Can you collect unemployment benefits after disability benefits?

Answer 1

This depends on the state's criteria for both, history (and thus qualifications) of the work period, length of time of the disability payments, and time left in the benefit year to collect unemployment.

Answer 2

Yes, if you're referring to Social Security Disability (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, you can receive disability and unemployment compensation if you can meet the eligibility requirements of both programs.

A few states, such as Illinois, Louisiana, South Dakota (until fund increases), Virginia (until fund increases), and Utah apply an offset of 50% for people receiving both social security benefits and unemployment compensation. This means your weekly unemployment check is reduced by 50% of the weekly value of your Social Security Disability (SSDI) check. [Minnesota applies a 50% offset only for people who began receiving disability benefits after their work separation. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is not counted as income for offset purposes.]

While federal law and the Social Security Administration don't prohibit people on disability from receiving unemployment checks, state unemployment regulations require all unemployment recipients to be actively seeking, willing and able to accept suitable work (comparable to previous employment or something appropriate to your skill set). This may creates a conflict if the unemployment commission in your state requires you to find full-time work, because you're generally not eligible for Social Security disability benefits if you're capable of full-time work.

When you file for unemployment compensation, all states require you to provide your Social Security number (authorized under Internal Revenue Code of 1954, 26 U.S.C. 85, Sections 6011(a), 6050(b), 6109(a), P.L. 98-369, Section 1137(a)(1)). They will share information about your claim with other government agencies to determine how unemployment affects other benefits you may receive, such as Medicaid and food stamps.

Under most state unemployment statutes, you must be ready, willing and able to accept employment, be actively seeking work, and must accept any reasonable employment offer for which you are qualified (unless there are legitimate, extenuating circumstances for refusing the offer), or your unemployment compensation can (and probably will) be terminated.

If you are physically incapable of doing qualifying work under your state unemployment agreement, the state may consider you ineligible for benefits, or may consider your claim fraudulent if they later discover you're too disabled to fulfill your contractual agreement. Under these circumstances, you will be terminated from unemployment and may be required to repay any compensation you received.

Private Insurance

You may or may not be able to collect both if receiving disability payments from a private insurance policy. Check the provisions of your contract, or contact your insurance agent for more information.

Answer 3

It depends on the state and the nature of the disability.

If you are permanently disabled and can't work then you probably can not get unemployment. They will ask you in the check claiming process if you are able to work.

Some states will allow eligibility if you have a disability, but it depends on the disability and whether it prevents you from doing any type of work you would otherwise be capable of doing.

Answer 4

It depends on the state, the nature of the disability, the length of the disability, earnings, etc. It's best to check with your own state's employment security office for clarification.

Answer 5

No because you have to be able to work