Unemployment Benefits in West Virginia
The West Virgina WorkForce Commission (WFC) is the government agency that unemployed West Virginians can turn to for help. It takes applications in its local offices and verifies that you meet the state eligibility requirements. If you meet the eligibility requirements, the WFC will distribute weekly payments to help you pay some living expenses while you look for a new job. The payments won't match your former salary, but they will be about half of what you used to make.
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Making a Claim
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West Virginia accepts unemployment insurance claims in person at one of its local offices (see Resources). Bring your Social Security card and information about your work history for the previous 18 months, including your salary, employment dates and separation reasons. As a rule, the more accurate the information you provide, the faster the WFC can make a determination on your claim. After you finish applying, you'll have the opportunity to select a personal identity number (PIN). Remember this number because any time you call into the claims line, you'll be asked to provide it.
Eligibility Requirements
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When you apply for your West Virginia benefits, the WFC verifies the information for accuracy and then compares it with the state eligibility guidelines. You must be employed through circumstance beyond your control. You also must be able and ready to work a full-time job. You also must meet the monetary eligibility with covered employment during your base period, the first four of the last five calendar quarters before you file your claim. During that time, your covered wages occur within at least two separate quarters and your total covered wages must be at least $2,200.
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Determining Your Benefits
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Your base period wages also determine what benefits you're eligible to receive. Your weekly benefit amount is half of the average covered wages you received per week during your base period. Per benefit year --- the 52 weeks that follow your claim filing dates --- you can receive up to 26 times your weekly benefit amount. The WFC provides a chart for your use in estimating your benefits and sends you a notice of determination with the actual amount on it (see Resources).
Maximum West Virginia Benefits
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Even if you have a high amount of base period wages, the state of West Virginia has laws determining how much you can collect in benefits per week. This prevents you from collecting exorbitant amounts of unemployment compensation and protects the program from abuse. The maximum weekly benefit law can change each year, but as of February 2011, it is $424 per week.
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