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How to file for unemployment
Information that you will need to file a successful claim
Before you pick up the phone to call your state's unemployment office and file your claim, you need to be prepared for the questions that you will be asked. Not having the answers to these questions will delay your claim or cause it to be denied.
Be ready to answer these questions:
- What was your start date? Know this to the exact day.
- What was your last day of work? (It should be yesterday or Friday if you're calling on Monday. Don't delay filing your claim.)
- What was your annual salary? Refer to last year's tax forms if necessary. If there is a discrepancy with what your employer says, it will cause a delay.
- What was the reason for ending your employment? The best answer is "lack of work." If you were terminated for cause, just say, "terminated." (If your employer lied about that, see this.) If you quit or resigned, you're probably wasting your time because you won't be eligible unless your employer was doing something horrible that forced you to resign
- Are you owed any vacation or holiday pay? Make sure you know the answer! Saying "no" when the answer is "yes" can put your entire claim in jeopardy. Saying "yes" when the answer is "no" can cost you money. If the answer is "yes," know how much you are owed and when you expect to receive payment.
That's basically it, but you should also be prepared for a curveball here and there. They might ask you what you intend to do to find work, for example.
Anyway, if you go into that conversation with the answers to all the above questions at the ready, you're ahead of the game.
Good luck!
- chuck's blog
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Comments
This is really helpful! It
This is really helpful! It isn't easy to be jobless and if the unfortunate happens, these practicals can come in handy. Thanks for empowering your readers.
I remember watching an
I remember watching an episode of Seinfeld wherein one of the characters tried so hard to extend his unemployment welfare privileges by falsely declaring his attempts to look for a job while unemployed.
It's not welfare!!
That really annoys me. I paid into it for my entire working life. It's insurance.
I remember that episode, too.
When life hands you sh*t, make fertilizer.
flabbergasted
I have a question. I got laid off from my primary full-time job on June 19th, and in preparation of that, I went ahead and resigned from a retail company that was only scheduling me for a 3 hour shift one week, but not schedule me for 3-4 weeks. I figured I would use all my time to focus on finding a new part-time job to supplement my unemployment, or find a full-time job. Although I was able to receive one payout from unemployment insurance, I got a letter in the mail saying that now I'm disqualified from collecting unemployment because I quit the measly part-time job (they protested). I had 2 jobs in the past 18 months time window, and the retail job constituted 20% of my benefits. But I don't care about that 20% and because I quit, I know I'm not getting anything from them, but I'm entitled to the benefits of the job that actually laid me off.
I have never been laid off before, so I have never had to file for unemployment. I did not know the 'rules' about quitting a job and how it would negatively affect my collecting unemployment, and why does one part-time job I had wields the power to disqualify me from receiving benefits from the actual job I was laid off from?
I have filed a letter of protest here in the state of michigan, but other than that, I'm scared and really don't know my options or if I will be re-approved.
Has anyone experienced this? I'm completely flabbergasted and pissed off.
I've experienced something similar
My claim was rejected on the basis that I started this site and filed a DBA, even though I have never made much money off it.
Every state's rules are different, but they all seem to have one thing in common these days: A mandate to deny claims more vigorously. Makes sense, right? They're broke like the rest of us.
You can appeal. Ask the part-time employer if they'll take you back. If they won't, you might be able to claim "lack of work" or something similar. I would definitely not give up without a fight. It's not like you have much to lose.
Start trying to scoop up dollars wherever you can, too, and cut back on everything.
Look at the bright side: unemployment makes it easy to keep your weight down. Even thinking the word "pizza" hurts, but at least I can't afford to eat one... or something.
Good luck.
When life hands you sh*t, make fertilizer.