Unemployment benefits are available in Arizona for those workers who meet all the requirements. However, if you have not applied for this insurance for years, bear in mind that there have been some important updates. The main change that has taken place has to do with its duration. The length of time you can collect your unemployment check will depend on the Unemployment Rate.
As for December 2022, the unemployment rate in Arizona was 4% while it was just 3.5% in the USA. As this rate is below 5% you could collect your benefit for 24 weeks rather than 26. It is possible for Arizona citizens to check the Unemployment rate in their state here. It is available thanks to the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity.
What if I was overpaid for more than 24 weeks for my unemployment insurance?
The Arizona Department of Economic Security will send you a notice by mail to inform you. Do not worry because you can pay back that money online. Thus, you will not have to make an appointment or stand in line for hours. If you are not keen to use the internet you can always call them. If you cannot afford to pay everything back because you have spent all the money, there are payment plans available.
These unemployment insurance overpayments must be through the DES Office of Accounts Receivable and Collections – OARC. In order to make payments online you can use your credit card. It does not matter if it is a Visa, American Express, Discover, or Mastercard. Do not forget to have close at hand your DES Account Number. It is a ten-digit number and you can get it from your billing statement.
Can you earn money and get insurance?
Apart from that first change, unemployment beneficiaries could earn a maximum of 160.49 dollars per week. Yes, you could receive this benefit at the same time and still do get a reduction if you do not exceed the limit of 160.49 dollars. Once you exceed it, unemployment beneficiaries will get a reduction. The third change that has come into effect is the increase in the maximum benefit amount per week in Arizona.
The new maximum amount of unemployment benefits in Arizona is 320 dollars. That amount is not for everyone though, it will depend on your previous earnings to qualify for that amount or not. Your insurance could range from 200 dollars to 320 dollars per week. So, if you think you meet all the requirements to collect Unemployment Insurance benefits in Arizona it is high time you applied for them here.