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Unemployment Insurance - Eligibility for Partial Benefits - Massachusetts

An employee whose work schedule has been reduced, or who has obtained part-time work while collecting unemployment benefits, may claim partial UI benefits. While collecting benefits, the claimant must report any earnings from employment on the weekly certification form used to determine ongoing eligibility. Earnings are subject to verification via a quarterly cross-match system. In order to detect fraud, weeks with earnings are matched to weeks of unemployment benefits.

A claimant may earn up to one-third of his or her weekly Benefit Rate before a reduction in benefits is made. Thereafter, there is a dollar-for-dollar reduction.

The "Low Earnings Report" (Form 209) is sometimes used instead of the usual claimant self-declaration of earnings. For example, if a mass layoff occurs during the holiday season and employees yield only partial earnings, the employer may request, through the local Division of Employment and Training (DET) office, that the Low Earnings Report be used to verify the partial earnings amount. Other arrangements for reporting partial earnings may be made with the manager of the local DET office.

The Low Earnings Report includes:

·      The gross earnings paid for the applicable calendar week(s) (Sunday through Saturday)

·      The reason for the low earnings

·      The name of the person who completed the form

The form must be completed, dated, and signed by an authorized representative and returned to the local DET office via the mail or returned by the claimant. Prior to a layoff, it may be beneficial to learn about the Massachusetts Worksharing Program option.

Also see:

Unemployment Insurance - Eligibility - Massachusetts

Unemployment Insurance - Allowances and Deductions - Massachusetts

Unemployment Insurance - Application Procedures and Issuance of Benefits - Massachusetts

Unemployment Insurance - Fraud Prevention - Massachusetts

Unemployment Insurance (UI) - Overview - Massachusetts

Source

Information for this topic was drawn from the DETMA publication Simplifying the Employment and Training Law: A Guide for Employers. It is available in PDF format (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) from the Division of Career Services/Division of Unemployment Assistance (formerly Department of Education and Training) website at:
http://www.detma.org/pdf/smpbook2.pdf

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