Underemployment or partial unemployment are both terms that may be used to describe a situation in which a person is working fewer hours than usual due to circumstances that are beyond their control. In most cases, the state will lower the claimant's benefits by a predetermined sum or percentage if they report working more than the required hours or days.
According to the data provided by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were around 6 million persons working part-time jobs in December 2020, owing to decreased hours or an inability to obtain full-time employment. Although this is a considerable decrease from the all-time high of 10.9 million persons reached in April 2020, a large number of people are still not working full-time jobs.
To a large extent, eligibility for partial unemployment benefits is determined by state legislation. If the number of hours you work at your present employment has been cut down or if you are only working part-time but are looking for full-time work, you may qualify for this program. Regarding eligibility, a person is often disqualified if they deliberately opt to work fewer hours than required.
What To Expect With Partial Unemployment
Claimants receiving partial unemployment benefits are nevertheless required to certify their benefits each week with the unemployment office of their home state. This certification requires claimants to disclose the number of days and hours worked in the preceding week.
The amount of unemployment benefits you get is normally set by the state where you reside and is often proportional to the amount of money you make or have earned and the number of hours you work. After determining a fair weekly value and deducting the amount you earn from employment each week, the state will normally decide on a suitable weekly value.
To be eligible for partial benefits in New York, a person working part-time must have a monthly income of $504 or less and work no more than 30 hours. The requirements for eligibility vary from state to state. The number of hours a person worked in a given week will determine their benefit level. Therefore, people who work 11 to 20 hours per week will have their benefits reduced by fifty percent.
Your benefits will be terminated if you fail to verify your gross weekly wage. Additionally, you cannot qualify in advance since your certification is for the week before. For example, if you wanted to certify anything for the week beginning Sunday, March 7, and to end Saturday, March 13, the earliest you could do so would be Sunday, March 14. If you get more unemployment benefits than qualified for because you did not record your wages, you might be found guilty of fraud and subject to severe penalties.
How To File for Partial Unemployment
The procedure for applying for unemployment benefits on a partial-time basis is the same as filing for unemployment benefits on a full-time basis. Visit the website of the Department of Labor in your state to make a new claim or to verify your eligibility. Most states offer a frequently asked questions website that is an excellent resource that may validate any queries regarding eligibility. This is often simpler than contacting the organization directly to ask the question.
Since the pandemic's start, contact centers have had exceptionally high wait times; thus, if you need to talk to a live person, you should consider calling when you have time to spare before you do so.
Potential Roadblocks
A catch-22 situation might arise when you are only partially employed since it reduces the amount of money you can earn. If your benefit amount is determined to be $300 a week and you make $350 a week working half-time, then you have made too much money to be eligible for unemployment benefits. Another example is if your benefit amount is estimated to be $300 a week and you earn $350 a week working full time.
When you first submit your claim, it is essential to remember to exercise patience. If your request is granted, it typically takes between two and three weeks before you may begin getting the benefits. Filing your return electronically offers a benefit, which may be reiterated here. After registering for an account, you will be able to sign in to the system to check for any new information about the status of a weekly certification.
