UI benefits are payable only to individuals unemployed through no fault of their own. A claimant establishing monetary eligibility for benefits must also meet other requirements; these are called "nonmonetary eligibility" requirements.

Nonmonetary eligibility requirements fall into two categories: separation and nonseparation issues. We resolve nonmonetary eligibility issues by making "nonmonetary determinations" to allow or deny benefits.

Separation issues involve the reasons an individual is unemployed from a specific employer.

Nonseparation issues are generally week-to-week questions about eligibility and include whether an individual is making an active work search, is able and available for work, and reporting as required by the Department.

When a claimant files an application for benefits, we look at all job separations from the beginning of the base year through the most recent job. When an existing claim is reopened, we look at all job separations since the claimant last submitted a weekly claim. A quit or a discharge from the claimant's last employer raises a job separation issue. A quit or discharge from other than the last employer will not be addressed if it has been at least 7 weeks since the separation AND the claimant has worked and earned at least seven times the weekly benefit amount since that separation. (Exception: separations due to a felony or gross misdemeanor connected with the work.)

Claimants quitting work must establish "good cause" to be eligible for benefits. When a claimant is fired, the employer must establish the claimant was fired for misconduct connected with the work for the claimant to be denied benefits. After relevant facts have been gathered on a job separation issue, the department issues a written nonmonetary determination to the claimant and employer, explaining why benefits are allowed or denied. A claimant or employer disagreeing with this written determination can file an appeal.

Claimants quitting work without good cause or discharged for misconduct connected with the work are denied benefits beginning Sunday of the week of the quit or discharge and for an additional seven weeks, AND until they return to work and earns seven times their weekly benefit amount.

Each week claimants certify as to whether they were able, available and actively seeking work, refused any work, worked or received certain types of income or payment during the previous week. Answers to these questions may cause the department to question a claimant's nonmonetary eligibility.

Whenever a claimant's nonmonetary eligibility is questioned, the claimant is provided adequate notice of the issue and an opportunity to be heard before an eligibility decision is made. When benefits are denied it is in the form of a written determination that explains the reason and affords appeal rights.