Employment Law

What Are The Eligibility Requirements?

In order to be eligible for unemployment compensation, you must meet the following requirements in each week:

  1. You must be totally or partially unemployed. You are totally unemployed for any week in which you did not perform any work and for which you have no wages payable to you.
  2. You must register for work using the NHES Job Match System, to be eligible for benefits, unless you have been specifically exempted. When you enter your Application Resume information into the NHES Job Match System, either on­line from home or by using a PC in the NHES Resource Center, you have fulfilled the mandatory work registration. The system will conduct a match of your skills against available jobs.
  3. You must be available for full­time work. This means that with limited exceptions you must be ready and willing to accept full­time work on all shifts and during hours when the work you are qualified to do is normally performed.
  4. You must be able to perform full­time work. This means that you must be physically and mentally able to work each day of the week. Benefits cannot be paid for any week during which you are unable to work.
  5. You must actively look for full­time work and keep a list of employers you contact about a job. Each week, you must try to find work on your own by contacting employers who are likely to have work in your usual occupation. If you cannot find work in your regular occupation, you are expected to look for work in other occupations for which you are qualified. If you are only partially employed, you must make a continuing effort to find full­time work.
  6. You must file timely claims for benefits.
  7. You must participate in Re­employment Services if selected by NH Employment Security.
  8. You must disclose whether or not you are required to make child support payments, or whether you owe an uncollected over­issuance of food stamp coupons.
  9. You must report any offer of work you refuse. Refusal of work may or may not result in disqualification.
  10. You must notify NH Employment Security immediately of any change in address or telephone number. Call the Benefit Adjudication Unit (BAU) for instructions at 1­800­266­2252, press option 4 and wait for a Customer Service Representative (or contact your local office).

To be eligible for unemployment compensation, you must have earned at least $2800 in annual earnings during the base period, and earned at least $1400 in each of two quarters during the base period. An individual who has received unemployment benefits during a Benefit Year is required to have earned $700 in wages in employment since the beginning of such Benefit Year in order to qualify for benefits in the next Benefit Year.

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