How to Get Unemployment Benefits in Florida

If you're unemployed, then you're not getting any money to live on. Many people start panicking, especially if they're having a hard time finding a job. That's why there is unemployment compensation, which compensates you for a certain amount of time while you're searching for another job. However, there are certain eligibility requirements and standards to be met to receive this compensation and each state has its own. Here's what you have to do to obtain unemployment benefits in Florida.

First of all, you must qualify monetarily. These requirements state that you must have worked and earned money for the first four quarters of the previous five quarters to filing a claim. Then you must have been paid wages in two or more quarters. Next, you must have made a total of at least one and a half times your highest earning quarter throughout your whole employment quarters. And then you must have made at least $3,400 to be eligible. That's just the monetary determination.

Next, you must meet the separation requirements. Basically, you can receive benefits if you are separated from no fault of your own, such as being laid off. You cannot get benefits if you were fired for misconduct, such as inefficiency, unsatisfactory job performance, negligence, or general bad conduct. Nor can you receive benefits if you voluntarily quit, unless you can provide good cause for leaving. In addition, you must also be able to work, available for work, and seeking work to receive benefits.

So once you know that you're eligible, you have to file a claim for unemployment compensation benefits. You can do this online at www.fluidnow.com or at the toll free number 1-800-204-2418. You can also file by mail. However, to obtain the application form needed, you must go to a Florida OneStop Career Center to obtain the booklet and instructions. You can find a list of the Florida OneStop Career Centers online here: http://www.floridajobs.org/onestop/onestopdir/index.htm.

Once you file your claim, then you wait and see how much your unemployment compensation pay will be. You will be sent a wage transcript explaining what your wage credits are and how long you may receive benefits. The law if Florida provides that you cannot receive benefits for more than twenty-six weeks. The wait time after you file a claim in Florida varies greatly depending on the unemployment rate, which is high right now, so expect to wait a few weeks for your transcript.

That's how you get unemployment benefits in the state of Florida. You first must meet the eligibility requirements. Then you must file a claim and wait for your transcript determination. Then you can expect weekly unemployment pay to help you get on your feet and obtain another job.