Unemployment Benefits Can Assist You With More Than A Weekly Check

In the unfortunate situation where an employee is terminated or voluntarily quits his or her job, the Division of Unemployment Assistance can provide much needed financial relief though a weekly check. Not only can unemployed individuals receive a weekly check for assistance, there are also other programs that can help assist the individual in many ways. One program that is available through the Division of Unemployment Assistance is health insurance coverage. In order to be eligible for health insurance benefits in Massachusetts, you must be a resident of the state and meet certain income eligibility guidelines. The individual and their family may also qualify for health insurance coverage under the Medical Security Program (MSP). There are two health insurance options that one can choose from. The first option is the Direct Coverage Plan. This plan is for individuals without any current health plans. Under this option some co-payments are required for certain services. This health insurance option is given to individuals and their families who don t have access to COBRA or other health insurance plans and also for individuals who can t afford to maintain their COBRA option. The second health insurance option is The Premium Assistance Plan, which allows individuals to receive partial reimbursement for health insurance premiums to continue their health plan through their last employer. All benefits of the Medical Security Program coverage are terminated when unemployment benefits end.
Another option under unemployment assistance is approved work training. Under Section 30 of the Unemployment Insurance Law, an individual can apply for approved training if they think that they will need training to help them find employment. You must apply for the training program by the 15th week of your claim, if the individual wants to be able to be eligible for an extension of their unemployment benefits. Under section 30 this program can waive work search and availability under Section 24 (b) and Section 25 (c) while in attendance of a full-time approved training program. This training program may pay up to 18 additional weeks of benefits, if they are needed in order to complete the program.
For individuals who are collecting unemployment assistance and are looking for a job, the state has One-Stop Career Centers that can help. These centers are conveniently located across the state and they offer employment services that allow the individual to work on their job search in an atmosphere comfortable for them. The One-Stop Career Centers staff members are committed to helping individuals get back into the job market and find a job. These career centers offer one-on-one counseling, workshops, written handouts or all of the above, depending on whatever best suits the individual s employment search needs. The One-Stop Career Centers offers many no-cost services for an individual to take advantage of them and get back into the work force.

Unemployment Insurance Law:




Section 24 (b) states; an individual must be capable of, available, and actively seeking work in his usual occupation or any other occupation which he is reasonably fitted.


Section 24 (c) states; Any week in which an otherwise eligible individual fails, without good cause, to apply for suitable employment whenever notified so to do by the employment office, or to accept suitable employment whenever offered to him, and for the next seven consecutive weeks in addition to the waiting period provided in section twenty-three, and the duration of benefits for unemployment to which the individual would otherwise have been entitled may thereupon be reduced for as many weeks, not exceeding eight, as the commissioner shall determine from the circumstances of each case. )

By: Employment Lawyer

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This article as written by Ashley Gurdon, a Suffolk University student and intern for the employment lawyers at Goldstein and Clegg, LLC