
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, November 21, 1995                   TAG: 9511210096
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JEFF STURGEON
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

JOBLESS CLAIMS NEED SPECIAL FORM

Federal employees who were told to stay home from their jobs last week may apply for unemployment benefits by mail under a special procedure set up by the Virginia Employment Commission.

Federal agencies have forms employees are to use. Only workers who missed at least four days due to the federal government impasse may apply by this method, the VEC said.

The unemployment system does not provide benefits during the first week of joblessness. As a result, federal employees who were furloughed last week and returned to work Monday will not get a check, unless they were jobless at some other time in the recent past

Workers who are not eligible for benefits may decide they should file a claim anyway, however, because they would be allowed to count last week's layoff as the waiting period needed for a future claim.

The maximum weekly benefit is $208. Those who receive back pay for time lost during the furlough may have to repay jobless benefits. Information is available by calling (540) 561-7535

by CNB