Tennessee Unemployment Benefit Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility_RequirementsRequirements For Tennessee Unemployment Benefit  Eligibility 

There are certain requirements that you must meet before you can receive unemployment insurance benefits. Among these are the following:

  • 1. You must be totally or partially unemployed through no fault of your own and be approved for benefits.
  • 2. You must have worked in employment that is covered by unemployment insurance and have qualifying wages in the base period.
  • 3. You must be physically able to work at the time you file your first claim.
  • 4. You must be available to accept suitable work offered to you.
  • 5. You must have earned enough wages at your work to qualify for benefits.
  • 6. After filing your claim, you must serve one week of waiting for which no payment is made. You will be paid for your waiting week if and when you have certified and been eligible for benefits in your waiting week and in each of the three consecutive weeks immediately following your waiting week.
  • 7. Each week, you must report the gross amount of any money you have earned during that week, even if you are not paid until later.

The total amount of Tennessee Unemployment Insurance Benefit you may draw during your benefit year is determined, under that formula, by the total amount of wages you earned in your base period. Your base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters immediately preceding your filing a valid new claim for benefits. read more

Maximum number of weeks you can receive Unemployment Insurance Benefits in Tennessee

Although an unemployment insurance benefit year is set up for 52 calendar weeks beginning with the effective week, the maximum number of weeks you may draw is 26 if you meet the eligibility requirements. An individual may receive between $30.00 and $275.00, for 13 to 26 weeks, depending on the total wages earned in the base period.

Base Period:

The base period means the first four (4) of the last five (5) completed calendar quarters immediately preceding the first day of an individual’s benefit year. The base period, once determined by filing a valid claim, is set for 52 calendar weeks. The benefit amount, determined by the base period, will not change in the 52 week period, even if you return to work and earn more wages. Your maximum eligibility will fall between 13 and 26 weeks.

Receiving Your first check:

IF your claim is approved. The first week of the first approved unemployment claim in a benefit year is a “waiting week”. No payment is issued for the waiting week unless your claim is approved and you certify for 4 consecutive weeks at the beginning of that claim. If an approval is made then you will be eligible to draw retroactive benefits for each week you have certified for since you filed your claim. Certifications must be completed each week in order for you to continue drawing benefits on an approved claim.




Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *