On How To Calculate California Unemployment Benefits
Getting laid off from a job puts down people. It forces them to pass through a critical stage in life.
Health care costs are alarming these days. Also,
health insurance plans are priced so high at unaffordable rates. It is rather very difficult to manage paying health insurance premiums when you buy an independent plan from the open insurance market. This is the reasons why people are afraid to take up self-employment or give up their existing jobs to look for a better one. Under employer sponsored health insurance coverage, the employer will bear a sizeable cost of premiums and you need to pay only a small portion from your salary. However, when you are laid off, you can leave worries since the State of California has made some arrangements to help the unemployed through state established pools.
If California residents happen to lose jobs for not fault of theirs, then they can qualify for a suite of unemployment benefits. The California Employment Development Department is the authorized body to oversee this program and it determines the eligibility of each claimant in addition to the amount of the weekly benefit. Employers engaged in business in California State fund the unemployment insurance program through payroll taxes in order to see to that employees are assured of financial support when they happen to lose their jobs. The other services offered by the state free of cost for the benefit of the unemployed include job search training and resume building tools for individuals.
You need to first figure out the base period. The California Employment Development Department considers the first 4 of the last 5 quarters preceding the time when the claimant files for unemployment insurance. The earnings of the employee during the base period are used by the state to calculate the weekly benefit value and the total earnings of the employee for determining eligibility for unemployment compensation.
Next, you need to determine the Highest Paying Quarter. The highest paying quarter during the base period is taken as the ground for calculating the weekly amount of unemployment compensation. The employee’s earnings during the base period will help determine his eligibility to receive unemployment compensation. During the base year, the employee qualifies with not less than 1,300 dollars in one quarter during the base year period or with not less than 900 dollars during the highest paying quarter and the total earnings for the year that are about 1.25 times than the high paying quarter.
Then trace out the amount of the highest paying quarter found on the Unemployment Insurance Benefit Table to find out the weekly benefit amount.The Unemployment Insurance Benefit Table can be accessed on the California Employment Development Department website. The table defines a benefit amount considering the earnings during the highest paying quarter. This can be understood in this manner. If the claimant had earned between 900 and 948.99 dollars during the high paying quarter, then the weekly benefit amount would be about 40 dollars. The state can decide to bring down the weekly benefit amount while a claimant works during a claim week.
It is highly expected by the State of California that all the beneficiaries of unemployment compensation in the state are available and are able to work. Those claimants who are unwell or physically unable to agree for work during a claim week may not be deemed eligible to get unemployment compensation during that particular week. Though they might collect unemployment compensation, claimants must be in the process of active search of employment. In this regard, the state might anytime conduct an eligibility interview with the claimants. During this interview, claimants must produce the evidence of job search efforts.