Losing your job is always tough. It can lead to financial problems and depression. Fortunately, the government provides short-term unemployment benefits as a form of insurance against joblessness. If you’ve lost your job through no fault of your own, you may qualify for benefits.
To be eligible for unemployment benefits, you must have worked for at least one year. In addition to this, you must be unemployed through no fault of your own. You can’t get benefits if you’ve quit voluntarily or were fired for misconduct. Nor do you qualify if you’ve left work to get married or attend school. Self-employed people usually aren’t eligible for work compensation.
Different states have different rules when it comes to collecting work benefits. In most cases, benefits are paid for a maximum of 26 weeks. When the unemployment rate is high, you may get a few more weeks of benefits.
The amount you get will depend on how much you were earning before you were laid-off. The compensation rate is usually 50% of your salary, up to a maximum amount. Unemployment benefits are subject to Federal income taxes and must be reported on your tax return.
You should file for unemployment benefits as soon as you lose your job. It can take a few weeks for you to get your first check, so the sooner you file, the sooner you’ll get the money. You can file in person, over the phone or online. Check with your state unemployment office for the exact procedure.
To file, you’ll need you Social Security number, mailing address, phone number, Alien Registration Card (unless you’re a US citizen), and details of your last employment. Once your claim has been approved, you’ll have to file again on a weekly basis to keep getting unemployment benefits.