Vermont Unemployment Benefits

Unemployment Resource

Phone: (800) 983-2300

File a claim

File your claim the first week in which you are fully unemployed by calling toll-free 1-877-214-3330. Please have the following information available when you call, to help speed up the claims filing process.

• Social Security Number
• Address (mailing and home address, if different)
• Telephone Number (including area code)
• Alien Registration Number (if not a U.S. Citizen)
• Amount and duration of any separation pay you may receive (vacation pay, severance pay, wages in lieu of notice, etc.)
• Return to Work date (if you expect to be recalled to your job)
• Valid Driver's License Number ( or state issued ID#, if applicable)
• Military Form DD-214, Member 4 Copy (if you were in the military in the past 18 months)
• Form SF-8 (if you worked for the Federal Government during the past 18 months and received one)

For each employer that you worked for in the past 18 months, have the following information available when you call:

• Complete name and address of each employer (including zip code) you worked for
• Payroll address (if different from employer address)
• Employer telephone number (including area code)
• Beginning and ending dates of employment
• Reason for separation
• If you worked in Vermont any time in the past 18 months and are unemployed or working part-time, you may be eligible to receive unemployment insurance.

Persons with hearing impairment or TTY users may file their claim by calling the Vermont Telecommunications Relay Service at:

VT Relay 1-800-253-0195 (Voice)
TTY 1-800-253-0191
Once you reach the Relay Service, please have them call 1-877-214-3332 to assist you in filing your claim.

For claimant assistance call toll-free 1-877-214-3332. Use this line once you have filed a valid claim and you have a question or need assistance to continue filing.

Unemployment Insurance is insurance to provide you with some temporary income if you lose your job through no fault of your own. These benefits are intended to help you while you are between jobs. Unemployment Insurance is not intended to be a permanent source of income.

If you have lost your job, call the toll-free Unemployment Insurance Claim Line at 1-877-214-3330 as soon as possible. The effective date of your claim depends on the day you actually file for benefits, not on the day you lose your job. Once filed, a claim cannot be withdrawn, except in a few extraordinary circumstances.

If you plan to leave the area to look for work, or if you are moving out of the area, contact the toll-free Claimant Assistance Line at 1-877-214-3332 for instructions before you leave. While out of the area, you should keep your list of out of town job contacts, including employers' names, addresses, dates and results. Keep this list until you are asked to submit it to the Department. Failure to comply with this reporting requirement may result in a loss or overpayment of benefits. We recommend you contact the nearest One Stop Career Resource Center in the new state to register for work, as you will still be required to perform work search if you continue to file claims for unemployment insurance.

You must notify the Department in writing of any change of address. The Post Office will not forward checks to an address not printed on the check. In addition, the Department must be able to contact you about job referrals and mail you important tax information at the end of the year.

To be eligible for unemployment benefits in Vermont, you must be out of work for good reason. Most commonly you will have been laid off, but in some cases you may be eligible if your separation was due to quitting or being fired from your job. In addition, you must have been paid a certain minimum qualifying amount of wages during your base period (defined below). The minimum qualifying amount is subject to change in July of each year. Meals, lodging, and tips reported by your employer count as qualifying wages. Wages earned in other states, from the government or from the military may be used to compute your monetary eligibility.

If you are not a U.S. citizen, only wages earned under proper work authorization can be used to compute your monetary eligibility. You must provide a copy of your green alien registration card or work visa to the Department for further verification with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. Failure to provide documentation when requested can result in your claim being determined ineligible for benefits.

The wages used to determine your unemployment eligibility and your weekly benefit amount (WBA) are wages that were paid to you during each quarter of your base period, regardless of when you earned them. Vermont law allows four methods for qualifying base periods.

First Method: First 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters preceding the effective date of the claim. If ineligible,

Second Method: Last 4 completed calendar quarters preceding the effective date of the claim. If still ineligible by the first and second methods

Third Method: Last 3 completed calendar quarters and the current quarter, using wages that were paid as of the effective date of the new claim. If still ineligible under each of these three methods,

Fourth Method: applies only if your separation from employment was due to an "on the job injury" resulting in a Workers' Compensation Claim. There is a provision in the law that allows adjustments to your base period to use wages that would have been available to you at the time of your injury. To be paid under this provision, you must have filed your new claim for Unemployment Insurance benefits within six months of the date your temporary Workers' Insurance payments ended.

Once you are found eligible for unemployment benefits, you establish a 52-week "Benefit Year". This Benefit Year provides you with a weekly benefit amount (WBA) which does not change during the 52-week period, once the final monetary determination has been issued. This Benefit Year also provides you with a maximum benefit amount (MBA) which is 26 times your weekly benefit amount. If you work part time, you could receive benefits for more than 26 weeks.

If you are still unemployed when your benefit year ends, you may qualify for a new claim. You must meet all wage and eligibility requirements to establish a new unemployment claim. In addition, you must have been employed since the effective date of your expired benefit year. In other words, you must have worked and earned wages in excess of four times the weekly benefit amount of your prior claim since your separation from employment that established that claim. If you have questions about qualifying for a new claim, contact the toll-free Claimant Assistance Line at 1-877-214-3332.

Your weekly benefit amount is calculated by adding your two highest quarters' wages in your base period together and dividing by 45, then rounding down to the next whole dollar amount. Your weekly benefit amount may not exceed the maximum weekly benefit amount established yearly by law. Your weekly benefit amount is based upon the gross wages (before taxes) paid to you as reported by your former "covered" employer or employers.

Wages from the following types of employment are the most common where wages cannot be used to determine a claimant's eligibility for benefits or to compute a claimant's weekly benefit amount:

• Services by elected officials to state and local governments, members of a legislative body or the judiciary, members of the state national guard or air national guard, and certain temporary "emergency employment."
• Some services for non-profit religious, charitable, agricultural, education organization, railroad employment and for state hospitals and institutions of higher education.
• Services of individuals as insurance agents or solicitors, if paid solely by commissions.
• Services of individuals as salesmen, agents or solicitors, if paid solely by commission and required to be licensed by state law.
• Services provided by a sole proprietor or his/her spouse or civil union partner, parent(s) or child(ren) under the age of 18.
• Services performed by a partner of a partnership or a member/manager of a Limited Liability Company (LLC).

You may receive full weekly benefits for as many as 26 weeks if you meet all eligibility requirements. Once you have exhausted your benefits during your current benefit year, there is usually no extension of benefits. An exception to this rule is made if the unemployment rate is at a high level specified by law when you exhaust your initial benefit entitlement. If this occurs, you will be notified by the Department to apply for an extension of benefits. If the extension is in effect, you may qualify for an additional 13 weeks of benefits.

If you qualify for extended benefits, you must continue to look for work. You must accept any job that you are capable of doing as long as it is listed with the Department of Employment and Training or offered in writing. The job must pay more than your benefit amount and meet the state or federal minimum wage.

Checks are usually mailed the next business day after you call in your claim for benefits on the Weekly Continued Claim line. Although there is no particular day for you to receive your check, you will usually receive it within four (4) business days of your call. No checks are mailed on weekends or holidays. All checks are mailed from the Central Office in Montpelier.

You can expect to receive your first payment within 11 calendar days from the date you filed your initial claim, unless there is an issue pending on your claim (example: quit, discharge). However, if you were not found eligible or a determination is pending, checks are not mailed until a decision has been made that you are eligible to receive benefits.

During the time an issue is pending you will receive a weekly statement that tells you there is an unresolved issue on your claim. Remember - call in your claims each week on the Weekly Continued Claims Line during this process. Failure to continue filing may result in a reduced benefit payment to you, in the event the determination is made in your favor.

No checks are mailed on weekends or holidays. All checks are mailed from the Central Office in Montpelier.

Pensions that are totally funded by a base period employer are deducted dollar-for-dollar from your benefit check. If you start to receive retirement or pension income during your benefit year, you must advise the Department by calling the toll-free Claimant Assistance Line at 1-877-214-3332. If your retirement income is less than your benefit amount, you will be entitled to reduced benefits. The following types of retirement income may affect your weekly benefit amount:

• Industry retirement
• Military pension
• Civil Service pension
• Local Government pension
• Any other payment based on previous work

The following types of retirement income do not affect your weekly benefit amount:

• Supplemental Security Income
• Veterans Administration Disability Compensation
• Social Security Income
• Pension that you contribute to
• Pension from a non-base period employer

Unemployment Insurance payments are taxable income and must be reported on your federal tax return. You may elect to have federal and state taxes withheld from your weekly benefit amount. If you choose this voluntary option, our staff can tell you the amount that would be withheld each week.

You may change your withholding option once during any benefit year. By the end of January each year, the Department notifies you and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the amount of benefits you received for the prior calendar year. The Department also reports to the IRS and the State Tax Department, the amount of federal and state withholding for all claimants who had taxes withheld for the previous year.

It is important to keep your address information current as these notices are mailed to the most recent address that we have on file. If you lose your notice (form 1099G) or do not receive it by the end of January, you can obtain the amount of Unemployment Insurance paid to you by dialing the Weekly Continued Claim Line at 1-800-983-2300 and selecting option 5. It is not necessary to obtain a new copy of your 1099G, as you are not required to submit a copy of this document to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

A very important eligibility requirement is that you must be able and available to accept suitable work. Nothing should prevent you from accepting a suitable job. The law requires that you do the following: First and most importantly, you must look for work. You received specific work search instructions when you filed your initial claim for Unemployment Insurance benefits. You need to make and keep a list of all job contacts you make, with a minimum of three (3) job contacts each week. A duplicate contact to an employer for the same position in a five (5) week period does not count as a valid job contact for your work search. You must be realistic in your work search. Make your contacts for jobs that you are qualified for and willing to accept if a job is offered to you. Remember - unemployment is designed to tide you over between jobs - not provide you with long-term assistance.

You will be required to furnish a list of your work search efforts periodically to the Department for verification and review of your continued eligibility for benefits.

If you have failed, without good cause, either to accept an offer of work or a referral to suitable employment, or to apply for an available and suitable job after being referred by the Department, you will be disqualified for benefits and may be required to repay benefits you received.

There are a number of factors involved in determining if a job is considered suitable. The Department will look at your prior training and/or experience, prior earnings, length of unemployment, prospects of securing local work in your customary occupation, the distance of work from your home, and any physical fitness requirements of likely job offers. We will also consider the degree of risk involved to your health, safety and morals.

Although you may be looking for permanent, full-time work, refusal of an offer of part-time work could result in disqualification for benefits. A job paying less than the last one you held will gradually become more suitable the longer you are unemployed or as the prospect of finding local work in your usual occupation decreases.

The Department's policy requires that, at the time you file your initial claim for unemployment benefits, you be willing to accept up to 10 percent less than you were previously earning before filing. After five (5) weeks of filing, you must be willing to accept up to 20 percent less than you were previously earning. After filing for ten (10) weeks, you must be willing to accept the prevailing wage for the type of work you are seeking.

The prevailing wage is the average wage, among all employers in your area, for the type of work you are seeking. You will not, however, be expected to accept work offering substantially less pay, less favorable working conditions, or less hours than the prevailing wage. Additionally, work available due to a labor dispute will not be considered suitable, nor will work which requires you to join, refrain from joining, or resign from a labor union.

Remember ... in order to avoid the possible delay or denial of benefit payments -- you should be looking for work on your own, be ready and willing to accept a referral to a job, be reasonable in your requirements about the job you will accept, and not turn down an offer of suitable work. If you are given a referral to suitable work by the Department, you MUST follow up on this referral in a timely manner. Failure to do so will likely result in the loss of benefits.

If you stop receiving benefits, even for only a week, it will be necessary for you to call 1-877-214-3330 to re-open your claim. To stop receiving benefits, simply stop calling the weekly continued claims line.

When you return to work, you should file a claim for the last week you were unemployed. Complete a Return to Work Notification and return it to this Department. If you return to part-time work and continue to file for partial benefits, you must report your weekly gross wages when they are earned, not when they are received. See "Part-time Employment" for additional information. You must also continue to look for full-time employment if directed to do so.

If you become ill, disabled or unable to work while filing for Unemployment Insurance, you or your representative must call the toll-free Claimant's Assistance Line at 1-877-214-3332 immediately for further instructions.

The Unemployment Insurance system is designed to help you. It does, however, have rules and regulations to prevent people from abusing it. The following actions may result in the loss, denial, or delay of your right to collect benefits. You will be required to repay any benefits improperly received as a result of your non-disclosure or misrepresentation.

• Quitting a job without a reason that is caused by the employer
• Being discharged from your job because of misconduct or gross misconduct connected with work
• Leaving a job due to health reasons
• Losing your job due to conviction of a felony or misdemeanor or from an action or order of a judge or court in any criminal or civil matter
• Leaving your job due to participation in a strike or labor dispute
• Failing to file a weekly claim within 14 calendar days from the date it is due
• Failing to report to the DET Career Resource Center as directed
• Failing to participate in re-employment services as directed
• Failing to apply for or accept available suitable work
• Failing to actively look for work
• Failing to be able and available for work
• Failing to follow up on a Department referral to suitable work
• Failing to report work and earnings from employment, sub-contracting or self-employment
• Failing to report a substantial increase in time or effort in a 'sideline activity'
• Failing to report all vacation pay, personal pay, severance pay or wages in lieu of notice, personal days, back pay award, temporary workers' compensation, and any pension that is contributed to entirely by a base period employer
• Currently applying for or receiving unemployment benefits under another state law or federal law
• Working full-time, which is defined as working 35 hours or more in a week.
• Lacking proper documentation, if you are not a U.S. citizen
• Reduced Benefits

You must report all disqualifying payments such as vacation pay, personal pay, severance pay or wages in lieu of notice, personal days, back pay award or settlement, temporary workers' compensation, or any pension that is paid entirely by a base period employer.

The first time your benefits are reduced because you have received any disqualifying payment, you will receive a written determination. If later in your benefit year you report receiving such payment and you are filing an Unemployment Insurance claim for the week, you will not receive a written notice. Your benefit check for the week in question will show a dollar-for-dollar reduction in your weekly benefit amount.

Here's an example of how this process might work. A claimant is laid off from work on a Friday. (S)he files a new Unemployment Insurance claim the following Monday and reports (s)he will receive two weeks of vacation pay from the separating employer. Each week of vacation pay will be $350.00 before taxes. The claimant's weekly benefit amount is $250.00. The Adjudication Unit issues a determination explaining that, because the two weeks of vacation pay are in excess of the claimant's weekly benefit amount, benefits for the first 2 weeks are denied.

If a claimant receives a partial week of any of the above listed payments, his/her weekly benefit amount is reduced on a dollar-for dollar basis. For example, a claimant receives 1 1/2 weeks of vacation pay after being laid off from employment. Each week of vacation pay is $300.00 before taxes, resulting in a gross amount of $450.00 in vacation pay. The claimant's weekly benefit amount is $250.00. If the claimant files an Unemployment Insurance claim immediately after becoming unemployed, the Adjudication Unit will issue a determination fully denying benefits for the first week and allowing a partial payment of benefits for $100.00 the second week.

Some people, while receiving their primary income as full-time workers for an employer, also derive income from a sideline activity (one's own business). When they lose their primary employment and begin collecting Unemployment Insurance, they often opt to continue working at this already established sideline business while they continue to look for other full-time work.

If you are continuing to work at your sideline business, unless you substantially increase the time or effort you devote to it, you would not be denied benefits. If that is the case, the Customer Services Representative will instruct you not to report income from that sideline activity when filing your weekly claims.

However, if you increase your sideline business by 20% or more, either the time devoted to or the earnings gained from this sideline business, you must immediately call the Department's toll-free Claimant Assistance Line at 1-877-214-3332 to report this. A Customer Service Representative will ask you questions about the increased activity and decide whether the matter should be referred to the Adjudication Unit for a formal determination regarding your continued eligibility for benefits. Failure to report this change in your sideline business may result in the overpayment of benefits, which you would be liable to repay. You must keep accurate records of the hours devoted to your sideline activities and the amount of money earned.

An individual who is engaged in the formation, development or operation of a trade, business, enterprise, profession or other activity undertaken for the purpose of producing income and is in the form of a sole proprietorship, partnership, joint venture, or other similar entity is self-employed. While a self-employed individual is not automatically ineligible for unemployment insurance benefits, the more time and effort the individual devotes to self-employment, the less he or she is available for work with other employers. An individual who devotes substantial time and effort to a self-employment venture will be deemed ineligible for unemployment insurance benefits.

If you are self-employed (and remain able and available to accept work with another employer) you MUST report your weekly self-employment earnings while filing for Unemployment Insurance benefits.

If you have any questions about whether or not the Department considers you to be self-employed, please call the toll-free Claimant Assistance Line immediately at 1-877-214-3332.

If the Department makes the determination that you lose your right to collect benefits, one or a combination of the following may occur:

• You may be disqualified for or denied benefits for a certain number of weeks.
• You may be disqualified for or denied benefits for an indefinite period of time.
• You may be disqualified for benefits until you have been re-employed and earned wages of at least six times your weekly benefit amount and then be out of work through no fault of your own.

Once the Department has determined you have served the disqualification, you will be allowed to collect unemployment benefits providing you are unemployed and otherwise entitled to receive benefits.

It is important that you be completely honest when filing claims for benefits. If you are not truthful or if you fail to disclose important information to receive benefits:

• You will be required to repay the money to the Department.
• Your future benefits will be withheld to offset your overpayment of unemployment benefits.
• Penalty weeks may be assessed against you. If penalty weeks are imposed, you will lose the right to collect future benefits that you otherwise would be entitled to receive. You may also be prosecuted in criminal court.

In addition:

• Your state tax refund can be withheld.
• You can be taken to court for a judgment order.
• Your employer may be required to withhold earnings from your paycheck.

When you first file for unemployment benefits, the Department must make several initial decisions about whether you are entitled to receive benefits.

First: The Department will determine if you have sufficient wages to qualify you for a weekly benefit amount.

Second: The Department will determine if you meet the basic eligibility requirements for benefits, such as being able and available for work.

Third: The Department will determine if there is anything about your separation from your employment that would disqualify you for benefits, such as if you quit, were discharged or received separation pay from your last employer.

Shortly after filing your initial claim for unemployment, you will receive a monetary determination from the Department. This will list the employers you have worked for and the wages reported under your social security number during the base period. It will also indicate what your Weekly Benefit Amount and your Maximum Benefit Amount will be for the next 52-week period. If information is missing when you file, such as wages from another state or wages from a Vermont employer, you will receive additional monetary determinations as the Department receives this information. If there are wages or employers indicated on this notice that you did not work for, you must notify the Department immediately by calling the toll-free Claimant Assistance Line at 1-877-214-3332.

If the Department's Adjudication Unit determines that you are not entitled to receive benefits, or if your former employer challenges your entitlement to benefits, a non-monetary determination will be made and sent to both you and to the employer involved. If you are disqualified for benefits and disagree with the determination that is made by the Adjudication Unit, you may appeal the determination. Likewise, if your benefits are allowed and your employer disagrees they may appeal the determination.

Both you and your employer can appeal determinations and decisions made by the Department. All appeals must be filed with the Department in writing within 30 days of the decision. Appeals can be mailed, faxed, or e-mailed to the Department. The mailing address is the Vermont Department of Employment & Training, P.O. Box 488, Montpelier, Vermont, 05601-0488. The fax number is (802) 828-4289. The e-mail address is: appeals@pop.det.state.vt.us.

You do not need an attorney to appeal a decision or determination, but you may utilize one if you wish. You may be able to get free legal help if you disagree with any decision or determination and want advice or need help with an appeal. For more information, contact Vermont Legal Aid at 1-800-889-2047.

If you decide to appeal a determination or decision that was not in your favor, you should continue to file a claim for benefits during each week that you remain unemployed until a decision on your appeal has been made. Failure to continue filing may result in a reduced benefit payment to you, in the event the determination or decision is made in your favor.

Your weekly claims for unemployment benefits can be filed by telephone. Simply call the toll-free Weekly Claims Line at 1-800-983-2300 and select Option No. 1. First, you will be identified by entering your social security number and your PIN number (Personal Identification Number), which you will establish when you file your first weekly claim for each new benefit year. You will typically be asked seven questions, which you answer by pressing "l " for Yes and "9" for No, or by speaking the word "yes" or "no" if using a rotary telephone. Remember that you are always filing for the previous Saturday's week ending date. If you had a break in the filing sequence, or were totally employed for the previous week, it will be necessary for you to call the toll-free Initial Claims line at 1-877-214-3330, and re-open your claim before you can call in your weekly continued claim.

Once you have answered the questions, and the system has told you "thank you for using the weekly claim and information line, good-bye," it has accepted your claim. If the system has accepted your claim, it is not necessary for you to mail in a paper claim for that same week.

If you have reported earnings and they exceed your weekly benefit amount plus disregarded earnings, or if the total hours worked for the week equal or exceed 35 hours, you will not be entitled to receive an Unemployment benefit check for that week. Instead, you will receive a notice that indicates that the earnings reported and/or the hours worked are in excess of what is allowable to receive partial unemployment and as such, renders you ineligible to receive an Unemployment Insurance payment for this week. This will make your Unemployment Insurance claim inactive, which it must be if you wish to file again during the benefit year. The same holds true if you return to work and stop filing your weekly claims. If you wish to continue filing claims for weekly benefits, you must call the Initial Claims Line toll-free at 1-877-214-3330 to reopen your claim.

If you return to full-time work while filing your weekly Unemployment Insurance claims, detach and complete the "Return to Work Notification." But, more importantly, STOP filing your weekly claims immediately. (For example, if you are returning to work full-time on a Monday, you may file a weekly claim for the preceding week.) If you continue to file for benefits, and it is found that you are working, you will be found to have been overpaid Unemployment Insurance benefits, which you will have to repay.

If you discover a mistake on your response to any question, call back immediately and re-enter your claim using option #1. The second call will replace the first one if both calls are made before 4:30 p.m. on the same day. If you discover an error the next day, you must call the toll-free Claimant Assistance Line at 1-877-214-3332.

Source: Vermont Department of Employment and Training