Kansas Unemployment Eligibility Calculator
Kansas unemployment benefits offer temporary financial assistance to workers who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. To receive these benefits, you must meet certain eligibility requirements, which fall into three main categories: monetary requirements, non-monetary requirements, and ongoing requirements.
Qualifying for Kansas unemployment compensation
To be eligible for Kansas unemployment insurance, these main requirements must be met:
- You must have earned enough wages in the previous year before you applied for UI benefits.
- You must be unemployed through no fault of your own.
- You must be able and willing to work, and be actively searching for work.
- You must certify your eligibility each week by filing weekly claims.
Monetary Entitlement for UI Benefits in Kansas
To qualify for unemployment benefits in Kansas, you need to meet certain financial conditions known as monetary entitlement.
Specifically, you must have earned wages in at least two quarters of your base period, and your total wages in that base period must be more than 30 times your calculated WBA.
What is a base period?
Your base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters.
Sometimes, an alternate base period is used, which is the last four completed calendar quarters. Your base period earnings are used to determine your monetary eligibility, as well as to calculate your weekly benefit amount and the number of weeks you can collect benefits.
In Kansas, you can collect unemployment compensation for up to 16 weeks, or longer if a high unemployment rate has triggered an unemployment extension.
Example 1: Insufficient Quarters Worked
Let’s assume you worked in just one quarter of your base period and earned $6,500. In this case, you wouldn’t qualify for unemployment benefits because you only have wages in one quarter, not the two quarters needed.
Example 2: Total Wages Less Than 30 Times WBA
Let’s say you worked in two quarters, earning $1,250 in one quarter and $5,000 in another. Your total base period wages would be $6,250.
- WBA: $5,000 x 0.0425 = $212 (rounded down)
- Required total wages: $212 x 30 = $6,360
Your total base period wages of $6,250 are less than the required $6,360 (30 times the WBA), so you wouldn’t be eligible for unemployment benefits.
Example 3: Eligible for Benefits
Suppose you worked in two quarters, earning $3,000 in each. Your total base period wages would be $6,000.
- WBA: $3,000 x 0.0425 = $127 (rounded down)
- Required total wages: $127 x 30 = $3,810
In this case, you would qualify for benefits because your total base period wages of $6,000 are more than the required $3,810 (30 times the WBA).
If you don’t qualify during your base period, an alternate base period may be used. The alternate base period is the last four completed calendar quarters.
Non-monetary Eligibility Requirements
In addition to meeting the financial qualifications, claimants must also:
Be able to work: To qualify for unemployment benefits, you need to be capable of doing work in your field or another field where you have experience. This often hinges on whether you have any physical or medical limitations, like lifting or standing restrictions. If these limitations stop you from working entirely, your unemployment claim could be rejected.
Be available to work: You should be ready to take on a job if one is offered, without any restrictions like travel plans or other commitments. Issues like lack of transportation, caring for a sick family member, or child care can all affect your eligibility.
Be unemployed through no fault of your own: This means you didn’t quit or get fired for misconduct, but lost your job due to reasons beyond your control (like layoffs).
You must also be a United States citizen or be legally authorized to work in the U.S.
Job Separation Requirements
In Kansas, the reason for your job separation plays a significant role in determining your eligibility for unemployment benefits.
You must be unemployed through no fault of your own to qualify. This means that if you voluntarily quit your job, you need a good cause to be eligible for unemployment compensation. “Good cause” could include issues like unsafe working conditions or drastic pay cuts.
On the other hand, if you’re fired for misconduct, such as violating company policy or illegal activity, you’re generally not eligible for benefits.
Ongoing Eligibility Requirements
You must maintain eligibility while collecting UI benefits.
- Register with KANSASWORKS
- Complete a My Reemployment Plan
- Perform 3 work search activities each week
- File a claim each week
- Report any earnings or income
- Report any job offers
- Attend any requested meetings or trainings
My Reemployment Plan
After you apply for Kansas unemployment, you will also receive a My Reemployment Plan (MRP). This must be completed and returned within 7 days.
The MRP process requires you to register with KANSASWORKS to upload your resume and complete a job plan.
Failing to complete this step will be reported to the Kansas Department of Labor and could lead to you losing your unemployment benefits.
Work Search Requirements
To prove you are actively searching for work, claimants are required to perform and document a variety of weekly work search activities. You must complete three (3) job search activities each week, and be able to provide documentation of your efforts. Failure to produce a work search log when requested will result in a denial of benefits.
Weekly Claims
Each week, you must certify that you are willing, able, and available to work, and you must demonstrate that you are actively seeking work. If you turn down any job offers, it must be reported. When filing a weekly claim, you must also report any wages earned during the week from part-time work or other income sources.
Reemployment Meetings
If you’re claiming unemployment benefits, you may be asked to join reemployment programs at your local Workforce Center. These programs can help you get back to work faster. If you’re told to participate, you have to go, or you risk losing your benefits.
Why was my claim disqualified?
There are several reasons that can lead to a disqualified claim.
Job Separation: The most common reason for disqualification. If you voluntarily quit without good cause related to the job, you’ll generally be denied unemployment benefits. However, involuntary separation like being laid off usually won’t disqualify you, unless you were fired for work-related misconduct.
Citizenship Status: If you can’t provide a Social Security or Alien Registration number that verifies your work authorization in the United States, you could be disqualified.
Drug Use: Using illegal drugs or controlled substances while claiming benefits can lead to disqualification.
Educational Employment: If you work in education and have reasonable assurance of returning next term, you can be disqualified during the break.
Refusing Work: If you turn down a suitable job offer, this can disqualify you from receiving benefits.
Receiving Other Payments: Being on Workers’ Compensation or receiving disability payments can also make you ineligible for unemployment benefits.
Fraud: Committing unemployment fraud, like failing to report earnings while receiving benefits or providing false information to the Kansas Department of Labor, results in a five-year disqualification and possible criminal charges.
If you can’t find the details about your unemployment claim through the weekly claim line or online platforms, contact the Kansas unemployment office. Staff can address specific questions you might have, especially if you’ve gotten a message about an eligibility review. This review could halt your benefit payment until the investigation concludes and confirms you’re eligible for unemployment compensation.
The right to appeal a denial
If you disagree with a decision on your unemployment claim or if you’ve been denied benefits, you have the right to file an appeal. This is your chance to present additional information or clarify facts to challenge the decision made by the Kansas Department of Labor.
You must file the appeal within 16 days from the date of the notice, so it’s important to act promptly. Successfully appealing could mean the difference between receiving unemployment compensation and missing out on the financial assistance you deserve.
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