Unemployment insurance
Unemployment, especially in this tough economic climate, is a difficult situation to find oneself in. However, unemployment insurance can make the predicament a little easier, providing important financial protection for laid-off workers. Unemployment insurance typically provides 50 to 70 percent of a person’s lost wages, allowing them to support themselves in an attempt to find a new job.
Unemployment insurance is available to people who were laid off through no fault of their own. It portions out payments over a period of time and is usually offered only to people who have been paying into the system while they were employed. Those who do not meet the eligibility requirements must take their chances in the job market without the benefit of unemployment insurance.
Workers must apply for unemployment insurance through their government or state department of employment. In most cases, the application can be completed online or through the mail, and once it has been accepted a claimant must begin to contact the department of employment on a certain day and time to begin receiving payments.
It is also important to stay in contact with the state department of employment while collecting unemployment insurance to ensure that payments are continuing. This helps the department keep an eye on the claimant’s progress and reevaluates if the claimant has found gainful employment.
Each state typically has its own guidelines for eligibility and length of payment, however, federal laws are in place that extends benefits to people during times of high unemployment. It is also important to understand the process of appealing a decision made by the department of employment if a person is denied unemployment benefits.
The important thing to remember is that unemployment insurance is a financial lifeline to help people in their search for new employment. It is not an end to the troubles of unemployment, but a bridge over financial difficulty as people look for ways to gain work. There is no shame in filing for unemployment benefits – rather, it should be seen as a way that society helps members that are not currently employed.