Can i get unemployment if i get social security

Para ver este artículo en español por favor visite aquí. (To view this article in Spanish, visit here.)

A person is allowed to receive unemployment benefits and federal disability benefits at the same time, but as discussed below, receiving unemployment benefits could affect a person’s disability benefits in negative ways. 

If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, any unemployment benefits you receive (other than the first $20) will reduce your SSI payment dollar-for-dollar. You have a duty to report income to the Social Security Administration if you are an SSI recipient. If the money received in a month is not spent before the first day of the next month, then it will count toward the $2,000 SSI resource limit ($3,000 for eligible couples).

If you receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), unemployment benefits will not affect the amount of the SSDI payment.

It is important to remember that for both SSI and SSDI, the Social Security Administration is allowed to consider a person’s unemployment benefits when deciding whether or not that person is disabled. When a person receives unemployment benefits, the person is certifying he or she is “ready, willing, and able to work.” This certification could be considered as evidence that a person is not disabled. On the other hand, a person can qualify for disability benefits even though he or she is capable of performing a certain amount of part-time work, so receiving unemployment benefits would not automatically disqualify a person from receiving disability benefits.  Because receiving unemployment benefits may negatively impact your eligibility for disability benefits, it is wise to speak to an attorney if you plan on receiving both.

When you are receiving disability benefits, the Social Security Administration will periodically conduct a review of your condition to make sure you still qualify for disability benefits. If you received unemployment benefits since the last review, that may be considered in a continuing disability review.

Finally, people living in New York who received unemployment between March 2020 and September 6, 2021 will not have that money count as income or a resource for SSI purposes. However, if you received unemployment during that time period, it could still be considered in deciding whether you are disabled. Any unemployment received after September 6, 2021 is subject to the regular pre-pandemic income and resource rules. 

Click here for our article on unemployment benefits during the Covid-19 pandemic.

(c) Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. ®

This article provides general information about this subject. Laws affecting this subject may have changed since this article was written. For specific legal advice about a problem you are having, get the advice of a lawyer.  Receiving this information does not make you a client of our office.

Last Review Date: October 28, 2021

Netherlands - Unemployment

 You can read here about benefits in the Netherlands if you become unemployed.

In what situation can I claim?

 If you become unemployed in the Netherlands, you can be entitled to unemployment benefit under the Unemployment Insurance Act (WW, Werkloosheidswet).

What conditions do I need to meet?

 The conditions for a WW benefit include the following:

  • you are insured against unemployment. This is the case if you are employed and have not yet reached the statutory retirement age (AOW age);
  • you have lost at least 5 work hours a week and the associated pay (for employees who are employed for maximum 10 hours per week, the condition is to have lost at least half of the working hours);
  • you are available for work on the Dutch labour market;
  • you must avoid becoming or remaining unemployed by, for example, sending enough applications for suitable work;
  • you have worked for at least 26 weeks in the 36 weeks before you became unemployed (if you also worked in another Member State in this period, this period of work will be taken into account when determining your right to unemployment benefit);
  • you have become unemployed through no fault of your own.

You are not entitled to unemployment benefit if you:

  • are receiving a benefit due to illness or invalidity;
  • have reached the statutory retirement age;
  • stay or live outside the Netherlands;
  • are not staying in the Netherlands legitimately;
  • are in prison or evade prison or escape from prison.

What am I entitled to and how can I claim?

 You receive 75% of your last pay (up to a maximum of EUR 228.76 per day during the first 2 months and 70% of the last pay earned thereafter).

The duration of the unemployment benefit is 3 months. The duration can be extended if you undertook at least 208 hours of paid work for at least 4 out of the 5 years before the year you became unemployed.

For the first 10 years, each year in employment gives entitlement to one month of WW benefit receipt. From the 11th year, each year of employment gives entitlement to ½ month of WW benefit. The maximum duration of benefit receipt is 24 months.

To claim unemployment benefit, you must submit an application to the UWV within one week after becoming unemployed, and register as a jobseeker with the UWV.

If your benefit is less than the minimum income (sociaal minimum), you might be entitled to a supplement based on the Supplementary Benefits Act (Toeslagenwet). The entitlement and amount depend on your income and, if applicable, your partners income.

If you do not meet the conditions to receive WW-benefit, you may qualify for social assistance benefit. The entitlement and amount depend on your and your household’s financial situation.

Jargon busters

  • WW benefit: unemployment benefit under the Unemployment Insurance Act (Werkloosheidswet, WW) which provides a temporary benefit to involuntarily unemployed employees with sufficient working history and who are available for work.
  • Social assistance benefit: (bijstand, as foreseen in the Participatiewet) guarantees a minimum income for everyone living legally in the Netherlands and with insufficient means to maintain themselves.
  • The Employee Insurance Agency (Uitvoeringsinstituut werknemersverzekeringen, UWV) is a Dutch welfare agency that is responsible for implementing the employee insurance schemes (unemployment, illness, incapacity for work).
  • Supplementary Benefits Act (Toeslagenwet): a Dutch law that is implemented by the UWV. The law increases the income of benefit recipients up to the level of the minimum income (sociaal minimum).

Know your rights

 The links below set out your rights. They are not European Commission sites and do not represent the view of the European Commission.

  • Working in the Netherlands.

European Commission publication and website:

  • Provision of social security during unemployment: your rights as an EU citizen abroad.

Who do you need to contact?

 You may apply for a benefit via:

  • https://www.werk.nl/werkzoekenden/werkmap/
  • information by phone: +31 88 8989294 (local rate - calling costs depend on your telephone provider) or +31 09009294 (EUR 0.04 per minute).

If you are seeking advice or help with your EU rights, please apply for help from the EU.

No related news in the last six months.

How much is the unemployment benefit in the Netherlands?

You receive 75% of your last pay (up to a maximum of EUR 228.76 per day during the first 2 months and 70% of the last pay earned thereafter). The duration of the unemployment benefit is 3 months.

Can you collect unemployment and social security MN?

Social Security does not count unemployment benefits as earnings. They do not affect retirement benefits. However, income from Social Security may reduce your unemployment compensation.

Can you collect Social Security and unemployment in NJ?

Social Security retirement benefits do not affect your Unemployment Insurance benefits. If you are eligible to receive a pension from an employer you worked for during your base year period, your benefits may be reduced.

Can you collect unemployment while on Social Security disability in Illinois?

We are often asked: “Can I collect unemployment while applying for Social Security disability insurance?” The short answer is YES, but the road to obtaining SSDI is often two years or more on the long-end and a few months on the short-end.