An insured may apply for extra unemployment benefits or vocational training living allowance if he/she has to support his/her non-working dependents.

Would a worker feel highly pressurized if he/she is involuntarily dismissed from employment yet has to support his/her minor children during the unemployment period? According to the Bureau of Labor Insurance (BLI), an person covered by the Employment Insurance Program may, during the period when he/she is receiving unemployment benefits or vocational training living allowance, apply for extra benefit or allowance equaling 10% of the insured's average insured monthly salary in the six months right before the separation and withdrawal from the insurance program for each one of the dependents (including spouse, minor children or disabled children). The said extra benefits or allowance shall be given for up to 20%. The purpose is to reduce the financial burden of the family of the unemployed worker.

The BLI further explained that, to apply for the unemployment benefit or vocational training living allowance through public employment service organizations, the worker only needs to provide the information of his/her dependents, where applicable, in the application form, in the meantime attach a copy of the dependent’s household registration or other personal identity documents to complete the procedures. In case the dependent is a child with physical or mental disability, it is necessary also to attach the physical and mental disability certificate issued by the competent authority. On completing the unemployment confirmation (reconfirmation) or the referral procedures for vocational training, the public employment service organization will input the information of the dependents of the insured and forward them to the BLI for approval of the payment.
Statistics show that, during the period of January to end of June, 2019, total 200,500 cases have received the unemployment benefit or vocational training living allowance, of which there were 81,453 claims for extra benefit or allowance for dependents, accounting for about 40% of the total cases.

The BLI reminds all workers that, if the dependent is a stepchild of the insured, it is necessary to complete the adoption procedures according to the Civil Code of the R.O.C so as to qualify for the extra payment. In addition, if an insured did not provide the dependent information when applying for the employment benefit or vocational training living allowance through the public employment service organizations and is therefore unable to receive such extra benefit or allowance, the worker may, within the two-year period for lawfully claiming such rights, submit to the BLI the completed “Application for Payment of Extra Benefit or Allowance for Dependents” along with the relevant supporting documents of the dependents for payment, so as to safeguard his/her rights and interests.