With unemployment benefits there are not any different kinds of benefits, you simply get unemployment benefits. The question that comes into play is if you qualify for unemployment benefits, how much you qualify for, and whether you qualify for the extended unemployment benefits if your unemployment has run out. Some people get unemployment benefits confused with government benefits because you have to apply for them. The main difference between unemployment benefits and other government benefits is that unemployment benefits are insurance payments that are made up of your own money. When you are regularly employed you are required by law to pay into unemployment insurance so that if you ever do lose your job you can still get paid until you find another job.

Before you can file a claim for unemployment benefits, you are going to need to determine if you are eligible to collect unemployment benefits. In order to collect unemployment benefits you have to have earned enough money through wages in your base period, which is a 12-month period when you are working. Your base period is going to be determined based on when you apply for unemployment benefits. If you apply in January, February or March your 12-month period is going to be October 1 through September 30. If you apply in April, May, or June your base period will be January 1 through December 31. If you apply in July, August or September your 12-month base period will be April 1 through March 31. If you apply in October, November or December your 12-month base period will be July 1 through June 30. Your caseworker will check that 12-month period to see if you earned enough money through wages to qualify for unemployment benefits. The amount of money that you need to earn through wages is going to vary depending on the state that you live in. To find out how much you need to earn in a 12-month period you can call your state's unemployment office or visit their website.

In order to file a claim for unemployment benefits you need to have lost your job through no fault of your own. This usually means that either your position was made redundant or you were fired due to downsizing. Even if this did not occur, there are other cases that you can collect unemployment. You can also collect unemployment if you quit your job for a good reason. What is considered a good reason is going to by up to your caseworker, but usually a personal reason or an illness qualify for a good reason. Most people cannot collect unemployment if they have been fired, however if you were not fired for violating company policy, stealing, using drugs, fighting, or something similar you can usually still qualify for unemployment benefits.

These requirements are made so that people who really need the benefits can get them. It is also to stop people from just quitting their jobs because they are bored or unhappy with their current job. If you could simply sit at home and collect unemployment benefits after quitting your job for no good reason, there would be nothing stopping people from doing it because they have something to fall back on.

Once you have filed your claim for unemployment benefits you are going to need to be actively looking for another job. It also helps to be actively looking for another job before you file your claim. Most states are going to require that you register with the job services office in order to receive unemployment benefits. The states are also going to require you to apply for so many jobs during the week, attend so many job interviews, or even sign up for a job training class so that you can seek employment in another industry. To continue receiving your unemployment benefits you will have to report this information to your caseworker each week when you apply for more benefits. Doing this is designed to stop people from using their unemployment period as an easy way to take a paid vacation.

With unemployment benefits, you are only going to be able to qualify for a certain amount of money. Unemployment benefits have a minimum amount of money that you can receive each week and a maximum amount that you are allowed to collect each week. This number is going to vary depending on the state that you are applying for unemployment benefits in. This amount can also be affected depending on if you are receiving any income while you are unemployed. If you are not, receiving any income, you will be able to collect unemployment benefits and you will be able to collect the full amount that is allowable to you.

While collecting unemployment benefits you can sometimes work a part-time job and still collect benefits. Deciding if you can collect benefits is going to depend on how much money you can collect each week. If your part-time job pays you less money than the amount that you are allowed to collect, you will still qualify for unemployment benefits. The difference here is that you can only collect the difference amount between what you are entitled too each week and what you actually make each week. This also includes any income that you collect from a home based business. Your caseworker will determine your benefits accordingly after they have taken into consideration how much money you are earning on the side, the money has to be considered earned income, which means that child support and alimony payments are not taken into account.

Your unemployment benefits are not going to last forever. After 26 weeks or 6 months, you will no longer be able to collect unemployment benefits or you might have to stop collecting sooner because of lack of funds in your unemployment account. The bad news is that sometimes after 26 weeks you still cannot find a suitable job for your family, so people think that because unemployment runs out after that time that they are out of options. The good news is that in some cases you can get an extension of your unemployment benefits, as long as you still have enough money in your unemployment account. Benefits are usually extended during periods of high unemployment, such as when the economy is in a recession or depression. Your benefits can also be extended if you are currently enrolled in a training program for a new industry, but only if that program is going to take longer than 26 weeks to complete and it is a training course that is approved by the job service office in your state

If you are collecting unemployment, the chances are good that you will not be making the same amount of income that you previously made. Due to the drastic cut in your income, you might be able to apply for other benefits to help you and your family. Some states you are automatically able to collect food stamps if you are receiving unemployment benefits, but in other states, you still have to qualify for them. If you need this benefit, you can talk to your caseworker to see what is required for food stamps in your state.

Another big concern that people have when they lose their job is health insurance, if it was provided through your previous job. If you have been laid off, you still have the right to health insurance through a program called COBRA. The only drawback is that you have to pay for the insurance out of your pocket, for some people this just isn't feasible because of the reduction in income. If you are collecting unemployment benefits you can also look into getting medical insurance through the state, even if you do not qualify you might be able to get assistance for your kids because of low cost health insurance programs.

If you have lost your job due to an ongoing medical condition or a permanent injury, you are not going to be eligible for unemployment benefits. Rather than apply for unemployment benefits you are going to need to apply for social security instead. Furthermore, if you are out of work for a temporary basis because of an injury that you received while on the job you will need to apply for worker's compensation. This will cover both the wages you would be losing from being out of work, but it will also cover any of your medical bills, including hospital stays, that are related to the injury you received on the job.

It is important to remember that the only time that you can collect unemployment benefits is if you are out of work through no faulty of your own. This means that you had to have been laid off because lack of work or your position has become redundant. In certain cases, you can also collect unemployment +benefits if you have quit your job, as long as you have a good reason, or if you have been fired, as long as it was not for misconduct. Unemployment benefits are not to be used if you are out of work because of a permanent medical condition or long-term illness that prevents you from working.