Unemployment question about benefit year ending... (Charlotte: 2010, house, find a job)

[shadowpumpkin]

I am hoping someone can help me out, but please no comments about why I have not found a job. I am currently receiving unemployment and have been since last August. My benefit year just expired, however with the extensions it seems that I should have another few weeks left. It will not let me file online anymore, saying that the benefit year has ended. Does anyone know if I need to submit a new claim to get a new benefit year, or how it works in NC? Or maybe you can only collect for one benefit year regardless of the extensions that are out there right now? I've never collected unemployment before this, and hope to never collect again as I finally have a promising job situation coming up......I tried calling today but was on hold for 2 hours...just thought maybe someone here has been in this situation......

[nascarnancy]

I do know that when I called and left a message, when I didn't hear back I called again and spoke to the operator. She said that they start returning calls after 4:30PM. So make sure to leave a message so you're on someone's call back list.

[travlingrlclt]

My benefit year ended and all I had to do was just start up another claim.

[Catrick]

It was just on the news that there were problems with the computers crashing and they are not sure about getting them up tomorrow. They suggested calling or going in person.

[jdljr]

Originally Posted by shadowpumpkin

I am hoping someone can help me out, but please no comments about why I have not found a job. I am currently receiving unemployment and have been since last August. My benefit year just expired, however with the extensions it seems that I should have another few weeks left. It will not let me file online anymore, saying that the benefit year has ended. Does anyone know if I need to submit a new claim to get a new benefit year, or how it works in NC? Or maybe you can only collect for one benefit year regardless of the extensions that are out there right now? I've never collected unemployment before this, and hope to never collect again as I finally have a promising job situation coming up......I tried calling today but was on hold for 2 hours...just thought maybe someone here has been in this situation......

If your benefit year ended, you must file a new claim in order for your unemployment to continue.

In order to qualify to file a new claim, you must have wages of at least $4,550 spread out over at least two of the four quarters in the base period (right now the last three quarters of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009). If you can't establish a claim using the regular base period, you can try the alternate base period, which entails using the 2nd quarter of 2009, but dropping the 2nd quarter of 2008. If you ARE able to establish a new claim, any extension money left on your previous claim is lost.

If you are NOT able to establish a new claim (don't have enough wages in the base period), you must attempt a new claim anyway if you want to try and go back and get the remaining EUC08 or EB on your previous claim. A new benefit year would be established for you for purposes of being able to draw your remaining extension money.

Keep in mind that if you are able to establish a new claim, your weekly benefit amount will likely be different. It just depends on what's in your base period. Take your high quarter of wages in the base period and divide by 26. That gives you your weekly benefit amount.

[melrose011]

I have a similar question. My benefits started in August 2008 and just recently expired while I was on my first extension. I submitted a new claim and was approved for a new benefit year for 14 weeks of unemployment. So, I have two questions: How did they calculate the length to be 14 weeks (rather than 26 like the original benefit year), and once the 14 weeks runs out will I eligible for an extension again like I was on my original benefit year?

I have been applying everywhere for months and months and months and have not been able to find a job. I've never seen anything like this in my life. (And I've never collected unemployment in my life either). I am very nervous about my unemployment benefits running out before I am able to find something. I'm so afraid we might end up losing our house if that happens.

If someone could let me know how the new benefit year works, I would appreciate.

[CharlotteCharlotte]

Originally Posted by melrose011

I have a similar question. My benefits started in August 2008 and just recently expired while I was on my first extension. I submitted a new claim and was approved for a new benefit year for 14 weeks of unemployment. So, I have two questions: How did they calculate the length to be 14 weeks (rather than 26 like the original benefit year), and once the 14 weeks runs out will I eligible for an extension again like I was on my original benefit year?

I have been applying everywhere for months and months and months and have not been able to find a job. I've never seen anything like this in my life. (And I've never collected unemployment in my life either). I am very nervous about my unemployment benefits running out before I am able to find something. I'm so afraid we might end up losing our house if that happens.

If someone could let me know how the new benefit year works, I would appreciate.

I think they calculate it on Tiers if I am not mistaken. I will also add that I have been collecting unemployment for just over a year now and my benefit year end date is expired and my remaining balance has remained 0 the past 3 months but I am still able to file and collect my weekly benefit amount. I kind of wonder to myself how do they actually quantify what they are paying people if they are paying out on an expired year and if the remaining balance is zero?

Its just like going to your bank with a zero balance and telling them you want to withdraw 400 dollars on a savings account with zero in it and yet they still give it to you.

[jdljr]

Originally Posted by melrose011

I have a similar question. My benefits started in August 2008 and just recently expired while I was on my first extension. I submitted a new claim and was approved for a new benefit year for 14 weeks of unemployment. So, I have two questions: How did they calculate the length to be 14 weeks (rather than 26 like the original benefit year), and once the 14 weeks runs out will I eligible for an extension again like I was on my original benefit year?

I have been applying everywhere for months and months and months and have not been able to find a job. I've never seen anything like this in my life. (And I've never collected unemployment in my life either). I am very nervous about my unemployment benefits running out before I am able to find something. I'm so afraid we might end up losing our house if that happens.

If someone could let me know how the new benefit year works, I would appreciate.

It ALL has to do with what's in your base period.

Duration of your claim is calculated like this: They add up all of your wages in the base period (right now it's the last three quarters of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009), divide that number by the high quarter in the base period, and then multiply that amount by 8.66. UI pays anywhere from a minimum of 13 weeks to a maximum of 26 weeks (there's a common misconception that unemployment is ALWAYS 26 weeks. It isn't.). Now, if you didn't qualify for a claim using the regular base period, they would have built one using the alternate base period, which entails instead using the 2nd quarter of 2009, and dropping the 2nd quarter of 2008. Whatever base period you used, you had to have wages of at least $4,550 spanning at least two quarters of the base period.

You do not automatically receive extensions, you have to qualify monetarily. Again, using your base period, the total base period wages must equal 1-1/2 (one and one half) times your high quarter in the base period to monetarily qualify. In other words, if your high quarter of wages in the base period is $10,000, then the total wages in your base period must equal $15,000 or more to qualify for ANY extension.

If you do qualify, just keep certifying each week and the change from regular UI to an extension should be transparent to you.

[jdljr]

Originally Posted by CharlotteCharlotte

I think they calculate it on Tiers if I am not mistaken. I will also add that I have been collecting unemployment for just over a year now and my benefit year end date is expired and my remaining balance has remained 0 the past 3 months but I am still able to file and collect my weekly benefit amount. I kind of wonder to myself how do they actually quantify what they are paying people if they are paying out on an expired year and if the remaining balance is zero?

Its just like going to your bank with a zero balance and telling them you want to withdraw 400 dollars on a savings account with zero in it and yet they still give it to you.

The system will not allow payments on an expired benefit year. Somewhere along the lines, either you or they must have set up a new benefit year, OR, you did not qualify for a new claim so they established a new benefit year for you so that you could collect any remaining Extended Benefits on your prior claim.

Of course I'm referring to the NC UI system. You're collecting from CA, so I'm not sure exactly what their funky UI system is doing.

[Neurostorm]

Having read multiple topics, I feel like I understand the rules much better now. Many thanks to you, jdljr. Your info is a great service in my opinion, and it's not like you have to put in any time here to help us if you didn't want to.

I think I just have one question after all the reading:

From a combination of many of your posts, I feel like I understand the base period thing and the 1.5 multiplier and all that stuff. From various posts, you mention that one should re-apply at the end of one's benefit year, regardless. At that point, if one qualifies, they receive a minimum of a "new?" 13 weeks of benefits. My benefit year will end early Feb 2010, and I'm currently on Tier 1 of EUC08 (they don't tell me Tier 1 at this point, they just say I get paid till the last week of Dec 2009). I would expect to be in Tier 2 from then till Feb 2010. I'm confused on what a "new claim benefit" after the benefit year is up, is, vs. EUC and EB extensions. In another post, you said if one didn't qualify on the new claim at the end of the benefit year, one would "likely" get the rest of the EUC and EB money left. Well, by my calculation it should be 27 weeks! Which matches the 79 max I've heard. That sounds better than even a max of 26 new weeks in 2010. And if you lose the remaining weeks of EUC and EB, why is it listed as so many weeks to begin with?


Ok, I guess this makes me think of a 2nd question: On base period, you say "right now it's the last three quarters of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009". Do you think it would still be that by Feb2010? I am guessing we can't know for sure, but certainly the farther back in time it is, the better it is for me since I worked for years and years before Feb 2009.

Thanks!