Unemployment insurance: how much you receive, for how many months, and why it ends
The most frequently asked question is not how much I charge: it's Why am I getting paid less every month?The answer is that the reason for dismissal is decreasing by design—from 66% to 40% on average—and that furthermore Each month has its own limitwhich also decreases. The other two reasons don't work this way: total suspension and reduced work go to a fixed 50%. Here is the calculation with the percentages and 2026 limits published by BPS.
You were dismissed. It is the only reason with a decreasing percentage, the only one with a different cap each month, and the only one that extends to age 50.
The company has suspended you: you're not working or receiving a salary, but you're still considered an employee. You'll receive a fixed 50% of your average salary.
Your monthly workdays or daily hours were reduced by at least 25%. You are paid the difference between 50% of the average and what you continue to earn.
Calculate yours
It is calculated based on your average monthly earnings nominal of the last six months, not about the liquid.
Spouse, partner, minor children, or dependents with income up to 1 BPC ($6.864,00). Application is submitted through BPS; it is not automatically issued.
$39.600,00 the first month, $24.000,00 the last.
6 months in total · $180.000,00 totaling the entire period. These are amounts nominal: contributions are still being made to FONASA for that.
| Month | % | 2026 Limit | You will collect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 66 % | $ 93.155,00 | $ 39.600,00 |
| 2 | 57 % | $ 80.445,00 | $ 34.200,00 |
| 3 | 50 % | $ 67.754,00 | $ 30.000,00 |
| 4 | 45 % | $ 59.287,00 | $ 27.000,00 |
| 5 | 42 % | $ 55.044,00 | $ 25.200,00 |
| 6 | 40 % | $ 50.802,00 | $ 24.000,00 |
What do you need to have contributed?
In industry and commerce, the following are considered: 12 months prior so that the cause is established, and there the key word is that The requirements are cumulative, not alternative.Having 150 days worked without 180 days on the payroll is not enough. In rural areas and domestic service, don't simply apply those figures. The period changes, and so do the amounts. —the rural monthly BPS requires 270 days, not 180—, and the rural day laborer has only one requirement, 225 days.
Industry and commerce, if you are paid monthly
180 days on payroll (six months of registered work) in the 12 months prior to the cause being configured.
Industry and commerce, if you are paid by the day
Both requirements must be met: 180 days on the payroll AND 150 days worked in those 12 months. Having the days worked without the days is not enough.
Industry and commerce, if you are paid on a piece-rate or commission basis
Also both together: 180 days on payroll AND having received a minimum of 6 BPC ($41.184 according to the BPS website) in those 12 months.
If you're from a rural area
A different period and different amounts: in the previous 30 months, 270 days on the payroll if you are paid monthly; 225 days worked if you are paid daily or hourly; 9 BPC ($61.776) received if you are a pieceworker. The 180 days for industry and commerce are not sufficient: BPS requires 270. And the rural day laborer has only this requirement of 225 days worked, without a requirement for days on the payroll.
If you work in a private home (domestic service)
In the last 12 months: 180 days registered with BPS if you are paid monthly; 180 days AND 150 days actually worked if you are paid daily or hourly; 180 days AND having received at least 6 BPC ($41.184) if you are a piece-rate worker. Alternatively, looking at 24 months: 360 days; 360 days AND 250 days; 360 days AND 12 BPC ($82.368), respectively.
How the relationship ended
It's the first thing the BPS (Social Security Bank) checks and the last thing the worker asks. What they decide isn't whether you were paid severance: it's whether the unemployment was... forced and not attributable to your will, as requested by article 2 of Decree-Law 15.180.
You were fired
This is the cause of article 5, section A). BPS describes the subsidy as that of "those workers who are left without employment against their will due to dismissal or termination of contract."
Your fixed-term contract has ended.
BPS mentions it along with dismissal, and it is one of the two reasons that allows you to request the subsidy yourself for online services.
You resigned
Article 2 of Decree-Law 15.180 requires that applicants be "in a situation of forced unemployment not attributable to their will or work capacity," and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MTSS) lists among those not entitled to the subsidy "those who voluntarily abandon their job." Resignation is not grounds for eligibility: there is no way to resign that qualifies for the subsidy.
You arranged your departure with the company (retirement or incentivized resignation)
This is where people get burned, and the rule that determines it is the same as always: Article 2 requires forced and non-voluntary unemployment, and a severance agreement is not considered forced or non-voluntary, even if you receive severance pay. How the BPS (Social Security Bank) applies this is illustrated by a specific precedent: in 2005, the Board denied the subsidy to former employees who left through an incentivized retirement program in which the company paid all outstanding wages, including severance pay, plus an additional amount for the resignation. The Board reasoned that dismissal "is a unilateral act of the employer that terminates the employment contract, which does not require the consent of the other party," that in this case, however, there was "an agreement of wills," and that therefore the unemployment "does not have the characteristics of being forced and non-voluntary" (R.D. 18-16/2005). That resolution does not apply to the entire country —its section 2º mandates applying the criteria "to all similar situations that occur in the company" in question—, but it shows the standard by which BPS views these agreements.
You were dismissed for disciplinary reasons.
BPS lists it among those who are not entitled. The MTSS defines it as "those dismissed for notorious misconduct or suspended for disciplinary reasons, which will be proven in the administrative file prepared by the Unemployment Insurance": the fact that the company affirms it does not make it proven.
If the reason they declared is not the real one
BPS does not dispute the substance of the matter at the counter. To contest the cause, it requires one of these two documents, and nothing else:
- Favorable ruling in labor court case.
- Record of conciliation with agreement before the Ministry of Labor and Social Security or before a court.
Obtaining them takes months, so reserve your right in the meantime: they are separate procedures.
Partial unemployment: reduction of working hours or suspension
BPS combines these two causes into a single page and a single procedure: you were suspended —you don't work or receive a salary, but you are still an employee— or your working hours were reduced at least 25%In both cases, the fixed 50% of article 7.2 applies, not the decreasing scale of dismissal.
How much is charged
Monthly and piece-rate workers: 50% of the average of the last six full months. Day laborers: 12 days per monthcalculated using those same six months. In the case of reduction, payment is made for the period of the reduction, in proportion to the days unemployed, and the pieceworker only receives a partial subsidy when the reduction exceeds 25%.
The procedure
The company must submit the application online within the 10 business days from the moment the cause is established. If they refuse to do so, the worker can appear at the BPS offices within the 30 consecutive days to reserve the right while it is being resolved.
| Situation | How much do you charge? | Stop | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total suspension | 50% of the average (12 days per month if you are paid per day) | $ 67.754,00 | 4 months or 48 days |
| Reduction of working hours (≥25%) | Difference between 50% of the average and what you continue to receive | $ 67.754,00 | 72 days |
The minimum, $8.467,00, and the 20% supplement for spouses, children, or dependents with income up to 1 BPC ($6.864,00) are the same as in the case of dismissal, and apply to total suspension (reduced work hours do not have a minimum). Source: BPS — Unemployment benefit due to suspension.
Who is protected?
The base case is employees in the private sector. Everything else is included because a regulation incorporates it, and the BPS lists it by name or by its functional link. This reproduces that enumeration: it's a map to find your case, not a closed list. If you can't find yours, ask for it in writing at BPS. instead of deducing that you're outside.
Dependent on private activity
This is the basic case of article 1: the regime compulsorily includes employees of private activity who provide paid services to third parties.
Rural and domestic service
BPS lists them as beneficiaries, but with their own requirements that differ from those for industry and commerce: in rural areas, 30 months of reference and 270 days on the payroll if paid monthly, 225 days of work if paid daily or hourly, or 9 BPC ($61.776) if paid by piecework; in domestic work, 180 days registered in the last 12 months (or 360 in the last 24), plus 150 days of work if paid daily or hourly (250 in the 24-month option) or 6 BPC if paid by piecework (12 BPC in the 24-month option). What changes is not only the period: the amounts also change.
State fixed-term contract
BPS protects workers with fixed-term contracts from the Executive Branch and other agencies with civil contributions: functional link 61 (fixed-term contracts of Law 17.556) hired for a minimum term of 24 months, and functional link 94 (labor contract of the Central Administration), this without a requirement of contract time.
Youth employment programs (Law 19.133)
BPS lists them among the beneficiaries based on their functional link: 105 (first work experience), 106 (work placement for graduates), and 107 (protected youth employment). It's a group that is often considered excluded, but is actually included.
Groups incorporated one by one
Construction workers, fruit and vegetable packing workers, INAC staff, National Development Corporation and LATU personnel, teachers from private institutions, teachers from the Elbio Fernández School and High School, students of the Tacurú Movement with two uninterrupted years on the payroll, cooperative members, professional sports workers, and personal assistants. These are specific names that BPS adds to its list: if yours doesn't appear, ask BPS before dismissing it.
Company owners, except for link 60 or 166
BPS lists this among the restrictions: "business owners by virtue of their status as such" are not entitled. However, the same page lists an exception among the beneficiaries: owners of sole proprietorships with a functional link of type 60 or 166 (embassy personnel). In other words, being the owner of a sole proprietorship doesn't automatically exclude you; it excludes you unless your link falls under one of those two categories.
Public official outside of those modalities
It's not on the list of beneficiaries published by BPS. The program covers both private and public sector employment. BPS lists employment categories 61 and 94; the rest are not listed. Not being listed doesn't mean you're excluded: if your employment category isn't 61 or 94, request a written response from BPS before receiving the subsidy.
What cuts your subsidy?
This is the part that causes the most surprises, and the most common reason why BPS later demands a refund. Each disconnection comes with the conditions set by the regulations: without them, it scares people who aren't in that situation.
- You return to paid work, even if it's odd jobs or for a short time. With two written exceptions: section A) of article 8 excludes from this scenario "the continuation of activity under a reduced work regime" (the cause of section C) of article 5), and BPS, in its multiple employment section, maintains the subsidy for those who have another job as an employee with contributions to industry and commerce, rural, domestic or construction, covering them through the company that sent them to the insurance.
- You reject a suitable job without legitimate cause: it is literal B), with those words.
- You retire: section C) cuts off the subsidy "when you take retirement," and BPS lists among the restrictions those who receive a pension or pre-retirement advance.
- You are absent from job training, but only under the three conditions of section D) that Law 18.399 added to article 8: it must be "in cases of dismissal," "half of the periods" of article 6.1 must have elapsed, and the courses must be "implemented within the scope of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security," with the absence being "unjustified." This does not apply to suspensions, reduced work schedules, or the initial stages of dismissal.
- If you receive other income from an activity not covered by Decree-Law 15.180, or are covered for the same period by sickness subsidy, conventional insurance, State Insurance Bank or maternity leave: these are restrictions published by BPS.
- You leave the country: BPS does not cover those who are outside the country during the subsidy period.
What if I open a sole proprietorship while I'm getting paid?
You won't find the answer you want to hear here, because There is no official source that says so.What can be published is the real tension between what the regulation says and what the BPS restriction says.
- The rule refers to activity and income, not registration: Article 8 cuts off the subsidy "when the worker returns to any paid activity", and Article 4 excludes "those who receive other income, in the amount and conditions established by the Executive Branch".
- BPS, however, drafts its restriction based on status rather than billing: "business owners by virtue of their status as such" are not entitled to it. The only sole proprietorship that BPS mentions on the beneficiary side is that of functional link 60 or 166 (embassy staff).
- The non-dependent activities that BPS accepts in its multiple-employment section without losing the subsidy are listed one by one—director or partner without activity in an SRL or SA, director without remuneration in an SAS (links 122 and 131), notary or professional with link 88 or 89 and health insurance 9, owner of non-professional personal services with link 92 and health insurance 9—and all require proof that no remuneration, profits, or dividends are received. Sole proprietorships are not included in this list.
- BPS does not publish a revenue threshold below which opening a business is harmless. Until they publish it, the honest answer is that it's not available: ask BPS in writing before registering, not after.
The procedure
The company initiates the process, so the employee only finds out they weren't hired after the deadline has passed. Therefore, the important step isn't "applying" but rather... "reserve the right": It's the only thing that can be done without the company's cooperation.
The company submits the application
BPS states it this way: "The company may submit the unemployment subsidy application for its employees through the services portal. Once submitted, it must notify them of the outcome of the process." Regarding the suspension of benefits, BPS specifies a deadline: within 10 business days from the date the suspension occurs.
If they don't include it, due to dismissal or contract termination, you request it.
This is done through BPS's online services and requires a personal user account. BPS clarifies that this option "is valid only for dismissal or contract termination": in cases of suspension and reduced work, it depends on the company.
If you can't do it online, reserve the right at the office.
This applies when the company fails to process the paperwork or report your departure, when you don't have a personal user account, or when you disagree with the reason given. If you can't go, a family member up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity (by proxy) or a legal representative can make the reservation. An expired ID card is not an impediment to making the reservation; you will only be asked for valid documentation when you submit the final paperwork.
The deadline, in BPS's words
"The beneficiary may request the subsidy through online services within 30 calendar days from the date of discharge to avoid losing the subsidy for the month(s) that have passed." The deadline for reserving the right in person at the office is the same, counted "from the date the cause is established." Missing the deadline doesn't remove you from the program, it just costs you months: "Failure to submit the request within the deadline will result in the loss of the subsidy for the month(s) that have passed."
From when does it accrue and when do you get paid?
BPS: "In all cases, payments are processed starting the day after the departure date. Payment is made at the end of the month." In other words: it starts the day after you leave, but you get paid at the end of the month, not in advance or on the day you left.
When you run out
Article 6.4 requires two things, and the second is the one that is usually omitted: that they have passed 12 months since the last benefit, 6 of them effective contributionand that you again meet "the remaining required conditions". It's not enough to just let the year go by: you have to have contributed half again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
Figures verified on August 10, 2026. The limits are updated by BPS: this page is for informational purposes only and the BPS resolution is the one that matters.
- MTSS — Unemployment insurance (Decree-Law 15.180 and Law 18.399)
- BPS — Unemployment benefit for dismissal (requirements, 2026 limits, multiple employment)
- BPS — Unemployment benefit for suspension and reduction of work
- IMPO — Decree-Law 15.180, current text (arts. 5, 6.1 to 6.4, 7.1 to 7.10 and 8)
- BPS — R.D. 18-16/2005: incentivized resignation is not dismissal
- BPS — Unemployment subsidy claims (discrepancy with the cause)
- IMPO — Law 19.003, art. 1, current text (wording of art. 739 of Law 19.924): the minimum and maximum benefits are adjusted from 1/1/2021 by the variation of the BPC
- IMPO — Law 19.003, art. 2, letter B: indexation applies to the minimum and maximum amounts of the unemployment subsidy of Decree-Law 15.180