As difficult as it may be to think about going to the unemployment office, you should definitely apply immediately after you receive notice that your job is being terminated. In most states, you will not begin to receive unemployment checks until you have been out of work for a number of weeks after you apply for compensation. In some states, the period you must wait before receiving checks is only one week. Others require no wait at all. Still others require a wait of as much as two weeks after you apply before you begin receiving unemployment checks.
In addition, your claim may be contested for any one of a number of reasons. The longer you wait before filing your initial claim, the longer you will have to wait to receive compensation should your claim be delayed for any reason.
Also, to get through the process as quickly as possible, you may want to find out which unemployment offices in your area process the most claims. You may be able to file a claim at any office, regardless of the county you live in. If so, you can avoid offices in the center of a major metropolitan area. An office that's a little off the beaten path in another county may cost you a 30- minute drive while it also saves you a three-hour wait.
Along the same lines, don't delay applying because you re "sure you'll find another job right away." For whatever reason, your expectations may be incorrect and you may lose hundreds of dollars because you waited before applying. You'll feel a little strange about the idea of going to the unemployment office, but you need to do it as soon as possible to receive benefits quickly.
Take a Friend
"I remember the look on Martha's face when I walked into the unemployment office and saw her standing there," one recently unemployed writer remembered. "She was laid off the same day I was. I was wearing a large hat and she had on a pair of sunglasses-indoors. We both laughed when we realized each other's vain attempt at a disguise."
If you have been laid off with a group, make an outing of the unemployment office. Nothing helps ease the situation like black humor shared among friends who have all suffered the same fate. Two heads are also better than one, especially when you're dealing with a bureaucracy. If you're the spouse of someone who's just lost a job, call in sick and go with him or her. Your show of support will go a long way to ease an experience he or she may be dreading.
Know How Much You Should Be Getting
Before you apply for compensation, you can calculate approximately how much to expect. Most states pay unemployment compensation in weekly amounts; these weekly amounts are calculated using a formula that takes into account your average base pay and several factors governing minimum and maximum payments.
In general, you can expect to receive 50 percent of your weekly base pay, up to a certain maximum. Some states pay a higher percentage of your base pay, up to two-thirds, but most pay approximately 50 percent. Many states place a maximum limit on the weekly amount you can receive which, in most states, is less than $200 per week for someone with no dependents. The amount you receive may also depend on other factors, such as the number of people in your family. However, in general, if you had no dependents and were earning more than $400 per week before you were laid off, you can expect to receive less than $200 in unemployment compensation.
One other important note: In most states you can continue to receive a portion of your benefits even if you find a part-time job. As long as the pan-time position pays you less than your total benefit amount, most states will pay you the difference between your part-time pay and your benefit amount. Because of this rule, you may be able to get your foot in the door, part time, with a new employer. If the part-time position leads to something more permanent, you've found a new position and earned some money without sacrificing the benefits available to you.
In addition to maximum benefit limits, most states limit the number of weeks in any one benefit year that you can receive benefits. You will be limited to a maximum total benefit amount in any one benefit year. Most states limit the number of weeks in a benefit year to 26.
