UI Benefits Rights and Responsibilities
UI Benefits Rights and Responsibilities
Responsibilities
Please carefully read the information below.
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costo adicional llamando a nuestro Centro de Contacto con el Cliente al 1-866-
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This document explains these requirements and will assist you in filing for
benefits. Read it carefully and retain it for your records. Note: If you reside in another
state and filed your claim against Virginia, you are subject to Virginia’s unemployment
laws, rules, regulations, and the requirements contained in this document.
Partial Unemployment Benefits—If you have filed a claim for partial unemployment
benefits because your normal and customary hours have been reduced but you have
not been separated from your job, you will receive a separate list of instructions from the
Virginia Employment Commission advising you of the requirements you must follow.
You may also access this same information at www.vec.virginia.gov under
Forms/Publications - Claimant, "Instructions to Partial Claimants".
Monetary qualification—In a separate mailing you will receive your monetary
determination. Review it carefully. Based on the wages earned during the regular base
period, this determination will indicate the benefit amount you qualify for each
week and the number of weeks you may receive benefits. The regular base
period consists of the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters prior to the
effective date of your claim. If you feel the wages shown on the determination are
incorrect, call 1-866-832-2363 or mail your proof of correct wages and a letter to Virginia
Employment Commission, Monetary Determinations Unit - Room 200, P. O. Box 1358,
Richmond, Virginia 23218.If you do not have enough wages to qualify for benefits
during the regular base period, you may monetarily qualify under the alternate base
period that includes wages from the last four completed calendar quarters at the time
your claim is filed. If any wages shown on this form do not belong to you, you must
report this to the Virginia Employment Commission immediately. Failure to do so may
result in an overpayment of benefits that you will be required to repay.
The base period is set by law and will not change during the life of your unemployment
claim. If you qualify monetarily, your claim remains in effect for one year. This period is
called a benefit year.
Weekly Request—To receive a payment for benefits, you must file a weekly
request for each week you wish to claim. You must meet the weekly eligibility
requirements listed below.
Your benefit week begins on Sunday and ends at midnight on Saturday. You cannot
claim the week until it is completely over. The first week you meet the weekly eligibility
requirements will be your waiting period week. You will not receive a benefit
payment for the waiting period week. Your first payment, if you are qualified, will
be issued to you after you have served your waiting week and are eligible to
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receive benefits for the second week claimed. Note: If your eligibility for benefits
must be determined by a deputy, it is very important that you call to file your weekly
claim as soon as possible and not wait until you are contacted to give your separation
statement or for the deputy’s decision. If you file an appeal, you must continue to
meet the weekly eligibility requirements (explained below) and file your weekly
claim within 28 days of the most recent week claimed ending date explained
below.
1. To avoid denial of benefits, you must file your first weekly claim within 28 days
of the date you filed your initial/new claim. For example, if you filed your claim on
January 2, your first weekly claim must be filed by January 30. Subsequent weekly
claims for benefits must be filed within 28 days of the Saturday date of the week
claimed. For example, if your last week claimed ended on Saturday, February 4,
then your subsequent weekly claim must be filed no later than March 4. The Voice
Response System and the Internet will not allow you to claim benefits for
weeks that are more than 28 days old.
2. You must be able to work and be available for work. Most claimants are
required to make an active search for work. In addition to making an active
search for work, you must register online at www.vawc.virginia.gov, the VEC or
a workforce services agency where you live if you live outside of Virginia. You
are required to create a resume as part of your registration; this allows you to
be referred to a job. You must contact several employers each week in your effort
to find work. Note: Responses to blind ads for jobs or openings are not
acceptable as job contacts. A blind ad would be any job announcement or
advertisement where the name of the employer/company is not provided. You
must provide the name of the employer/company for any work search contact
that you report on your weekly claim filing to the Virginia Employment
Commission. You must maintain complete and accurate records of your work
search contacts for one year for auditing purposes. You must provide the
VEC, when requested, the following information that is subject to verification:
3. You must be willing to accept suitable work if offered and apply for suitable work
when referred to a job by the VEC or your workforce services agency if you live
outside Virginia. The term suitable work takes into account many factors such as
previous work experience, physical and mental fitness, risk to your health, safety, or
morals, and the distance from your home. Conditions of the work offered, such as
wages and hours, are also considered. If you refuse a job or a VEC/workforce
services agency referral to a job, you must report it on your weekly claim filing during
the week in which it occurs. A deputy will review the suitability of the work and your
reason(s) for refusing it before issuing a determination on your continuing eligibility.
4. You must report all wages earned for any work, including temporary, part-time,
and self-employment, for the week they are earned (not when paid). If you work
and your gross income for the week is less than your weekly benefit amount, that
gross amount less $50 will be deducted from your weekly benefit amount. If your
gross earnings equal or exceed your weekly benefit amount, you will not receive
benefits for that week. Report your return to full-time work when you file your
weekly claim for benefits for the week that you first report to the job. Be sure
to report your earnings right away, regardless of when you get paid, or you
may receive benefits that you have to repay.
5. You must report the receipt of holiday, vacation, and severance pay. Holiday or
vacation pay must be reported for the week in which it applies and will be deducted
like wages from your weekly benefit amount. The deputy may issue a determination
based on information provided by you and your employer concerning the effect of
severance pay on your weekly benefit amount.
7. You may receive benefits if enrolled in training or school depending upon the
course of study and the required attendance each week. If you desire to attend
training or school to improve your employment possibilities, you must request
approval in advance through the VEC. The VEC will determine if your training or
schooling is approved and advise you about work search requirements while you are
in school or training. Training or schooling approval may be requested by
contacting your nearest VEC office or by calling 1-866-832-2363.
8. If you are advised to call or report to the VEC, you must respond as directed.
Respond to all VEC letters, including those advising you of potential job openings,
within the period indicated in the letter. If there is a question about your claim, you
will be asked to call the VEC. Failure to report or call as directed may result in
the denial of benefits.
PIN Number
After you file your claim, you will receive a six-digit Personal Identification Number
(PIN) through the mail. This number is important and should be carefully guarded.
The PIN and your Social Security number will be required every time you claim
weekly benefits or inquire about the status of your claim. If you lose your PIN,
contact the VEC immediately at 1-866-832-2363 to request a copy of your PIN, and it
will be mailed to you.
Address Change
If you change your address or telephone number, or the address or telephone number
shown on VEC documents is incorrect, you may correct this information by calling 1-
866-832-2363. You must provide your Social Security number and PIN. If an appeal is
pending, report the address change even if you are no longer receiving benefits. If
changing your address by letter, you must include your Social Security number and
signature.
Electronic Payments
When filing your claim for benefits, you selected either direct deposit or a Virginia Debit
MasterCard as your payment method. It takes two (2) business days for your funds to
be deposited into your account after your weekly claim has been processed. You can
change your method of payment online at www.vec.virginia.gov or by calling the VRS at
1-800-897-5630.
Correspondence
Always include your Social Security number in your correspondence with the VEC.
- Report all gross earnings during the week you work, not when you get paid
- Report all separations from any employment during the week in which the
separation occurs
- Review your Monetary Determination closely and report any wages that need to
be added or deleted from the Determination
- Make sure you accurately report all work search contacts during the week being
claimed and be sure you have the company/employer name on any contact you
report to the VEC
TTY users please note: To file continued weekly claims by phone, TTY users should
call Virginia Relay at 711 and instruct the operator to dial 1-800-897-5630. Out-of-
state TTY users may use the same procedure.
You must use a touchtone phone to utilize the Voice Response System.
To file your weekly claim for benefits, Press 2. Enter your 9 digit Social Security number.
Enter your 6-digit PIN. If you are advised by the VRS that you do not have an “open week,” call
the VEC Customer Contact Center at 1-866-832-2363 to report the problem. Listen carefully to
the questions asked and enter information only for the week being claimed.
Enter the number of contacts you made for work, followed by the # key. For example, if you
made three job contacts, enter 3#
If you made contacts for work, you may be asked to say the names of the employers contacted.
Speak clearly. For example, if reporting 3 contacts say, “ABC Company; Food Shopping
Warehouse; and Video Electronics.”
To report earnings, remember to report the gross amount (before any deductions) during the
weekly filing process. When asked to enter the amount you earned before any deductions,
enter the amount in dollars and cents followed by the # key. You must enter cents, even if
zeros. For example, to report earnings of $135.00, enter 13500#
If your response requires you to enter a date, enter MMDDYY. For example, if the date you
returned to work was May 21, 2012, enter 052112
After you answer all questions, you will be informed whether your claim can be processed for
payment. If an answer to any of the questions results in an eligibility issue on your claim, no
payment can be made until the issue is resolved. You will be contacted in the near future by a
VEC staff person to address the issue. Important—Stay on the line until the VRS tells you it
is okay to hang up.
If you wish to obtain specific information about your benefit account, such as payment
date, press 1. Enter your 9 digit Social Security number. Enter your 6-digit PIN.
For details about an appeal to which you are a party, press 4. Enter your Social Security
number. Enter the Appeal Docket Number (found on your Notice of Appeal).
To locate the VEC office in your area, press 5. Enter your 5-digit zip code.