First .. let me get something off my chest about qualifying for unemployment.
It occurred to me that some of you might be here because you want more of an answer about qualifying for unemployment than the usual .. If you have lost your job through no fault of your own, you should apply right away. You may be eligible for unemployment benefits … blah, blah, blah.
Well the above statement is true, in fact, it’s central to why if you earned enough to qualify for unemployment benefits monetarily, you will still probably be denied benefits if you quit your job or were fired.
But that statement doesn’t even begin to explain you have an obligation to actively pursue an ability to prove it wasn’t your fault, but the employer’s fault.
Thanks for indulging me I feel better now:) so let’s break the requirement for unemployment eligibility down just a bit by describing the typical process of any unemployment claim for benefits..
Qualifying for Unemployment – Part One:
If you have had fairly steady employment in the last 18 months you’ll get through this step with flying colors. It involves the state determining if you are monetarily eligible. This is when they answer your question “did I earn enough money to “qualify for unemployment?” The “monetary determination” is the first one issued before moving on to all other “eligibility requirements. It may also be called the “award letter”.
Most of you will qualify, and the resource to confirm for yourself is linked to on How much does unemployment pay.
Okay, you now know whether you will qualify or not .. at least as far as having earned enough money .. let’s move on to all those other unemployment eligibility requirements.
The NON-Monetary Determination – Part Two:
This is where things can get sticky .. at least for some of you because the fault is found now and only after there is an investigation into the facts of job separation.
The determination decides whether you are entitled to the amount of money the first determination said your “base period wages entitled you to.
This is the determination that decides whether you lost your job through no fault of your own. This is also the determination that the majority of the information on this website is about ..
That’s right .. how to collect unemployment.
Continuing Unemployment Benefits – Part Three:
Stopping at three in the headline to this page may have been a misnomer.
When we file for unemployment we do it more than once during a benefit year.
Basically, every time you fill out the form to let the state know that you still need unemployment because you are unemployed.
You are qualifying for unemployment repeatedly. You must continue to do this even if you were denied unemployment and have decided to appeal.
They ask questions. Did you work during the week of … Did you earn any money … Were you able and available … Did you look for work … Did you attend school or training …
Within the questions lies a purpose .. they are making sure nothing has come up that would require a disruption of your benefits and when they notice something .. they are compelled to verify all eligibility conditions are continuing to be met, if they aren’t .. out goes another determination telling you why benefits have been stopped or they suspend benefits until they have “investigated”.
We also have a lot of information about the issues that stop benefits.
Unemployment benefits is an ongoing process. Collecting unemployment is somewhat similar to being an employee because your job has become “looking for work”. There’s little freedom in being unemployed and collecting benefits.
There’s information on this website relevant to every part of qualifying for unemployment from applying for to not losing unemployment benefits.
More common FAQ’s