do you know if someone can qualify for unemployment benifts if they were made to retire early?

The place I used to work at is closing their doors.I know someone who just recently was made to take an early retirement there. I talked with her yesturday and she told me she still has money in her unemployment insurance. Can she recieve this?she is really having a rough time.

Public Comments

1. Probably not. If she accepted early retirement, it probably means she waives unemployment benefits. The rules can vary by state, but might not hurt to file and see what happens.
2. If you are laid off and actively looking for work, you are entitled to unemployment benefits. Some companies, such as the one I work for, provide a severance package. In order to get the money, you need to sign a document that states you will not sue the company nor collect unemployment benefits. In the absence of that type of arrangement, she should be able to collect.
3. If she received compensation for the early retire (severance package) she's not going to be eligible, otherwise she should be.
4. As far as being involuntarily terminated, yes they can. However, if they are receiving a pension as a result of that employment, the pension income will offset any UI entitlement.