How to File for Unemployment

Unemployment is a growing concern across the United States with the current state of the economy. The number of unemployed workers filing for unemployment continues to grow with each passing day because companies are either closing their doors or are laying off workers in cost cutting measures so they can stay in business. Workers that find themselves laid off from their jobs are eligible to file for unemployment benefits with their state unemployment agency. Unemployment benefits are payments made to the worker each week to help them pay for food, clothing, electric, water and other daily necessities while they continue to search for a new job.

Step 1: Check Eligibility

Before any worker applies for unemployment benefits they must make sure they meet the state and federal requirements for eligibility. There are nonmonetary and monetary requirements that make an applicant eligible to receive unemployment benefits from the government. The worker must be unemployed at the time of their application and cannot have been fired from their job. The worker must have been laid off by their employer for cost cutting reasons or other measures. The nonmonetary requirements are:

• 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 are:
• 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.

Step 2: Send in Application

Once the worker checks whether or not he or she is eligible for unemployment benefits the next step in the process is to fill out the application and submit it to a local unemployment agency within the state they have a residence. The application must be completed in full and submitted with the worker’s social security number, address, address of former employer, amount of money earned during employment and other information.

Step 3: File Weekly Claims

If the state agency approves a worker’s application for unemployment benefits then the worker must file a weekly claim for their benefits to continue while they are unemployed. If the worker does not file a weekly claim then the payments will cease and the worker will have to find another way to obtain a weekly cash flow. The weekly claims can be filed in person at a state unemployment agency or on the Internet via the state agency’s website to avoid the crowds at the office.

Step 4: Continue Searching for Jobs

One of the requirements of collecting unemployment benefits is that the worker should continue to search for a new job while they are collecting their payments. If the worker does not continue to search for a new job while they are collecting payments then the state can stop sending payments to the worker. Unemployment benefits are paid to workers on the assumption that they are temporary income while the worker continues to search for a new job.

Step 5: Appear for Appointments

When approved for unemployment benefits the worker will need to appear at meetings with their state unemployment agency. These meetings will consist of interviews and other sessions determining whether or not the worker still deserves to receive unemployment payments. The worker will also need to prove to the agency that they are still searching for a job while receiving payments. The worker should appear for their appointments on time and prepared to answer questions.

Legal Help

When filing for unemployment benefits a worker should contact an experienced unemployment attorney to help them with the application process. The attorney will be able to answer all questions that their client has as well as fill out the required paperwork.

• 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.