Going through a period of unemployment can be severely stressful to most people, especially those without a solid financial foundation to fall back on. Watching your savings burn away while you’re not landing any solid job prospects is a terrifying feeling at some point, but it doesn’t have to be that way if you’re prepared and know your rights. Unemployment insurance has been created specifically to protect people against this type of situation, and understanding how the system works and when you can take advantage of it is crucial.
Who Can Get It?
Not everyone can get unemployment benefits. The most important general rule of thumb is that you must be unemployed due to factors outside of your control – e.g. the company downsizing, or someone making a mistake that ended up affecting you. If you were fired for a mistake, this can make things significantly more difficult. The system also has local variations that change from state to state, and it’s important to familiarize yourself with how it works in your specific area if you want to know the full extent of your right. Make sure to look up the rights of specific worker groups as well, as there are some differences in the eligibility between certain sectors.
Starting the Process
Most of the time, initiating the process to file for unemployment is quite simple and only requires a computer with an Internet connection. Make sure that you have all your relevant ID details handy, and that you are also prepared with copies of all documents that were produced in the course of your employment, especially things like pay slips, car insurance and tax-related documentation. If there’s anything that could cast doubt on your performance and the circumstances of your dismissal, prepare yourself with all the relevant documentation you can find well in advance. Having to take the time and seek out those documents later on can make the process more difficult and may even jeopardize your chances.
Important Details
There are some details you’ll want to consider at all points, especially with regards to the calculation of the specific sums you’ll be awarded. You’ll need to plan your budget appropriately and know what kinds of resources you’ll have access to over the next few weeks/months, and you’ll also need to know how long you can expect this to last for. You’ll usually run out of benefits in half a year, although there are options to extend the period in specific circumstances. It’s important to know this well in advance though, rather than finding it out at the point where your benefits are already being taken away and you have no fallback plan.
Falling through cracks in the system can happen to anyone, and it’s an unfortunate part of the reality we live in. However, a little preparation can go a long way towards minimizing the risk of finding yourself in a dire situation and if you know what your options are and how to make use of them, you should be able to beat those problems and come out successful in the end.
