Unemployment Insurance Extended Benefits are available to workers who have already collected all regular unemployment insurance benefits during periods of high unemployment.
Educational Assistance
If you are unemployed and receiving unemployment benefits, visit Opportunity.gov to find education and training opportunities, including help with education costs.
Self-Employment Assistance
Self-employment assistance offers unemployed workers the opportunity to create their own jobs by starting their own small businesses. This is a voluntary program offered by these states: Delaware, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont.
Unemployment Benefits and Taxes
Unemployment insurance benefits are taxable. You must report any unemployment benefits you receive as part of your gross income. Visit the Unemployment Compensation website from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) provides continuation of group health coverage that otherwise might be terminated. COBRA contains provisions giving certain former employees, retirees, spouses, former spouses, and dependent children the right to temporary continuation of health coverage at group rates. Qualified individuals may be required to pay the entire premium for coverage up to 102 percent of the cost to the plan.
Disability insurance protects individuals and their families from financial hardship when illness or injury prevents them from earning a living. Many employers offer some form of disability coverage to employees, or you can buy an individual disability insurance policy. Disability.gov provides comprehensive information about disability programs, services, laws, and benefits.
Types of Disability Policies
There are two types of disability policies:
Short-term disability policies have a maximum benefit of two years.
Long-term disability policies have benefits that can last the rest of your life.
Employers may offer short-term disability coverage, long-term disability coverage, or integrate both of these as part of a competitive employee benefits package. When purchasing individual disability insurance coverage, you should ask:
Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income Programs
Both programs are administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA), and they serve as the largest of several federal programs that offer assistance to people with disabilities.
The Social Security disability insurance program pays benefits to you and certain members of your family if you are "insured," meaning that you have worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes.
ensure that employees who are injured or disabled on the job receive fixed payments.
provide benefits for dependents of workers who died due to work-related accidents or illnesses.
protect employers and fellow workers by limiting the amount an injured employee can recover from an employer and by removing the co-workers' liability in most accidents.
Private Sector and State/Local Government Employees
Individuals injured on the job while employed by private companies or state and local government agencies should contact their state workers' compensation program for eligibility, assistance, and filing procedures for workers' compensation benefits.
Federal Employees, Longshoremen, Harbor Workers, and Coal Miners
If you are a federal employee, longshoreman, harbor worker, or coal miner, contact the appropriate Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) that applies to you. OWCP representatives can help you with claim procedures.
Workers' Compensation Appeals
The appeals process for workers' compensation varies from state to state. If you received a denial of benefits and you wish to file an appeal, contact your state workers' compensation office for information on how to file.
Wrongful termination or wrongful discharge laws vary from state to state. Some states are "employment-at-will" states, which means that if there is no employment contract (or collective bargaining agreement) which provides otherwise, an employer can let an employee go for any reason, or no reason, with or without notice, as long as the discharge does not violate a law.
If you feel you have been wrongfully discharged or terminated from employment, you may:
Contact your State Labor Office for more information on wrongful termination laws in your state.
Seek legal counsel if your employer terminated you for any reason not covered under state or federal law.
You may also be eligible for unemployment compensation.
Employers
If you are an employer seeking information about legal termination of employees, you may wish to contact both the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and your State Labor Office to ensure you do not violate any federal or state labor laws. You may wish to consult with a licensed attorney.
