The guardian., 1952-01-19


First in series Of articles
on your unemployment insur-
ance, prepared by the Massa-
chusetts DiUision Of Employment
Security
The changes in the Employ
ment Security Law which pro-
vide for the payment of unem-
| ployment insurance to men and
women who are out of work
which go into effect January /,
1852, will have definite effect
on an unemployed workers abil-
ity to qualify for such payments,
Antonio England, Director of the
Division of Employment Secu-
rity, points out in this article on
the changes in the law.
The new amendments to the
law change the so-called 'bene-
fit year" from fixed period to
an individual benefit year. While
this change takes place at the
start of 1852, Director England
pointed out that it does not en-
title all out-of-work men and
women to file a claim under the
provisions of the new law.
He went on to explain that
those unemployed persons who
had filed no claims since April /,
1851, and those who had filed
claims in this period but were
declared ineligible solely because
they had insufficient earnings
may, if they had $500 earnings
between July l, 1850, and June
30, 1851, make application after
January l, 1852, and their claims
will be processed according to
the new law.
Unemployed workers W h o
have filed claims since April l..
1851, even though they have ex-
hausted all their benefit credits,
may not file new claims until
April l, 1852. However, unem-
ployed workers who have filed
claims Since April l, 1851, and
who still have benefit credits
remaining may reopen their
claims under the old law pro-
visions at any time prior to April
l, 1852.
In making application for un-
employment insurance benefits
the claimant continues to follow
the same procedure as hereto
fore. He must make applica-
ton at an Employment Office OF
the Division of Employment
Security, and fill out a registra-
ton for employment. He mus
certify, under penalty of per-
jury, that he is capable of anc
available for work, and is unable
to find work,
After filing his claim, the clai
mant must serve a waiting per
iod for which he receives n
benefits. Under the old provis
ions of the law this waitin
period consisted of one week {
total unemployment or tw
weeks of partial unemployment
This has now been revised, t
require Just one week of tota
or partial unemployment.
Perhaps the most importan
eligibility change made in thu
law refers to the amount of wa
ges a claimant must have beer
paid by employers covered bJ
tn unemployment compensa-
ton act, during the period or
which his benefits are figured
Under the old law only $3.50 in
such wages were required to en-
able an otherwise qualified in
dividual to receive the minimum
in weekly benefits, Under the
amended law $500 in such wages
must have been paid him by
covered employers during his So
called "base period.
All claims h ave heretofore
been based on wages paid during
the calendar year preceding each
April 1st. Effective January 1,
1852. claims will be based on
wages paid during a period con-
sisting of the four consecutive
quarters ending not less than
four calendar months previous to
the effective date of the benefit
year. The following table ex-
yolains this verv SifnOlV.