If you are unemployed in Virginia, you will want to learn how to file for Virginia extended unemployment benefits. Filing a claim for extended compensation is a simple process, but you need to familiarize yourself with the program guidelines before beginning. The complete regulations can be found on the Virginia Employment Commission, or VEC, website.http://www.vec.virginia.gov/vecportal/index.cfm

On July 21, 2010, the United States Senate voted to reauthorize the EUC program through November 30, 2010. Workers who have already received the maximum benefits available will not be entitled to further compensation under this extension.http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2010/07/senate-votes-to-extend-unemployment-benefits-1/1 Claimants who are eligible for additional EUC benefits will be contacted by the Virginia Employment Commission.http://www.vec.virginia.gov/vecportal/announcements.cfm/id/39

The extended unemployment benefits were made available due to the Worker Assistance Act of 2009, which was signed into law by President Obama on November 6, 2009.http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/fact-sheet-worker-homeownership-and-business-assistance-act-2009 This law provided federal funding for all fifty states to extend another 14 weeks of unemployment compensation under the Emergency Unemployment Compensation, or EUC, program.

This page will explain the steps you'll need to take to claim extended unemployment benefits in Virginia. First, you'll need to make sure you are eligible to receive EUC benefits. Then, you should take time to gather the information you'll need to file. Finally, you will complete a benefit application.

To file for extended unemployment benefits in Virginia, the first thing you'll need to do is evaluate your eligibility for EUC compensation. The most important qualification is that you must have completely exhausted all of your available compensation before you apply for EUC. If your current benefits have not yet run out, you will have to wait until they expire before continuing this process.

You will also have to maintain eligibility for initial unemployment compensation. This includes the following:http://www.vec.virginia.gov/vecportal/index2.cfm/aid/56

1. You must be currently unemployed or underemployed
2. Have filed your initial benefit application
3. Report all of your work done and income received
4. Be able and available for work - You must be physically and mentally able to perform full time work. You must also make any necessary arrangements for childcare or transportation to be able to accept full time work.
5. Register for work through the VEC Workforce Connection
6. Actively search for a new job
7. Report all of the jobs you refuse
8. Continue filing weekly benefit claims

To receive unemployment compensation, you will also have to have earned a certain amount of wages during your base period. The base period refers to the first four of the last five calendar quarters before you filed your claim. When you report this information to your local VEC office, a Monetary Determination of Benefits explaining your benefit amount will be sent to you.http://www.vec.virginia.gov/vecportal/unins/pdf/claimanthandbook.pdf

Your next step is to gather essential information that you will use to document your claim. When you file your EUC application, you will use this information to demonstrate your eligibility for the program. The information you'll use in this step is the same information you used to open your claim for initial benefits. If any of this information has changed since your initial claim, you will need to update it at this time.

You will need the following:http://www.vec.virginia.gov/vecportal/seeker/jslogin.cfm

1. Your full name and current mailing address
2. Your Social Security number
3. Your United States Alien Registration ID number, if you are not a U.S. citizen
4. The name and number of your local union hall, if applicable
5. The full business names, telephone numbers and addresses of all of your employers for the last 18 months
6. The start and end dates of your employment at those businesses
7. The exact reason for your separation from each job - Note: If you lost your job due to misconduct or if you voluntarily quit without a good reason, you will not qualify for benefits.

It is very important that you report the above information accurately and honestly. Knowingly giving false or misleading information constitutes fraud and will disqualify you from receiving benefits for up to 52 weeks. You may even be punished with a fine or imprisonment.http://www.vec.virginia.gov/vecportal/unins/pdf/claimanthandbook.pdf

Now that you've gathered your necessary information, you can file your application for extended unemployment benefits! Eligible EUC applicants should receive an application to file for benefits in the mail.http://www.vec.virginia.gov/vecportal/faq.cfm?gty=15 If you feel that you qualify for extended benefits and you have not received an application, you should contact your local VEC office.

Applications should then be completed in full and returned to the central processing center. Online applications for EUC are not available. Applicants are asked to wait three weeks before contacting the central office regarding the processing of a new EUC claim. If you are currently receiving EUC, you should be automatically moved from one tier to another as you exhaust them.

In the meantime, you should continue filing your weekly benefit claims as usual. You can do this either online via the VEC website or over the telephone using the Voice Response System, or VRS.http://www.vec.virginia.gov/vecportal/unins/pdf/benefitrights2010.pdf

To file your weekly benefit claims, you will need to have the following information:

1. Your Social Security number
2. Your Personal Identification Number (PIN)
3. The number of work contacts you made that week
4. Any change in the amount of pension payments you received
5. Any special pay you received, such as severance, holiday pay or Worker's Compensation
6. Whether or not you returned to full time employment

If there have been any changes affecting your eligibility for benefits, you will not receive benefits that week. A caseworker will contact you to follow up on the updated information.

The content in this page is not a substitute for professional legal advice. Please contact a law professional before using the information presented here.