New Jersey Unemployment Benefits
The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development is responsible to assist with all New Jersey unemployment benefits applications and payments. The money used to pay out New Jersey unemployment insurance (“UI”) benefits comes from a payroll tax collected from both employers and employees who are working within the State. Although the rules, regulations and laws that govern unemployment benefits are complex there are only a few key requirements and issues that you need to be aware of as you prepare to file your UI claims.
Filing Your Claim
You have several different options when it comes to filing your unemployment claim. First, you can submit everything through the Internet at NJUIFile.net (“NJUIFile”). The Department of Labor and Workforce Development will guide you through each step of the application process to help ensure that you fully answer all of the questions on the application. If you don’t want to apply through NJUIFile, you can also call the New Jersey unemployment benefits hotline and apply over the telephone. The Department’s unemployment insurance division phone number is (609) 292-7162.
You want to file your UI claims as soon as possible following a job loss or a significant reduction in workforce hours. The effective date of your claim will be the Sunday of the week that your claim is filed with the State. Any delays in filing your claim will result in you losing out on money you could have received.
Eligibility
To be able to receive New Jersey unemployment benefits you must be a United States resident, have worked solely within the State of New Jersey for the prior 18 months, have not worked for the U.S. government or the U.S. military or a “Maritime Employer” for the past 18 months, and not be disabled and unable to obtain future employment.
You will also need to meet a specific set of financial and income requirements. The most important requirement is whether you earned a sufficient amount of income during a defined time period called a “Base Period.” The Base Period is the twelve month period that you count if you exclude both the calendar quarter you file for benefits and the calendar quarter immediately before the current quarter you are in. For example, if you file for New Jersey unemployment benefits on June 1, 2009, you need to disregard the current quarter you are in (the 2nd quarter of 2009) and also disregard the prior calendar quarter (the 1st quarter of 2009) and then use the next four calendar quarters (all four quarters of 2008).
To receive unemployment benefits and to have your NJUIFile.net application approved you must have earned wages during a total of 20 weeks inside your Base Period. The 20 weeks do not need to be consecutive. Alternatively, you can qualify under this income test if the amount of money you earned during the Base Period exceeds a minimum amount of money that the State calculates by multiplying the current State hourly minimum wage by 1,000 (and rounding up to the next $100).
Receiving Funds
After your UI claims are approved you will begin receiving benefits almost immediately. Typically the time period between the date you submit your New Jersey unemployment benefits application to the time you begin receiving your weekly payments is 2-4 weeks.
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