An Introduction to Unemployment Benefits

Have you lost your job? If you have lost your job through no fault of your own or have had a compelling reason to leave your job, you may be eligible for Unemployment Compensation benefits. You may need an attorney to guide you through the process, and if you are denied benefits, you probably will need an attorney to appeal the decision. You can learn more and file an initial claim with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. If you are denied benefits, you are allowed to file an appeal. Behrend & Ernsberger, P.C. has the experience and skill to help you win your appeal. 

Unemployment is not a welfare system, because the total amount of benefits that a person receives is dependent on what the person did before becoming unemployed. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry states that "you must determine the total gross wages received during your base-year period and how much you received during each calendar quarter in the base year." Part-time employees, self-employed persons, or those who voluntary leave their job are not eligible to receive benefits. Further, the amount of time that a person has worked in a set period of time determines how long that person may receive unemployment benefits. Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation filing instructions can be found by calling 412-267-1315 (if you are in the Pittsburgh area) or by clicking here.

In selecting an attorney, be sure to look for experience and skill. The legal team at Behrend and Ernsberger, P.C. will be able to guide you through the unemployment process. We will be able to help determine if you were a qualified employee, if your employer was a covered employer, if the reason for your unemployment is covered by the system, and what amount of benefits you should receive. We will then make the necessary filing to get you into the system.

The unemployment system can make you feel overwhelmed. Legal advice can help demystify the system and get you on the road to economic stability. You won't be able to enjoy the same standard of living that you had with your job, but you should be able to meet your basic needs while you search for a new job.

Once you begin receiving benefits, you are required to make good faith efforts to seek new and "suitable" employment. There are some jobs that you may consider "unsuitable" that the system will consider suitable. Therefore, even after you begin to receive benefits, you may need legal advice.

If you have lost your job, remember that there is hope. Unemployment benefits are available just to get through this rough patch. It is not welfare- it is something that you paid for while you were employed. If you need unemployment benefits, remember that you are not a "free-loader." The system is designed to preserve the integrity of the American economy, and at the very base of the economy is the ability for every family to meet their basic necessities and contribute whatever they can to the economy. If you are unemployed and believe that you should be receiving unemployment compensation benefits, call the law firm of Behrend and Ernsberger, P.C. today at (412) 391-2515.

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