How to File For Unemployment Insurance in Arkansas
Your worst nightmare has occurred. You have lost your job, and you didn't even give them any reason to fire you. They just had to release you, for monetary concerns. What to do next? Of course, you have to find another job, but that could take months. In the meantime, you might think about applying for unemployment insurance, so you can maintain some sort of cash flow during your search. Below you will find information about filing for unemployment in Arkansas. In Arkansas unemployment benefits are handled by the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services.
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Instructions
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Figure our your eligibility for unemployment. An Arkansas unemployed citizen is defined as someone who is jobless, is able to work, is looking for work, and is free to take work as soon as he or she finds it.
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Visit your local Arkansas Department of Workforce Services where you will be able to file an initial claim in person. A link below will navigate you to a list of the offices. EZARC, a web service for filing unemployment claims, has not yet been launched.
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Don't forget any of the information you'll need to apply in person:
1. Your Social Security Number.
2. The name and contact information of your last employer.
3. Your last day of work and the reason you are no longer working. -
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Wait for your claim to be processed. After it has, you will receive a Notice of Monetary Determination in the mail with data about the wages you earned in the first four of the last five calendar quarters. This data will determine if you are eligible for unemployment benefits, and will be used to figure out how much insurance you will receive every week.
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Register with the Department of Workforce Services Employment Services. You must continue to look for work while collecting unemployment in Arkansas. As the handbook linked to below states: "Unemployment insurance is not a welfare program. It is an insurance program."
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File a weekly claim for insurance. You may do so by calling Arkline at 1-501-907-2590. Arkline is available Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Sunday, from 12:01 a.m. to 6 p.m. You may also file weekly online at ArkNet (www.arknet.arkansas.gov).
Remember the PIN number you set up!
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Report any earnings you have made in that week when claiming unemployment insurance. You cannot receive the same pre-approved weekly amount while still making a little bit of cash on the side.
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Tips & Warnings
Arkansas unemployment insurance is taxable! You may choose to have 10% withheld from your weekly payments for federal tax, or have the tax deducted quarterly
You should know that no Arkansas unemployment benefits are paid for the first week you claim. It is a mandatory waiting period.
