Eligibility for Unemployment Benefits in Idaho:- Anyone in Idaho who has lost their job or had their hours significantly reduced can apply for unemployment insurance (UI). They will be eligible for Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) after their unemployment insurance payments have run out, and after these weeks have passed, they will be eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA).
The PUA programme offers rewards to people who were self-employed or independent contractors before the outbreak. The waiting week for unemployment benefits has been eliminated during the pandemic.
How to meet the requirements for Idaho unemployment benefits
You must fulfil the fundamental qualifying standards in order to qualify for unemployment benefits in Idaho. Among them are:
- Getting fired from a job for no fault of your own
- Getting paid enough throughout your basic period
- The capacity, availability, and active search for new employment
- Registering with IdahoWorks for a job
- Maintaining a log of your weekly job search activities
- Weekly certifications timely submitted
Financial qualifying standards (Eligibility for Unemployment Benefits in Idaho)
The amount of your weekly benefit depends on how much money you made during your base period. Typically, this base period is the first four of the past five calendar quarters prior to the application for benefits; however, if this base period does not apply to you, the Idaho Department of Labour may utilise an alternative base period to assist you achieve the eligibility requirements. The latter four quarters of the calendar are used as the alternate base period.
Need to Conduct a Job Search
For the first time since the epidemic started, the work search requirement will be reinstituted on April 25, 2021. Prior to April 25, the necessity to conduct a job search has been waived. A claimant must look for work until they return to employment with an employer for pay, not as a self-employed person, within 16 weeks. All recipients of normal unemployment benefits, including those on PEUC and PUA under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act, as well as self-employed workers and independent contractors, are subject to the job search requirements.
Submit an application for unemployment insurance.
You can submit a claim online or by dialling 1 (208) 334-4700 to use the Tel-A-Claim phone system.
Establish the scope and duration of your benefit. The wages you get during your base period typically determine your benefits. A financial determination letter will be mailed to you, and you must confirm that it is accurate.
Benefit Amount Weekly
The minimum and maximum weekly benefit amounts (WBA) for UI and PEUC in the state of Idaho are $72 and $463, respectively. The minimum and maximum WBAs for PUA are $168 and $463 respectively. An individual can anticipate receiving between $300 and $400 in additional benefit payments for benefit weeks ending between December 26, 2020 and the week ending September 4, 2021.
A programme known as Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) may be able to provide an additional $100 per week to someone who has various sources of income, such as a job with wages and self-employment activities. If the applicant qualifies for this extra money, the Idaho Department of Labour (IDOL) will decide.
When will I be paid, and how?
An initial claim must be processed for three to four weeks before you start getting payments.
Following that, you will receive weekly payments whether you use the Internet Continued Claim or Tel-A-Claim systems. Your payment will be made three to four business days after you submit your weekly claim, if there are no problems with your claim. To collect your cash, give yourself a week. After that point, you must get in touch with your neighbourhood IDL office if you haven’t received it.
You have two options for receiving payments: either through a debit card that is issued to you or through direct deposit.
Direct deposit is the electronic transfer of money into your financial institution’s checking account. It is a quick, secure, and simple way to get your benefits. It saves time and eliminates any danger posed by a mail delay or if your cheque is somehow misplaced in route.
To engage in direct deposit, you must submit the following information to the IDL:
- A working email address
- The nine-digit routing number for your bank
- Your checking account information
- You can check your checks for your account number and routing number, or you can get in touch with your banking institution to confirm the information.
- Payments will automatically be deposited on the debit card that was issued to you if you choose to accept payments that way. You can use your debit card anywhere that accepts VISA cards. After your claim is opened, your card will come in around three weeks.
- Two to four business days after you submit your claim for the prior week, funds are often made available. To check if your card has been funded, visit labor.idaho.gov/iw and study the payment summary screen. Throughout the year of your unemployment claim, you should keep your card. The validity of your card is three years.
What happens if I’m not given benefits?
Any determination about your eligibility to receive unemployment insurance benefits may be challenged by you or a former employer. You must submit your protest in writing, and you will receive a written response outlining the rationale behind the revised judgement.
Decisions are taken at each of the following four levels:
Determination. This is the initial determination in every case based on the information gathered by a neighbourhood IDL office. No later than 14 days after the judgement is mailed, a protest must be hand-delivered to your neighbourhood office or postmarked. The decision letter will include instructions on how to appeal.
Appeal. This choice is made by the Appeals Bureau at the Idaho Department of Labor’s main office in Boise. In addition to information gathered during a hearing, the Appeals Bureau may also use information that has already been filed. Hearings are conducted over the phone, and if you don’t take part, the decision can go against you. The Idaho Industrial Commission must receive a written protest within 14 days of the date of mailing. The Industrial Commission must receive the protest in person or by mail. The Commission will not accept protests sent to the Appeals Bureau or a regional office.
Corporate Commission. Outside of the Idaho Department of Labour, this is the first appellate stage. You must send a written letter of protest to the Industrial Commission in response to an Appeals Bureau judgement. To appeal to the Idaho Supreme Court, you have 42 days from the decision date.
Supreme Court of Idaho. The objection of a claims determination must be made at this stage of appeal. For submitting a protest at this level, there may be fees.
While you are going through the appeals process, it is crucial to continue submitting weekly claims through Tel-A-Claim. Only weeks for which you submitted a claim and complied with all conditions will be compensated. You may be eligible for back payments for the weeks in which you submitted claims if your appeal is successful.