How Do You File For Unemployment Benefits
Once youve answered the question, can you get unemployment relief if you quit your job or are laid off? head to the unemployment website of your state. There, you can find an application for benefits.
Youll provide your name, address, Social Security or work visa number, and details about your last job. If you prefer to complete the process in person, then you can do so at your local unemployment office.
The process takes a few weeks, so start early. File a claim ASAP, and collect any documentation to support your case. If everything goes smoothly, youll be notified of your eligibility after three to four weeks. If approved, youll be financially supported as you search for your next job.
Are you currently on the job hunt? Check out this guide for tips on tackling common questions asked during a job interview.
And if youre concerned about student loan repayment until you find work, review repayment strategies while unemployed.
Other Unemployment Insurance Provisions Under The Cares Act:
The CARES Act improved unemployment benefits in the following ways:
- It provides an additional $600 per week in benefits and payments through July 31, 2020.
- It adds an additional 13 weeks of benefits through December 31, 2020. Most states currently offer 26 weeks of unemployment benefits .
- it expands benefits for part-time, seasonal, self-employed, and contract workers .
- Offers to reimburse the cost for states that waive the one-week waiting period before paying benefits.
Am Able To Work But Live With A High
If you’re immunocompromised or have otherwise been advised by a healthcare provider to self-quarantine due to concern of exposure to the coronavirus, and that’s keeping you from work, you are likely eligible for PUA, Dutta-Gupta says.
As of now, there’s no federal guidance on eligibility pertaining to people concerned about transmitting the virus to a high-risk family member. However, in some states, people who would be able to work but are providing care for a high-risk person will have a good cause for not returning to work and may be able to collect unemployment benefits, he says.
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What To Know About The 2020 Unemployment Tax Break
The first thing to know is that refunds would only go to taxpayers who received jobless benefits last year and paid taxes on that money before the provision in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The tax break is for those who earned less than $150,000 in adjusted gross income and for unemployment insurance received during 2020. At this stage, unemployment compensation received this calendar year will be fully taxable on 2021 tax returns.
The $10,200 tax break is the amount of income exclusion for single filers, not the amount of the refund . The amount of the refund will vary per person depending on overall income, tax bracket and how much earnings came from unemployment benefits. So far, the refunds are averaging more than $1,600.
However, not everyone will receive a refund. The IRS can seize the refund to cover a past-due debt, such as unpaid federal or state taxes and child support. One way to know if a refund has been issued is to wait for the letter that the IRS is sending taxpayers whose returns are corrected. Those letters, issued within 30 days of the adjustment, will tell you if it resulted in a refund or if it was used to offset debt.
Refunds will go out as a direct deposit if you provided bank account information on your 2020 tax return. A direct deposit amount will likely show up as IRS TREAS 310 TAX REF. Otherwise, the refund will be mailed as a paper check to whatever address the IRS has on hand.
How Current Students And Recent Grads Can Make Ends Meet
Working while attending college is fairly common, and its a necessity for many students. But if you lose your job while in college, you might be wondering whether you qualify for unemployment insurance benefits.
States set the requirements for unemployment eligibility, which include minimum guidelines for work history and previous earnings. Typically, those requirements could make it challenging to get unemployment benefits as a college student. But understanding all your options can help you find financial relief if you lose your job while in school.
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What Unemployment Benefits Will You Get
Now that you know if you can file for unemployment if you quit your job, you may have other pressing questions, including:
- Is unemployment compensation enough to live on?
- How long will you receive payment while you search for your next job?
The answers all depend on where you live. Most states offer 26 or more weeks of benefits. Georgia has one of the shortest limits at 14 to 20 weeks but increased to 26 weeks during the coronavirus pandemic.
The government determines your benefits as a percentage of your former salary. States also set a cap on how much youll get. Alabama has one of the lowest limits at $275 a week. Massachusetts has one of the highest at $855.
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
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Still Waiting For Unemployment Money This Works
Frustrated man trying to figure out why he is not getting paid his unemployment benefits.
Getty
Many Americans are still waiting to receive their unemployment checks. Having lived through this with a relative, I know how hard it is and how desperate and frustrated you can get while you wait and wait and wait. My relative, Mike, tried calling his state unemployment office, and waited 6 hours only to be disconnected as they transferred him to the person who could help him. He would try to call some days and could not even get in the queue to wait on hold. The message just said, the unemployment department has been overwhelmed with calls, try the website or call back. He felt so powerless.
One day, I listened to a radio show with state and federal legislators answering questions. Able to ask them a question on the air, I asked about the unemployment problem my relative, and many others were experiencing. My local State Representative said, call my office, and I can help you solve this issue. So Mike did just that, and they reached unemployment and got Mike connected to a lady at unemployment who solved his filing issues. Five days later, Mike got a large check for all the past-due unemployment monies due to him.
I thought most of the unpaid unemployment issues had been resolved by now, and states were doing a better job. Then two days ago, I got this email from Joe, a Baby Boomer, who is self-employed. He wrote to say:
How To Calculate Your Unemployment Benefits
The Balance
Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to calculate exactly how much money you’ll receive through unemployment benefits or for how long you’ll be able to collect those benefits unless your state has an online unemployment calculator. However, there are calculators you can use to estimate your benefits.
Each state has a different rate, and benefits vary based on your earnings record and the date you became unemployed. Once you find out whether you are eligible, you can file a claim for unemployment benefits. If you’re not sure about your eligibility, check with your state unemployment office. You don’t want to lose out on unemployment compensation because you didn’t think you would qualify.
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How To Use Tax Refund Trackers And Access Your Tax Transcript
The first way to get clues about your refund is to try the IRS online tracker applications: The Where’s My Refund tool can be accessed here. If you filed an amended return, you can check the Amended Return Status tool.
If those tools don’t provide information on the status of your unemployment tax refund, another way to see if the IRS processed your refund is by viewing your tax records online. You can also request a copy of your transcript by mail or through the IRS’ automated phone service by calling 1-800-908-9946.
Here’s how to check your tax transcript online:
1. Visit IRS.gov and log in to your account. If you haven’t opened an account with the IRS, this will take some time as you’ll have to take multiple steps to confirm your identity.
2. Once logged in to your account, you’ll see the Account Home page. Click View Tax Records.
3. On the next page, click the Get Transcript button.
4. Here you’ll see a drop-down menu asking the reason you need a transcript. Select Federal Tax and leave the Customer File Number field empty. Click the Go button.
5. The following page will show a Return Transcript, Records of Account Transcript, Account Transcript and Wage & IncomeTranscript for the last four years. You’ll want the 2020 Account Transcript.
6. This will open a PDF of your transcript: Focus on the Transactions section. What you’re looking for is an entry listed as Refund issued, and it should have a date in late May or June.
How Much Does Unemployment Pay
Unemployment benefits vary from state to state, and the maximum amount you qualify for depends on where you file a claim. For example, in California, the maximum benefit amount is $450 per week, but in Alaska, it’s $370 per week. These amounts don’t reflect additional benefit amounts that were temporarily allotted to unemployment recipients under the CARES Act.
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How To Track Your Refund And Check Your Tax Transcript
The first way to get clues about your refund is to try the IRS online tracker applications: The Where’s My Refund tool can be accessed here. If you filed an amended return, you can check the Amended Return Status tool.
If those tools don’t provide information on the status of your unemployment tax refund, another way to see if the IRS processed your refund is by viewing your tax records online. You can also request a copy of your transcript by mail or through the IRS’ automated phone service by calling 1-800-908-9946.
Here’s how to check your tax transcript online:
1. Visit IRS.gov and log in to your account. If you haven’t opened an account with the IRS, this will take some time as you’ll have to take multiple steps to confirm your identity.
2. Once logged in to your account, you’ll see the Account Home page. Click View Tax Records.
3. On the next page, click the Get Transcript button.
4. Here you’ll see a drop-down menu asking the reason you need a transcript. Select Federal Tax and leave the Customer File Number field empty. Click the Go button.
5. The following page will show a Return Transcript, Records of Account Transcript, Account Transcript and Wage & IncomeTranscript for the last four years. You’ll want the 2020 Account Transcript.
6. This will open a PDF of your transcript: Focus on the Transactions section. What you’re looking for is an entry listed as Refund issued, and it should have a date in late May or June.
Youre Not Actively Job Searching
To maintain your unemployment benefits, you must show that youre actively looking for work. If you end up turning down a suitable job, then the state could cut your allowance. You wont get penalized for turning down a job thats way below your pay grade or skill level.
Your benefits may also get reduced if youre supplementing your income with part-time work. If you quit this part-time job without good cause, then your benefits could stay permanently lowered.
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Contact Your State Representative Or Senator
As a last ditch effort, Harris reached out to her state senators office, and says she was told they would send an inquiry on her behalf. About two weeks later, in late September, Harris received back pay totaling $10,000. Harris believes she is still owed additional benefits, and is unclear on how to ensure continued benefits.
Pagan has reason to agree that, for anyone who is having trouble getting their unemployment benefits, contacting a state senator or other state elected official is probably the best bet. She credits this approach with helping get her issue resolved.
Unemployment benefits are handled by the state, so contacting your state-level elected officials can help get the ball rolling. They can sometimes get an answer faster than the unemployment office itself, Stettner says. They are doing case work on behalf of their constituents, but theyre also overwhelmed, he says. He even recommends reaching out to your state governors office.
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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.
If You Quit For Good Cause
You may be eligible for unemployment if you quit your job. In most cases, you must prove that the conditions were so bad that no reasonable person would stay.
Maybe you faced a dangerous work environment, harassment or discrimination. Perhaps your employer reduced your hours, demoted you into an unsuitable role or didnt pay you on time or in full. You might have good cause if you simply could no longer afford transportation to and from work.
If you quit your job, however, you must show that you did everything you could to improve the situation. Quitting was your last available recourse.
You may also qualify if you quit work due to a medical condition or to care for an ill family member. Some states may even provide benefits to people who quit due to domestic violence. In these situations, applicants dont need to prove that they tried everything they could to keep their job.
If youre considering quitting due to COVID-19-related issues, check with your states unemployment office about its benefit requirements. The Department of Labor lists each states contact information.
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How Long Will I Get Unemployment
Some of that depends on you. You have to fulfill weekly obligations to apply for work and report those contacts to your state department of labor.
Assuming you continue to qualify, you can receive unemployment benefits for up to 39 weeks . The coronavirus relief bill added 13 weeks to the previous unemployment limit of 26 weeks.
Check your state unemployment office to see if there are any expanded benefits in your area.
The third coronavirus aid package passed by Congress extends Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits through Sept. 6, 2021.
Check The New Unemployment Eligibility Rules
The CARES Act included $1 billion for states to expand their unemployment benefits coverage through Dec. 31, 2020. Theres also a provision that pads weekly payouts with supplemental cash through July 31, 2020. Note that these enhancements are on top of the standard unemployment benefits offered in your state.
Heads up, self-employed workers, contractors, part-timers, and anyone who was disqualified under previous assistance rules: You are now eligible to receive unemployment coverage! So is anyone who can no longer work because they had to quit their job because of the coronavirus . Here are other key changes:
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What If I Haven’t Filed A Tax Return
TAXPAYERS had until May 17 to file an extension if they needed more time to submit their returns.
If you didnt file a tax return or an extension, but should have, you need to take action – or the penalties you face may increase.
If you file your return over 60 days late, youll have to pay a $435 fine or 100% of the tax you owe – whichever is less.
However, there is no penalty for filing a late return after the tax deadline if a refund is due, said the IRS.
If you didn’t file and owe tax, file a return as soon as you can and pay as much as possible to reduce penalties and interest.
You won’t have to pay the penalties if you can show “reasonable cause” for the failure to do so on time – we explain how in our guide.
