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Unemployment

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.

Unemployment Articles