Alabama Unemployment Benefit Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for unemployment benefits in Alabama, you must meet the following requirements:
- Be unemployed through no fault of your own.
- Have earned at least $1,500 in wages during the base period (the first four of the last five completed quarters before you file your claim).
- Have wages in at least two quarters of your base period.
- Be able, available, and actively seeking full-time work.
- Be registered with the Alabama Department of Labor’s Workforce Services Division.
There are also some additional requirements that may apply, depending on your circumstances. For example, if you were laid off from a job due to a labor dispute, you may not be eligible for benefits. Additionally, if you are receiving other types of income, such as severance pay or retirement benefits, your unemployment benefits may be reduced.
To file a claim for unemployment benefits in Alabama, you can visit the Alabama Department of Labor’s website or call 1-800-326-5227. Once you have filed your claim, you will need to provide information about your work history, your earnings, and your reasons for being unemployed. You will also need to register with the Workforce Services Division and start looking for a new job.
If you are approved for unemployment benefits, you will receive a weekly payment based on your previous earnings. The maximum amount of benefits you can receive is $385 per week. You can receive benefits for up to 26 weeks, but this may be extended in certain circumstances.
For more information about unemployment benefits in Alabama, please visit the Alabama Department of Labor’s website or call 1-800-326-5227.
There will be at least two determinations made on your claim for Unemployment Benefit Eligibility. The first determination is the monetary determination. The monetary determination will tell you if you have earned enough wages to qualify for unemployment benefits.
1. The monetary determination requirements will indicate:
a. wages paid to you by your Alabama employer(s) within the base period quarters. (The base period is explained further under the section, Computing Monetary Eligibility of this handbook), and
b. your maximum and weekly benefit amount, if you qualify.
Be sure to review your monetary determination carefully! Notify the call center inquiry line if there appears to be any missing or incorrectly reported wages. Proof of wages, such as a W-2 form, pay stubs, or a letter from your
employer, may be required to correct your wage record.
If you have wages from another state, military or federal wages, school-related wages, or if some of your Alabama wages are missing or require an investigation, you may be issued another monetary determination after these additional wages are
recorded.
2. A second determination of your Alabama Unemployment Benefit Eligibility will be made regarding the reason you were separated from your last employer.
If no disqualification is assessed on your claim, you will receive unemployment benefits for any weekly certifications you filed, provided there were no questions regarding your eligibility.
If a disqualification is assessed, you will receive a written decision notifying you that Unemployment Benefits were either reduced, suspended, or denied for any length of time because of your most recent job separation. read more
Definition:
- UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION
The Unemployment Compensation Division pays unemployment benefits to workers who are either unemployed or working reduced hours, through no fault of their own. Not everyone who applies for unemployment benefits will qualify. Certain conditions must be met in order to meet initial eligibility requirements and to remain eligible to receive benefits.
- SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
The Unemployment Compensation Division can process your claim only if you provide your social security number. We use your social security number to verify your identity, to locate your employer(s) and your wages, to determine other income, to determine eligibility, to keep records of your benefit payments, and to gather statistics. The authority to require your social security number is found under the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, and the Code of Alabama, 1975.