Able And Available To Work
Normally, you wont be eligible for unemployment benefits in Arizona unless youre able and available to work. In order to keep receiving benefits, you must make a systematic and sustained effort to find a new job, including making at least one job contact a day on at least four days each week.
Youll be cut off from benefits if you dont accept an offer of suitable work. The decision as to whether a job offer is suitable will include consideration of your experience and previous earnings, as well as how long youve been out of work and your prospects for getting a job in your usual occupation.
When you apply for unemployment benefits, youll automatically be registered on Arizonas largest jobs database, Arizona Job Connection. When you complete your registration, you can create a resume online, look for jobs, and get matched with employers who are hiring.
Arizonas standard unemployment benefits are 4% of your high-quarter wages, up to a maximum of $240 per week.
Contacting The Arizona Department Of Economic Security
In response to the coronavirus outbreak, some states are imposing restrictions on people gathering in public locations. This may affect your ability to access physical offices of the the Arizona Department of Economic Security in person. Check Arizona’s unemployment insurance agency website for more information. In some states, you can even contact the unemployment agency by snail mail.;You can find the contact information for the Arizona Department of Economic Security in Guide to Arizona Benefits. The handbook lists the addresses and phone numbers to reach the Arizona Department of Economic Security if you have questions or you want to follow up on your claim for unemployment benefits.
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How To Apply For Unemployment In Arizona
by Kailey Hagen | March 27, 2020
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Unemployment can provide some guaranteed income in these uncertain times.
Unemployment can provide some guaranteed income in these uncertain times.
Several Arizonans have already lost their lives to COVID-19 and many businesses are shutting down or cutting back their hours to slow its spread. This puts a strain on Arizona workers trying to support their families. We don’t know when things will get back to normal, but until they do, you may be eligible for unemployment to tide you over.
This short guide explains everything you need to know about Arizona’s unemployment benefits and what you need to do to qualify.
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A Guide To Unemployment Benefits In Arizona
The Department of Economic Security administers Arizonas unemployment insurance benefits program. The unemployment program in the state is governed by the Employment Security Law of Arizona. Generally speaking, Arizona citizens who have become unemployed through no fault of their own and who are ready and willing to go back to work will qualify for benefits.
This service is funded by taxes paid by Arizona employers and is provided at no cost to those seeking benefits. However, to qualify for benefits, an applicant must meet certain criteria.
Newly unemployed?
Several online serviceslike FlexJobs, 360training, or MyPerfectResumecan help you find work-from-home jobs, build a better resume, or earn training certifications.
How To Appeal A Denial Of Unemployment Benefits In Arizona
If your unemployment claim is denied, you have 15 days to appeal the decision online, by telephone, or in writing. A hearing will be held on your appeal, at which you may testify, present witnesses, and offer evidence before an administrative law judge . You may have a lawyer represent you at the hearing, although it’s not required.
The ALJ will issue a written decision in your case. If you aren’t satisfied with that decision, you may file an appeal with the Appeals Board within 30 days. And if you disagree with the Appeals Board decision, you may seek review in state court within 30 days.
The DES website has full information about filing an appeal.
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Who Is Eligible For Arizona Unemployment Benefits
The DES oversees unemployment claims across the state of Arizona, determining whether or not applicants qualify for these payments and the amount of compensation they receive. You must meet the following criteria to qualify for unemployment benefits in Arizona.
- You must be unemployed through no fault of your own.
- You earned a certain amount in wages for a specified period of time before you lost your job.
- You are able and available for work, and you are actively seeking employment.
You can file your unemployment claim online on the;DES website, or over the phone at 1-899-600-2722.
Are You Available And Actively Searching For Work
To keep collecting unemployment benefits, you must be able to work, available to work, and looking for employment. If you’re offered a suitable position, you must accept it.
Whether a position is suitable depends on how similar the job is to your previous employment, how much you will be paid, the working conditions, and the skills, experience, and training required for the position. The longer you are unemployed, the more likely you will have to consider jobs that pay less, are in a different field or occupation, or require a longer commute.
Under Arizona’s normal rules, you must engage in a good faith search for work, including registering with the Arizona Job Connection and making at least one job contact per day for four days out of each week. You must keep records of your job search efforts, which you may have to submit with your weekly claim for benefits.
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Some Arizonans Struggle To Find Work As Federal Benefits End Seniors Face Additional Challenges
On average, seniors spend more than 43 weeks unemployed.
“Please note that the work search requirement is the same for all claimants who are receiving any type of unemployment benefits. This includes individuals receiving regular unemployment insurance benefits, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance , and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation ,” according to DES’ website.;
In order to receive unemployment benefits in Arizona, you must show proof that on least four different days each week and making at least four work search contacts each week. DES may audit your work search submissions for at least two years.
Examples of how to search for work:
- Going on interviews
- Registering with a temporary work agency
- Creating a resume
- Applying for a job with former employers
- Applying for jobs with expected openings
- Making contacts
Full list of examples can be found here.;
And to show that you are logging your work search efforts, you will need to keep a log showing – employer contact information, name/title of person contacted, documentation of used of online career tool, networking event name/date/location, and so forth.;
How To Collect Unemployment
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Losing a job might stress your finances, but the government provides unemployment benefits to cushion the blow. You can apply for unemployment by contacting your states unemployment office and providing requested information. If approved, you will need to request benefits every week that you are unemployed. As of 2017, unemployment benefits in most states last for a maximum of 26 weeks.XResearch source
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American Rescue Plan Act
On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 was signed into law. ARPA extends certain federal unemployment programs including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance , Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation , and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation . These provisions will bring continued benefits to unemployed Arizonans.
Filing An Unemployment Claim
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In order to receive benefits you must be unemployed through no fault of your own, and you must have earned sufficient wages in your base period . Also, you must be able and available for full-time work.
You must also be a resident of the state of Arizona, have worked in the past 12 18 months, and earned a minimum amount of wages, determined by guidelines set by the state. Claimants must be able to work and available for work each week that you are collecting unemployment benefits.
Your weekly benefit amount is determined by computing 4% of your base period wage quarter in which your earnings were the highest. The maximum weekly benefit amount is $240.
The length of time that you will receive benefits is also based on how much you made during the base period, but it will not last more than 26 weeks.
You must continue to file weekly.Also, you must continue to be able and available for full-time work. You must actively seek employment, while keeping a record of your work search activities. You must additionally register with the Department of Economic Security Employment Service. Finally, you must accept suitable work.
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My Employer Furloughed Me Do I Qualify What If I Am Self
A variety of workers who normally could not access unemployment insurance will be able to receive benefits thanks to the changes the Arizona governor and federal government have enacted, said John Balitis, chairman of the labor and employment department at Jennings, Strouss & Salmon law firm in Phoenix.
The state DES declined to answer questions about how the changes are being applied, but a review of the changes indicates that furloughed workers, self-employed people and contractors will qualify, Balitis said.
“Now there is a whole group of workers who typically wouldn’t be entitled or eligible for unemployment insurance who now are,” Balitis said.
That list includes contractors, self-employed people, those who have reduced hours and furloughed workers, he said.
Find Out How To Claim Unemployment Benefits In Arizona
In addition to meeting the initial qualifications for unemployment in Arizona, UI beneficiaries must continue to be eligible for compensation. Those who successfully sign up for unemployment in Arizona must file a weekly claim specifying that they are fulfilling the requirements of the UI program. Enrollees continue to file for unemployment payments each week while making efforts to rejoin the labor force. Failure to indicate ongoing eligibility and contacting professional prospects this through the weekly UI-claim paperwork may result in DES withholding financial benefits for the specific period or outright dismissal from the program. Likewise, select UI participants may be need to report to scheduled reemployment services as part of their ongoing eligibility requirements.
UI beneficiaries who follow the programs policies will receive a weekly benefit amount , which is a percentage of reportable wages. However, the state has a maximum threshold and enrollees who earned a substantial income will not receive more than this amount. UI enrollees who are able to work part-time while collecting benefits must report these earnings to DES.
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How To Apply For Unemployment In Az
If you want to apply for unemployment in Arizona, you must do so online at the website for the Arizona Department of Employment Security. If you dont have an Internet connection, you can visit an Arizona Job Center with computer access or use a local library.
- Your Arizona drivers license
- Your Social Security card
- Names, address and phone numbers of all your employers for the past 18 months.
- The last date you worked for your last employer.
- The amount of any severance pay, vacation pay or sick pay you received upon job termination.
- Your alien registration number
- Discharge paperwork from the military
You can find a list of Arizona Job Center locations at the Arizona @ Work website.
How Do I Apply For Unemployment Benefits
To apply for Arizona benefits online, you’ll need the following information:
- Your Social Security number or Alien Registration Number
- Your Arizona driver’s license number or state-issued ID
- Your mailing address
- Your employment history for the past 18 months, including employer names, addresses, phone numbers, and your last day of work
- Bank account information for direct deposit
After you’ve set up your account, you must log in weekly to request your benefits for that week, even while your claim is being processed. There’s usually a one-week waiting period for benefits, but Arizona has waived it due to COVID-19.
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Federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance
- FPUC is a $300 weekly supplement for all individuals receiving unemployment benefit payments. In Arizona, eligible claimants will receive FPUC through benefit week ending July 10, 2021.
- To receive FPUC, a claimant must receive benefits from an underlying unemployment program such as regular UI, PUA, or PEUC.
How Long Will My Unemployment Benefits Last In Arizona
In Arizona, you can receive unemployment benefits for a maximum of 26 weeks;under state law.;
In times of high unemployment, additional weeks of benefits may be available under a different federal program, the Extended Benefits program .
Each state sets its own rules for how long unemployment benefits last. Until quite recently, virtually all states offered a maximum of 26 weeks of benefits. In the last five or six years, however, some states have changed their rules on duration of benefits .
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What Happens If You Quit Or Get Fired
We will schedule a phone interview to discuss your claim and circumstances. If you quit, you must prove good cause for quitting. If you are fired, your employer must prove there was misconduct. Either party can disagree with the decision and file an appeal.
If you do not receive a call at your scheduled appointment time, we may have canceled your appointment because we confirmed your eligibility or resolved the issue before your interview. If your appointment has been canceled, it will no longer show in UI Online. Check UI Online for your current payment status.
How Do I Collect Unemployment Benefits In Arizona
The United States is in a major recession due to the COVID-19 crisis, resulting in mass layoffs and record-high unemployment rates. If you recently lost your job, you can supplement your income by applying for unemployment benefits through the Arizona Department of Economic Security . However, you will need to meet specific criteria.
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How Did The State Rules Change On Unemployment
An executive order to be issued by the governor March 20:
- Waives the one-week waiting period after an employee loses a job before they apply for;unemployment benefits.;
- Waives work search requirements for those receiving unemployment benefits.;
- Adds people who work at a business that has been temporarily closed or has reduced hours because of COVID-19, who have to quarantine because of COVID-19, or who have to care for a family member with COVID-19 to the list of people eligible for unemployment insurance.
- The order also waives any increase in employer payments to the unemployment insurance fund for businesses whose employees receive benefits under this provision.
I Was Full Time But My Hours Were Reduced Do I Qualify
Maybe, if your employer registered with the state for a shared-work program.
This is an alternative for companies that need to reduce their workforce but don’t want to lay off employees.
It allows employees to receive a portion of their jobless benefits while working reduced hours.
The Shared Work Program is not available to an employee unless the employer for whom the individual is currently working reduced hours completes an application which then must be approved by the Department of Economic Security.
An approved Shared Work Plan is valid for one year and an employee may be eligible for up to 26 weeks of partial benefits.
More information is available at
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Apply For Unemployment Insurance Benefits
To file a new Unemployment Insurance Claim – ;
Note:;For;New Military or Federal claims only, please contact 542-5954
The following information is required to file a new application for regular UI benefits or to file an additional UI claim .
- Your Social Security Number.
- AZ Driver’s License or AZ State Issued ID .
- Your mailing address, city, state and ZIP code.
- If you live in Arizona, know the county where you reside.
- The names, addresses, and phone numbers of all your employers for the last 18 months.
- The last day you worked immediately prior to filing your UI claim.
- If you received severance, vacation, holiday or payment for unused sick pay: give the amount and the date it was paid to you.
- The name and local number of your union hall, if applicable.
- Alien Registration Number, if applicable.
- Copy # 4 of your DD Form 214 if released from the military in the last 18 months*
- SF 8 or SF 50 if employed in Federal Civilian service in the last 18 months*
- If you are collecting a pension , you will need the start date of the pension and the monthly benefit amount.
*;Fax a copy of SF8 SF-50 or DD214 form to 364-1416 or Email a copy to;
The Initial Claims Online Application is available from 12:01 a.m. Sunday to 5 p.m. Friday each week.;
For more information on Unemployment click;HERE
