 months.
• If youre a service or ex-service member claiming benefits based on your military service, a copy of your most recent separation form DD 214.

The information contained in this article is not legal advice and is not a substitute for such advice. State and federal laws change frequently, and the information in this article may not reflect your own states laws or the most recent changes to the law.

Letter #1 Monetary Determination

This is not an approval, but rather tells you how much you could receive if you are approved. This document tells you how many weeks you will receive unemployment. Do not confuse the benefit year with how many weeks you will be eligible. The maximum number of weeks you can draw unemployment in Tennessee is 26 weeks .Not the correct amount or is an employer missing during the past 18 months?

If you believe that the wages on the Wage Transcript and Monetary Determination are incorrect, you may file a Wage Protest .

Don’t Miss: Sign Up For Unemployment In Tennessee

I Applied And Was Denied Because I Didnt Have Enough Past Earnings I Thought The Federal Stimulus Bill Didnt Require Past Earnings So Why Didnt I Qualify

The federal stimulus bill does not require you to have a minimum amount of past earnings. However, to receive these federal benefits, you must first be denied regular unemployment benefits under Texas state law. If you lost your job or had to quit because of COVID-19 and received a notice that you were denied benefits because you had insufficient past earnings, you should later receive a notice stating whether you qualify for either disaster or pandemic benefits. You should not reapply if you do not receive a notice. Call the TWC to ask for an explanation or if you receive a decision denying you that says you can appeal, you should appeal. Appeal deadlines are very short. The deadline will be written on the denial notice.

How Does Unemployment Work

Unemployment insurance is a joint federal-state program providing short-term cash benefits to jobless workers while they seek new employment. State law decides who can receive benefits, how much and for how long, determined by looking at earnings and hours worked during a base period.

Eligible workers in most states will receive cash payments for up to 26 weeks while they look for work. However, nine states provide fewer than 26 weeks and two states provide more. Extended benefits programs also exist in four states.

Businesses fund unemployment programs by paying taxes known as FUTA and SUTA taxes. Unemployment claims have the potential to trigger increased unemployment insurance tax rates for business owners, so its important to understand how the system works in order to avoid costly mistakes.

Don’t Miss: Disability Application Va

My Boss Told Me I Needed To Come Back To Work But I Am Considered High

The TWC has said that workers can refuse an offer to return to work and still receive unemployment benefits in the following situations:

• They or someone they live with is 65 years or older.

• They have a medical issue, like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or a weakened immune system, or are at a higher risk for getting very sick from COVID19 .

• They live with someone who is at a higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19 .

• They have tested positive for COVID-19 by a source authorized by the State of Texas and have not recovered.

• They live with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 by a source authorized by the State of Texas and that person has not recovered and 14 days have not yet passed.

• They were exposed to COVID-19 through close contact and are quarantining for 14 days.

• They are the primary caregiver for a child they live with, and that childs school or daycare has closed and there are no alternatives.

The TWC has said that any other situation would be looked at on a case-by-case basis. If you have a question about your particular situation affecting your eligibility for unemployment, please call TRLA. We can help you try to figure out whether you may be able to stay on unemployment, and also whether you have the right to paid or unpaid leave. For more information about paid or unpaid leave that might be available to you, please visit our website.

What Do I Have To Do To Meet The Work Search Requirements

Most workers receiving unemployment benefits must complete 3 work search activities per week.

The TWC has stated that acceptable work search activities include but are not limited to:

• registering onWorkInTexas.com.

• searching for jobs onWorkInTexas.comand using the Virtual Recruiter tool to receive alerts about new jobs that match your skills

• obtaining and following up on job contacts fromWorkInTexas.comorWorkforce Solutions officestaff

• registering at apublic workforce officein the state you live in if you do not live or work in Texas

• registering for work with a private employment agency, placement service of a school/college/university, or registering with other electronic job-matching systems

• making in-person visits, completing a job application, or interviewing with employers who may reasonably be expected to have openings for suitable work. The job application can be submitted in person, online, by fax, or in any other manner directed by the employer and appropriate for the type of work being sought

• mailing a job application and/or a résumé as instructed by a public job notice

• creating a reemployment plan

You May Like: How To Get Unclaimed Unemployment Benefits

What Are Extended Benefits

Extended benefits are additional weeks of unemployment compensation that are available to workers who have exhausted regular unemployment insurance benefits during periods of high unemployment. The basic Extended Benefits program provides up to 13 additional weeks of unemployment compensation when a state is experiencing high unemployment.

In some states, there may be an additional 7 additional weeks of extended benefits during periods of extremely high unemployment.

I Was Already Receiving Benefits Before Covid

Yes. The federal stimulus bill will give you 13 additional weeks of unemployment. This is called Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation . You do not need to reapply if you ran out of benefits on or after July 1, 2019. Just keep requesting payments every two weeks. You are probably eligible if:

• Your original claim was dated on or after July 8, 2018

• You exhausted all entitlement to regularUIbenefits

• You are not eligible for benefits in any other state or territory

• You will run out of your current benefits at any point before December 20, 2020

• You are not receiving compensation under the UC laws of Canada and

• You are able to work and available for work.

If you meet the above criteria, the TWC will notify you by mail or electronic correspondence, and you should not attempt to apply for benefits again. If you submit another application, you may delay TWCs processing of your application.

After you exhaust those 13 weeks under the federal stimulus bill, you may then qualify for another 13 weeks under Texas law. This is called Extended Benefits. You do not need to reapply. Just keep requesting payments very two weeks. The TWC should automatically review your claim to see if you are eligible for additional weeks of benefits. But if they do not or say you cannot keep receiving benefits, you may need to call them to ask them to review your claim for Extended Benefits.

On December 27, 2020, a new pandemic relief bill was signed into law.

Don’t Miss: How To Apply For Unemployment Benefits In Tennessee

Some Workers May Earn More From Unemployment Than Their Jobs

Given the possibility to receive unemployment aid for nearly 10 months, along with the weekly $600 federal boost through July, some workers may wonder whether they’d fare better being laid off in order to receive benefits, rather than remaining on payroll for a job with reduced hours or doing work that may put them at risk of contracting the virus.

Indeed, in some situations, workers now receiving both state and federal assistance are able to earn more than what they’d make if they were still working. According to calculations from The New York Times, workers in more than half of states will receive, on average, more in unemployment benefits than they did from their normal salaries.

Legislators say replacing 100% of earnings for the average worker was by design in order to provide a crucial lifeline to Americans to keep the economy afloat as much as possible.

“This size of an increase is unprecedented,” Wayne Vroman, an economist with The Urban Institute, told CNBC Make It. In 2009, following the Great Recession, a federal stimulus package increased unemployment benefits by just $25 per week. “So $600 is in different league it could go a long distance in stabilizing American household income and help to maintain purchasing power for the consumer sector of economy.”

Furloughed workers, meanwhile, can retain company-sponsored benefits if their employer chooses to offer it, and they also qualify for unemployment.

What If I Am Out Of Work Due To A Strike

You are disqualified from receiving unemployment benefits during an active labor dispute. You are not qualified for unemployment benefits when your partial or total unemployment is due to:

Read Also: Njuifile Net 1099

Understanding Your Base Period And Benefit Year

The amount of UI benefits you may be eligible to receive is determined by wages paid to you during either your primary or alternate base period. The base period is defined by Massachusetts law.

Primary base period

The primary base period is the last 4 completed calendar quarters prior to the effective date of your claim . For most claimants, the primary base period is used to calculate your maximum benefit credit, which is the total amount of benefits you are eligible to receive.

Alternate base period

The alternate base period is the last 3 completed calendar quarters and the period of time between the last completed quarter and the effective date of your claim. The alternate base period can only be used if:

• You don’t meet the minimum eligibility requirements using the primary base period
• Using the alternate base period will increase your maximum benefit credit by 10% or more

How California Calculates Unemployment Benefit Amounts

Your earnings during what’s known as the “base period” will determine both your eligibility for unemployment benefits and the weekly amount you’ll receive. The base period is usually the earliest four of the five full calendar quarters that come before you filed your claim.

The EDD will compute your weekly benefit amount based on your total wages during the quarter in your base period when you earned the most. For all but very low-wage workers, the weekly benefit amount is arrive at by dividing those total wages by 26up to a maximum of $450 per week. For instance, if you earned a total of $6,000 during the highest quarter in your base period, you would receive $231 per week in benefits. If your highest-quarter wages were more than $11,674, you would receive the maximum $450 .

You can use the EDD’s unemployment insurance calculator to see figure your weekly benefit amount.

Recommended Reading: File For Unemployment Tn

Who Is Eligible For Extended Unemployment Benefits

What benefits are unemployed workers eligible for? Ordinarily, workers in most states are eligible for 26 weeks of unemployment benefits, although some states provide less coverage. Montana is the only state that provides more with 28 weeks of unemployment benefits.

In times of high unemployment, the federal government provides funds to the states to extend unemployment insurance programs for additional weeks of benefits beyond what each state offers.

Check with your state unemployment office for information on the availability of extended benefits in your location. You can find a directory of offices on the Department of Labors CareerOneStop Unemployment Benefits Finder.

Policy Basics: How Many Weeks Of Unemployment Compensation Are Available

Workers in most states are eligible for up to 26 weeks of benefits from the regular state-funded unemployment compensation program, although nine states provide fewer weeks, and two provide more. Extended Benefits are triggered on in three states. Additional weeks of pandemic federal benefits ended in all states on September 6, 2021.

The federal-state unemployment insurance system helps many people who have lost their jobs by temporarily replacing part of their wages. Under certain circumstances, unemployed workers who exhaust their regular state-funded unemployment benefits before they can find work can receive additional weeks of benefits.

Under the CARES Act responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, all states received access to federal funding to provide additional weeks of Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Assistance benefits to people who exhausted their regular state benefits, and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance to many others who lost their jobs through no fault of their own but who were not normally eligible for UI in their state. These and other pandemic-related emergency UI programs ended nationwide the first weekend of September 2021, but many states stopped providing these federal benefits before that.

The map below shows the maximum number of weeks of regular plus EB benefits that are currently available in each state.

The two states providing more than the 26-week maximum are:

The states providing fewer than the standard 26-week maximum include:

Recommended Reading: Unemployment Ohio Sign Up