Moving out of state won't prevent you from drawing Florida unemployment benefits -- if you are eligible to receive them. In fact, Florida offers options for applying for unemployment benefits in Florida even if you are living permanently in another state. Once you become eligible for Florida unemployment benefits, it does not matter where you choose to live while receiving the weekly payments.
Base Period
People working in Florida during a specified "base period" are initially eligible for unemployment compensation, pending a full review by the state's unemployment agency, the Florida Agency for Workplace Innovation. The state describes a base period as the first four quarters of the previous five quarters before filing a claim. The claimant must have earned at least $3,400 working in Florida during the base period. Once a person establishes eligibility she must continue to seek full-time employment and adhere to other guidelines for receiving weekly payments. The claimant can move from the state before or after the final determination of eligibility.
Considerations
After determining initial eligibility through the base period, Florida examines reasons why you left your last, or next-to-last, employer. People who leave their jobs voluntarily by quitting are not eligible for unemployment benefits. That means it is not possible to quit a job to move to Texas and then draw Florida unemployment benefits. People fired from their jobs because they broke company rules are sometimes denied benefits as well. However, a person who was a part of a legitimate layoff could become eligible for benefits and move to another state while still collecting the benefits.
Weekly Pay
The minimum weekly benefit amount in Florida in 2011 is $32 and the maximum is $275, according to the state's website. People applying for benefits can calculate the amount that they would receive by reviewing the quarter in the base period with their highest earnings and dividing that number by 26. The resulting number is the weekly benefit amount, but it cannot exceed the maximum of $275.
Advice
Someone contemplating moving out of Florida and collecting unemployment benefits can check with the state to confirm a clear understanding of the rules. For example, moving out of Florida and taking a job in another state could make a person ineligible for benefits in Florida. It depends on how long the person worked out of state and the most recent work experience in Florida. The Florida Agency for Workplace Innovation is available to answer questions by telephone. Contact the agency at 800-204-2418.
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