Claims, & Benefits – Common Questions Series
What all information can I get through Unemployment Insurance Telephone Service?
What are the responsibilities of a claimant?
When should I apply for insurance benefits?
What is the source of unemployment benefits to pay the insurance amount?
Can all the unemployed be eligible for unemployment insurance benefit?
Will my employer be notified about the insurance claimed?
What is an overpayment and why it is considered as overpayment?
What is Federal Unemployment Tax, who and how you need to pay for this tax?
What is the process on calculating the Unemployment Rate?
How is Unemployment Insurance funded?
What all information can I get through Unemployment Insurance Telephone Service?
You can access the following information through telephone service:
- You can speak to the operator and get the details on address change process, hours of operations. In addition you can also know about,
- Filing a Tele query or obtaining payment information.
- Filing details on an initial or reopen claim.
- Details on overpayments, tax forms,
- Tax Refund Intercept Program and penalties or appeals.
In addition, the automated voice response will be available twenty four into seven days. There are different numbers available for different options. You can just follow some simple instructions and obtain the details you need.
What are the responsibilities of a claimant?
No matter if you are just filing for or are currently receiving unemployment insurance benefits, you are required to fulfill the below mentioned fundamentals:
You should be able to work, available for work and you must make an active search for full-time work (Note-unless defined by Unemployment Insurance as a part-time worker).
Report all wages earned each week.
Report all monies received by you like vacation pay, severance pay, pension payments, etc.
You should be available or contact the Division of Unemployment Insurance when directed to do so.
Accept suitable work as defined by law;
File timely bi-weekly continued claims while requesting for payment.
When should I apply for insurance benefits?
A. You can apply as soon as you become unemployed. Your application will become active from the day you claim for the insurance benefits, even if you are out of work since long.
What is the source of unemployment benefits to pay the insurance amount?
A. Funding source for unemployment insurance company is benefited from the taxes paid by employers.
Can all the unemployed be eligible for unemployment insurance benefit?
A. No, all unemployed are not eligible for benefits, you must earn sufficient wages during a specified monetary time. To receive the benefits, you must meet certain legal unemployment eligibility requirements.
Will my employer be notified about the insurance claimed?
Yes, The Company will contact your employer in order to obtain information that is needed to process your application for the benefit process.
The benefit year is a one year period beginning with the Monday following the week you file your valid original claim. You may be paid up to 26 weeks of benefits during a benefit year.
The benefit year is a period of 52 consecutive weeks. It begins on Sunday of the week in which your application is filed. Your claim is good for one year.
What is an overpayment and why it is considered as overpayment?
Overpayment is the benefit provided for the purpose which you were truly not eligible for unemployment compensation. Over payments are generally considered as the amount paid in error which might be because of your fault or by the State’s Unemployment fault. In case if you are overpaid then a notice will be served to you holding you responsible for repaying the overpaid amount within a reasonable period of time. If it is not repaid then it will be automatically deducted in your future benefit payable.
What is Federal Unemployment Tax, who and how you need to pay for this tax?
Every year the federal unemployment tax needs to be paid by the employer which needs to be filed. The federal unemployment tax needs to be paid for any employee who have earned more than $1500 in a quarter/ base period or to the employee who have completed his/her at least 20 weeks of tax year.
What is the process on calculating the Unemployment Rate?
In general to know the exact rate of Unemployment ration in the particular State you need to first know the exact number of unemployed workers with the total number of labor-force (number of people of working age and below retirement age who are actively participating in actively seeking employment). In United States the stats details can be collected from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
To sum up the formula for calculating the unemployment rate (as percent):
Unemployment Rate = (Unemployed Workers / Total Labor Force) * 100
How is Unemployment Insurance funded?
Unemployment Insurance is sourced by the employed individual or by the former employers. In General employers are needed to pay for Unemployment Insurance fund Programme, but in rare cases the employees are also required to contribute a small portion as tax. This Unemployment Insurance is funded as beneficiary amount to help out workers who have lost their jobs with no faults of theirs.