This guide walks you through the unemployment benefits claim process in Virginia. Please be sure to put together this list of items before applying: the specific reason you lost your job, your email, your phone number, your social security number, your checking or your savings account information if you would like to be paid through a direct deposit, DD #214 Form (if you were in the military within the last 2 years), information on any applicable severance pay you may have received (if that is applicable), complete employment history for the last 18 months, the address where you get your mail currently, your prior employer's contact number, your most recent wage information, your driver's license number or your identification number, home address, and an alien registered identification number or registration number (if you're not a US citizen). After you have gathered these items, you can apply online or on the phone.
Residents of the great state of Virginia have the right to claim unemployment benefits under certain conditions. This guide is designed to help you navigate the process of filing a claim with simple, step-by-step instructions. Are you ready to proceed further? Excellent. Let's begin:
1. In the state of Virginia, you are required to have earned at least $3,000 during two-quarters of your "base period." After you apply to the Virginia Employment Commission and your application is accepted, you will immediately be able to receive your unemployment benefits.
2. You qualify for between $60 per week and $378 per week in Virginia depending on your earnings from your base period. No matter what your earnings were, however, $378 is the maximum anyone would be eligible for in Virginia.
3. You can receive unemployment benefits for between 12 and 26 weeks depending on your specific situation in Virginia. The federal CARES act also extends this an additional 13 weeks in 2020.
4. If you lost your job, it is very important that the reason for losing your job was not your fault. This is a rule from the state of Virginia. If you lost your job because you didn't pass a drug test or because you weren't following directions, you will not qualify for unemployment benefits, unfortunately.
5. If you want to be able to claim unemployment benefits in Virginia, please be sure to put together this list of items: the specific reason you lost your job, your email, your phone number, your social security number, your checking or your savings account information if you would like to be paid through a direct deposit, DD #214 Form (if you were in the military within the last 2 years), information on any applicable severance pay you may have received (if that is applicable), complete employment history for the last 18 months, the address where you get your mail currently, your prior employer's contact number, your most recent wage information, your driver's license number or your identification number, home address, and an alien registered identification number or registration number (if you're not a US citizen).
6. After you have prepared all of the information in #5 above, you will be able to call the Virginia customer contact center or apply online.
7. If you happen to have your claim denied, you can appeal the decision by mail, fax or online. You can do so within 30 days of the date the letter with the denial determination was mailed out to you.
8. To receive further help with your claim, you can use this special contact page to contact the Virginia Employment Commission. We put people like you directly in touch with a human who can help you.
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