State Policy Choices to Promote Access to Benefits for the Under- and Unemployed

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  Unemployment Insurance TANF Cash Assistance
  Past earnings requirements Nonmonetary eligibility criteria Income eligibility criteria
  State counts most recent earnings with alternate base period (2006)1 State has general "good cause" provision (2003)3 Earnings limit for 1-parent family of 3 (2005)4
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Alaska No Yes $16,200/year
Arizona No Yes $7,032/year
Arkansas No Yes $3,348/year
California No Yes $11,772/year
Hawaii Yes Yes $19,692/year5
Kansas No Yes $6,228/year
Maryland No Yes $7,236/year
Massachusetts Yes Yes $8,496/year6
Nevada No Yes $14,220/year
New York Yes Yes $8,004/year
Oregon No Yes $7,392/year
Pennsylvania No Yes $8,124/year
Rhode Island Yes Yes $15,336/year
Utah No Yes $6,876/year
Virginia Yes Yes $16,092/year8
Alabama No No $3,228/year
Colorado No No $6,132/year
Connecticut Yes No $10,020/year
Delaware No No $5,136/year
District of Columbia Yes No $6,468/year
Florida No No $4,716/year
Georgia Yes No $6,168/year
Idaho No No $7,776/year
Illinois No No $5,832/year
Indiana No No $4,536/year
Iowa No No $12,732/year
Kentucky No No $10,908/year
Louisiana No No $4,320/year
Maine Yes No $12,276/year
Michigan Yes No $9,288/year
Minnesota No No $12,804/year
Mississippi No No $5,496/year
Missouri No No $6,696/year
Montana No No $8,400/year
Nebraska No No $9,624/year
New Hampshire Yes No $9,372/year
New Jersey Yes No $7,632/year
New Mexico Yes No $12,672/year7
North Carolina Yes No $8,172/year
North Dakota No No $15,024/year
Ohio Yes No $11,760/year
Oklahoma Yes2 No $8,448/year
South Carolina No No $7,824/year
South Dakota No No $8,688/year
Tennessee No No $13,092/year
Texas No No $4,812/year
Vermont Yes No $12,036/year
Washington Yes No $13,080/year
West Virginia No No $6,780/year
Wisconsin Yes No Not applicable9
Wyoming No No $6,480/year
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Data Notes & Sources

  1. In most states, the base period consists of the first 4 of the 5 most recently completed quarters. Some states allow claimants to use an alternative base period that includes more recent earnings.

    U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Workforce Security, Comparison of State UI Laws, 2006, http://www.ows.doleta.gov (accessed July 11, 2007).
  2. The alternate base period is not in effect in years when the unemployment insurance trust fund balance is too low.
  3. A general "good cause" provision extends eligibility to persons who leave their jobs for "personal emergencies" or "compelling circumstances", which should include--among others--child care conflicts, illness, domestic violence, and spousal relocation. Eligibility determinations, however, may vary in practice. States may also specifically recognize certain reasons as "good cause"; for more information see Appendix B in Rebecca Smith, Rick McHugh, Andrew Stettner, and Nancy Segal, Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Confronting the Failure of State Unemployment Insurance Systems to Serve Women and Working Families, National Employment Law Project, 2003.

    Rebecca Smith, Rick McHugh, Andrew Stettner, and Nancy Segal, Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Confronting the Failure of State Unemployment Insurance Systems to Serve Women and Working Families, National Employment Law Project, July 2003.
  4. Gretchen Rowe with Jeffrey Versteeg, The Welfare Rules Databook: State Policies as of July 2005, Assessing the New Federalism, The Urban Institute, 2006.
  5. Figure applies to recipients who have received assistance for no more than two months in a lifetime. For households applying for their third and subsequent months of benefits, the eligibility limit is $16,356 per year.
  6. Figure reflects limit for "nonexempt" recipients. The limit for recipients who are exempt from work requirements and time limits due to reasons such as disability, or caring for a child under the age of two is $8,676 per year.
  7. Limit takes into account the value of the state's earned income disregard, assuming that the head of household is working 40 hours per week.
  8. Figure reflects limit for "VIEW" recipients, who are required to participate in work activities. The limit for recipients who are exempt from such activities is $5,952 per year.
  9. Units with earnings at application will not receive a cash benefit in the state. However, applicants may earn up to $18,504/year and still be eligible for nonfinancial assistance.