When to report vacation pay to the unemployment department?

by Karen
(Sobieski, WI)

I was fired on a Monday, finally got hold of a claim specialist two weeks later gave her all my information needed. She then asked me if I received vacation pay?

I answered yes. I was paid 48 hours vacation pay on my last pay check. The claims specialist said I would have to contact my old employer to determine what week the vacation pay was assigned to, I was told the 16-31. Now that is two weeks to which it was applied to. Do I break that down by two weeks? 24 for one week and 24 for last week? I was fired on the 26th day of the month and received my last pay check on the 6th day of the beginning of the next month.

Since payday was every two weeks. When I answered my weekly claim questions I answered no to question #5 did you receive, or will you receive, holiday pay, vacation pay or dismissal pay? Will this hurt my chances of getting my benefits?


Hi Karen,

Vacation pay or any money received from an employer should be reported on the claim you file for benefits for the week you received the pay.

It's impossible for me to address this issue for each and every state as to what "income" is deductible from unemployment benefits.

So I defer to the answers provided by the USDOL beginning on page 35 of the 2010 Nonmonetary Eligibility Chartbook.