Information Required To Apply For Unemployment
If youve been laid off from your job, the chances are high that you will qualify to file for unemployment benefits.
In most states, unemployed workers can apply online, over the phone, or, in some cases, by mailing a form. Many states provide information for applicants in numerous languages, including Spanish.
Applying online is the quickest and easiest way to file for unemployment. Claims are generally processed much more quickly, so you stand to start receiving benefits sooner than applying by phone or mail.
Have Your Information Ready To File
Even if you haven’t been laid off or had a dramatic reduction in your hours, now is the time to make sure you have copies of your most recent pay stubs, Evermore says. Make sure those are easily accessible because if the employer shuts down, it may be more difficult to get copies.
When filling out your application for unemployment benefits in the state where you worked, the employment agency will need to verify your income. If the employer is no longer in business, you’re going to need your own records, Evermore says.
It’s also important to document any communications from your manager or employer about your work situation. That can mean anything from emails from your boss about reducing your hours to taking photos of “closed” notices hung in store windows.
Many states have a “waiting period,” usually about a week, that you have to undergo before you can receive your unemployment benefits. However, states like Kentucky, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin are waiving mandatory waiting periods so workers can get benefits faster. With that in mind, it’s best to file as soon as you have news that your job status has changed.
In addition to documentation verifying your income and work status, you’ll also typically need to have the following details on hand:
- Social Security number
- Pension or severance package information
Completing An Application Online
After you finish your application, a confirmation page will display to show it was submitted successfully
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Required Documentation To File An Unemployment Claim
Your claim will get processed more quickly if you bring the proper documentation when you visit the local office or have it handy if you are applying by phone or online. You will need:
- recent pay stubs and other wage records, such as the W-2 form on which your employer reports your income to the Internal Revenue Service
- your Social Security card, or another document that shows your Social Security number, and
- any documentation you have that proves you are unemployed, such as a layoff or dismissal notice from your employer, and your employer’s unemployment insurance account number, if you know it.
Typically, the unemployment insurance claims office will require some type of orientation, ranging from reading simple explanatory pamphlets to attending sophisticated video productions or live group seminars. Compliance is mandatory.
Do You Need To Look For Work
If youve filed your claim, gotten it approved and start receiving unemployment benefits, there are additional rules you need to be aware of to make sure you dont lose your benefits before you get a new job.
Most states require people who are receiving unemployment benefits be not only willing to work but actively looking for work. That requirement was waived by essentially every state at the start of the pandemic, but a number of them have now reimposed it.
However, as weve noted many times, every state is different, and also the definitions of actively looking for work vary from state to state. So if you arent sure if your state requires you to be currently looking for work, or what you need to do to prove that youre looking for work, double-check its unemployment website to find out.
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Do You Owe Taxes On Unemployment Benefits
Yes, unemployment checks are taxable income. If you received unemployment benefits in 2020, it counts as part of your income, and thus you will owe income taxes on that amount. Your benefits may even raise you into a higher income tax bracket, though you shouldnt worry too much about getting into a higher tax bracket.
Some workers received additional unemployment benefits in 2020 due to provisions in federal and state laws as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Those additional benefits are also taxable income. If you received extra unemployment in 2020, it also counts as part of your income, and you will owe income taxes on that, too.
People who file for unemployment have the option to have income taxes withheld from their unemployment checks, and many do. If you elected to do this, you have little to worry about.
What if you didnt elect to have income taxes withheld from your unemployment checks? Dont panic. Although youll see a higher tax bill this year, if you were employed during much of the year, you may simply see a reduced tax return or a very small tax bill when you file.
Quick Guide On How To Complete Print Unemployment Application
Forget about scanning and printing out forms. Use our detailed instructions to fill out and eSign your documents online.
SignNow’s web-based service is specially created to simplify the organization of workflow and enhance the process of qualified document management. Use this step-by-step guideline to complete the UI-1 – Application for Unemployment forms – rrb form swiftly and with perfect accuracy.
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Start Saving As Soon As Possible
If the bill isnt too big, you may be able to simply save up enough money between now and the April 15 due date to pay the bill by then. The most efficient way of doing this is to set up a savings plan for yourself where you automatically put aside a small amount each week from your checking to your savings account.
Reasons That Are Attributable To You When An Employee Quits Include:
- A change in the worksite which materially increases an employees commute or difficulty of travel
- A deterioration of worksite safety that has been reported to the employer and which the employer has failed to rectify in a reasonable period of time
- A change in the employees job that violates their religious convictions or moral values
When an employee resigns for reasons that are attributable to you as the employer, your account will be charged.
Note: In this economy, many employers are also learning that they are responsible for unemployment benefits when employees hours or wages are cut by 25% or more.
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Is There An Unemployment Waiting Period
Unemployment insurance waiting periods are 100% state-driven. Many states have what is known as a “waiting period,” otherwise referred to as a “waiting week” as part of their unemployment insurance laws.
For example, in New York State, you must serve an unpaid waiting period equivalent to one full week of unemployment benefits before you receive payments. Minnesota has a non-payable waiting week before benefits can be collected. In some locations, the waiting week benefits will be paid, but you will have to wait until the end of the claim period in order to collect those funds.
Based on the state-by-state differential, it’s best to check with your state unemployment office website as soon as you lose your job for information regarding the unemployment waiting period in your location.
If You’re Denied Appeal
After you file your claim, your state agency will typically review the information you provide, talk to your past employer, and may even call to interview you about your situation. Most states also require employees to have worked a certain amount of time and/or earned a minimum amount to be eligible for benefits.
If the agency believes you don’t meet any of its requirements, it can deny your claim for benefits. But don’t give up, Evermore says.
“Most people don’t realize that if you’re denied benefits on the first try, you can always try to appeal,” Evermore says. That process can be a bit time-consuming, but it’s worth it. And with the COVID-19 situation continuing to evolve, your eligibility may change.
“If you get rejected, appeal,” she says.
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Apply Even If You’re Not Sure You’re Eligible
The process to file for unemployment varies by state, but there are two key questions you’ll need to answer: Did you lose your job through no fault of your own? Are you able and available for work?
If you can answer yes to those questions, you’re more likely to get benefits. “Err on the side of applying if you’re not sure a lot of people are eligible that may not realize it,” Evermore says. The No. 1 reason why people don’t apply is because they don’t think they’re eligible, but with states expanding eligibility, anyone who’s recently lost their job should at least fill out an application.
You also don’t have to lose your job to receive unemployment. You can actually receive partial unemployment if your hours have been drastically reduced or if you’re unable to work because you’ve been put into mandatory quarantine during the coronavirus outbreak. However, if you are sick, you’re likely not eligible for unemployment benefits because you’re not able to work.
The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance will run through the end of 2020 and workers will be eligible for retroactive benefits dating back to Jan. 27 and can access benefits for up to 39 weeks.
Unemployment Benefits Forms And Publications
Forms for your claim
- Unemployment Insurance Claim form Used for submitting weekly certifications when unable to file missed weeks online or by phone. Must be submitted within four weeks of your Effective Date of Claim, most recent reopen or last weekly claim. Print, complete, sign, and fax to UI Imaging 800-301-1796.
- Used for applying for the Self-Employment Assistance Program .
Publications
- Handbook For Unemployed Workers – Provides general unemployment insurance information.
- Apply for unemployment – Provides instruction on how to file your application for unemployment benefits.
- How to file an appeal Provides instructions to file an appeal.
- Unemployment-insurance assistance for non-English speakers Flyer with information about getting help via the claims center in Amharic, Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese, English, Farsi, Korean, Laotian, Oromo, Punjabi, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese.
For videos, please visit our video library.
Go to forms and publications for:
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Do You Have To Pay Unemployment On An Employee You Terminated For Good Cause
Surprisingly, the answer may be yes.
ESDs guidelines about the definition of cause are simultaneously very specific and troublesomely vague. ESD only allows you relief of charges for misconduct or gross misconductbut the definition of that is murky and up to the State.
Behavior that was termination-worthy to you may be considered by the ESD adjudicator to actually be something that was beyond the employees control.
For example, the ESD deems failing to grasp certain aspects of a job or being a poor fit for a position as an inability to meet the minimum job requirements, which is something that is beyond an employees control. Similarly, an employee who has repeatedly called in absent due to having a sick child at home also falls outside the ESDs definition of misconduct.
Even if an employee was terminated for actual misbehavior, the adjudicator can still put the burden back on you by deciding that you failed to provide warnings about the consequences of the transgression, and that you did not give the employee sufficient opportunities to change prior to the termination.
In all of these circumstances, the employees will be entitled to their unemployment.
Community Services Block Grant Program
The Community Services Block Grant Program is designed to help members of low-income households be self-sufficient. The funds are distributed by local governments and non-profit agencies called Community Action Agencies.
These funds are used in a variety of ways to combat poverty, including:
- Providing emergency health, food, housing, day care, and transportation assistance
- Housing counseling
- Nutrition programs and federal surplus food distribution
- Community gardening projects
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Tax Implications Of Unemployment Benefits
Unlike workers’ compensation benefits, unemployment insurance benefits are taxed as income. Because the benefit amounts paid are often below the taxable annual earning level, however, many states will not take the automatic step of deducting any taxes from your unemployment benefit check.
However, the state will report the unemployment benefit amount you were paid to the Internal Revenue Service and to your state taxing authority.
If you receive unemployment benefits during a year in which you get a new job, you may want to increase the amount your employer withholds in taxes from your paycheck. Otherwise, you may be unpleasantly surprised at tax time when you either owe more tax or receive less of a refund than anticipated.
Who Is Eligible To Receive Unemployment Compensation
Your state establishes eligibility requirements for unemployment insurance coverage, with primary requirements including having worked for a certain period of time and your job having been lost through circumstances beyond your control, typically a layoff or a furlough.
Typically, you must be considered an employeeas opposed to an independent contractorat a company that pays into the unemployment insurance fund for your state. However, benefit guidelines have changed due to the coronavirus.
Self-employed workers may be eligible for unemployment benefits. Check with your state department of labor for information on qualifying.
If you meet the eligibility requirements established by your state, you are entitled to receive temporary compensation, generally half your earnings up to a maximum amount.
Wrongful termination can result in eligibility for unemployment benefits, as well as possibly some company benefits.
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Terminations Or Reductions In Force:
Although a termination or reduction in force cant always be avoided, it is important that employers do everything they can to minimize their liability and manage their claims.
After the RIF or termination, you will receive a Claimants Separation Statement from the Employment Security Department . If you RIFd the employee due to lack of work, you cannot fight the claim, and only need to return the form if it contains any errors.
There is nothing you can do to prevent this claim from affecting your tax rate.
S To Create An Online Account
IMPORTANT: USE A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS WHEN YOU CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT.
1. Click on Create an Online Account on the DES homepage, des.nc.gov.
2. Enter your Social Security Number twice.
3. Select Next. On the User Account Creation page:
- Create a User Name .
- Enter a valid email address twice.
- Create a PIN number .
- Enter your contact phone number.
- Create a Password .
4.Select Create Account.
5.You can now Sign In at des.nc.gov. Use the User Name and Password you entered when creating your Online Account in Step 3.
Creating an Online Account for Claimants
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How Long Do I Have To Wait To Receive Unemployment Pay
The waiting period for unemployment benefits is entirely decided by your state. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, New York State has waived the seven-day waiting period for unemployment benefits for people who are out of work. That means you can potentially receive payments sooner, as long as you are processed and approved.
Additionally, it is customary to have to log in and file on a weekly basis to prove that you are still unemployed and in need of payment. This involves accessing your account to review the status of your claim at the start of each week , and checking on how much compensation is left in your account. Typically, you have to file for each week that you are eligible in order to receive payment, though this has the potential to change during coronavirus.
Reasons That Are Not Attributable To You When An Employee Quits Include:
- Resignation for a legitimate job offer that ends up falling through
- Relocation with a spouse who is transferred
- Resignation due to the illness or death of an immediate family member
- Resignation to protect themselves or an immediate family member from domestic violence or stalking.
Circumstances such as these are not attributable to you, the employer, and generally your account wont be charged. If it is, you should request relief of the benefit charges.
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State Unemployment Insurance Agencies
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Note All Work And Earnings
When you claim your benefits, you will have to report any work you have done in the weeks being claimed as well as the gross earnings . Even if you have not received payment from the employer yet, the earnings must still be reported over the time worked. Failure to report work and earnings is a crime and can carry severe penalties.
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