Unemployment Benefits Compensation

Unemployment Benefits Compensation

Unemployment compensation is the money you receive from Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training while you are unemployed. The term is basically interchangeable with “unemployment benefits.”

You will receive your unemployment benefit amount for the previous week on the Friday of the current week. Calculating your Weekly Benefit Amount and Maximum Benefit Amounts is simple.

Calculating Rhode Island Unemployment Benefit Amounts

Determine Your Weekly Benefit Amount

Currently, the Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA) in Rhode Island varies from a $49 minimum to a $566 maximum. You can also earn the greater of either $15 or 5 percent of your WBA for each dependent in your home, including up to five dependents, for a maximum dependent WBA of $707.

Calculate your WBA by averaging your two highest quarter wages in your Base Period and multiplying that amount by 3.85 percent. Averaging your quarterly wages requires adding them up and then dividing by two.

EXAMPLE: Your two highest quarters were $5,000 and $6,250, for a total of $11,250. Divide this by two to get $5,625 and multiply by 0.0385 to get $216.56. Round down to the nearest whole dollar for $216.

To calculate your dependent amount rate, multiply $216 by 0.15 to get $32.40 and round that down to $32. As this is higher than $15, this is your dependent rate. Multiply this rate by the number of dependents. In our example of three dependents, the new rate would be $96.

Add this amount to $216 to get $312. Unlike many other states, Rhode Island allows residents to boost their WBA past the maximum benefit level by claiming dependents.

Determine Your Maximum Benefit Amount

Calculate your Maximum Benefit Amount (MBA) by multiplying your WBA by 26 (the maximum number of benefit weeks). This amount may change based on your weekly claims.

The current maximum amount is $14,716 ($566 x 26), though you can earn up to $18,382 if you receive the maximum WBA and have five dependents ($707 x 26).