How can you be eligible for unemployment

Contact Us. Begin Main Content Area. Page Content. Fo llowing your application for benefits, there are three basic steps to determining eligibility for UC benefits: Financial Eligibility The first step is determining whether you are financially eligible for benefits. Benefit Eligibility If you have been determined to be financially eligible, the second step involves the nature of your job loss or separation. Maintaining Eligibility and Requalifying for Benefits The third qualifier to receiving UC benefits involves meeting various tests on a week-to-week basis.

Other Important Eligibility Considerations Overpayment of Benefits Receiving UC benefits to which you are not entitled may result in reducing or removing future benefit entitlement until repaid. Financial Eligibility. Benefit Eligibility. Department of Labor has discouraged states from doing so. Most state unemployment insurance laws include language defining suitable employment. Refusing an offer of suitable employment as defined in state law without good cause will often disqualify individuals from continued eligibility for unemployment compensation.

The job an individual held before the spread of COVID will constitute, in the vast majority of cases, suitable employment for purposes of unemployment insurance eligibility. Nearly all states have processes for employers to submit documentation that an offer of suitable employment was refused by an unemployment insurance claimant.

Please contact your state unemployment insurance agency for additional information. If a state raises an issue of failure to accept suitable employment, the state unemployment insurance agency must provide the claimant with an opportunity to provide his or her side of the story and to rebut any evidence provided to the state before making a final determination. Most state laws allow for refusal of suitable employment for good cause, which is defined in state law.

Unemployment insurance is a joint state-federal program that provides cash benefits to eligible workers. Each state administers a separate unemployment insurance program, but all states follow the same guidelines established by federal law.

Please see the map and list below to find the contact information for your state in order to apply for Unemployment Benefits. FAQ Contact Us. Breadcrumb Home Coronavirus Resources. Skip to How Do I Apply? You should contact your state's unemployment insurance program as soon as possible after becoming unemployed. Generally, you should file your claim with the state where you worked.

If you worked in a state other than the one where you now live or if you worked in multiple states, the state unemployment insurance agency where you now live can provide information about how to file your claim with other states.

When you file a claim, you will be asked for certain information, such as addresses and dates of your former employment. To make sure your claim is not delayed, be sure to give complete and correct information.

Find the contact information for your state's unemployment office to start your claim. I am about to exhaust my regular unemployment compensation benefits.

My regular unemployment compensation benefits do not provide adequate support given the unprecedented economic challenges caused by the COVID outbreak. At least some wages must have been earned in Washington, unless you recently left the military and are currently located in Washington state. The reason you're unemployed or not working full time. We'll consider whether you: Were laid off or fired Quit your job Were discharged from the military Are involved in a strike or labor dispute Are on a leave of absence Are still working 3.

Your availability for work for the weeks you claim. Some workers, like school employees and business owners, have their own unique qualifications. If you are self-employed and do not pay for Unemployment Insurance through your paycheck, you may not be eligible for benefits. Read out FAQs on who is eligible for benefits here. If you voluntarily quit your job for reasons that were not work-related, or you were terminated for misconduct, your eligibility will need to be reviewed.

A representative from our division a claims examiner will conduct a fact-finding interview by either phone or email to determine whether you are eligible for Unemployment Insurance benefits.

Your employer s may also be requested to participate. The claims examiner will review the facts that you and your employer s provide, and determine your eligibility based on the law.

If you were fired due to misconduct or you quit voluntarily, your benefits may be delayed or denied. Read more about quitting or getting fired.