HiRE - So you’ve filed for unemployment…what’s next?

So you’ve filed for unemployment…what’s next?

Our recent enhancements to HiRE now provide those of you who have filed for unemployment more information about your claim than ever before. You may have noticed your new “Claim Status” page, which currently includes something called “outstanding claim issues.” These are really just a list of tasks LWC staff will be doing as part of our routine review of incoming claims.

We thought it might be helpful to explain a few of the steps we take after you file your claim:

First, we check with your former employers. For unemployment benefits, we look at your employment history and wages over the last 18 months, not just your most recent employer. We check how much money you earned as an employee as well as the reason why you left. The amount of wages you earned determines how much in weekly unemployment benefits you can receive. We also want to see if your reason for leaving that employer matches what the employer says. If you both agree, then making a determination on your unemployment claim goes much faster. If your reason for leaving differs from what the employer says, then we have to take more time and get more information before a determination can be made.
If you’ve recently been in the military, or worked for the federal government, or worked in a different state, then we have to gather that information as well and review it. This extra step means more time is needed to review your claim and make a determination.
We consider the information you provided when you filed your claim. Depending on how you answered some of the questions, we may need to contact you for more information. For example, if you tell us that you would not be able to accept a job today if one was offered to you, we need to know why and how long it would be before you are able and available to return to work.
Every claim is reviewed by a staff member first before any unemployment benefits are paid. All claims have what we call a “week of waiting.” No benefits are paid for the first week that you file for unemployment. It has been our experience that many people initially file for unemployment, but they then get a new job almost immediately and do not need unemployment benefits after all. In order to focus our attention on active claims, LWC staff looks to see if you have filed for benefits for a second week. After you file for weekly benefits (the second claim week), we start working in earnest to determine your eligibility for unemployment.

How much time does it take to make a determination?
It usually takes about 21 days from the time you first file your claim until a determination is made. This includes the week of waiting as well as time needed to contact former employers and gather needed information. If you are still unemployed during those 21 days, be sure to keep filing for weekly benefits to avoid any interruption of payments once funds are released.

If you are found to be eligible for unemployment benefits, then the qualifying determination will trigger the release of any benefit payments to you. If you are found not eligible for benefits, then you will receive a disqualifying determination and no benefits will be paid. You and your former employer(s) have the right to appeal a determination as long as requested information has been submitted in a timely manner.

Check your Message Center often
A copy of every notice that is mailed to you about your unemployment claim is also being sent to your HiRE Message Center. You can view all notices as soon as they are produced – often several days before they reach you via postal mail. It is a good idea to check your Message Center every time you log into HiRE. A pop-up message after you log in tells you when there is a new message that you have not read yet. You can click on the link in the pop-up message to go directly to your messages, or look on your left navigation in HiRE and go to Other Services > Communication Center > Message Center.

When should you contact our office?
Of course, you can contact us anytime, but it is best to allow enough time for your claim to be reviewed. If it has been almost a month since you first filed for unemployment and you have not received any notice of determination from LWC, then you should call our Claim Center at 1-866-783-5567, or email us at HiRE@lwc.la.gov. If you email us, be sure to include your full name (as listed on your unemployment claim) as well as your date of birth.

We hope this information helps you understand what happens after you file your unemployment claim and what LWC does to make a determination of eligibility. Because employers pay for unemployment benefits through taxes based on your wages, we take very seriously our responsibility to make sure benefits are paid correctly.

Thank you for using HiRE, and good luck in your employment efforts.

Quick Job Search