How To File For Unemployment Benefits During Coronavirus
Unemployment numbers have absolutely skyrocketed in the last few weeks. So if youre one of the 3.28 million people who have filed for unemployment as of March 21st, and are looking for a way to get some temporary income in order to pay your bills, youre far from alone. As thousands of businesses across the country are forced to close their doors to help stop the spread of coronavirus , filing for unemployment benefits is one of the only ways people may be able to make ends meet.
If youre unfamiliar, unemployment insurance provides monetary compensation for a specific period of time or until a worker finds a new job. The federal government sets the guidelines for these programs, and eligibility and benefit amounts are determined state by state.
But where do you start?
Right now, if your employer has stopped your work operations due to coronavirus, if youre quarantined, or if youve had to stop work to care for a family member, the federal government has mandated that you are eligible to collect unemployment. So if youre staying home with no money coming in and you need to pay those bills, this might be the best option for you. Scroll down to find out how to file for unemployment and what kind of forms youll need.
How Do Unemployment Benefits Work In New York
Unemployment insurance is a joint program between the federal and state governments intended to provide out-of-work Americans with financial support until they can find a new job. Like all other states, New York makes its own rules for administering its unemployment insurance benefits program but follows guidelines set by federal law.
The New York State Department of Labor oversees unemployment benefits in the state. The easiest way to file a new unemployment claim is through the agencys online system, but you can also file by calling its claim center.
Typically, New York state law allows eligible residents who are unemployed through no fault of their own to receive weekly unemployment benefits for up to 26 weeks during a one-year period. However, states may choose to revise their benefits in times of economic crisis, and the federal government may help fund extended state benefits during such times.
Employers pay for benefits in New York, not workers. But the department of labor determines whether youre eligible to receive benefits.
Looking For A Job While Collecting Benefits
You must actively seek work while you are collecting benefits. Failure to do so could disqualify you from receiving benefits. You must look for work unless you have qualifying reasons, such as an eventual return to your old job, or you are instructed not to do so by IDL staff.
As part of your job search efforts, you must keep a detailed record of your work search efforts, including names, addresses, phone numbers, date of contact and outcome for each employer. IDL staff may contact these employers to verify your work search. Falsifying work search contacts will result in a determination of fraud.
If you are seeking work out of your local area, you must still keep appropriate records. If you leave town, even if you are on a temporary layoff, the primary purpose of your trip must be to look for work. You must be willing to accept a job in these other areas. You cannot be paid for any weeks that you are on vacation.
In some instances, the IDL may provide you with work search contact or have you participate in a in-person interview with a Workforce Consultant from your local office. The interview is designed to help you with job search strategies that will help you return to work as quickly as possible. You may get assistance with resume preparation, interviewing skills, job market information and other related assistance. If you do not participate in this interview, your benefits will be stopped.
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What Is Unemployment Exactly
Unemployment insurance is a government benefit that provides cash to eligible people whove lost their job and are actively looking for a new one. Its meant to replace part of your paycheck so that you can pay the bills until you get back on your feet.
Its a joint effort between the federal government and the state government. Every state has a different way of going about it, but they all follow the same federal laws.
When And How Will I Be Paid My Weekly Unemployment
Florida unemployment benefit recipients can receive benefits electronically through the use of a debit card. These debit cards serve as an alternative method for your Florida unemployment compensation. Payments are conveniently and automatically directly deposited into a personal debit card account. Cards can then be used at any merchant or service that accepts debit cards, along with the option of receiving cash back from merchants or banks.
This means there is no time spent waiting for checks to come in the mail, funds can be accessed 24/7, less chance of mail theft or identity fraud, and your account is FDIC insured. If you have questions about the Florida Visa Debit Card Program, call 1-888-898-3584.
Claimants can also choose to have their benefits direct deposited into their bank accounts as well.
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How To Apply For Unemployment In Wisconsin
Where to file a claim: to get to the new claims page on the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development website.
The fine print: If you were not eligible for unemployment before the CARES Act was passed, state officials are asking you to wait to file because Wisconsins system is not yet set up to accept your application. They are waiting on additional guidance from USDOL, and expect those changes to be complete by mid-to late-April.
What youll need:
- Drivers license or ID
- Names and addresses of all employers you worked for over the last 18 months
- Dates you started and stopped work with each employer
- Your most recent employers Federal Employer ID Number and Employer Account Number
- If youre not a U.S. citizen, youll need your Alien Registration Card
- If you served in the military in the last 18 months, your Military DD-214 Member 4 form
How To Determine Whether You’re Eligible For Unemployment Insurance
Unemployment insurance is a program that’s jointly run by the state and federal government, so while the application procedure can vary by state, the overall process and eligibility requirements are more or less the same.
As the US Department of Labor outlines on its website, you will typically qualify for benefits if you:
- “Are unemployed through no fault of your own. In most states, this means you have to have separated from your last job due to a lack of available work.”
- “Meet work and wage requirements. You must meet your state’s requirements for wages earned or time worked during an established period of time referred to as a “base period.” “
- “Meet any additional state requirements. Find details of your own state’s program.”
The Department of Labor has issued guidance to states to allow more flexibility with unemployment insurance during the coronavirus outbreak. That includes allowing states to pay benefits for workers who are quarantined and cannot go to work or workers who leave a job due to a risk of exposure or to care for a family member.
Some restaurants and hotels have put their workers on zero hour schedules and told them they’re not eligible to file for unemployment benefits because they’re not technically laid off. But if you had zero earnings in the prior week and your employer didn’t offer you any hours, you’re likely eligible, according to Andrew Stettner, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation.
When in doubt? Apply.
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How To File For Unemployment Benefits Online In Mississippi
Where to claim: You can file your claim online here, but note that the online service has at times gone down as a result of the high volume of claims.
The fine print: You must have worked at least two quarters in your base period, earned at least $780 in one quarter, and earned at least 40 times your weekly payout over the course of your base period. You must also be unemployed through no fault of your own. Mississippi has waived its normal work search requirements due to the pandemic.
What youll need:
- Names, addresses, and phone numbers for employers from the last 18 months
- Reasons for leaving those employers
- If not a U.S. citizen, your Alien Registration or Visa number
- If you served in the military in the last 18 months, your Military DD-214 Member 4 form
Change In The Job Description Or Working Conditions
If your employer suddenly changes your job description and gives you responsibilities you cant carry out effectively, you may have good cause.
Also, if your working conditions are suddenly changed and the new environment isnt conducive to you in a way that affects your health, you should call attention to it. If your claims are ignored or rejected, you may have good cause to quit.
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How To File For Unemployment Benefits Online In Missouri
Where to claim: You can file your claim online here. Youll need to create an account first, which you can do by clicking the button labeled Dont have an account? Create one.
The fine print: You must have lost your job through no fault of your own, made at least $2,250 during one-quarter of your base period, your wages over the whole base period must be 1.5 times those of your highest quarter, or make 1.5 times the taxable wage base during two quarters. Missouri has lifted its work search requirements for those who lost jobs due to the pandemic.
What youll need:
- Names and mailing address for employers over the last 18 months
- Dates you started and ended those jobs
- If you served in the military in the last 18 months, your Military DD-214 Member 4 form
How To File For Unemployment Benefits Online In North Carolina
Where to claim: to get to the claims page on the North Carolina Department of Commerce website.
The fine print: North Carolinas Department of Commerce lists four things that youll need in order to qualify for benefits:
- You must be unemployed due to no fault of your own
- You must have earned sufficient wages in order to file a claim
- You must be physically able, available, and actively seeking work
- You must register for work with NCWorks Online.
What youll need:
- Your Social Security Number
- Details from your most recent employer about separation, vacation, or severance pay you received, will receive, or are entitled to receive
- Details regarding any retirement pay
- Your bank routing number and account number if you would like unemployment payments directly deposited into your bank account. If you do not select direct deposit, payment will be placed on a DES-issued debit card
- Your work history for the past two years
- If you served in the military at any point over the past 18 months, youll need your DD-214 form
- Your SF-50 or SF-8 form if youre a federal civilian employee
- If youre a member of a union, the name and phone number of your local union hall
- Non-citizens will need to provide their Alien Registration Number and scans of documentation
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How Much Might I Be Able To Get
In New Jersey, unemployment insurance benefits are usually computed at 60% of your average weekly earnings for the base year, up to a maximum of $713 per week. Depending on the number of dependents stated on the application, the minimum weekly benefit amount ranges from $120 to $138. Again, during recessions or other bad economic times, these maximums may shift.
You can use the benefits calculator in New Jersey to determine your possible payment.
How To File For Unemployment Benefits Online In Colorado
Where to file a claim: to get to the new claims page at Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.
The fine print: Benefits related to the recent coronavirus stimulus package arent available yet. If your last name begins with a letter from A to M, you can file unemployment claims on a Sunday, Tuesday, or Thursday, or after midnight on Saturday. If your last name begins with a letter from N to Z, you can file unemployment claims on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, or before 12 p.m. on Saturday.
What youll need: Be sure to have the following on hand before you start your application:
- Social Security number
- A state drivers license or state ID card
- Non-citizens will need to provide their Alien Registration Number
- Your address including zip code and county
- The names, addresses, phone numbers and salaries for all jobs for the last 18 months
- Deductible income received in the last week of employment, such as vacation, severance or bonus pay, as well as any pension.
- The name and local number of your union hiring hall, if applicable
- A copy of your DD214 discharge papers if youve been released from the military in the past 18 months
- Standard form SF8 or SF50 for federal employees
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How To File For Unemployment Benefits Online In Oklahoma
Where to claim: to get to the new claims page on the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission website.
The fine print: You can apply for unemployment if you previously made at least $1,500 during the past year-long base period .
What youll need: Be sure to have the following on hand before you start your application:
- Social security number
- Information about your last employer, including company name, mailing address, companys phone number, supervisor name, and reason why your hours have been reduced or you are no longer working for them
- Employment history for the past 18 months, including name of all employers, your period of employment, and your pay information including your total wages earned
- Non-citizens will need to provide their Alien Registration Number and scans of documentation
How To File For Unemployment Benefits Online In Oregon
Where to file a claim: to get to the new claims page on the Oregon Employment Department website.
The fine print: Oregon residents can file for unemployment insurance benefits online as long as they havent claimed unemployment in another state in the past year and have worked in Oregon in the past 18 months.
What youll need: Be sure to have the following on hand before you start your application:
- Social security number
- Work history for the past 18 months. Be sure to include your employers company name, address, and phone numbers, along with dates of employment
- Your pay information, including salary and total income earned from each employer
- Non-citizens will need to provide their Alien Registration Number and scans of documentation
- Your phone number
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Georgia Department Of Labor Contact Numbers
Its hard to get a hold of a live agent at the GDOL, and they strongly encourage you to use their online portal, but their UI customer service can be reached via 404-232-3001 or 877-709-8185. They also have a general number at 404-232-3990 per their official service directory. For more on the various comments and hundreds of comments around challenges with filing and get paid see the GA UI Forum page.
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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Why Didn’t I Get My Unemployment Benefits
There are several reasons that your unemployment benefits could have stopped. The simplest explanation is that you have used up all the benefits available to you.
Benefits vary by state, so unemployment compensation depends on your location and your individual claim.
There could also be an issue with your claim. Arasteh notes that when she worked for a nonprofit workforce-development organization, some of her clients said that their checks had unexpectedly stopped. In some cases, she learned that they had answered “No” to the question of whether they were actively searching for a job, causing the unemployment insurance claims to be flagged, and their checks to be stopped.
Arasteh notes that working with a career counselor or career-development agency may have met the job-search requirement, but clients either did not know that or did not know what would happen if they were to answer “No.”
If your benefits have stopped, and you are unsure why, you should check with your state unemployment office for clarification.
How To File For Unemployment Benefits Online In Indiana
Where to file a claim: to get to the new claims page on the Indiana Department of Workforce Development website. Youll first need to youll need a valid email address to do so. This site has a series of tutorials for the system.
The fine print: Indiana is receiving such a high volume of calls to its COVID-19 contact center, that the number stopped working.
Indiana also has COVID-19-specific information here.
What youll need: Be sure to have the following on hand before you start your application:
- Social security number
- Drivers license number or state identification number
- Work history for the past 18 months. Be sure to include your employers company name, address, and phone numbers, along with dates of employment and reasons you left employment
- Most recent paycheck stub
- Your bank account number and your banks routing number. Otherwise, the state will pay you via a Key2Benefits prepaid Mastercard, a reloadable debit card from KeyBank
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