Filing for Unemployment
Losing your job can be emotionally and financially devastating. Filing for unemployment benefits can help you have some income while you are trying to secure other employment. Unemployment benefits result from employers paying into the fund, then employees who are eligible receive the benefits when they have been separated from employment through circumstances they had no control over. Such circumstances include layoffs, closings of businesses, and environmental disasters.
The amount of unemployment benefits a person is entitled to depends on how much they have earned in their work history and how much they employer they separated from paid in. The amount will never be the same as or more than your regular earnings, but it helps to have some type of income coming in.
The process for filing for unemployment can be lengthy. It can take up to several hours to complete all the information .The requirements vary by state. You can file by mail, through your local unemployment office, or online. Eligibility criteria varies by state, however the U.S. Department of Labor has some guidelines that apply regardless of the state you plan to apply in. You must meet all eligible work requirements including being legally able to work in the United States. You must be determined that the unemployment status was not due to any fault of your own.
It is important that you file for unemployment benefits immediately. You do not know how long it will be before you find another job and start receiving regular paychecks again. It takes between 2 and 6 weeks for your claim to be processed. Once you are determined eligible, your payments will be backdated to the second week you were unemployed. This is because federal law requires a one week waiting period.
You are required to look for work as a stipulation when you file for unemployment. It is important to understand that if you are medically unable to work, then you are not eligible for unemployment benefits because you do not have the option of working under federal law. The unemployment office can help you to file your claim as well as answer any questions you may have about the process.
