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FEDERAL FINANCIAL RELIEF Lindsey Lowe
November 22nd
In most states of the United States, certain funds are allocated to help the unemployed get back on their feet. The allocation of these benefits is managed by the state and you must go through a complex application process before you can begin receiving these benefits.
In New Jersey, the eligibility of applicants and division of these funds is managed by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Unemployed NJ citizens must go through a series of tests that determine whether they are eligible to receive these funds according to the new jersey unemployment laws.
The State of New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development offers financial assistance to those NJ unemployment claims that meet the legal criteria set by the NJ unemployment laws. For example, those workers who were fired unfairly or without cause. Additionally, it helps these unemployed persons find jobs in their respective fields. And provides training and preparation courses.
One of the reasons this NJ unemployment benefits program exists is to provide minimum wage workers with some financial stability while they look for another job. Since the money for this fund is collected from a payroll tax workers are charged for, they are basically receiving these funds as reimbursement. So, their taxes serve as an investment or savings set aside for their future.
In order to fulfill the criteria to have your NJ unemployment claim fulfilled there are certain restrictions, you must meet. And if you can you collect unemployment and severance in NJ. In some cases, in NJ unemployment claims weekly benefits of more than $677 for a period of over 26 weeks. Often these funds are all that keep families afloat and children fed while their parents desperately search for employment.
The question now becomes what are these restrictions? And how do you meet the criteria? If you want to minimize risk and claim unemployment benefits NJ there are certain things you must keep track of.
For workers in New Jersey wanting to claim unemployment benefits NJ has a certain list of criteria. This criterion includes a wide range of queries referring to your past income, place of employment, reason for unemployment, ability to work and general health. Only people who check all of the required boxes make it through to the interview and receive financial aid.
Regular Financial Earning
This inquiry refers to the time period directly before your unemployment. In particular, you are required to present earning details for four out of the five quarters directly before your first unemployment weekly claims NJ application. This stretch of time is called your base period. The amount of the financial assistance you receive depends directly on your total income during these four quarters.
What is your base period?
Firstly, you must identify what your base period is. Here’s how it works. If you launched a New Jersey unemployment claim any time from the beginning of January to the end of March your base period will be some time from the beginning of October to the end of September. Or if your claim runs from the beginning of April through to the end of June your base period will be from the beginning of January through to the end of December.
And if your claims begin anywhere from the beginning of June to the end of September your base week will be sometime between the beginning of April and the end of March. Similarly, if your claim period begins between October 1 through December 31 then your base period automatically becomes July 1 through June 30.
Relation between base period, earnings, and payment
Now that you know what your base period is you need to find out what this means. According to the new jersey unemployment rules, you must make more than a total of $8400 over a 20-week time span, during your base period. If your weekly earnings exceeded $168 then that week may classify as a base week. Meeting these earning baselines is the only way to qualify for unemployment benefits. If you make less than the overall $8400 sum you do not qualify.
Alternative base period
New Jersey has two base period systems to give its people the maximum chance to get unemployment benefits. The first is the four-quarter system highlighted above. However, if you do not qualify according to those guidelines you can use an alternative base period. The alternate period measures three quarters between when you submitted your claim and the weeks in that quarter leading up to your date of filing.
The unemployment rate in NJ has been steadily decreasing over the past five to eight years. This is, in part, due to the success of New Jersey’s unemployment strategies. The financial security that the NJ Labor Department provides through its unemployment benefits is only accessible to those people who were either unfairly fired or let go because of extenuating circumstances that were no fault of their own.
This leaves a great deal of people who do not meet the requirements simply because of the details of why they lost their job. If you were fired because of any of the following reasons you are not eligible to receive unemployment benefits.
In addition to submitting all the required documents and financial information the Labor Department also conducts in depth interviews to verify your unemployment NJ claim. These appointments may be scheduled in person at your nearest office, during NJ unemployment offices hours, or over the phone.
But, it is essential that you meet all your appointments. In fact, it is better if you show up earlier than the scheduled time. Also, keep all NJ unemployment offices phone numbers saved. If you are late for appointments, miss them, or cancel last minute it is likely that your application will be denied.
To be eligible for unemployment benefits you must be able to prove that your situation is temporary. And that there are no major reasons for your state of unemployment to last in the long term. So, if you have mental or physical disabilities that prevent you from working you will not qualify. In this case, you should apply instead for the New Jersey Temporary Disability Insurance Program.
For more information, you can call the New Jersey disability phone number at 609-292-7060.
Apart from providing financial assistance the New Jersey unemployment benefits program also conducts job placements. The NJ unemployment training programs teach skills and offer courses. As part of the program, you will be placed with various employees till you find a good match. You must be able to start working as soon as you receive a job offer.
This means you cannot refuse or try to put off work because of a lack of transportation or child care alternatives. Doing so will negatively impact your application and any benefits you are receiving will be canceled. The New Jersey Department of Labor will not care whether your baby-sitter canceled last minute or if your car broke down. They will register any infractions as a failure to put in the required effort on your part.
Above all, you must demonstrate the desire to work. And be actively searching for employment.
Even if you do qualify to receive benefits you will not be allowed to take the money and lazy around. Doing so will get your NJ unemployment insurance immediately canceled. Instead, you should be contacting a minimum of three to four employers a week. Either in person or over the phone. Because you can be asked to present evidence of your job search at any time.
Keep in mind that these conditions do not mean you are obligated to take the first job you are offered, accept employment with minimal pay or accept a position you are overqualified for. However, you cannot afford to be picky when it comes to accepting job offers. Especially if they are in the same line of work as your previous job and offer similar payment and benefits.
Additionally, the more time you remain without work, the more you are expected to expand your job search criteria. This means being willing to lower your expectations, accept jobs that may not meet all your requirements and even accept less pay than you were previously getting. Not doing so could mean getting your unemployment benefits revoked.
Also, you should consciously collect your benefits when you are supposed to. This varies on your method of finance collection. If you are collecting your benefits through the website using your unemployment login NJ you should do so once a week. And if you claim your benefits over the phone you need to call the unemployment phone number NJ once every two weeks.
Once you start receiving NJ unemployment claim benefits you have to certify your benefits once a week over the website or twice a month over the phone. You might be wondering how you can file a NJuifile claim. There are two ways to do this.
By website
The fastest and easiest method of certifying your New Jersey unemployment insurance claim is to go directly to the NJ unemployment website. To access your NJuifile claim weekly benefits without interruption you will need to complete this online certification once a week. And you can do this on any day from Monday to Sunday.
The timings, however, vary from day to day. During the week you can receive your benefits at any time between 7 am and 6 pm. But on the weekends the timings are from 8 am to 3 pm on Saturday and from 8 am to 5 pm on Sunday. Certifying online is faster than doing it over the phone. All you need is an ID, PIN, and password.
By phone
The process is comparatively slower over the phone. The dept of labor NJ phone number varies from area to area. For example, the unemployment call centers are divided into four general areas.
You can call these unemployment benefits NJ phone numbers to submit a claim for certification. However, you can only do this on weekdays, between 8:30 am and 6 pm. What day you call to certify depends on your social security number. If your number is odd, call on Monday; if it is even, call on Tuesday.
And if you forgot to call on those days you can complete your certification on either Wednesday or Friday. Also, you will need to do this every two weeks.
In such a case where you and your former employer disagree about the circumstances under which you were let go, you can launch an appeal. During the time in which your appeal is being processed you must continue to certify regularly; weekly if over the website and bi-monthly if over the phone. This is because in a situation where you win your unemployment NJ appeal you will be able to collect on your benefits for the weeks you were certified for while the appeal process was underway.
One of the most popular unemployment NJ questions is “How is my eligibility determined?” There are a number of factors that play into this. The criteria of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development is based on points such as:
Weekly benefit rate
Your weekly benefit rate is basically the amount of financial aid you may expect from the government as part of the unemployment benefits program per week. This amount varies from state to state and depends on factors like the state’s unemployment rate. The NJ unemployment rate for 2019 is 3.2%, which is far below New York at 4.2% and California at 4.1%.
As a result, your unemployment claim NJ amounts up to around 60% of your average weekly wage. The maximum unemployment weekly benefit amount for New Jersey in 2019 was $696.
Maximum claim benefit amount
This amount is basically the total amount of financial assistance you might receive in an entire year. Much like a regular year, a benefit year counts 52 weeks. This time period starts from the week you file your claim. So, if you want to calculate the maximum amount possible for you to receive all you need to do is multiply your weekly unemployment benefit amount with the number of weeks the highest number being 26 weeks.
Let’s put these calculations to the test. Say you make around $1000 a week throughout your base period. Your base period being the months leading up to when you file your claim. At the New Jersey 60% your maximum unemployment weekly benefit amount would be $600. And if the highest possible number of weeks is 26 weeks then the highest possible yearly benefit amount would be $13,200.
However, if we use the maximum unemployment weekly benefit amount for New Jersey in 2019 then (696×26) the highest possible yearly benefit for 2019 rounds up to $18,096. Additionally, if you do not qualify for this maximum amount you can still apply for other benefits.
Have you been wanting to file for New Jersey unemployment benefits? Confused about the application process? Well, the answer to your question is simple. Simply log onto the website and submit an application online.
However, if you are having trouble accessing the internet or submitting your online application. Or if your process is complicated by the nature of your wage. For example, military services, out of state employment or maritime wages, then you will need to file your claim differently. You can direct all your queries to the NJ unemployment call center in your area.
The New Jersey Department of Labor phone number varies according to whether you live in Union City, Freehold or Vineland.
If you do not have financial complications that required you to launch a claim by phone it is recommended that you use the online option. In case you do not have an internet connection you can go to an internet cafe. And if you do not have access to a laptop please visit the One-Stop Career Centers to get access to a computer.
This query refers to the information you need to have on hand to launch a claim. Before you can file a claim there are certain key pieces of information you must have no hand. Your application will be incomplete without any of these. Some of the data you should have when you’re trying to launch an unemployment benefits claim includes:
After you place an initial claim you will be able to create your own PIN. This PIN controls access to your online account. Hence, it is confidential information. Do not share this information with other people. Do not lose or forget your PIN. Write down your PIN so you do not forget it.
Well, once the initial claim is filed you receive a document called Form BC9. This is basically an instructional document that explains all the steps you need to take and all the appointments you need to meet. If you are late or miss an appointment, you could lose your benefits. So, make sure you are aware of your appointments beforehand and get there early.
If you absolutely must miss a scheduled appointment inform the Department of Labor workers well beforehand. But be aware that it will still look bad and might reduce your chances of receiving New Jersey unemployment benefits.
When you receive your weekly payout know that it is supposed to last you from Sunday till the next Saturday. In the ten days following your claim, you will get a ‘Notice to Claimant of Benefit Determination’. This document will contain detailed information regarding your employment history, your base period, your total income during your base period, your weekly benefit amount and your maximum benefit amount.
All these we have previously discussed and calculated. Which means you should possess the ability to check your form for errors. Human error is always possible. So make sure you check this form multiple times to identify any errors. If you think an error has been made either in your data, such as your employment history or in the calculation of your maximum benefit amount report it immediately. You can call the department of labor NJ phone number.
Absolutely, as previously mentioned you must continue looking for a job even if you are receiving unemployment benefits. This is an essential part of receiving the state allocated financial help. You need to be actively searching for employment. And you need proof of this. Because the officials may drop in without warning and demand proof to show how many potential employers you have been approaching a week. The ideal number is between four and five.
As part of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s larger purview the New Jersey Unemployment Benefits System not only provides temporary financial assistance but also helps workers get back on their feet. It does this by helping them with job placements and NJ unemployment training programs.
One such assisting force is the newly created New Jersey Career Connections. This is a space that exists online but can also be accessed in person. Simply go to the link www,careerconnections.NJ.gov to see for yourself. The site basically helps the unemployed help themselves. So, you can access online resources such as job boards and job match tools. For example, OnRamp. And use them to find and apply for positions in your field.
Additionally, there are also training programs and information regarding career decisions, the labor market, and the rapidly evolving job market. But if the online world is not for you then you can visit the New Jersey Career Connections offices that are spread out all over the state. Alongside offices, there are also One-Stop Career Centers, libraries, community colleges, and other career-related resources.
When you go to a center you can get a meeting with a counselor who will help you work through all this information. And will give you targeted information on how to best continue your job search.
So you can receive your NJ unemployment claim weekly benefits in one of two ways. You can either get a special debit card courtesy of the Bank of America unemployment NJ. Or you can have the funds directly deposited into your account. And you must choose your preferred method of payment when you first file your claim for NJ unemplyment insurance.
Debit Card
Collecting unemployment in NJ is a simple and straightforward process. If you choose to go with the debit card option you will be issued a debit card by the Bank of America. You will, of course, have to claim your benefits either weekly or bi-monthly as previously explained. And the financial assistance you are receiving from the state will be added to your account’s balance one or two days after you register your claim.
Additionally, if you did not make your preferred method of payment known when you were first filing your claim you will automatically be issued a debit card according to state policy. So if you would rather the money be directly deposited make you you specify your selection at the appropriate time.
Direct Deposit
The second option for receiving your unemployment benefits is the direct deposit method. If you selected this option at the time of your initial claim then the money will be directly placed in your account. You will need to provide banking details for either a checking or a savings account. Moreover, the direct deposit method does not have the two day delay that debit card holders might face.
‘Will NJ unemployment pay for school?’ is one of the most popular NJ unemployment questions. The New Jersey unemployment benefits system does provide tuition waivers to public colleges in New Jersey. This means that you can study tuition-free at NJ public universities if you qualify to receive unemployment benefits. However, waivers do not cover other expenses like rent, books, and college supplies.
Yes, you can receive NJ partial unemployment benefits. However, these are only applicable if your reason for working part-time is an unavailability of full-time work. And even then your weekly benefit amount is decreased per dollar for all money earned that exceeds 20% of your full weekly benefit rate.
The maximum amount of time you can continue to receive unemployment benefits is 26 weeks. This is why 26 weeks is the time period used to calculate the maximum claim benefit amount.
If your application for unemployment benefits has been denied it means you have been deemed ineligible according to the NJ unemployment rules. Remember, all hope is not lost. You can still file NJ unemployment appeal. What this means is basically that you disagree with the decision made with regards to your new jersey unemployment insurance claim and would like to have your application reprocessed.
The Office of Labor workers can and do make mistakes. It is your right to appeal a decision you believe to be unfair. After your initial claim has been filed you receive your unemployment benefits decision in the mail. In such a case that you have been denied benefits and you disagree with the cause of this denial, you can launch an appeal within ten days.
Learning how to apply for unemployment in NJ is a complicated process. And involves a lot of paperwork and official form. This means there are certain key points and terms you need to be aware of in order to properly understand the process and fill out the requisite forms. Here is a list of key terms that are important for you to be aware of:
Base Period
Base Period is the term used to define the time frame over which your income analysis is conducted. Whether or not you qualify for unemployment benefits according to New Jersey laws depends greatly on your total income during your base period. This time frame is predetermined according to set standards.
Alternate Base Period
However, New Jersey allows you to conduct your income calculations according to two different base periods. If you do not meet the standard set by the regular base period you can use the alternate base period, which exists to increase your odds.
The regular base period includes the income of your four most recent quarters,i.e, the four out of five quarters directly preceding the filing of a claim. However, the alternate base period uses more recently earned wages. And refers to the wages earned in the four most recent quarters overall.
Appeal Tribunal
The tribunal is the official body that hears your case when you launch an appeal regarding your case. The need for an appeal occurs when your claim has initially been rejected and you have been denied unemployment benefits. The appeal tribunal hears out your case and makes an informed decision. You have ten days after being rejected to appeal the decision.
Average Weekly Wage
It is using your average weekly wage that the amount of financial assistance you receive is calculated. Your average weekly wage is calculated by dividing your total income from your base period by the number of base weeks you were employed.
Base Week
A week from your base period during which you earned a minimum of $168. Your base weeks add up to determine the amount of financial assistance you receive as part of the New Jersey Unemployment Benefits Program. Hence, it is better for you if you maximize your earnings during these weeks. Also, keep detailed records of your spending and expenses.
Maximum Benefit Amount
The maximum benefit amount refers to the maximum financial assistance you can receive as a result of the NJ department of labor claim weekly benefits. In 2019, the maximum benefit amount sum was $696.
Weekly Benefit Rate
Your maximum benefit amount is based on your weekly benefit rate. And the weekly benefit rate varies depending on which state you’re in. In New Jersey the weekly benefit rate is at 60%. The weekly benefit rate is also dependent on your state’s unemployment rate. Rates of unemployement in NJ are 3.2%, which is less than New York’s 4.2%, but more than New Hampshire’s 2.5%.
Career Connections
Rate of unemployment jersey city has drastically fallen over the last decade. In part due to New Jersey’s Unemployment Benefits Program and its focus on job training. NJ unemployment school or job training allows the recently unemployed to develop career connections and provides a number of services which include job searching, job placement, training programs, career counseling, guidance counseling, etc.
NJ reemployment is a key focus of the benefit program. And you can access the available resources at their website careerconnections.NJ.gov or visit their One-Stop Career Centers across the state. The online libraries are easily accessible using your unemployment NJ login and password. The public libraries also offer a number of resources that can help you find employment.
Certifying for Benefits
Certifying for benefits is an important and recurring part of the unemployment benefits process. Because the state needs to be made aware that you are still unemployed and in need of assistance. So you certify either once a week online or bi-monthly by phone. During this certification process, you are informing the state of your continued unemployment and your active search for job offers. You may be required to provide evidence on both accounts, to verify your claims.
Claimant
If you are filing an application to receive unemployment benefits then you are a claimant. As a claimant, you have several rights which include the ability to contest a dismissal of your proposal by launching an appeal.
Dependency Benefits
In addition to the regular benefits that are a part of the New Jersey Unemployment Benefits Program, there are also additional facilities that you might be able to take advantage of. Dependency benefits refer to benefits that are accessible to a child or spouse that are dependent on the claimant’s income. These benefits are something a lot of people are not aware of.
In reality, dependency benefits can go a long way towards helping your financial situation. Reporting a first dependent can allow the claimant’s weekly benefits to increase by up to 7% while reporting a second and third dependent can bring in a 7% and 4% respective increase in benefits. Generally, a dependent may be an unemployed spouse or an unemployed child. The child must be below the age of 19. However, an extension can be made until the age of 22 if he or she is still in school.
Initial Claim
The initial claim refers to the first submitted application by a claimant to file for unemployment NJ. In order to file an initial claim, you must meet all of the requirements set by the Department of Labor that make a claimant eligible. Additionally, you are required to submit detailed information on all of your previous employers and places of employment going back two years.
One Stop Career Center
These centers are located all around the state and provide a valuable service. They are especially valuable for those individuals unable to access online services due to the inaccessibility of a computer or internet services. Because one stop career centers provide a range of job-related resources. which include instructions and guidance on job searching, job placement, training programs, tutorials, career counseling, and guidance counseling.
OnRamp
OnRamp is a tool available on the NJ employment website careerconnections.NJ.gov which deals with job searching and resume building.
Reemployment Call Center
There are three reemployment call centers or customer service centers in the state of New Jersey. They are spread out across the state which one each in the north, south and central regions of New Jersey. These call centers cater to all questions regarding your NJ unemployment status and the customer care representatives can provide detailed instruction tailored to your specific case.
If you want to claim unemployment NJ provides several ways for you to do this. You can:
Locations for the New Jersey unemployment offices can be found in this guide and you can visit these centers to get personalized help from a customer care representative. Another way to get help regarding your case is to call the phone number for new jersey unemployment services. The helplines vary depending on your location.
If you’re looking to file a claim, or get instructions regarding the filing process then you need to call the helpline for your area.
Additionally, local phone numbers are available to allow claimants to save on charges for long distance calls. Since there are only four unemployment call centers in the state of New Jersey a lot of these numbers go to the same offices. The purpose of providing a range of local numbers is mostly customer ease.
Also, since claimants need to certify for weekly unemployment benefits every other week you can call these helplines to do that.
To certify for weekly benefits call at 609-292-6800 and to receive information regarding the process of filing a claim call 609-292-0695.
If you want to certify for weekly benefits call the Perth Amboy unemployment office helpline at 732-937-4525 and for information regarding the process of filing a claim call 732-937-6260.
For certification of weekly benefits in Randolph call at 973-328-6490 and to receive information regarding the process of filing a claim call 973-361-9055.
In order to certify for weekly unemployment benefits in Newark call at 973-648-7601 and to receive information regarding the process of filing a claim call 973-648-2429.
If you want to certify for weekly benefits call the Paterson unemployment office helpline at 973-977-4307 and for information regarding the process of filing a claim call 973-977-4300.
To certify for weekly employment benefits in Pleasantville call at 609-441-7581 and to receive information regarding the process of filing a claim call 609-441-3300.
For certification of weekly benefits in Plainfield call at 908-412-7779 and to receive information regarding the process of filing a claim call 908-412-7951.
In order to certify for weekly benefits in Newton NJ call at 973-383-4432 and to receive information regarding the process of filing a claim call 973-383-7653.
If you want to mail documents to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development use the P.O. Box No. 058
And if you have queries regarding the unemployment debit cards you can call the Bank of America at 1-866-213-4074.
Hence, if you want to receive unemployment benefits in New Jersey you must:
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