How to Get Unemployed Even If You Are Working
If the economic fallout of the pandemic took you out of your job this spring, you will likely spend your state unemployment benefits plus an additional $ 600 weekly benefit from the CARES Act . But what happens to these benefits if you go back to work, especially if you can only work a fraction of your working time?
If you are in such a difficult situation, you may be eligible for partial unemployment benefits. Each state offers this, although regulations vary from state to state. Overall, according to CNBC , you should be making less money per week than if you were receiving unemployment benefits in your state for being completely unemployed . You may also be eligible if your employer offers a collaboration option.
You couldn’t cut your own time; rather, your cut in working hours (and wages) should be related to the staffing needs of your employer, rather than fire you altogether. You should be willing and able to work more hours, just not being able to get those hours due to circumstances beyond your control.
For example, this is how it works in Georgia , where the maximum weekly unemployment benefit is $ 365 :
A partial unemployment insurance claim can only be made by an employer for full-time employees who work less than full-time during the pay period only because of unemployment. Workers must be tied to an employer and must have a wage that does not exceed the amount of the weekly benefit plus $ 50.
This is how it works in Arizona :
You must include all earnings when submitting your mandatory weekly claim, with earnings over $ 30 deducted from your weekly benefit. Please note that you must receive at least $ 1 in benefits to be eligible for the additional $ 600 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Insurance (FPUC) payment.
For example, if you are eligible for the $ 240 weekly benefit maximum and receive $ 180 in income per week, provided you meet the other weekly eligibility requirements, you will receive $ 90 + FPUC $ 600 for that weekly requirement. If you earn at least $ 240 per week, you will not be eligible for any benefits during that week.
If you are already registered with your state’s unemployment insurance scheme, she can recognize your work situation the next time you file your weekly claim and adjust your benefit accordingly without much extra effort on your part. But if you have not applied for benefits before, or live in a country with a notoriously difficult unemployment system, you may need to re-enroll or talk to someone who can help you.
Even with this advantage, you may not be doing what you used to do on your regular schedule. But it goes without saying that getting $ 600 plus some of your state’s unemployment benefits right now is much better than getting just a fraction of your state’s regular payment. But if you only work limited hours right now while your state is developing strategies for reopening, you can still get a few weeks of federal and state benefits to help you make ends meet.
Visit your state’s unemployment insurance website for more information. In this directory, you can find your state’s website.