I Lost My Job but Also Get Social Security. Can I File for Unemployment?
The COVID-19 crisis has sparked an uptick in unemployment claims, with millions of Americans filing over the past two weeks and many more likely to file during April. If you've lost your job due to no fault of your own -- meaning, you weren't fired for cause -- and you meet the earnings requirements in your state, you'll generally be eligible to collect unemployment benefits. But what if you're working and collecting Social Security simultaneously? Will you still qualify for unemployment, or will one set of benefits prevent you from collecting another?
Your weekly unemployment benefit is based on your state's benefit rate coupled with your recent wage history. Meanwhile, your Social Security benefits are calculated based on how much you earned during your 35 highest-paid years in the workforce. You're entitled to your full monthly Social Security benefit based on your income history once you reach full retirement age, which, depending on the year you were born, is 66, 67, or 66 and a certain number of months.
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Source Fool.com