How Do I Claim Unemployment Benefits with the Unemployment Compensation Florida?

How Do I Check My Unemployment Benefits with the Unemployment Office Florida?

Florida's unemployment benefits program is referred to as Reemployment Assistance. Anyone who is temporarily out of work or who has had their work hours can benefit from the program.

You can not only receive monetary assistance from the program but you can also get help finding work. However, before you can submit a claim for you have to be eligible to participate in the program.

Florida Unemployment Benefits Eligibility Requirements

The first requirement is that it should not have been your fault for losing your prior source of income. You should not have quit from your job for personal reasons or have been fired for inappropriate conduct. You are still eligible if you were fired for poor performance.

You must be completely or partially unemployed to receive benefits. Partial unemployment includes reduced hours of work whose compensation is not enough to sustain a living.

You should have earned at least $3,400 in gross income (prior to taxes) in the past 18 months before submitting your claim. The period stated here is also called the base period.

You should also be able to work, be available for any work and be proactively pursuing employment opportunities to receive the benefits. You will have to provide proof of your job hunt to receive the unemployment benefits.

Submitting a Claim

If you are eligible to receive unemployment benefits from the state of Florida, then you should be able to submit a claim. There are several things you will need before you file the claim including your Social Security number and your driver's license or state ID number.

You will also need to provide proof of employment for the past 18 months. Information you can use include your employer's name and contact information, your work start and release dates, your income when employed and your FEIN number.

There are special requirements for some workers including non-U.S. citizens, military employees, federal employees and union members. They will have to provide certain documents when submitting their claim.

You will also have to offer your preferred method of receiving the benefits. If you want the funds to be deposited directly into your bank account, then you will need to submit your bank account and routing numbers.

On the other hand, you can choose to get a Reemployment Assistance debit card from which you can access your benefits.

You should begin the claims process a week after losing your job. The date on which you submit the claim will determine when you start receiving the benefits.

In Florida, the only way to submit a claim is online. The process takes from half an hour to a full hour.

After you submit your claim you should receive confirmation that has been received by the unemployment office. You claim will be processed and can either be denied or accepted.

If accepted, it may take between a fortnight and a month for you to receive your benefits. If your application is denied, you can appeal the decision.

Checking Unemployment Benefits

You need to file a claim every week that you are unemployed for you to receive the benefits. You can check if you have received the benefits in various ways.

The first way you can do so is by checking your bank account or Reemployment Assistance debit card to check if your balance has been restored.

The other way involves going to your local unemployment office and enquiring about the state of your benefits.

You can also check the Florida unemployment office website to check the status of your claim. The status will be clearly listed next to your claim.

You can also call the Unemployment Compensation Office Florida for assistance.