States

How To Apply For Unemployment In Rhode Island

In the State of Rhode Island, you can file for unemployment insurance benefits online by registering with the Department of Labor and Training. You can also file over the phone by calling (401) 243-9100. You’ll need to provide complete contact information for yourself and any employer you’ve worked for in the past eighteen months. More Info is below:

• PDF Guide to File Your Claim
• File Your Claim Online or By Phone
• Network RI Career Center

Complete contact information includes full name, social security number, address, phone number, and email address. You may also be asked to confirm your age, ethnicity, and level of education, but you cannot be denied benefits based on your answers.

Additional Filing Requirements

Your weekly benefits payment amount will be determined by calculating the wages you received in the first four of the last five quarters you worked in the State of Rhode Island. This time frame is called your “base period.” Your weekly UI payment will be a percentage of the wages you earned in your base period. To avoid delays, have the following ready:

• Employer Names and Contact Info
• Start and End Dates for All Jobs
• Reasons for Separation

You’ll want to be as detailed as possible. Unemployment insurance claims are subject to random audits, so make sure your numbers and dates are accurate. They could be reviewed later on. You may also be asked to provide back-up documentation such as paycheck stubs, W2’s, or 1099’s. Submitting false numbers is fraud, so double-check everything.

Submitting Weekly Claims to Receive Payments

As part of your contract with the Department of Labor and Training, you will be required to submit weekly claims reports verifying your continued unemployment status. If you take on part-time work and receive wages, you must report them. They will be deducted from your weekly unemployment insurance payment and you’ll receive the difference.

As part of your weekly claims report, you will also be asked if you are willing and “physically able” to work and if you’ve been offered any new job opportunities. Disabled workers may be eligible for disability payments through the federal social security office. Unemployment insurance is not the correct source for you. Refusal of a job offer may result in the termination of your unemployment insurance agreement. You’re required to take a job if offered.

Rhode Island Network Career Centers

The final requirement on your weekly claims report is to provide proof of work search. You are obligated by contract to submit three job search attempts each week that you receive unemployment insurance benefits payments. Failure to do so may result in the closure of your claim. To avoid that, register with the Rhode Island Network Career Centers when you file your initial unemployment insurance claim. Your job searches will be registered there.

The RI Network Career Centers are part of the American Job Center Network, which provides employment opportunities, job training resources, and career counseling to tens of thousands of unemployed workers across the country. You can utilize this resource to find a new job or get advanced training in your field or another field you hope to break into.