Unemployment Facts:

How to Receive Unemployment Compensation Benefits

As unemployment payouts hit a 26-year high and record numbers of Americans face unemployment, it is more important than ever to have a plan for moving forward. Whether your job has been eliminated, you have been laid off, or even if you have been fired, the first step you must take is to file for unemployment compensation. If your company downsized or laid you off, you will almost certainly be eligible for unemployment compensation. If you were fired, it is likely that you will have to show that you were fired unfairly or improperly in order to receive unemployment benefits.

Regardless of whether you have been fired, laid off, or had your job eliminated, it is crucial that you apply for unemployment compensation immediately. You should file for unemployment benefits the following business day after losing your job. Most states award unemployment compensation on a weekly basis, and failure to apply for unemployment benefits immediately may result in losing a week or more of potential pay.

If you have never applied for unemployment benefits before, this might be an emotional task. Some people facing unemployment find themselves in a state of despair as they apply for unemployment compensation. To those who feel as if they are somehow asking for a handout, remember that you have paid into unemployment insurance for as long as you've been working. And you will be taking far less in unemployment compensation than you have put in over the years!

After you apply for unemployment benefits, you will receive one of three decisions. Your unemployment benefits claim might be immediately granted. The state may need more information to make its decision on your unemployment benefits claim. Or, you may be informed that you have been turned down for unemployment compensation.

This is the time when follow-up is crucial. Failure to provide any additional documentation to your state unemployment office may result in your unemployment benefits claim being disqualified, with you losing any rights to your unemployment compensation.