§ 28-41-5 — § 28-41-5. Weekly benefit rate — Dependents' allowances. [Effective until January 1, 2026.]

§ 28-41-5. Weekly benefit rate — Dependents' allowances. [Effective until January 1, 2026.]

(a) Benefit rate.

(1) The benefit rate payable under this chapter to any eligible individual with respect to any week of the individual's unemployment due to sickness, when that week occurs within a benefit year, shall be, for benefit years beginning on or after October 7, 1990, four and sixty-two hundredths percent (4.62%) of the wages paid to the individual in that calendar quarter of the base period in which the individual's wages were highest; provided, however, that the benefit rate shall not exceed eighty-five percent (85%) of the average weekly wage paid to individuals covered by chapters 42 — 44 of this title for the preceding calendar year ending December 31. If the maximum weekly benefit rate is not an exact multiple of one dollar ($1.00) then the rate shall be raised to the next higher multiple of one dollar ($1.00). Those weekly benefit rates shall be effective throughout the benefit years beginning on or after July 1 of the year prior to July of the succeeding calendar year.

(2) The benefit rate of any individual, if not an exact multiple of one dollar ($1.00), shall be raised to the next higher multiple of one dollar ($1.00).

(b) Dependents' allowances. An individual to whom benefits for unemployment due to sickness are payable under this chapter with respect to any week, shall, in addition to those benefits, be paid with respect to each week a dependent's allowance of twenty dollars ($20.00) or seven percent (7%) of the individual's benefit rate payable under subsection (a) of this section, whichever is greater, for each of that individual's children, including adopted and stepchildren or that individual's court-appointed wards who, at the beginning of the individual's benefit year, is under eighteen (18) years of age and who is at that time in fact dependent on that individual. A dependent's allowance shall also be paid to that individual for any child, including an adopted child or a stepchild or that individual's court appointed ward, eighteen (18) years of age or over, incapable of earning any wages because of mental or physical incapacity, and who is dependent on that individual in fact at the beginning of the individual's benefit year, including individuals who have been appointed the legal guardian of that child by the appropriate court. However, in no instance shall the number of dependents for which an individual may receive dependents' allowances exceed five (5) in total. The weekly total of dependents' allowances payable to any individual, if not an exact multiple of one dollar ($1.00), shall be rounded to the next lower multiple of one dollar ($1.00). The number of an individual's dependents, and the fact of their dependency, shall be determined as of the beginning of that individual's benefit year; provided, that only one individual shall be entitled to a dependent's allowance for the same dependent with respect to any week. Each individual who claims a dependent's allowance shall establish their claim to it to the satisfaction of the director under procedures established by the director.

(c) Any individual's benefit rate and/or dependents' allowance in effect for a benefit year shall continue in effect until the end of that benefit year.

(d) Partial unemployment due to sickness. For weeks beginning on or after January 1, 2006, an individual partially unemployed due to sickness and otherwise eligible in any week shall be paid sufficient benefits with respect to that week, so that their wages, rounded to the next higher multiple of one dollar ($1.00), and their benefits combined will equal in amount the weekly benefit rate to which the individual would be entitled if totally unemployed due to sickness in that week; provided that an individual must have been totally unemployed due to sickness for at least seven (7) consecutive days prior to claiming partial benefits under this provision; provided, that this provision shall not apply if the individual is entitled to lag day benefits pursuant to § 28-41-9; provided, further, that nothing contained herein shall permit any individual to whom remuneration is payable for any work performed in any week in an amount equal to or greater than his or her weekly benefit rate to receive benefits or waiting period credit for that week.

Legislative History

P.L. 1942, ch. 1200, § 5; P.L. 1947, ch. 1947, § 1; P.L. 1949, ch. 2176, § 1; P.L. 1949, ch. 2194, § 2; P.L. 1951, ch. 2843, § 1; P.L. 1953, ch. 3153, § 4; P.L. 1955, ch. 3431, § 2; G.L. 1956, § 28-41-5; P.L. 1958(s.s.), ch. 211, § 1; P.L. 1960, ch. 129, § 1; P.L. 1962, ch. 58, § 2; P.L. 1962, ch. 219, § 1; P.L. 1973, ch. 181, § 1; P.L. 1981, ch. 211, § 3; P.L. 1985, ch. 357, § 1; P.L. 1986, ch. 230, § 1; P.L. 1988, ch. 244, § 1; P.L. 1989, ch. 391, § 2; P.L. 1990, ch. 272, § 2; P.L. 1995, ch. 323, § 16; P.L. 1997, ch. 105, § 1; P.L. 1997, ch. 296, § 1; P.L. 2000, ch. 109, § 38; P.L. 2005, ch. 288, § 2; P.L. 2005, ch. 289, § 2; P.L. 2005, ch. 309, § 2; P.L. 2024, ch. 332, § 1, effective January 1, 2025; P.L. 2024, ch. 333, § 1, effective January 1, 2025.