Unemployment Benefit

Description of Unemployment Benefit

It is a benefit paid to insured unemployed people for a certain period and amount in case they meet the required conditions stated in the law.

Eligibility criteria for benefitting from Unemployment Benefit

• Being unemployed out of his/her own will and fault,
• Being subject to a labour contract for the last 120 days before the termination of the labour contract,
• Having paid unemployment insurance premium for minimum 600 days within the last three years before the termination of the labour contract,
• Having applied to the nearest İŞKUR unit in person or online within 30 days after the termination of the labour contract.

Application for Unemployment Benefit
It is required to apply to the nearest İŞKUR unit within 30 days after the termination of the labour contract. The application can be made by going to İŞKUR unit in person or electronically via www.iskur.gov.tr. In case of a failure of application within 30 days, except for force majeure, the delay in the application is deducted from the total entitlement duration.

For the payment of unemployment benefit, the insured unemployed must be ready to take a job. With the application for unemployment benefit, the job-seeker registration of the person is made or updated. Thus, it is ensured that the insured unemployed receive counselling services, job placement and vocational training services. Therefore, it is not possible to apply with a power of attorney. 

Services Offered to Eligible for Unemployment Benefit

• Unemployment Benefit
• General Health Insurance Premiums
• Finding a new job
• Trainings for vocational development, acquiring a profession
  
  

Duration of Unemployment Benefit

In the last three years before the termination of labour contract, the unemployment benefit is paid as follows;

• 180 days for insured unemployed people who have worked under insurance and paid unemployment insurance premiums for 600 days,
• 240 days for insured unemployed people who have worked under insurance and paid unemployment insurance premiums for 900 days,
• 300 days for insured unemployed people who have worked under insurance and paid unemployment insurance premiums for 1080 days.

Amount of Unemployment Benefit
The daily unemployment benefit is calculated as 40% of the insured’s average daily gross earning which is calculated by taking into account the earnings based on premium for the last 4 months. The amount of unemployment benefit calculated in this way cannot exceed 80% of the gross amount of the monthly minimum wage. Unemployment benefit is not subject to any tax or deduction except stamp tax.

Calculation of monthly unemployment benefit for 2024

Deductions from Unemployment Benefit

Unemployment benefit is not subject to any tax or deduction except for stamp tax and cannot be foreclosed except for maintenance debts and cannot be transferred to others.

Payment of Unemployment Benefit

Unemployment allowance applications are concluded by the end of the following month. Unemployment allowance is paid monthly to the unemployed himself/herself on the fifth of each month. The Minister of Labour and Social Security is authorised to determine an earlier date for payment.

Payments to the insured unemployed are made through the Bank Account numbers (IBAN) they submitted to the Agency, and through the nearest PTT Bank in case their account numbers are submitted incomplete or incorrectly.

Suspension of Unemployment Benefit
Unemployment benefit payments are permanently suspended while receiving unemployment benefit;

• When benefit payees refuse without a justified reason a job which is offered by İŞKUR, is compatible with their profession, has a wage and working conditions similar to those of their last job and is within the municipality they reside in,
• When benefit payees are determined to be working without registration during the inspections made by the inspectors authorised to investigate and audit working life or the audit personnel of the public administrations, within the period they receive unemployment benefit from our Agency.
• Unemployment benefit payments of those who start to receive old age pension from a social security institution while receiving unemployment benefit are suspended by the date on which they start to receive old age pension due to “Retirement”.

• Unemployment benefits are suspended from those who refuse the trainings for vocational development, acquiring a profession offered by İŞKUR without a justified reason, or do not continue despite accepting it, do not respond to the calls made by the Agency in time without a justified reason, and do not submit the requested information and documents within the stipulated time. However, if these conditions are ended, the payments are started again. The duration of the payment cannot exceed the expiry date of the total entitlement period determined at the beginning.

 
Utilizing Health Care
Unemployment benefit recipients are covered by the general health insurance, and only the general health insurance premiums are paid for the related persons from the Unemployment Insurance Fund for the days during which unemployment benefits are paid. The dependents of the recipients of the benefit can also benefit from health services within the scope of the persons benefitting from general health insurance.

What to Do When Getting Unemployment Benefit

Within the period of receiving unemployment benefit, the following situations should be reported to the nearest İŞKUR unit or Alo170 within 15 days;

• change of residence address,
• receiving old-age pension from any social security institution,
• resting by the authorized health institution,
• being recruited for the army
• going abroad,
• starting a job or
• reinstatement by court order.

Unemployment benefit beneficiaries are obliged to pay the excess payments made due to their own fault and incomplete or incorrect information with legal interest.

Restarting Unemployment Benefit

While benefitting from the benefit, in case of re-employment before the completion of the unemployment benefit period and being unemployed again without fulfilling the necessary conditions to benefit from the unemployment benefit, the person can benefit from the benefit until the duration of the previously earned unemployment benefit ends. Payments are made as of the date of application to İŞKUR in the continuation of the remaining entitlement.

In case of being unemployed again by meeting the eligibility conditions, unemployment benefit is paid only for the period arising from this new entitlement.