RI Department of Labor and Training
The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training is the State’s gateway to a variety of services including finding government and private sector job opportunities, finding training and classroom opportunities to make yourself more marketable to potential employers, applying for and obtaining temporary disability insurance and finding explanations to Rhode Island businesses on the unemployment taxes they should be collecting from their employees. Additionally, and possibly most importantly given the tough economic times the United States is in, you can also apply for and obtain unemployment benefits through the RI Department of Labor and Training website. For purposes of this article we will focus on the different requirements to receive unemployment compensation and what you need to do in order to have your application approved.
Unemployment Insurance – An Overview
There are quite a few misconceptions regarding unemployment benefits throughout the State of Rhode Island. In order to qualify for Rhode Island unemployment benefits approved by the RI Dept of Labor (“RI DLT”) you need to have earned a minimum amount of income during a time period known as your “Base Period.” Understanding how to calculate your Base Period is critical to being approved for unemployment benefits or for any type of federal unemployment benefits extension. Here is the definition of a Base Period: the first four out of five calendar quarters, excluding the current quarter you file for benefits in. In other words, don’t count the current calendar quarter you are in and don’t count the calendar quarter immediately prior to the one you are in and then use the next four quarters back as your Base Period.
During your Base Period, the RI Department of Labor and Training requires you to have earned a total of $8,880 or more. If you did not earn this much, you can also qualify for benefits by meeting all of these three criteria:
Beyond the income requirements, you must also be actively looking for new work while you are on unemployment (meaning, in other words, that you are not disabled and will not be working again) and you cannot have become unemployed through any fault of your own, such as being fired for cause or disobedience in some manner.
Filing Your Claim
The fastest and easiest place to submit your Rhode Island unemployment benefits claim is through the RI Department of Labor and Training’s website at dlt.ri.gov. To complete your application the RI DLT will need your name, address, phone number, the contact information for all employers you have worked for during the previous two years, your Social Security Number (of Alien Registration Number, if applicable) and your DD214 (if you served in the military).
Payments will usually begin to arrive in the third week after you have submitted your unemployment benefits application. Contact the RI Department of Labor and Training by the end of the third week if you received notice that your claim was approved but the money has not arrived.
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