How long can you collect unemployment in florida

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Yes. If you qualify for unemployment benefits, you can work a part-time job and still collect benefits in the State of Florida. However, you will be expected to work less than full-time hours and earn less than your weekly benefit amount. Rather than collecting your full weekly benefit amount, you will have to collect a partial unemployment payment depending on the wages you earn each week.

The state of Florida provides unemployment benefits to citizens and it is administered by the Reemployment Assistance Program through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The Reemployment Assistance Program offers temporary and partial wage replacement for qualifying workers who must have lost their job through no fault of their own.

Aside from the fact that these benefits are funded by employers through payroll taxes and are provided at no cost to qualifying citizens, it helps to stabilize Florida’s economy. Working a part-time job doesn’t really make you ineligible to collect unemployment benefits in the state of Florida.

You will, however, be expected to meet the same eligibility requirements as any other claimant, including the previous wage requirement. This is to validate that you earned an attainable amount of wages before you start collecting unemployment. Note that the Agency for Workforce Innovation will go through your base period, which is the first four of the last five full calendar quarters before you filed for benefits.

To be eligible, you must have earned at least $3,400 within your base period, and worked in two or more quarters and the total earned wages will have to be one and a half times your high-quarter wages. Part-time employees may still get unemployment benefits even if they eventually lose their job.

Certain circumstances need to be present for you to qualify to receive them. In Florida, all applications for unemployment benefits will need to be filled online. The process takes 30 to 60 minutes to complete and will have to be completed and submitted within 72 hours.

For each week of Florida unemployment you receive, you will be expected to file a continued claim for it with the Agency for Workforce Innovation. When you call the claims line or access the claims site, you report your earned wages for each week as a part of the process.

Also, remember to report gross wages only and to report them on the week earned even if you are yet to receive the payments. Once the Agency for Workforce Innovation knows what you earned for a week in part-time employment, it can calculate how much you can receive in unemployment for that week.

Steps to Get Unemployment Works in Florida

To apply and collect unemployment benefits in the state of Florida, even as a part-time worker, here are steps to consider;

  1. Table of Contents

    • Check to see if you qualify for Florida Unemployment
    • Prepare to Apply
    • Submit your Claims
    • Understand The Amount And Duration Of Your Benefit
    • Know How And When You Will Be Paid
    • Conduct An Ongoing Job Search

    Check to see if you qualify for Florida Unemployment

Before you apply for benefits, it is imperative to first check if you meet all the requirements stipulated by the state. In the state of Florida, these requirements include;

  • You are expected to have lost your job through no fault of your own. You won’t qualify if you quit for personal reasons or were terminated for malicious misconduct. Poor job performance does not disqualify you.
  • You will have to be totally or partially unemployed. Partially unemployed means your hours were reduced or you’re a part-time worker who can’t find additional work.
  • You need to have earned at least $3,400 before taxes in what is called the “base period,” which is the first four complete quarters beginning 18 months before your claim.
  • You should be available to work, and actively seeking work. This includes being able to get to a job and have child care if necessary.
  1. Prepare to Apply

To apply for unemployment benefits in the state of Florida, you will need:

  • Your Social Security number
  • Your driver’s license or state ID number
  • Information on your employment over the past 18 months, including:
  • Employer names, addresses, and phone numbers
  • Dates of first and last day of work
  • Gross earnings (before taxes) during employment periods
  • Reason for separation
  • FEIN number (on your W2 or 1099 tax forms)
  • If you don’t have a FEIN, use employer details from the paystub
  • Non-U.S. citizens will have to provide their Alien Registration Number or work authorization form
  • Military employees will have to provide their DD-214 Member copy 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8
  • Federal employees must provide SF 8 or SF 50
  • Union members will need to provide the union’s name, hall number, and phone number.
  1. Submit your Claims

Once you are certain you meet all the requirements noted above, you can go ahead and apply for Florida unemployment benefits. To file your claim you will have to log in to the state’s CONNECT site for state unemployment benefits. The date your application is completed will more or less determine when you will start receiving benefits.

Claims are known to start on the Sunday prior to the completion of the application. For instance, an application finished on Wednesday will take effect on the Sunday before that Wednesday. Also, note that every claim in Florida will have to be completed online. The process should take approximately 30-60 minutes to complete.

  1. Understand The Amount And Duration Of Your Benefit

Once your claim is filed, you will get a confirmation notice that your claim has been received. You will have to request benefit payment no later than seven days from your scheduled report date. According to reports, the maximum benefit anyone can earn is $275 per week.

Florida’s maximum time for collecting unemployment benefits is noted at 12 weeks. To be eligible, you must have earned at least $3,400 within your base period, and worked in two or more quarters and the total earned wages will have to be one and a half times your high-quarter wages.

  1. Know How And When You Will Be Paid

In the state of Florida, it will take around three to four weeks for you to receive your first payment. Ideally, you can expect your benefits from around 12 weeks depending on Florida’s current unemployment rate. Florida unemployment benefit recipients tend to obtain benefits electronically via the use of a debit card or they can have benefits direct deposited into their bank account as well.

  1. Conduct An Ongoing Job Search

You will be expected to looking for a job. You will also need to document your efforts and report them to collect benefits. You are also expected to register with the Employ Florida Marketplace before claiming weeks of unemployment, and if you get a good job but turn it down, then you may have your benefits withheld.

Aside from that, once you go back to work, you will have to report that information to the Reemployment Assistance Program immediately. If you are denied unemployment benefits, you still have the right to file an online appeal, by mail, or by fax.

You are allowed 20 days to do so from the time you first get your determination notice. After receiving your appeal, the agency will arrange a telephone hearing and an appeals referee will rule on your case. A decision will then be mailed to you.

Conclusion

If you work part-time in the state of Florida, you can still qualify to collect unemployment benefits as long as you meet the requirements. Howbeit, you will only have to collect partial unemployment benefits. The Agency for Workforce Innovation will evaluate your reported earnings for each benefit week and leverage it to note how much of your benefits you can collect.

If you encounter any issues with your claim, your PIN, or your reception of benefits, do not waste time before fixing them. Reach out to the Claims Assistance toll-free line at 1-800-204-2418 to speak with a program representative.

How long can you collect unemployment in Florida due to Covid 19?

By law, Extended Benefits become available to claimants when the state's 13-week insured unemployment rate (IUR) is above 5.0%. Extended Benefits authorizes up to an additional six weeks of benefits to eligible claimants who exhausted Reemployment Assistance benefits during periods of high unemployment.

How long do you have to work in Florida to collect unemployment?

To be eligible for this benefit program, you must a resident of Florida and meet all of the following: Unemployed, and. Worked in Florida during the past 12 months (this period may be longer in some cases), and. Earned a minimum amount of wages determined by Florida guidelines, and.

How many weeks can I collect unemployment in Florida?

In Florida, your weekly benefit amount is calculated by dividing your total earnings for the highest paid quarter of the base period by 26, up to a current maximum of $275 per week. You can receive benefits for anywhere between 12 to 23 weeks, depending on Florida's current unemployment rate.

Can you collect unemployment if you get laid off in Florida?

How do I apply? If you are fired, are laid off, or quit a job, you can apply for temporary financial assistance. This used to be called “unemployment compensation.” It is now called “reemployment assistance benefits.” This may provide you with a weekly check while you look for new work.