Georgia Unemployment Benefits

The state of Georgia, in association with the Federal government, provides Unemployment Insurance (UI) to those who have lost their employment due to reasons not concerning their conduct or performance.

Know more about the requirements to claim for benefits, various ways to apply, contact details, and other important details that are necessary to file for Unemployment Insurance in Georgia.

Eligibility To Apply For UI Benefits In Georgia

The state of Georgia has set various criteria to be deemed eligible for unemployment benefits. The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) will oversee that the set criteria are met by the applicants. The requirements include – monetary eligibility, job separation, and maintenance of eligibility during the benefit period.

Monetary Eligibility

The state law in Georgia requires the applicants to meet the set monetary requirements to gain eligibility for monetary benefits. The monetary requirements consist of receiving ‘insured wages’, and the total wages received during the ‘base period’.

Insured wages are wages paid by the employer who pays Georgia Unemployment Insurance tax, and it is necessary for you to show that your wages are indeed insured wages to qualify for benefits.

In the state of Georgia, the first four of the last five calendar quarters completed at the time when you file the unemployment claim is considered as the regular base period. For those whose wages do not qualify for the regular base period, may consider the alternative base period. The alternative base period in Georgia is the last four calendar quarters completed at the time of filing the claim.

To meet the monetary requirements, applicants must possess the following qualifications:

• You must have insured wages in at least two-quarters of the base period
• Your wages must be equal to or more than $1,134 in the two-quarters of the base period in which you have the highest wages
• The total wages in the base period must be equal to at least one and one-half times of the wages received in the quarter in which you earned the highest wages

Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA): The regular method of calculating the WBA in Georgia is done by dividing the total amount of money earned in the two highest paid quarters by 42.

If you fail to qualify for benefits as your total wages is not equal to one and one-half times the wages received in the highest earning quarter, an alternative calculation can be used. The alternative calculations are made by dividing the total amount of money paid in the highest earning quarter by 21.  

The minimum weekly benefit amount provided in Georgia is $44, and the maximum benefit amount is capped at $330. The maximum benefit period is determined by the rate of unemployment in Georgia. The chart below shows the number of weeks you may receive the benefits depending on the unemployment rate in Georgia:

Find out more about eligibility requirements

Job Separation

The reason for your separation from your previous organization/employer is one of the crucial criteria which can affect your claim for benefits. You must have not lost your job due to any fault of your own. To gain eligibility for benefits, you must meet the below eligibility requirements:

• Lost the job due to no fault of theirs whatsoever
• Have earned wages at least 10 times the weekly benefit amount of your claim
• You were laid off due to lack of work, or your employer has reduced your working hours due to lack of work
• You were not involved in any criminal activities in your previous organization leading to your job separation
• You were not fired for reasons that come under the definition of misconduct

GDOL will contact your previous employer to obtain information on your job separation and will verify the reasons presented by you. The department may deem you ineligible if the reason given by you for job-separation is not the same as the reasons given by your previous employer.

Eligibility requirements – overview

Maintaining Eligibility

Once you prove your monetary eligibility and justify your reasons for separating from the previous organization, you would be eligible for monetary benefits. This, however, doesn’t mean that you would receive benefits throughout the benefit period.

You must maintain eligibility throughout the benefit period to continue to receive benefits. To remain eligible, you must follow these points:

• You must be able and available to work
• You must provide proof that you are looking for work on a weekly basis
• You are expected to seek and accept any suitable job offer made to you
• As the length of your unemployment increases, you will be expected to make adjustments in your wage expectations, working conditions, job description, prior training and/or experience
• When GDOL refers you for a job, you must apply for the same

Failing to carry out any of the above points would result in discontinuation of the payment of benefit amount.

If you were offered a job but refuse to accept the offer, you are expected to immediately report it to GDOL. The department will then determine if the reason to refuse the job is acceptable or not. You may only refuse to work under a few scenarios, such as:

• The position opened up due to an ongoing strike
• The job paid less than the prescribed minimum wage
• The wage was substantially less than the prevailing wages paid for similar work in the neighborhood

You must also remember the following points to meet the work availability and work search requirements:

• You must register to employment services unless you are exempt by law
• If you are a citizen of Georgia, you must register with GDOL
• You must make at least 3 job contacts in a given week
• Be physically able to perform work (even if it’s not your regular field of work)
• If you are filing an interstate claim, register with the local state workforce, but you must follow the rules and regulations of Georgia regarding your availability for work and work search requirements

You must meet other eligibility criteria, including the availability for work and work search requirements each week. GDOL may randomly conduct an audit, in which if it’s found that you do not meet any particular criteria, your benefits will be stopped.

Find out on job search requirements

How To Apply For UI Benefits In Georgia?

You can file claims through GDOL website or through telephone by using the GDOL Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system.

Once your claim is accepted by GDOL, the department will issue a benefit determination letter. The letter will show the following information:

• Your insured wages during the base period
• The probable weekly benefit amount you may earn
• The maximum number of weeks you may receive the benefits
• The probable maximum benefit amount you will be paid through your benefit period
• The periodically adjusted unemployment rate of the state of Georgia

You are advised to go through the determination letter thoroughly and in case you do not agree with any of the mentioned information, you may apply for reconsideration.

Remember to apply for reconsideration within 15 days of receiving the determination letter in writing, in your career center.

Online

You can file a claim through the GDOL website at any time of the day. The website is operational 24 hours of the day and on 7 days of the week. You will need to create a GDOL PIN when you are filing the unemployment claim in Georgia the first time. You will need the GDOL PIN while filing for claims throughout the benefit period.

Telephone

You can file for claims by telephone by dialing Georgia unemployment phone number (1.866.598.4164). Follow all the instructions given by the IVR system. You will need the GDOL PIN to file for claims by telephone as well, and you may set the PIN over the phone too while claiming for benefits in the first week.

Note – If you face any trouble while applying for benefits, call the Georgia unemployment customer service number.

How To File Weekly Claims?

Weekly claims can be claimed by either using the website or by telephone. You will have to file claims each week and must meet the set requirements each week to be eligible for weekly claims.

If you fail to claim benefits for more than two weeks in a row, you will have to open the unemployment claim account through the website, telephone or in the career centers again.

Learn how to claim weekly benefits

UI Benefits Amount

The UI benefits calculator will assist you in finding out your approximate weekly benefit amount in Georgia. Enter the appropriate values and find out how much you may receive every week.

Benefits Calculator

Unemployment Benefits Calculator

State:

Georgia

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Select Number of Dependents:

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Unemployment Benefits Calculator

State: Georgia

Number of Dependents: 0

How much did you earn in each of these quarters?

Jan 2021 - Mar 2021

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$ 0

$ 25,000

Oct 2020 - Dec 2020

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$ 0

$ 25,000

Jul 2020 - Sep 2020

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$ 0

$ 25,000

Apr 2020 - Jun 2020

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$ 0

$ 25,000

Calculating your Benefits Amount ...

Disclaimer: The estimates are good in faith and accuracy is not guaranteed. We are not liable for any loss and damages caused by using the tools on our website. This calculator is here to assist you in evaluating what you might obtain if you are entitled to receive benefits. We make no promises that the sum you receive will be equal to what the calculator illustrates.

Know more about the Benefits Calculator

Things To Know After Filing An Application

Your responsibility does not end with the filing of the claim. There are many important aspects that you should know to make sure that they are on the right track, and also should be informed about any probable issues that might pop up.

Overpayment And Fraud

If it is found that you were paid benefits that were not supposed to be received by you, it would be considered as an overpayment. If the event you receive an overpayment, you must immediately bring it to the notice of GDOL. You will be expected to pay back the excess amount received, along with any income taxes that were withheld.

GDOL identifies two types of overpayments, they are:

• Non-fraud overpayment
• Fraud overpayment

Non-fraud Overpayment

An overpayment that is the amount you received without the intention of obtaining benefits that you were not entitled to, is identified as a non-fraud overpayment.  

You are expected to pay back the overpayment, along with the other civil penalties, court costs, and filing fees as applicable. You can, however, request for a waiver from paying the excess amount if you did not intentionally receive the overpayment. GDOL will consider the following points to decide if the waiver must be given or not:

• The intention with you received the excessive amount
• Your financial condition after paying the overpayment, and the possible hardships you may face to make the payment
• Your prospect of getting employment to repay the overpayment

The decision taken by GDOL will be final and appeal on the decision of waiver cannot be appealed.

Also, make sure that you apply for a waiver within 15 days of the release date of the overpayment notice.

Fraud Overpayment

If you have knowingly received excessive payments that were not intended to be paid to you, it will be considered as fraud overpayment. The GDOl will declare it a fraud overpayment, if:

• You knowingly make false statements to fraudulently gain eligibility for benefits
• You knowingly failed to disclose important information or facts that are essential
• You misrepresent facts intentionally to obtain or increase the benefit amount

GDOL considers that fraud is committed when you knowingly distorts or conceals facts with the purpose of obtaining or increasing the benefit amount. If you are found to have committed fraud, you will be subject to the following penalties:

• You must pay entire overpaid amount 
• A penalty of 15 % of the total amount must be paid
• You should pay interest of 1% of the unpaid balance every month
• You will not be allowed to collect unemployment benefits for the rest of the calendar quarter, and a year after the quarter
• You may also be subject to civil or criminal penalties

Repayment Of Overpayments

You may voluntarily repay the dues with a lump sum payment or in the form of planned installments. If you fail to voluntarily pay the excessive amount, GDOL may take one of the following decisions:

• Deducting 50% of the future benefit payments, and applying it for the overpayment
• The state may also seek legal action, including criminal prosecution

Benefits Extension

Georgia offers benefits extension only when the state’s unemployment rate is too high. To know more about the benefits extension, visit GDOL.

Job Training Assistance

GDOL has many training programs in place to help people find suitable employment opportunities. In addition to providing unemployment benefits in Georgia, the Career Centers also organize workshops and events with the intention of helping the job-seekers to improve their skills.

Each Career Centers provides the following services:

• Résumé writing and cover page writing assistance
• Provides referrals and contacts of employers to job-seekers
• Labor market information
• Job search workshops
• Career assessment and job-search assistance
• Skill assessment of job-seekers, and referring them to the required training classes

GDOL also provides you an opportunity to retrain themselves to help build capacity in them to face new challenges. The retraining program allows you to go back to college again and reorient themselves. Some of the retaining programs are – Georgia’s HOPE Program,  The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), and The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG).

All these programs provide scholarships and grants if you want to go to school to learn and improve your skill sets. Contact the Career Centers to know more about the eligibility and requirements.

Know more job training opportunities in GA