Former Employee HR problem. (law, bank, underwriter, pension)

[Mrs.Doe]

In April 2002 my husband was laid off from Sprint PCS after working for them for 6 years. His whole call center was closed. In total they laid off 522 people and it was so large that Sprint was required by Federal law to notify the city we live in.

Since he had been there for 6 years he was vested with the company. When he was let go he received severance and a small pension check.

After he was let go he was unable to find work and ended up filing for bankruptcy. Since then he's had steady employment.

Fast forward to today, we are trying for our first mortgage. The underwriter is asking for proof that he was laid off. We have nothing since it's been 7 years. We contacted Sprint who has all of their work verification through a third party. That company has him listed as retired. Listing him as retired means he left voluntarily. It lists where he worked. We contacted Sprint and they only show that he cashed his pension check (wouldn't you if you were out of work). We went back and found news articles from that time that show that Sprint closed the center and laid everyone off. In the article it says the time and the address for the center which matches the address that Sprint says my husband "retired" from.

Our mortgage hangs on the what ever we can do to prove he was laid off. We don't know what else we could provide or who else we can talk too.

Does anyone have any advice or info as who we might talk too?

[dad2jules]

If he collected unemployment there should be a record of that, but I don't know how long they keep them. This may help becuase usually if you leave voluntarily you don't qualify for unemployment as far as I know.

[Mrs.Doe]

Originally Posted by dad2jules

If he collected unemployment there should be a record of that, but I don't know how long they keep them. This may help becuase usually if you leave voluntarily you don't qualify for unemployment as far as I know.

We contacted unemployment and they don't have records that far back.

[dad2jules]

Look for copies of tax returns for that year. My CPA attaches copies of all W-2's, 1099's to the copy I receive. The unempoyment income should also be reported on those tax returns.
If unemployment was direct deposited you could request copies of bank statements as well.
If he received outplacement services as part of severence do you remember the name of the company that provided these services- they may have a record of his activity. You don't receive these services when you retire- only usually with a mass layoff.

[windtimber]

Check with the U.S. Department of Labor for the area in which the call center was located. They may have some records of the WARN Act notices.

[texdav]

No ;you can be retired in certain ways and collect unemployment;I have freinds this happened to. But if he got a pension and not just vested in the pension system to collect at a certain age and he received a serance package and pension at that time ;he is likely retired. Basically he received a package that included retirement under specail circumsatnces. many of the sutomakers have done the same thing.My neighbor retired just about two years ago because of downsizing his dept. He got his retirement;servance and they agreed to pay a eqaul amount as his social security until he reached 62.He also got unemployment as he filed and the company didn't contest it.That can vary by sate.

[Mrs.Doe]

But he wasn't retired, he was laid off. His entire call center was shut down and the building was sold. That isn't retirement.

Thanks anyways guys.