How To Apply For Partial Unemployment Benefits – Everyone is aware that if they lose their full-time job, they are entitled to unemployment benefits. Did you know that if you lose a part-time job or a full-time position becomes part-time, you might be eligible for partial unemployment benefits?
Congratulations, if you didn’t already remember. You’ve just been over the first stumbling block. If you don’t know about partial unemployment payments, you won’t be able to get them.
Continue reading if you’re unfamiliar with partial unemployment insurance.
What Is Partial Unemployment?
The term “partial unemployment” refers to an unemployment check that replaces part-time income. The only difference is that it won’t be as much money as a full-time job’s unemployment check.
Partially unemployed people, it is arguable, require assistance. Many people in the United States work part-time. In 2020, 4.5 percent of American employees over the age of 16 had multiple jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (in 2019, before the pandemic hit, 5.1 percent of workers were holding down more than one job). This does not seem to be many jobs, but 4.5 percent equals more than 6 million people.
In most cases, a partial unemployment direct deposit is used in one of two situations. In the first case, you’re working a part-time job to make ends meet, but you lose it. So you might apply for partial unemployment benefits while searching for a new part-time job.
In the second example, which has been prevalent throughout the pandemic, you had a full-time job, but your hours were reduced, and your pay was reduced. In that scenario, you may be eligible for partial unemployment benefits.
Who Is Eligible for Partial Unemployment?
It varies by state, but the fundamental prerequisite is that you have either made enough money or worked long enough to be eligible for unemployment benefits. In most states, you would have served for a whole year to qualify for unemployment benefits.
When you are fired, furloughed, laid off, dismissed, or whatever word you want for losing a job, you are generally eligible for unemployment compensation, either partial or absolute. You would not be suitable for partial unemployment benefits if you leave your part-time job or tell your boss that you want to work fewer hours.
Even so, if your job status has changed and you believe you are no longer eligible for unemployment benefits, it isn’t a bad idea to contact the unemployment office in your state. Many laws have changed as a result of the pandemic, and there’s no harm in asking.
How Much Will You Receive in Benefits?
That can get complicated, and whatever you get will most likely be insufficient.
In terms of the design of your check, “It’s almost hard to tell,” says Andrew Rozo, a New York City attorney who practices in the areas of corporate law, health care law, and landlord-tenant law. He says he worked on a New York State Bar Association COVID-19 pro bono project last year that included many unemployment benefits work.
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“Every state has its own set of rules, and every salary is special. Generally, depending on the state, an individual may receive benefits that are less than minimum wage, “Rozo explains. “You should expect to receive less than half of what you put in. However, it all depends on how much money you made and the laws in your state.”
Of course, if you get expanded unemployment compensation in addition to your partial insurance direct deposit, your modest unemployment income would be a little less meager.
How to Apply
You should submit as soon as possible after being laid off. You want to do so as quickly as possible because the sooner you enroll in your state’s unemployment insurance system, the sooner you’ll be paying. The first unemployment direct deposit will take a few weeks to arrive.
You’ll most likely apply online or over the phone. Because of the pandemic, applying in person could be difficult, but each state approaches this differently.
You can contact the unemployment insurance office in your state. The Department of Labor maintains a helpful website that includes a list of all state offices.
Bring your identification, including your Social Security number and driver’s license number, with you when you apply. You’ll almost certainly need the Social Security numbers and dates of birth of your spouse and dependents. You’ll need to include your bank account and routing numbers if you want a direct deposit rather than a check in the mail.
You will still need to report how much you’re making if you’re still employed and working fewer hours than before, rather than no longer getting a part-time job.
“The most important thing a person receiving partial unemployment benefits can do is make sure they are correctly reporting the earned wages they are receiving from any employment to their state labor office,” says Jeremy Schatz, founder of Virtus Law Group in Birmingham Alabama. “Any error, whether intentional or not, could result in the loss of benefits, repayment, and possible penalties,” says Jeremy Schatz.
Even so, Schatz has some encouraging news for those who are hesitant to apply for unemployment insurance. “It’s no more difficult to get partial unemployment benefits than it is to get full unemployment benefits,” he says.
Filling Out Your Unemployment Insurance Form
When applying for unemployment insurance, keep in mind that you should not hurry through the process while you might want to apply as soon as possible.
Rozo suggests, “Read carefully as if you were designing a piece of furniture.” If you have any concerns, he recommends contacting your state’s labor department by phone, email, or even Twitter.
“Misunderstanding orders or what certain questions are asking will always be errors,” Rozo says.
He points out that most of your questions are likely to be answered online, so go to your state’s labor department’s or unemployment insurance office’s frequently asked questions page.
“The most important thing is to speak truthfully. The last thing you want is to owe your state all of the benefits you got, plus additional penalties, “Rozo explains. “Read carefully, ask questions, rely only on credible sources, and be truthful. Those actions can result in success.”