General Unemployment Insurance
ELIGIBILITY CLAIMS PAYMENTS OTHER QUESTIONS
Establishing Initial Claim: Call 1-877-214-3330 or 1-888-807-7072, or apply online at www.labor.vermont.gov
Filing Weekly Claim: Call: 1-800-983-2300 (Automated Line (24 hours Sun, 5am-4:30pm M-F), online: www.labor.vermont.gov
Looking for more information on specific programs of the CARES Act?
- Pandemic Unemployment Assistance: labor.vermont.gov/PUA
- Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation: labor.vermont.gov/PEUC
ELIGIBILITY
Am I eligible for unemployment benefits?
Eligibility requirements for unemployment benefits are expanded as a result of COVID-19 to include the following areas:
You may be eligible if you were laid-off due to:
- Your employer ceasing operations for a COVID-19 related reason
- A direct result of an order issued by the Governor or President
- Employees own COVID-19 related isolation/quarantine
You may be eligible if you left employment due to:
- Being sick or isolated as the result of COVID-19
- An unreasonable risk of exposure at your place of employment
- Caring for a family member who is sick or isolated as the result of COVID-19
- Caring for a family member who had an unreasonable risk of exposure at their place of employment
- Needing to care for a child who has had their school or childcare center closed
What if I am asked by a medical professional or public health official to quarantine as a result of COVID-19, but I am not sick?
You may be eligible for unemployment benefits if you meet the following criteria:
- You are following the guidance of a medical health professional or public health official to self-isolate or quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure
- You are not receiving paid sick leave or other types of leave from your employer
What if my employer has closed, either as a precautionary measure or because an employee is sick, and other employees have been asked to self-isolate or quarantine as a result of COVID-19? Am I eligible for unemployment benefits?
If you are not receiving compensation from your employer, such as paid sick leave or paid time off, you may be eligible for unemployment benefits during this period.
If I become seriously ill and am forced to quit my job as a result of COVID-19, will I qualify for unemployment benefits?
Yes. Eligibility requirements for unemployment benefits are expanded to include individuals who are sick or isolating as a result of COVID-19.
What if I need to leave my job to care for a family member as a result of COVID-19?
If you leave work to care for a family member, you are now likely eligible for unemployment benefits.
My employer closed because of COVID-19, am I eligible?
If your employer closed because of COVID-19, you may be eligible for regular unemployment or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA).
My employer reduced my hours because of COVID-19, am I eligible?
If your employer reduced your hours because of COVID-19, you may be eligible for unemployment benefits.
What if my workplace is closed but I am working from home, am I eligible?
If your workplace is closed to the public, but you are working remotely, with no decrease in wages, you are not eligible for unemployment.
My employer asked me to come back to work but I do not feel safe going back. Can I not go back to work and keep filing for unemployment?
Failure to accept work when you are able and available will disqualify you for unemployment benefits.
CLAIM RELATED QUESTIONS
I have received a “monetary determination,” what is this and what does it mean?
Your monetary determination is calculated based on the wages within the last 4 quarters. The monetary determination you receive is the state benefit amount and does not reflect the additional $600 federal benefit added from the CARES Act. The $600 will be reflected in your electronic funds transfer or paper check.
Do I file a new claim if I have filed for unemployment in the past year and returned to work?
If you have had an open claim within the last 12 months, you do not need to reapply for unemployment. You can reopen your claim by logging back into the online claimant portal or by calling the automated weekly claims line. 1-800-983-2300 (automated line hours: 24 hours Sun, 5am-4:30pm M-F)
What if my claim expired?
If your claim has expired, you will be eligible for extended benefits which provides an additional 13 weeks of benefits. The extended benefits program is in development. The Department will announce when the program is live.
I forgot to file my weekly claim last week. What do I do?
If you forgot to submit a weekly claim for a past week, you can call the automated weekly filing line at 1-800-983-2300 or log into the online claimant portal and file a claim for a back week. You can only file one back week per day. You will receive a message on the confirmation page notifying you of when you can log back into the claimant portal to file another missed filing. After you are caught up, you will need to continue to file a weekly claim each week between Sunday and Friday at 4:00 p.m.
My claim says it is being adjudicated. What does this mean?
Claims in adjudication require further review by the Department to determine eligibility. Some of the most common include, failure to report wages for one or two days worked. (E.g. if you worked Monday – Wednesday and were laid off Thursday, you would need to report wages for Monday – Wednesday). The Department will notify you when the adjudication is complete.
PAYMENT QUESTIONS
Why didn’t I receive the full $600 benefit?
When you completed your initial application, if you opted to have taxes withheld from your weekly benefit amount, taxes will be withheld from your federal $600 benefit as well. All benefits are subject to state and federal taxes.
How long can I get benefits for?
You can receive unemployment insurance benefits for 26 weeks and extended benefits for 13 weeks.
When will I get paid?
If you submit your weekly claims consistently and do not have any issues on your claim, you can expect pay on a weekly basis.
I submitted my application for unemployment and have not received any money. Why?
After you submit your initial application, you need to continue to submit unemployment claims for each week you are unemployed. Each weekly claim certifies that you were unemployed for the previous week. If you do not file weekly claims, the system assumes that you have gone back to work and will stop issuing benefits.
I applied for unemployment, have been submitting my weekly claims, and have not received any money. Not even the $1200 check. Why is that?
If you have not received any unemployment benefits yet, including the $1200 pre-payment check, your claim has an issue on it that requires the Department to research further to make an eligibility determination. This may be due to the Department having to gather information from another state, earnings issues, and others. The Department will notify you when the adjudication process is complete.
OTHER UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE QUESTIONS
I am returning to work. Do I need to do anything to notify the Department of Labor?
If you are returning to work, you do not need to notify the Department at this time. You simply should stop filing your weekly claims. If you file for a week you are fully employed, that is fraudulent activity and you will be denied benefits. If you work and perform work during a week in which you are filing for UI benefits, you must report the hours worked and wages earned.
My claim has been in adjudication for a few weeks now. Is there a timeline for when I will receive a determination?
If your claim is in adjudication, it will be adjudicated in the order it was received.
How do I reset my PIN?
If you need your PIN reset, you may call our supplemental phone line at 888-807-7072.
I was already on unemployment before COVID-19, do I still need to be looking for work?
No. All work search requirements have been waived as result of COVID-19. The Department will notify claimants when work search requirements are reinstated.
My return to work date has passed. I don’t know when I will be going back to work, so how do I update that?
At this time, you do not need to update your return to work date. The Department will announce any changes to this process.
Why am I getting ‘SSN not found’ when filing my weekly claim?
You are likely experiencing SSN not found for one of the following reasons:
- Your initial claim is still processing. It can take up to 72 business hours from the time you submit your initial claim for it to be uploaded into the system.
- You are attempting to file a claim too early or too late. The weekly claim filing window begins each Sunday until Friday at 4:00 p.m.
- Your claim is being adjudicated. If there is an issue on your claim, it has been assigned to an adjudicator. Until your claim has been adjudicated, you will not be able to access the online claimant portal.