(a) Payment of benefits.

All benefits shall be promptly paid from the fund in accordance with such regulations as may be prescribed hereunder.

(b) Weekly benefits for unemployment.

With respect to an individual’s benefit year commencing on or after July 1, 1961, such individual, if eligible and unemployed (as defined in subsection (m) of R.S.43:21-19), shall be paid an amount (except as to final payment) equal to his weekly benefit rate less any remuneration, other than remuneration from self-employment paid to an individual who is receiving a self-employment assistance allowance, paid or payable to him for such week in excess of 20% of his weekly benefit rate (fractional part of a dollar omitted) or $5.00, whichever is the greater; provided that such amount shall be computed to the next lower multiple of $1.00 if not already a multiple thereof.

(c) Weekly benefit rate.

(1) With respect to an individual whose benefit year commences after September 30, 1984, his weekly benefit rate under each determination shall be 60% of his average weekly wage, subject to a maximum of 56 2/3 % of the Statewide average weekly remuneration paid to workers by employers subject to this chapter (R.S.43:21-1 et seq.), as determined and promulgated by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development; provided, however, that such individual’s weekly benefit rate shall be computed to the next lower multiple of $1.00 if not already a multiple thereof.

(2) Dependency benefits.

(A) With respect to an individual whose benefit year commences after September 30, 1984, the individual’s weekly benefit rate as determined in paragraph (1) of this subsection (c) will be increased by 7% for the first dependent and 4% each for the next two dependents (up to a maximum of three dependents), computed to the next lower multiple of $1.00 if not already a multiple thereof, except that the maximum weekly benefit rate payable for an individual claiming dependency benefits shall not exceed the maximum amount determined under paragraph (1) of this subsection (c).

(B) For the purposes of this paragraph (2), a dependent is defined as an individual’s unemployed spouse or an unemployed unmarried child (including a stepchild or a legally adopted child) under the age of 19 or an unemployed unmarried child, who is attending an educational institution as defined in subsection (y) of R.S.43:21-19 on a full-time basis and is under the age of 22. If an individual’s spouse is employed during the week the individual files an initial claim for benefits, this paragraph (2) shall not apply. If both spouses establish a claim for benefits in accordance with the provisions of this chapter (R.S.43:21-1 et seq.), only one shall be entitled to dependency benefits as provided in this paragraph (2).

(C) Any determination establishing dependency benefits under this paragraph (2) shall remain fixed for the duration of the individual’s benefit year and shall not be increased or decreased unless it is determined by the division that the individual wrongfully claimed dependency benefits as a result of false or fraudulent representation.

(D) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, the division shall use every available administrative means to insure that dependency benefits are paid only to individuals who meet the requirements of this paragraph (2). These administrative actions may include, but shall not be limited to, the following:

(i) All married individuals claiming dependents under this paragraph (2) shall be required to provide the social security number of the individual’s spouse. If the individual indicates that the spouse is unemployed, the division shall match the social security number of the spouse against available wage records to determine whether earnings were reported on the last quarterly earnings report filed by employers under R.S.43:21-14. If earnings were reported, the division shall contact in writing the last employer to determine whether the spouse is currently employed.

(ii) Where a child is claimed as a dependent by an individual under this paragraph (2), the individual shall be required to provide to the division the most recent federal income tax return filed by the individual to assist the division in verifying the claim.

(3) For the purposes of this subsection (c), the “Statewide average weekly remuneration paid to workers by employers” shall be computed and determined by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development on or before September 1 of each year on the basis of one-fifty-second of the total remuneration reported for the preceding calendar year by employers subject to this chapter, divided by the average of the number of workers reported by such employers, and shall be effective as to benefit determinations in the calendar year following such computation and determination.

(d) Maximum total benefits.

(1) (A) (Deleted by amendment, P.L.2003, c.107).

(B) (i) With respect to an individual for whom benefits shall be payable for benefit years commencing on or after July 1, 1986, and before July 1, 2003 as provided in this section, the individual shall be entitled to receive a total amount of benefits equal to three-quarters of the individual’s base weeks with all employers in the base year multiplied by the individual’s weekly benefit rate; but the amount of benefits thus resulting under that determination shall be adjusted to the next lower multiple of $1.00 if not already a multiple thereof. With respect to an individual for whom benefits shall be payable for benefit years commencing on or after July 1, 2003 as provided in this section, the individual shall be entitled to receive a total amount of benefits equal to the number of the individual’s base weeks with all employers in the base year multiplied by the individual’s weekly benefit rate; but the amount of benefits thus resulting under that determination shall be adjusted to the next lower multiple of $1.00 if not already a multiple thereof.

(ii) Except as provided pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of R.S.43:21-7, benefits paid to an individual for benefit years commencing on or after July 1, 1986 shall be charged against the accounts of the individual’s base year employers in the following manner:

Each week of benefits paid to an eligible individual shall be charged against each base year employer’s account in the same proportion that the wages paid by each employer to the individual during the base year bear to the wages paid by all employers to that individual during the base year.

(iii) (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1997, c.255.)

(2) No such individual shall be entitled to receive benefits under this chapter (R.S.43:21-1 et seq.) in excess of 26 times his weekly benefit rate in any benefit year under either of subsections (c) and (f) of R.S. 43:21-4 In the event that any individual qualifies for benefits under both of said subsections during any benefit year, the maximum total amount of benefits payable under said subsections combined to such individual during the benefit year shall be one and one-half times the maximum amount of benefits payable under one of said subsections.

(3) (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1984, c.24.)

Amended 1938, c.396; 1939, c.94, s.1; 1940, c.247, s.1; 1945, c.72; 1948, c.110, s.19; 1950, c.172, s.1; 1952, c.187, s.1; 1954, c.248; 1955, c.203, s.1; 1961, c.43, s.1; 1967, c.30, s.1, 1967, c.30, title amended 1967, c.286, s.12; 1974, c.86, s.1; 1977, c.307, s.1; 1978, c.18; 1984, c.24, s.1; 1995, c.394, s.6; 1997, c.255, s.1; 2003, c.107, s.2; 2004, c.45, s.1.