Claimant Handbook

If you are working part-time and earn less than your weekly benefit amount, you may be eligible to receive benefits. You must also continue to seek, and be willing to accept permanent, temporary, full-time, and part-time work during each week you continue to claim.

You must report all work and gross earnings for the week in which you worked, even if you haven't been paid yet.

Gross earnings are your earnings before taxes or any other deductions have been taken out. Failure to report all work and earnings correctly, including part-time or temporary work, could result in overpayments and penalties. (See Fraud)

You must report all work and earnings when claiming benefits. You must report any payments you receive in exchange for any services you provide or products you sell. This includes:

• Gross earnings
• Cash
• Non-cash payments such as room and board
• Tips, bonuses, stand-by pay, sick pay and
  
• Vacation and holiday pay if you are returning to work with this employer

Call the UI Center if you have questions about what to report or how to report cash and non-cash earnings. You don't need to report weekend National Guard or Reserve Military drill pay, jury duty pay, severance pay or separation pay.

Yes. You must report all vacation and holiday pay. If you have a question about reporting your hours and gross earnings, call the UI Center immediately.

You report your earnings when you file your weekly claim. Keep track of your hours and earnings for each week. Report your gross earnings for the week you perform the work, not the week you are paid.

You can now earn up to $300 without seeing any change to your benefit. See below for more information on "Working While Claiming" updates. To qualify, you cannot:

• Earn more than your weekly benefit amount, or
• Work more than 39 hours. 
  

Any amount earned over $300 will be reduced from their weekly benefit, dollar-for-dollar.

Example 1: If you have $150 in gross earnings and your benefit is $151, you will receive your full benefit amount.

Why: You made less in gross earnings than your benefit amount.

Example 2: If you have $151 in gross earnings and your benefit is $151, you will not receive benefits that week.

Why: You earned the same amount as your benefit amount.

Example 3: If you have $225 in gross earnings and your benefit is $300, you will receive your full benefit amount.

Why: Your gross earnings are less than your weekly benefit limit of $300.

Example 4: If you have $300 in gross earnings and your benefit amount is $500, you will receive your full benefit amount.

Why: Your $300 in gross earnings is less than your weekly benefit amount AND you do not exceed the $300 limit for gross earnings.

Example 5: If you have $325 in gross earnings and your benefit amount is $500, you will receive $475 in benefits.

Why: Your gross earnings are higher than the $300 limit created by SB 1701. After you pass $300 in weekly earnings, your benefit amount is reduced dollar-for-dollar for any amount over $300. Since your earnings are $25 over the $300 limit, your benefit amount will be reduced
by $25.

NOTE: Even if your gross earnings for the week are less then your weekly benefit amount, you must report your gross earnings when you claim the week. (See Fraud)

When you return to full-time work or earn more than your weekly benefit amount, simply stop claiming. If you begin to work during a week you are claiming, be sure to report your gross earnings, even if you haven't been paid yet.