Can I go back to school and still draw unemployment?

Many people take advantage of the opportunity to extend their education or even re-train in another area when they are laid-off. If it has been difficult to find another job in your current field, this can actually be a good idea. Whether you can continue to draw unemployment benefits during this period; however, will primarily depend on whether you remain able to seek and accept full-time employment. If the answer to that question is no, you may be disqualified from receiving further unemployment benefits.

Do I have to pay taxes on my unemployment benefits?

Yes, you do. Unemployment benefits act as a partial-replacement for wages that you earned while working. As such, you are required to pay taxes. You can have taxes withheld from your unemployment benefits check, much as you would your regular paycheck. This is not a requirement in most areas, but be aware that if you do not pay the taxes as the benefits are received it can be much harder to do later on and you could end up owning on your taxes when you file them.

Can I draw unemployment if I’m fired?

The answer to this primarily depends on the situation. Generally in most states you will not be eligible for unemployment benefits if you are fired for just cause. That said; however, if you were wrongfully terminated there is a possibility you could receive benefits.

Can I draw unemployment if I quit my job?

Once again this depends on the situation. Usually you can only receive unemployment benefits if you were laid off or lost your job through reasons that were not your fault. If; however, you quit with just cause (such as because you weren’t being paid, unsafe working conditions, etc.) then you may be entitled to receive unemployment benefits.

Will I lose my unemployment benefits if I turn down a job offer?

It depends on the job offer and the state in which you reside. In most states; however, you can turn down a job that has a significant difference in pay from what you are accustomed to receiving, has very different hours than your previous job or requires you to drive a much further distance without losing your unemployment benefits.

I was laid-off from my job but when I applied for unemployment benefits was denied. Why?

There could be several reasons for this. Three of the most common include:

• Your employer did not pay into the unemployment benefits insurance program

• You had not worked at the job long enough to qualify-in most states you must work at the job for thirty days prior to the layoff in order to qualify

• You did not have enough wages to meet the requirements of your state

I have to quit my job because my spouse is being relocated. Will I be able to draw unemployment benefits?

You may be able to receive benefits; however, you may need to serve a disqualification period of 6 to 25 weeks first.

My doctor is advising me to quit my job because of health concerns. Can I draw unemployment benefits?

It’s possible; however, you may still be required to be able to search for and accept full-time work.

My employer is reducing my hours. Can I draw unemployment benefits and continue to work?

Yes, you may be eligible to receive partial unemployment benefits if your hours were reduced as long as the reduction was not the result of a disciplinary action.