How Much Does Unemployment Pay

Learn How Much You Can Expect In Unemployment Benefits And For How Long

By Aaron Hotfelder, J.D., University of Missouri School of Law

Unemployment insurance is a joint federal-state program that provides temporary benefit payments to employees who are out of work through no fault of their own. If you’re applying for benefits, you might be wondering how much money might be heading your way.

Claiming Benefits Across Multiple States

If you worked and earned wages in multiple states you may be able to claim benefits from all these states relative to the income you earned. Generally you should first exhaust benefits from the state where you had the highest income and/or lived for the longest duration in the base year of figuring your claim. After which you can submit claims from the other states up to the maximum weekly benefit.

Spotlight Changes To Unemployment Benefits Under The Consolidated Appropriations Act

• An additional $300 per week in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation payments will be added to all unemployment benefits through September 6, 2021 %E2%80%94An%20additional%20%24600%20per,25th%20for%20most%20people. rel=nofollow> FPUC)
• Regular state unemployment benefits will be extended for up to an additional 29 weeks through September 6, 2021, beyond the 50 weeks of benefits provided for by previous laws, through Pandemic Emergency Unemployment compensation %E2%80%94An%20additional%20%24600%20per,25th%20for%20most%20people. rel=nofollow> PEUC)
• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance for categories of workers excluded from regular benefits %E2%80%94An%20additional%20%24600%20per,25th%20for%20most%20people. rel=nofollow> PUA)
• Six months of free COBRA health insurance will be available to the unemployed
• Workers who have at least $5,000 in annual self-employment income but were previously ineligible for regular state unemployment benefits will continue to receive up to $100 per week

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Calculating A Suta Tax Example

Lets try an example. Imagine you own a California business thats been operating for 25 years.

Employers in California are subject to a SUTA rate between 1.5% and 6.2%, and new non-construction businesses pay 3.4%. The states SUTA wage base is $7,000 per employee.

Since your business has no history of laying off employees, your SUTA tax rate is 3%. You have employees with the following annual earnings:

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What Are Issues And Why Are There Issues On My Claim

An issue can be associated with your claim if circumstances occur such as being terminated from your last employer or you were eligible for severance or vacation pay at the time of separation. Other issues may occur due to how you answered the questions on your voucher. These issues must be resolved before payments can be released.

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Are Unemployment Benefits Taxable

Unfortunately, your unemployment compensation is not tax free.

That means youll have to pay taxes on your unemployment benefits. You can have taxes withheld upfront from your unemployment payments, or you can report the money when you file your federal income taxes.

Before you file your tax returns, make sure you look for your 1099-G form in the mail. Like a W-2, a 1099-G reports income for the tax year but instead of wages, the form reports certain kinds of payments issued by governments, such as unemployment.

When Should I Apply For Florida Unemployment Benefits

You should file a claim for Florida unemployment benefits as soon as you become unemployed.

When you apply for unemployment benefits, the effective date of your initial claim is important because that is the date that is used to determine when your benefits begin.

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity cannot pay benefits for weeks before your claim effective date.

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Is What I See In The Calculator The Exact Amount Ill Receive

No. This calculator shows the average weekly unemployment payment in your state, plus the boost provided by the American Rescue Plan Act. You may qualify for more or less than that amount. Refer to your states unemployment website to learn more about whether you qualify and how much you might receive. This calculator should be used as an estimation tool only.

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How Do I Apply For Unemployment Benefits

To apply for unemployment benefits, go to Uplink CSS, the online system for unemployment insurance claims or if you don’t have internet access, contact your nearest full service WorkOne Career Center as soon as you become unemployed. You will be required to report your last employer’s name, mailing address, phone number & dates of employment as well as your address, social security number & phone number.

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Are You Available And Actively Searching For Work

To maintain your eligibility for unemployment benefits, you must be able to work, available to accept a job, and looking for employment. If you’re offered a suitable position, you must accept it. For the initial unemployment period, whether a position is suitable depends on several factors, including the level of skill and training required, the similarity between the work and your previous employment, how much the position pays, and the distance between the job site and your residence. However, as time goes on, you will be expected to modify your standards and consider accepting work that requires less skill or that pays lower wages.

You must conduct a reasonable search for work, which includes contacting new employers each week. You should keep a record of your job search efforts, including the employers you have contacted, the dates you made contact, and the outcome. The ED may contact you or your employer contacts to verify your efforts.

How We Calculate Benefits

If you qualify for Unemployment Insurance benefits, the amount of money you’ll get each week is called your . This amount will depend on how much you earned in the before you applied for Unemployment Insurance benefits.

There are other factors that may reduce your WBR, like whether you are working part-time or collecting a pension.

Note: To be eligible for Unemployment Insurance benefits in 2021, you must have earned at least $220 per week during 20 or more weeks in covered employment during the base year period, or you must have earned at least $11,000 in total covered employment during the base year period. For more information, .

Weekly Benefit Rate

The weekly benefit rate is capped at a maximum amount based on the state minimum wage. For 2021, the maximum weekly benefit rate is $731. We will calculate your weekly benefit rate at 60% of the you earned during the , up to that maximum. We determine the average weekly wage based on wage information your employer report.

If you are not entitled to the weekly , you may be able to increase your entitlement with .

If after we calculate your weekly benefit rate, you realize that we did not include wages because they were not reported by your employer, contact us for a . You will need to provide pay stubs as proof of your earnings.

Dependency benefits

If your weekly benefit rate is less than the maxium weekly benefit rate and you have dependents, you may qualify for .

Maximum benefit amount

Benefit calculator

Part-time work

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How Much Will My Unemployment Insurance Payments Be

After you apply, you will receive a Determination of Benefit Account document in the mail detailing your weekly Minnesota unemployment amount. You can expect to receive about 50% of your average weekly pay earned during your base period up to a maximum UIMN payment of $740.

Anyone filing a Minnesota unemployment claim who remains eligible for benefits can receive payments for up to 26 weeks. Depending on programs and funding available, you may receive a Minnesota unemployment extension of payments emergency state or federal funds.

How Much Will Your Benefits Be

Once you file for unemployment and are approved, you will begin to receive benefits. Your benefits might come in the form of a check, but more often they will come in the form of a debit card or direct deposit to your bank account. It varies by state. You typically can file weekly online, by email, or by phone.

The amount you receive depends on your weekly earnings prior to being laid off and on the maximum amount of unemployment benefits paid to each worker. In many states, you will be compensated for half of your earnings, up to a certain maximum.

State benefits are typically paid for a maximum of 26 weeks. Some states provide benefits for a lower number of weeks, and maximum benefits also vary based on where you live. In times of high unemployment, additional weeks of unemployment compensation may be available.

Regardless of how much you make, you never can collect more than the state maximum.

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How Do I File My Bi

After applying for benefits, you need to request benefit payment in CONNECT on a biweekly basis .

It is important that you request your benefits within 7 days of your scheduled date regardless of your claim status.

The CONNECT home page will provide you with your scheduled report date.

You will use the Request Benefit Payment link on your home page. This link will not appear until your scheduled report date.

The video below from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity provides a great summary of how to request your benefit payments.

State Income Taxes On Unemployment Compensation

You may also need to pay state income taxes on your unemployment benefits. This is another tricky area because each state has different rules. Some states dont have a state-level income tax, and others dont tax unemployment benefits. Some tax unemployment benefits in full, and others impose taxes on only a portion of benefits.

If you live in one of the eight states that doesnt have a state income tax , you dont have to worry about paying state income taxes on your benefits. New Hampshire residents are also in the clear because the state only taxes interest and dividend income.

California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia dont tax unemployment benefits, so residents in those states dont have to worry about state-level withholding, either.

If you live in one of the other 37 states or the District of Columbia, check with your tax advisor or your states tax agency to find out how unemployment benefits are taxed. Those states should allow you to set up state withholding online when you apply for unemployment or at any point while you are receiving benefits.

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Where Do I Submit My Claim For Unemployment Benefits

Minnesota unemployment applications are accepted Sunday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. You should apply for unemployment online as soon as you become unemployed or your work hours are reduced significantly. You must apply on the day of the week that corresponds with the last digit of your Social Security number:

• Last digit is 0, 1, or 2: Monday
• Last digit is 3, 4, or 5: Tuesday
• Last digit is 6, 7, 8, or 9: Wednesday

If you miss your assigned day, you can file on Thursday or Friday.

Minnesota offers limited phone support for unemployment claims filing. You can reach a customer service representative with questions about your application on Fridays between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the following numbers:

• TTY: 1-866-814-1252

Customer service lines are open Monday through Friday with limited hours for application assistance. Call between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Friday for help filing a claim. Weekday customer service hours vary for questions about claims payments, passwords, and account access.

Online assistance can be accessed at //uimn.org/applicants/help-support

You can also receive assistance by visiting one of several Minnesota unemployment office locations.

Minnesota Unemployment Benefits And Eligibility

COVID-19 UPDATE:Because the coronavirus pandemic has left so many Americans jobless, the federal government has given states more flexibility in granting unemployment benefits. Youll need to apply for these benefits through your states unemployment insurance program, but if you have questions about whether youre eligible for benefits read our COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits and Insurance FAQ. Also, before submitting a claim in Minnesota, be sure to check out Minnesotas claimant handbook.

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Expanded Unemployment Benefits Under The Cares Act

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act included a section that expanded unemployment benefits by an additional $600 per week on top of the benefit offered by states. This provision is being rolled out on a state by state basis, however, the benefit is retroactive to April 5, 2020.

The additional $600 weekly benefit brings the state and federal unemployment benefits up to an average of the median weekly wage in the United States. However, because the expanded benefits are being offered to everyone on

Unemployment Benefits By State

A note about this table: The information in this table is up to date at the time of publication. We regularly review this information for accuracy. However, each state maintains its unemployment insurance program and details do change from time to time. We link to each states employment bureau where you can find the most up to date information.

Additionally, this table lists the maximum unemployment insurance benefits you can receive. Not all workers will receive the maximum benefit. Benefits are often based on your previous salary, if or when you previously claimed unemployment compensation, and how long you have been working. Each state may also have additional rules regarding whether or not you are out of work through no fault of your own, whether or not you receive any additional income from employment or side gigs, or whether or not you receive additional income from a pension or retirement benefits.

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Prepare For Your Claim

To apply for unemployment benefits, you will need:

• Your Social Security number
• If you donât have a FEIN, use employer details from paystub

Some workers will need to provide additional information:

• Non-U.S. citizens must provide their Alien Registration Number or work authorization form
• Military employees must provide their DD-214 Member copy 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8
• Federal employees must provide SF 8 or SF 50
• Union members must provide the unionâs name, hall number and phone number

If you want to use direct deposit, you must provide your bank account number and routing number. You can also request a Reemployment Assistance debit card.

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Why The Benefit Amount Varies From One State To Another

The major reason for variation in the benefit amount from one state to another is the UI replacement rate. UI replacement rate is nothing but the percentage of your previously earned income replaced by the unemployment benefits. For instance, in 2019, D.C. average UI replacement was 21%, whereas Hawaiis replacement rate was 55%.

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Pua Weekly Payment Amounts

How much an individual can receive in PUA per week differs from their weekly benefit amount for UI. A claimants PUA weekly benefit amount depends on the amount of income they earned in the prior tax year. A claimant for PUA must provide proof of income to their state department of labor when they apply for benefits.

A state usually imposes a time limit on the number of days a claimant has to share proof. California requires a claimant to submit proof of income within 21 days of filing an initial claim. Acceptable documents include federal and state tax returns,W-2 forms, paycheck stubs, payroll history, bank receipts, business records, contracts and invoices, and related documents.

The minimum amount of PUA must be equal to one-half the average weekly benefit amount in the claimants state. For example, that amount is $167 in California. The maximum amount for PUA benefits is the same as the maximum amount of UI per week. In California, that is $450. Due to the public emergency caused by the coronavirus, the federal government will continue to add an extra $300 in FPUC to every claimants PUA amount.

How To Appeal A Denial Of Unemployment Benefits In Oregon

If your claim for unemployment is denied, you have 20 days to appeal the decision with the Office of Administrative Hearings. You can request a hearing by sending a letter or fax to the Office of Administrative Hearings.

After receiving your appeal request, a hearing will be scheduled to receive evidence from both you and your employer. An Administrative Law Judge will conduct the hearing by telephone and issue a written decision. If you disagree with the ALJ’s decision, you may appeal to the Employment Appeals Board by the date stated in the ALJ’s notice of decision. And, if you disagree with the Board’s decision, you may file an appeal with the Oregon Court of Appeals.

The ED provides additional information on the unemployment process at its website.

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Can I Get Unemployment Benefits Because Of Coronavirus

The federal government is making it easier for people who have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic to qualify for unemployment benefits.

You might be eligible if

• Your company is temporarily closed.
• Youre quarantined.
• You quit your job because youre afraid of getting sick.
• You quit your job to care for a sick family member.

Traditionally, unemployment benefits have catered to full-time employees who lost their job. But in response to COVID-19, the federal government is also allowing states to extend benefits to part-time workers and people who are self-employed.

Calculating Your Duration Of Benefits

The number of weeks you are eligible to receive UI benefits is called your duration of benefits. Your duration of benefits is calculated by dividing your maximum benefit credit by your weekly benefit amount.

The maximum number of weeks you can receive full unemployment benefits is 30 weeks . However, many individuals qualify for less than 30 weeks of coverage.

The following examples show how to determine your duration of benefits.

Example 1

In this example, you would be eligible to receive $362 for 24 weeks.

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