Each state may have a different policy regarding unemployment after caregiving.
When an elderly parent suffers from illness or has an ongoing medical condition, it may become necessary for a family member to take time off from work to provide care. The difficult decision to leave work for caregiver responsibilities often results in financial stress for the family. Whether an employee may successfully claim unemployment benefits depends on state law and the policies of the agency overseeing the state's unemployment program.
Purpose of Unemployment Benefits
State unemployment programs provide financial support to workers who have lost their jobs or otherwise become unemployed under specified circumstances. Each state sets its own criteria to determine eligibility for unemployment benefits when a worker files a benefits claim -- this criteria often includes a list of acceptable reasons for claiming unemployment after voluntarily leaving a job. Each state also sets requirements for a claimant to look for work and show readiness to accept a new job when offered an opportunity. If a claimant needs to spend a lot of time caring for a sick parent, she might need to prove her availability to resume work in order to meet the eligibility criteria for unemployment benefits.
Providing Care as the Reason for Leaving Work
A potential claimant should research how his state's unemployment program might treat a claim for unemployment benefits when the claimant left work due to a personal reason. A claim is often more straightforward when the employee lost his job due to layoffs or company closure. When an unemployment claim includes leaving work for a personal reason, whether the claimant can receive benefits depends on whether the state agency views the reason as "good cause" for voluntarily quitting. New York, for example, will deny a claim if the employee voluntarily left, unless the claim can show a "compelling personal reason." The employee would need to find out whether providing care for an ill parent serves as an adequate reason. Other states, including Connecticut, specifically list caring for an ill parent as an acceptable reason for job separation.
Effect on Benefits Claim
Even if a state unemployment program accepts caregiver responsibilities as a reason for voluntarily leaving a job, the worker's claim must still meet all other criteria to receive unemployment benefits. Claimants must generally show that they are available to work if they receive offers for new employment. Some state agencies have denied the unemployment claims of caregivers because they couldn't sufficiently prove their ongoing availability to work. In Kentucky, for example, the state agency denied unemployment to a caregiver who failed to prove her intention to continue looking for work and to accept a new opportunity -- the caregiver had limited contact with former employers, no networking activities and few submitted applications for job openings.
Other Benefits Options When Taking Care of a Parent
While unemployment benefits may provide financial assistance to cover lost income while providing care, a worker should research the other legal options and benefits programs that might be available. A worker's state might offer a family-leave program to partially compensate for income lost while caring for a spouse, domestic partner, child or parent. In addition, a worker should consider whether the federal Family and Medical Leave Act offers a measure of protection if the worker needs time off to care for a parent. While FMLA doesn't pay benefits to workers, the program does protect against employee replacement or job loss for a limited period of time while an employee of an eligible employer takes time off to care for an elderly parent.
Tags: unemployment benefits, Each state, personal reason, state unemployment, state unemployment program