What Do You Need For Unemployment Benefits

Establish & Change Payment Options

When you apply for benefits, TWC offers you one of two ways to get your benefit payments:

• Direct deposit, which is direct payment into your personal checking or savings account in a United States bank or credit union
• Debit card, which is issued by the TWC-contracted bank

TWC will deposit payments to the TWC debit card account unless you sign up for direct deposit.

If you signed up for direct deposit on a prior claim, TWC will use the checking or savings account information you previously provided.

To select or change your payment option online or by phone:

• Log on to ui.texasworkforce.org and select Payment Option from the Quick Links menu.

Your Unemployment Benefit Services Password

When you sign up for online services, you will select a User ID and password. Your password protects your identity and privacy. It has the same legal authority as your signature on a paper document. Do not give your password to anyone, not even to a family member or TWC employee. You are responsible for any payment request made using your User ID and password.

If you have a User ID and password from WorkInTexas.com, use that User ID and password to logon to Unemployment Benefit Services. For more about the password requirements, go to Managing Your Benefits Password & PIN.

To Speak With Telephone Claims Center Staff

If you are a hearing impaired individual who is being assisted by another person, call the Telephone Claims Center at 783-1370 however, if you use TTY/TDD, call a relay operator first at 662-1220, and ask the operator to call the Telephone Claims Center at 783-1370.

In person:

You can visit a New York unemployment office at one of many locations.

If the Frequently Asked Questions section doesnt answer your question, you can send a secure message. Sign in with your NY.GOV ID and then click on Messages.

New York State Department of Labor, P.O. Box 15130, Albany, NY 12212-5130

Send faxes to 457-9378. Write your Social Security number at the top right-hand corner on all pages and save your fax confirmation.

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What Is Unemployment Insurance

Unemployment insurance is compensation provided to workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own, providing monetary payments for a specific period of time or until the worker finds a new job.

Benefits are provided by state unemployment insurance programs within guidelines established by federal law. Eligibility for unemployment insurance, benefit amounts, and the length of time benefits are available are determined by laws in your state.

Important Tips To Ensure Your Application Can Be Processed Timely

Unfortunately, identity theft is a common occurrence. Identity thieves sometimes use stolen identities to apply for unemployment benefits.

To verify your identity, we review your answers to ALL questions. We also verify the information you provide using other data sources. It is very important to read each question carefully and to give an accurate, complete response. Incorrect or incomplete information will result in delays in payments .

Here are some tips:

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Unemployment Benefits For The Self

For the first time ever, self-employed people, including independent contractors and gig-economy … workers, can receive unemployment benefits if they’ve been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. But it takes perseverance.

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Update : Part 2 of this article has more answers to your questions about CARES Act unemployment benefits for self-employed people.

Until now, self-employed people out of work couldnt collect unemployment benefits. Thanks to the CARES Act, passed by Congress in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact, the self-employed can now obtain unemployment benefits if their income has been affected by the crisis.

However, this is an entirely new situation. State unemployment systems are overwhelmed, and the rules are not clear. What do you need to do to qualify for benefits? How much will you get? These and other questions abound among self-employed people now seeking crisis relief.

Attorneys And Accountants To The Rescue

Doctors, nurses, medical researchers, and public health workers are the most visible heroes in the effort to control COVID-19 and treat the sick. Among the less appreciated but also essential workers are the countless lawyers and accountants putting in long hours to make sense of all the new laws and rules to help their clients financially survive.

1. How crazy busy has it been since the CARES Act became law?

5. How different are the payments, duration of benefits, and processes for applying among states?

How Do You Appeal An Unemployment Benefit Denial In New York

If you are denied benefits for any reason, you have the right to appeal the decision by requesting a hearing in front of an impartial Administrative Law Judge of the New York Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board.

You can request a hearing online by sending a message to the state through your NY.gov account. You may also request a hearing by completing a Claimant Hearing Request Form and mailing it to: New York State Department of Labor, PO Box 15131, Albany, NY 12212-5131.

Your hearing request must be made within 30 days from the date of your determination notice. If a ruling is in your favor, you will be awarded back benefits for the period you waited for a decision. You have the right to bring an attorney to your hearing to represent you.

If you disagree with the results of the hearing, you can appeal the decision to the Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board. You must file that appeal within 20 days after the ALJs decision was mailed to you.

If you still disagree with that decision, you can file a further appeal with the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court.

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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.

Unemployment Benefits In Florida During The Covid

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill known as the American Rescue Plan . The law extended a $300 per week federal unemployment supplement until September 6, 2021. However, the state of Florida decided to end this supplement early on June 26, 2021, citing labor shortages. That means the unemployment supplement is no longer available in Florida.

ARP also extended two unemployment programs originally created by the CARES Act in March 2020: Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation .

Under the PUA program, self-employed workersusually excluded from unemployment benefitsare entitled to unemployment if they meet certain criteria. ARP makes PUA benefits available through Labor Day 2021, and increases the maximum duration of these benefits from 50 to 79 weeks.

The PEUC program provides for a federally-funded extension of benefits when state unemployment benefits expire. ARP increases the maximum duration of PEUC benefits from 24 to 53 weeks, with an expiry date of September 4, 2021.

For up-to-date information on Florida’s rules on unemployment eligibility and amounts during the COVID-19 pandemic, visit the state’s main unemployment page for claimants.

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What Can The Claimant Do If He Or She Believes A Job Offer Is Not For Suitable Employment

If a state raises an issue of failure to accept suitable employment, the state unemployment insurance agency must provide the claimant with an opportunity to provide his or her side of the story and to rebut any evidence provided to the state before making a final determination.

Most state laws allow for refusal of suitable employment for good cause, which is defined in state law. Criteria for good cause may include, but are not limited to, the degree of risk to an individuals health, safety, and morals the individuals physical fitness, prior training, experience, and earnings the length of unemployment and prospects for securing local work in a customary occupation and the distance of the available work from the individuals residence.

Claimants may file an appeal if they disagree with a states determination regarding suitable work. Please contact your state unemployment insurance agency for additional information.

Looking For Work And Collecting Benefits

Workers certifying for UI benefits must actively search for work each week and report their work search results to their state unemployment office. When someone applies for unemployment, agencies usually require the claimant to create an account on a state-run job site. Here, claimants post résumés for employers to see. This is crucial in getting a claim approved in most states.

In California, for example, claimants must register with CalJOBS and post their résumé within 21 days of receiving approval for their claim. This shows they’re available and willing to work should a job arise. If they do not do this, the state may deny their claim.

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What Do I Do If I Cant Get Through To My States Website Or Phone Line

Many state websites, phone numbers, and unemployment systems are overwhelmed by extremely high levels of traffic. State unemployment agencies ask that you have patience if you have trouble getting to a website or filing your claim. They suggest trying at different times of the day, and to keep trying. If you have trouble loading a website page on your computer, you can try your phone instead sometimes phones have faster Internet connections.

Next Steps For Apply For Unemployment Benefits

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Do I Need To Meet With Anyone In Person

Some states require unemployed workers to meet with the unemployment department representatives to receive help with their job search and/or re-employment assistance.

If your state happens to be among these, there’s no need to panic. In many cases, it’s a routine meeting designed to assist with your job search not to put you or your job search under a microscope. Your meeting may be an individual meeting or a group meeting with other unemployed workers. It’s important to remember to bring records of your work search if you are required to apply for a certain number of jobs each week.

When And How Will I Be Paid My New York State Unemployment

It takes about three to six weeks from the time you file New York unemployment claims to when you receive your first payment due to processing and reviewing of your New York unemployment application. You will not receive benefits during this time, but if you are approved, you will receive back weeks of benefits owed with your first payment.

It is important to note that the first full week of your UI claim is an unpaid waiting week. You will not be paid any benefits during this period. If you work at all for any reason or do not serve the full week for any other reason, the unpaid week will roll over to the next week. You must still claim this week so that you can begin receiving benefits the following week.

However, New York is currently waiving the seven-day waiting period for those who are out of work due to COVID-19.

While you are waiting, you need to be responsive to any requests made by the Department of Labor. You should also claim weekly benefits as long as you are unemployed and are eligible for benefits. This is the only way you will receive any back weeks owed to you.

You can also receive benefits by direct deposit into your bank account. Physical checks are no longer mailed. To sign up for direct deposit, you can register on the New York State unemployment website.

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What You Need To Know

• Update 12/29/20: The federal government has extended the federal unemployment benefit programs available through the CARES Act for an additional 11 weeks. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation will be available through March 14, 2021, with qualified claimants benefits fully phasing out by April 5, 2021. Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation benefits will resume with $300 weekly payments until March 14, 2021.

• To receive these extended federal benefits, continue to certify weekly while unemployed. To allow your fellow New Yorkers to reach NYS DOL representatives about regular matters, please do not call to inquire about the federal program extensions at this time. As we receive additional guidance on the federal programs from US DOL, we will provide updates on our website, social media platforms, and directly via emails and texts.

• Waiting weeks for unemployment benefits have been waived during this crisis. If youve seen the term waiting week on your payment history, it is a relic of our existing system and does NOT impact your benefits.
• To collect regular unemployment insurance benefits, you must be ready, willing, and able to work. We understand that many of you are unable to work due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of NYS on PAUSE. If you would otherwise be able to work, you should answer ‘YES’ in order to receive your benefits.

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State Unemployment Insurance Agencies

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Tell Me More About Expanded Payments

The average jobless American received about $378 a week in unemployment benefits before the economic downturn, according to U.S. Labor Department data from year-end 2019.

Most states pay those benefits for up to 26 weeks or 6½ months.

The relief law gives an extra $600 a week to workers through July 31. That means the average person could now expect roughly $978 a week a 159% increase for the next four months.

Further, the new law provides an additional 13 weeks of benefits through Dec. 31 to help those who remain unemployed after exhausting the standard length of state benefits.

Canceling Ui Before The First Payment

Workers who applied for unemployment insurance, but secured a job before the state processed their claim, should immediately cancel it failing to do so may not only require the claimant to repay benefit payments, but can also lead to fraud charges. In this instance, the claimant should contact their UI office by phone or email, depending on the processes of their state agency.

If those payments can’t be stopped in time, claimants should continue trying to contact the agency and not spend any money they receive. Whatever funds they received should be returned as soon as possible. According to Unemployment Claims Info, their state agency will give the claimant direction on how to repay the benefits.

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Verifying Your Legal Authorization To Work

If youre a non-U.S. citizen filing for Unemployment Insurance benefits, DUA must verify that you are legally authorized to work in the United States. This is required by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

Your legal authorization to work will be verified through a computer match with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services . The information received from the USCIS may affect your eligibility for unemployment benefits.