Unemployment Benefits

To qualify for unemployment benefit, one must:

1. have been insured for at least 52 weeks.
2. have at least 20 contributions paid or credited in the 3 consecutive quarters ending with the quarter but one before that in which unemployment began.
3. have at least 7 contributions paid or credited in the quarter but one preceding the quarter in which unemployment commenced.

The daily rate of unemployment benefit is 60% of the insured person's average insurable weekly earnings divided by 6.  The same principle applies in the case of an insured person who has been laid off or kept on short time¹.

Average insurable weekly earnings means the sum of the insurable earnings on which contributions, (paid or credited) were based over the continuous period of the quarter but one before the contribution quarter in which unemployment began or is deemed to have begun, divided by 13.

Two or more periods of unemployment which are not separated by more than eight (8) weeks are treated as one continuous period of unemployment, starting on the first day of the first of the first period of employment, and the rate of benefit payable for the whole period is the rate payable during the first period of unemployment.

Unemployment benefit is payable for each day of unemployment, excluding Sundays, as long as unemployment continues, subject to a maximum of 26 weeks in any continuous period of unemployment; or for an aggregate of 26 weeks in the 52 weeks immediately preceding the commencement of the current week of unemployment.

A person who becomes unemployed should report to the Unemployment Benefit Branch, at Verona House, Bank Hall, St. Michael, or at such other place as may be determined by the Director, National Insurance, to complete a claim form and register at the National Employment Bureau.

Where an insured person has exhausted entitlement to unemployment benefit,  that person shall not be entitled to another such benefit until the expiration of 52 contribution weeks from the last week in respect of which benefit was paid.

The first three (3) days of a period of unemployment are treated as “waiting days”.  Unemployment benefit is not payable for these days unless the period of unemployment last for three (3) weeks or more.

Unemployment benefit is not payable for any period spent out of the island nor for any period more than 2 weeks from the initial date of registration at Verona, Bank Hall.

Employers are required to complete form U.3 Termination of Services/Lay Off Certificate² in duplicate as soon as the employee's services are terminated or the employee is laid off.

The certificate must be sent to the National Insurance Office and the duplicate delivered to the insured person. This form contains information vital to the computation of the employee’s unemployment benefit.