Unemployment Insurance Benefits
In addition to the job search (not many jobs posted on Monday;
hopefully it’ll pick up tomorrow), I worked on unemployment insurance and
health insurance today.
The unemployment insurance calculation is complicated
because I spent up to mid-October in Japan last year. For calculation of the amounts you’ll receive
for unemployment in Illinois, you have a base period made up of four out of the
five most recent prior calendar quarters of work.
This base period starts on the effective date of your first valid claim and does not include the current quarter or the one
immediately before that. From those four
quarters, you take the two in which you earned the most income and then add the
income amounts therein. From the sum of the
income of those two highest earning quarters, you refer to a chart (link below)
to determine your weekly amount of benefits.
For example, I lost my job this quarter (Jan. 1, 2017-Mar.
31, 2017), so I look back at the five quarters before that, (1.Oct. 1, 2016- Dec.
31, 2016; 2. July 1, 2016- Sept. 31, 2016; 3. Apr. 1, 2016- June 31, 2016; 4. Jan. 1, 2016- Mar.
31, 2016; and 5. Oct. 1, 2015- Dec. 31, 2015). I
ignore the most recent past quarter, Oct. 1, 2016- Dec. 31, 2016, and then from the
remaining four: July 1, 2016- Sept. 31, 2016;
Apr. 1, 2016- June 31, 2016; Jan. 1, 2016- Mar. 31, 2016; and Oct. 1, 2015- Dec. 31, 2015, I take
the two quarters I earned the most, add the income amounts therein and use that
amount in the chart below to determine my weekly unemployment benefit amount:
Only months in which your employer contributes to the
Illinois Department of Employment Security from your paycheck qualify for the
base period calculation. Since I was in
Japan until mid-Oct. 2016, the base year calculation above doesn’t give me any
benefits at all since the Oct. 1, 2016- Dec. 31, 2016 quarter is not included in such
calculation. Further, one needs to be paid $1,600 or more in wages during his/her base period for insured work, and at least $440 of his/her base period wages at any time during the base period outside the calendar quarter in which his/her wages were the highest. As a result, I do not qualify for benefits.
It should be noted that there is an alternate scheme that uses Jan. 1, 2016 to
Dec. 31, 2016 for your base period if you are completely ineligible (based on income
earned) to claim unemployment insurance benefits. If I use this, I still will be unable to receive benefits if I file this calendar quarter because outside the Oct. 1, 2016- Dec. 31, 2016 quarter, I did not earn at least $440 in my base period.
However, starting the next calendar quarter, the alternate scheme uses Apr. 1, 2016 and Mar. 31, 2017 as the base period. To qualify for the $1600/$440 minimum wages, I'll need to file on or after April 1, 2017 and use the alternate base period in order to qualify for benefits. I’ll call the unemployment office to confirm that I can use this alternate base period tomorrow.
However, starting the next calendar quarter, the alternate scheme uses Apr. 1, 2016 and Mar. 31, 2017 as the base period. To qualify for the $1600/$440 minimum wages, I'll need to file on or after April 1, 2017 and use the alternate base period in order to qualify for benefits. I’ll call the unemployment office to confirm that I can use this alternate base period tomorrow.
I’ll go more into unemployment insurance in the next few
days.
COBRA
I also contacted my health insurance agent, Allen, to ask
him to send me quotes for bare bone health insurance plans. Losing your job is one of those events that
allows you to enroll in a new plan outside the yearly open enrollment period. At
the end of the month, we are going to let our current health plan, which is
awesome, expire. Under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act (COBRA), we are able to continue with our current
health insurance plan if we pay the full amount of the premium. Unfortunately, my former employer paid 75% of
the premium and we cannot nearly afford the full amount of the premium right
now. Accordingly, we will enroll in a much cheaper plan. Sucks.
The unemployment insurance calculation and loss of a good
health insurance plan were bummers but I did get a second interview with the
company I interviewed with last Thursday. The second interview is next Monday. This
one will be with an Assistant General Counsel of the company. I still don’t
think I have much of a chance for the role, but I’m going to continue improving
my skill set required for the position at a breakneck pace via internet research
and reviewing materials.
Finally, here’s a shameless plug for the McDonald's shamrock
shake. You only have five more days to
get one. I got one over the weekend to reward myself for
my hard work in week one of the job search. You earned one too, so go get it.
Day Ten Lesson:
1. In Illinois, There is an Alternate Base Period for Calculation of Unemployment Benefits Under Certain Circumstances.
Total Contacts Reached Out To: 32
Total Applications: 27
1. In Illinois, There is an Alternate Base Period for Calculation of Unemployment Benefits Under Certain Circumstances.
Total Contacts Reached Out To: 32
Total Applications: 27
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