Can you still receive unemployment benefits even if you return to work?

Question

Can you still receive unemployment benefits even if you return to work?

Answer 1

If you return to work you are no longer "unemployed", so the answer is "No".  

If fact, receiving unemployment benefits while working is illegal.  If you earn any money at all during your period of unemployment, you are required to list it on your claim form, so that it can be deducted from your benefit payment.  Failing to do this is also illegal.  You can be required to pay back any amount received for a period that you were actually working, plus fines and possible legal repercussions.

Detailed information should be at your state's unemployment office, and likely on their website.

Answer 2

In most states not if your new job pays more than a certain amount compared to your benefits or requires a certain number of hours, or something like that. You may still be able to collect back pay on benefits if you are owed them.

I can't say for sure, though, and you should not rely on my answer for legal counseling because I am not yet a lawyer and cannot give legal advice. Contact your state department of labor to find out their requirements and if you need legal help regarding unemployment, contact a lawyer or a legal service. (in New York, for example, the Unemployment Action Center can help you contest decisions by the unemployment board, http://www.uac-ny.org)

Answer 3

well, stop and think.   Un-employment compensation is for people who qualify, the big item for qualifying, is guess what .. being UN-Employed.

If you begin work, you are now EMPLOYED, which disqualifies you from the benefits.  

In some states, you can work and if the job you are working at pays less than your un-employment benefit, you may be able to recieve the "diference".  

This varies from state to state, so if you are on un-employment, you need to check to see how it will affect your benefits locally BEFORE  taking a job that pays less than your benefits.  

hope this helps.

Answer 4

There are times when you can collect unemployment while you work. If you take a parttime job while collecting benefits for being laid off from a full time job you may be able to collect the difference in income. I work as a school bus driver, get laid off for the summer and collect unemployment. If my employer calls me in to work for a few hours a week I just let unemployment know how many hours I worked for the weeks I am filing and I get a reduced unemplyment check.