Certification to claim unemployment benefits?

Question

I live in Massachusetts and I have been forced to file for unemployment. I am sorta confused by the whole thing. I got a letter in the mail stateing that I am monetarily eligible for benefits. What happens now ? Cause when I go online to check my status it says I didnt file a certification to claim benefits. What does that mean? I didnt recieve any other paperwork. Will I be recieving it? Can some one help me as to the process of what needs to be done and what paperwork I need to file? Thank you

Answer 1

In order to claim unemployment benefits, you need to file a claim form with them.

You can go to the Website (www.detma.org) and file online. If you do it this way, you file weekly on Sunday for the previous week (Sunday through Saturday). You can also file on the telephone (I don't remember the number). This is also done weekly. You can also file a claim form by mail, but this would be done every 2 weeks. If you filed weekly claims, you get a check every week. If you file every 2 weeks, you get a check every 2 weeks.

You need to sign up and get a user name and password to use the online service and a PIN to use the telephone.

The rep from the unemployment office should have given you all this information. I think it is also included in the packet of information you received after opening your claim.

Answer 2

Before you can get unemployment benefits, the unemployment office must contact your ex-employer getting the reason why you were let go (they don't pay unemployment benefits if you quit or were fired). The also have to verify that you were an employee and not a contractor since contractors are not eligible for unemployment benefits since the employer does not pay unemployment premiums. Finally they need to calculate your benefits based on your pay during that period (only benefits on declared income). You can determine if you were an employee or a contractor by looking at your pay stub. If you were an employee, FICA taxes and possibly other taxes should have been withheld and you will get a W-2 at the end of the year. A contractor doesn't get taxes withheld (you are required to pay them yourself) and you will get a 1099 form at the end of the year.. If you are denied benefits due to your ex-employer claiming you were fired or you quit, you can appeal that decision. This occurs sometimes with small employers since their unemployment premiums go up if their ex-employees get unemployment benefits (employer is trying to save money). The full process to determine unemployment benefits can take a while and this may be normal (ex-employer may have not yet responded to the request for information).

Answer 3

Call the unemployment comp bureau and ask them what more you need to do.