Who Is Eligible for Unemployment?

There are millions of unemployed workers all across the country that are receiving unemployment benefits from their state unemployment agencies while they search for a new job. All of these unemployed workers had to meet certain state and federal requirements prior to being approved for unemployment benefits. In basic terms, any worker that has lost his or her job by no fault of their own is eligible for unemployment benefits. The worker cannot have been fired from their job; instead, they must have been laid off by their employer as part of cost cutting measures of the company.

Requirements

There are two categories of requirements that must be met by an unemployed worker, if they wish to acquire unemployment benefits from the state or federal government. The unemployed worker must be able to meet nonmonetary and monetary requirements prior to be approved for benefits.

The nonmonetary requirements for unemployment benefits include the following:

• Be physically and mentally able to work.
• Be either totally unemployed or performing less than full­time work and earning less than (1¼) times your weekly benefit rate.
• Be available for suitable work and making a reasonable effort to find employment.
• Register for work with the Department for Employment Services.
• Claim benefits for each week of unemployment.
• The monetary requirements for unemployment benefits include the following:
• The employee must have earned at least $750 in one quarter of their base period.
• The total base period wages must be equal to at least 1 1/2 times the employee’s high quarter wages and total base period wages outside the high quarter must be at least $750.
• Wages in the last six months of the employee’s base period should not be less than 8 times their weekly benefit rate.

How to Apply

File Yourself

When filing for unemployment benefits on your own, the unemployed worker should have the following information at the ready:

• Mailing address, including zip code and phone number
• Social Security number
• Driver's License number
• Veteran/Military separation date
• Mother's maiden name
• Name, address, phone number of last employer
• Employer's Federal ID Number (from W2 form or pay stub)
• Date started and date ended employment
• How much earned
• Previous employer information, depending on how long applicant worked for last employer. Typically, employer information for the last two years is requested

The application for unemployment benefits should be filed with a state unemployment agency. Once unemployment benefits are approved by the state and the unemployed worker begins receiving payments he or she must apply each week for compensation benefits.

Legal Help

When filing for unemployment benefits, if the applicant does not want to go it alone, they should hire an experience unemployment attorney. An attorney will be able to answer all questions regarding the process while also helping fill out all of the required paperwork.

Filing for Unemployment Online

Workers can file for unemployment either in person at a state unemployment agency or on the Internet. Filing on the Internet can be less stressful and easier for applicants to get complete. Workers can use the Internet to file for the benefits, to check the status of their application, to file weekly claims and check the eligibility requirements of their state of residence prior to filing. When filing the unemployment claim via the Internet the applicant must have the same information ready as outlined above. Having all of this information at hand will make the application process quicker since the applicant will not have to pause every now and then to gather important info.

• If you need help with an unemployment problem, click here for a Free Case Review from a local Employment Lawyer. The content of this site is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice. Always seek competent legal counsel for any legal questions.