A: On becoming unemployed a person must apply for benefit within two weeks of the date of termination of his/her services. This must be done whether or not a Termination Certificate has been provided by the employer at the time of termination. Therefore, having waited four weeks, you are already late in submitting your claim. Remember that unemployment benefits are payable not earlier than two weeks prior to the date of the claim so that a late claim may result in loss of part or whole benefit.