Personal Finance: A primer on getting job benefits

The good news is that slowly, but surely, the number of new people filing for unemployment insurance is going down a little.

The bad news is that people are still losing their jobs, and half of those out of work have been without jobs for six months. It is the worst period for employment since the Labor Department started tracking it in the 1940s.

But the other piece of good news for those who have received pink slips is that unemployment benefits, which provide some pay while people look for work, are available for up to 99 weeks. That is a result of Congress' action in December.

Still, not everyone out of a job qualifies for unemployment. And, as it stands now, people who lose their jobs this year will qualify for benefits - beyond the usual 26 weeks - only up until the end of this year, said Greg Rivara, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Employment Security.

Although such states as Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, and Pennsylvania offer benefits for up to 99 weeks, the Dakotas and Nebraska offer them for only up to 60 weeks, according to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Fewer than half of the states will offer benefits for the full 99 weeks. This is the result of different state and federal formulas.

Workers in all states can receive up to 26 weeks of benefits from their state-funded unemployment-compensation program, but under the extension passed by Congress, federal funds kick in to carry unemployed workers through additional weeks. And some states also allocate additional money.

Although states vary, the following points will give you a rough idea of what to expect:

Apply immediately: You must apply, and it takes time. So as soon as your job is terminated, even if you have a severance package, apply immediately. If you are denied, you can appeal.

Who gets unemployment? Generally, if you were working and lost your job through no fault of your own, you get unemployment compensation. But if you quit, you generally will not get benefits. Also, if you have a business that fails, you are not typically considered eligible for unemployment. People collecting unemployment benefits must show that they are looking for a job.

Can students get unemployment? Students who lose a job and could not find another could be eligible, even if a couple of months have passed since their last job. States base benefits on a person's work history and pay during the last five quarters. A person does not have to work throughout that period but must have worked for a certain amount of time.

How much do you get? This varies by state, but generally it is less than half of what you were paid. The amount is often determined by looking at your last five quarters' pay and averaging earnings during the highest couple of quarters. For example, in Illinois a person with a child can get as much as $535 a week and a single person as much as $385, but the average benefit is $320 a week, Rivara said.

If you accept a part-time job, does that end benefits? You are allowed to accept part-time work to supplement unemployment up to certain limits. The rules vary by state, but in some you can earn up to 40 percent of your unemployment benefits without losing any benefits.

Can I move? If you move to another state to look for work, that is OK. You apply for benefits in the state where you lost your job and can get automatic deposits into an account.

What are extended benefits? When Congress voted in December to authorize up to 99 weeks of unemployment compensation, some unemployed people thought that meant an additional 99 weeks on top of what they had already used. That is not the case. The limit is 99 weeks.

Do benefits have to be taken consecutively? No. If you were unemployed for a while, then found a job and stopped benefits but got laid off from the second job, you can get benefits again.