Summary
Conditions for receiving unemployment benefits
The return-to-work assistance allowance (ARE) is granted to job seekers who meet the following conditions:
- having lost their job involuntarily;
- be registered with Pôle Emploi as a job seeker;
- not have reached the legal retirement age (depending on your year of birth)
- be physically fit for the job;
- to be in effective and permanent search for a job.
Since January 1, 2012, no job search exemption has been granted.
Exceptions regarding resignation cases
Resigning from your job does not normally allow you to be entitled to unemployment, with the exception of cases of legitimate resignation, of which here are some examples:
- the resigner follows his spouse moved to another region ;
- the resigning person marries or enters into a PACS and changes place of residence;
- after losing a job, the resigner immediately took another one from which he resigned within 91 days;
- the person who resigned paid unemployment benefits for three years, resigned from his job to take another, which his employer terminated no later than 91 days later.
It is nevertheless possible for the unemployed person, after four months of unemployment, to refer to the regional joint body of Pôle emploi to request a re-examination of his file.
Unemployment benefits registration process
In any case, the unemployed person must register with Pôle Emploi to qualify for unemployment benefits. To do this, they can pre-register by telephone on 39 49 (€0.11/min from a landline) or online.
The unemployed must register within twelve months following the end of his employment contract. If he fails to do so, he loses all right to compensation. However, this period is extended in the event of illness or maternity.
Calculation of unemployment benefits
The calculation of unemployment benefits depends on contribution period, the agreement of February 19, 2009 having modified the conditions of prior affiliation. Only those whose employment contract was terminated on March 31, 2009 at the latest continue to be covered by this regime set up by the agreement of January 18, 2006.
The new maximum benefit conditions can go up to 24 months for unemployed people who have worked at least 4 months in the last 28 months and up to 36 months for unemployed people over 50 who have worked at least 4 months in over the past 36 months.
Partial unemployment compensation depends on a different method of calculation.