| If you have been separated from your job or have | | | | in some cases your weekly payments may be |
| had your hours reduced through no fault of your | | | | reduced, which means that you could receive |
| own, you may be eligible to file an unemployment | | | | payments for longer than 26 weeks but not more |
| insurance claim. It's easy to find out if you qualify by | | | | than the maximum amount. There are a variety of |
| going online to the unemployment division of the | | | | reasons why your weekly payments may be less |
| state where you worked. For example, if you | | | | than your Weekly Benefit Rate, including: |
| worked in Florida, just go online and search for | | | | Part-time earnings |
| "Florida unemployment" and you'll find the state | | | | Pension or vacation pay |
| unemployment office website. | | | | Severance pay |
| You file your claim with the state office, but | | | | Worker's compensation |
| unemployment insurance is a program administered | | | | For example, let's say your Weekly Benefit Rate is |
| jointly by the individual states and the U.S. | | | | $325. Your maximum yearly amount of claim benefits |
| Department of Labor. Guidelines may vary in your | | | | is 26 x $325 = $8,450. But you get a part-time job |
| state, but federal laws provide guidance on many of | | | | that pays you $100 a week. Your weekly |
| the most common unemployment questions. | | | | unemployment benefits will not be terminated, but |
| How Long Can I Collect Benefits? | | | | they will be reduced to $225. Your maximum yearly |
| Federal law says that during each one-year claim | | | | benefit is still $8,450, and your checks, if you keep |
| period you can collect the equivalent of 26 weeks of | | | | your part-time job, could keep coming for up to 37 |
| total unemployment benefits. The payments need | | | | weeks. |
| not be consecutive or of a consistent amount. For | | | | Extended Unemployment Benefits |
| example, let's say that after working on a job for | | | | During the current recession there have been |
| five years, you are laid off in April. You file a claim for | | | | measures taken by the states and the federal |
| unemployment and you receive unemployment | | | | government to extend the period of unemployment |
| checks for ten weeks. Then you get rehired. You | | | | benefits to workers who have use up regular |
| work until November and you get laid off again. You | | | | unemployment insurance benefits. To find out the |
| file another unemployment claim (technically, what | | | | current guidelines, check your state unemployment |
| you are doing is re-opening your existing claim). You | | | | office website. |
| will be eligible to receive the equivalent of 16 weeks | | | | Calculations based on each state's unemployment |
| of payments, not 26. Your claim year ends in April. | | | | rate act as triggers to determine when a state will |
| Within your claim year, the maximum amount of | | | | extend benefits. When a state is experiencing high |
| benefits you can receive would be 26 times your | | | | unemployment, the basic Extended Benefits program |
| Weekly Benefit Rate. If your Weekly Benefit Rate | | | | can provide up to an additional 13 weeks of benefits. |
| were $250, you would be entitled to collect a total of | | | | During periods of extremely high unemployment, |
| $6,500 over the course of your one-year claim | | | | some states have also created voluntary programs |
| period. | | | | to pay up to seven additional weeks of Extended |
| Your maximum amount of compensation is | | | | Benefits. Current beneficiaries are notified, but the |
| determined by your Weekly Benefit Rate. In many | | | | best thing to do is to log onto your state's |
| cases, you will receive the full amount during each | | | | unemployment website for the most current |
| week, and your benefits will end after 26 weeks. But | | | | information. |