When you lose your job through no fault of your own, you may be able to collect Unemployment Insurance Benefits to act as a short-term buffer against your loss of income. Benefits are administered on a state level, and the amount you receive will vary from state to state based on a number of things.
Here’s how to receive unemployment insurance benefits:
- Make sure you meet all requirements regarding earning enough wages to qualify, that you were let go from your last job for a qualifying reason and meet all other eligibility requirements pertinent to your state.
- Apply for unemployment insurance by phone, online or at a local unemployment office.
- Determine the amount of your benefit and how long you will receive benefits. You can do this on your own, or once you are approved, you will be mailed a determination letter that will provide you with this information.
- Decide how you want to be paid, either through direct deposit or through the use of a debit card.
- To continue to collect weekly benefits, you must meet ongoing requirements, the most important of which are to conduct an ongoing job search and to certify for benefits in a timely manner.
- If you are denied benefits for any reason, you have the right to appeal the decision. You will be provided instructions as part of any denial letter that you receive.