Unemployment Insurance

What this actually is

Cash benefits for workers who lost a job through no fault of their own. It is insurance your employer paid premiums into, not a handout and not a loan — you do not repay it. It is a joint federal-state programme, and each state runs a separate programme with its own eligibility rules and benefit amounts. Filing costs nothing. Two things people get wrong: you file with the state where you WORKED, not where you live, and you should file immediately on becoming unemployed because benefits generally run from the claim date, not the job-loss date. Expect two to three weeks to the first payment.

Who qualifies, and what trips people up

You must meet your state’s requirements on past wages and work history and be out of work through no fault of your own. Being fired for cause or quitting voluntarily usually disqualifies you, but both are appealable and "voluntary" is narrower than employers claim. Most states require you to keep certifying and looking for work every week — miss a certification and payment stops.