Missouri Unemployment Questions

What Is A Waiting Week?

Before any benefits can be paid, you must serve a waiting week. To serve the waiting week you must have a claim in existence (benefit year), have filed a weekly certification and be entitled to benefits. One waiting week must be served in each benefit year. The waiting week becomes payable when your claim balance is equal to or less than the benefit amount you would be eligible for during the week.

Can Benefits Be Denied?

You may be an insured worker and still be ineligible or disqualified for benefits. Some examples of when you may be held ineligible from receiving benefits are if you are not able to work full-time due to an injury or illness; you are not available for full-time work because of your school attendance, lack of transportation or child care for the hours of work you are seeking; or you are not making an active and earnest search for work. The ineligibility will continue until the conditions holding you ineligible no longer exist.

Appeal Process

If you disagree with a determination, you or your duly authorized agent may file an appeal. You may appeal if you believe the law was incorrectly applied or all the facts were not considered when the determination was made. Your appeal rights and time limits are explained on each determination. If you do not file within the time limit, you may lose your right to appeal. In some cases, your employer may file an appeal to a determination that finds you eligible to receive benefits. An employer’s appeal will not cause your benefits to stop, unless the employer wins the appeal. If the employer wins the appeal, benefits may be stopped at that time and you may be overpaid for the benefits you have received. It is important that you participate in the hearing on the employer’s appeal to present your side of the case. Without your testimony, the employer may win the appeal and you would have to pay back any benefits received. Find more information at http://www.dolir.mo.gov/es/appeals/index.htm

Can I Work Part Time and Receive Benefits?

You may be eligible to receive some benefits for a week if you work less than full time. You must continue to look for and be able to work full time. You must report your gross wages (wages before deductions) and not just take home pay. The benefits you will be paid when working less than full time will be the difference between your weekly benefit amount and that part of your wages for the week that are in excess of $20 or 20% of your weekly benefit amount, whichever is greater. Benefits that are payable to you are rounded down to the next lower whole dollar. Any withholdings for federal taxes, etc. are taken out of the payable amount.

What If I Try A New Job, But It Just Doesn’t Work Out?

Normally, if you quit a job for a reason that is not good cause related to the work or employer you will be disqualified from receiving benefits. There is an exception to this. If you take a job that would be considered “unsuitable work” as defined in the Missouri Employment Security Law, and quit within 28 days of the first day of work, you may not be disqualified. This exception allows you to try a job that you might otherwise have turned down without losing your right to benefits.

Benefits Extension

When either the national or Missouri unemployment rate exceeds a certain level, you may be entitled to additional weeks of benefits after you use all regular benefits. If an extended benefit period is declared and it appears that you qualify, we will send you a notice. On November 21, 2008, President Bush signed legislation providing additional weeks of Emergency Unemployment, effective November 23, 2008. To make an initial application for additional weeks of benefits, call your Regional Claims Center. The initial application for additional weeks of benefits cannot be made on-line at our website.

A Division of Workforce Development (DWD) Missouri Career Center can assist you in finding work. When you file a new claim for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, a work registration is created. You may complete or update your work registration either in person at a local Missouri Career Center, or through the jobs.mo.gov website

When adding to or changing your work registration information, you will need to use your Social Security Number.

You may be required to report in person every four weeks to a DWD Career Center or other designated office. You may report any regular workday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Staff in the Missouri Career Centers cannot answer specific questions about your claim.

If required to report, failure to report at least every four weeks may result in UI benefits being denied. If you cannot report as instructed, go in as soon after your scheduled week as you can, and you will need to contact an RCC to explain why you are reporting late if you have already received a denial letter.

You also may be selected to receive special reemployment services under several programs offered through the DWD Career Centers. Failure to participate in these programs when selected may result in a denial or delay of payment of UI benefits.

Your weekly benefit amount (WBA) is 4 percent of the average of your two highest quarters in the base period (highest quarter and second highest quarter quarter /2 x 0.04 = WBA). Missouri?s maximum WBA is $320.

Your maximum benefit amount (MBA) is the most you can receive in your benefit year. It is 20 times your WBA or one-third of your total base period wages, whichever is less. When calculating, your quarterly earnings are limited to 26 times your WBA.

The DES discovers improper payments in various ways. If the DES finds you were employed and did not report wages or reported wages incorrectly and received benefits, it will investigate. You must provide the information needed for the DES to determine what action to take.

If you receive UI benefits to which you are not entitled, you must repay them, even if someone else made the mistake that caused the incorrect payment. The DES will inform you why and by how much you were overpaid. If you believe the notice is incorrect, you have the right to appeal.

You can repay an overpayment in a lump sum, or you can request a payment plan. If you are claiming benefits, all or part of the weekly benefit may be applied to the overpayment.

It is to your advantage to repay overpayments as soon as possible. Otherwise, the DES will recover the amount due from your future benefits, state income tax return, and lottery winnings. This means you will be without benefits when you need them.

If you deliberately make a false statement or withhold information to receive benefits, your benefit rights can be canceled, you may face penalties of up to 100 percent of the overpaid amount, and you can be arrested, fined, and imprisoned.