Collecting Unemployment Benefits

Unemployment benefits are meant to act as a temporary safety net for employees who are out of work through no fault of their own -- to tide them over until they can find a new job.

Some reasons for termination might make you ineligible for unemployment benefits.

When you quit your job you are usually not eligible for unemployment benefits - unless you have good cause for quitting. The benefits are intended for workers who suffer an unexpected loss in income due to layoffs, or in some cases, due to being fired.

Is there any downside to saying that I quit rather than that I was laid off?

Find out if you can still get unemployment benefits if you quit to take care of your injured child?

Each state in the U.S. maintains an unemployment insurance system to provide support for people who are out of work and looking for a new job. Some of the eligibility criteria are objective measures, such as the amount of your prior earnings.

If your unemployment claim is denied, here's how to appeal the decision.

Learn how—and where—to file your claim for unemployment benefits.

Get tips on the amount and duration of unemployment benefit payments you can expect.

Workers are eligible for unemployment compensation only if they are temporarily out of work through no fault of their own. The "fault" part of the eligibility requirement has to do with the reasons why the employee no longer has a job.

If you decide to challenge an unfair denial of unemployment benefits, your ex-employer will probably be represented by a lawyer throughout the process, and you should be too.

Find out how much it will cost to get legal help with your unemployment claim.

Answers to common questions on collecting unemployment compensation.