Transitioning to Tier 1, WI (record, money, UI, state)

[Chyvan]

Well, your first dates given were wrong. You did enter EUC on the earlier claim, and what the rep told you was right.

However, once the 5 weeks is gone that is tier 1, you'll still have to live with the lower benefit because then you'll be transitioning to tier 2.

[elmiriachi]

So I will collect 14 Weeks of unemployment @ $144?

Wisconsin is currently only at 2 tiers.

Since that is the case, Once that 14 Weeks is done am I completely done with unemployment or do I have a chance to collect EUC at a higher rate?

[Chyvan]

You'll then be eligible to get EUC on your 2nd claim once the 1st claim's EUC is exhausted, but then you'll be bumping up against the 12/29/12 cut off date, and as it stands now, that's when the plug will get pulled.

[elmiriachi]

It's been nearly a year since I was laid off from my position. The job market in my area is terrible. Wisconsin in general is terrible. I'm trying to plan for the future but I'm confused since things have changed since I last posted here.

First off, Wisconsin's job market in general has gotten worse. We once again have three tiers. Assuming that EUC benefits get extended, I need some help figuring out what goes on next. Here is the history thus far....

2/5/2012 - 8/11/2012 - $343 / mo - Regular Unemployment Benefits.
8/12/2012 - 9/15/2012 - $144 / mo - Remaining Tier 1 from an old claim.
9/16/2012 - 12/22/2012 - $144 / mo - Remaining Tier 2 from an old claim.
12/23/2012 - 2/23/2012 - $144 / mo - Remaining Tier 3 from an old claim (9 weeks).

What happens after this? Is the EUC done? Do I start back at a 14-week Tier 1 @ $343 / mo from my 2012 Unemployment claim?

The dates may not be 100% accurate as their may be a waiting week at tiers. (I cannot remember off the top of my head, I'm writing this down from memory.)

Thankfully, I'm getting school money in January and between that and the remaining amount in my savings I shouldn't be totally out of money until closer to the summer, hopefully I will find something much sooner.

[Ariadne22]

Originally Posted by elmiriachi

2/5/2012 - 8/11/2012 - $343 / mo - Regular Unemployment Benefits.
8/12/2012 - 9/15/2012 - $144 / mo - Remaining Tier 1 from an old claim.
9/16/2012 - 12/22/2012 - $144 / mo - Remaining Tier 2 from an old claim.
12/23/2012 - 2/23/2012 - $144 / mo - Remaining Tier 3 from an old claim (9 weeks).

What happens after this? Is the EUC done? Do I start back at a 14-week Tier 1 @ $343 / mo from my 2012 Unemployment claim?

Probably not. If Congress extends the legislation without change, you will not exhaust Tier 3 from the old Claim before the February 5th (or thereabouts) bye in 2013. Therefore, you lose any rights to EUC from that claim. So, under current legislation, your benefits end when you exhaust Tier 3 @ $144, assuming WI still meets the parameters for paying that tier.

The only thing which might help you is if WI would trigger off Tier 3 in the next month. Then you would need to exhaust only Tier 2 and could then begin Tier 1 from the 2012 claim. Right now WI's UE rate is 6.9%. If it continues in that range or below, WI might trigger off Tier 3 in December. Let's hope.

For now, until Congress passes new UE legislation, you should know that all federal benefit payments are scheduled to end 12/29/2012. See FAQS, post 6.

[elmiriachi]

nvm, you answered that question in your post, thanks!

If I'm in the middle of collecting Tier 3 and Wisconsin loses eligibility do I automatically lose Tier 3 benefits and start back at 1? I just checked the unemployment website and my current tier has $288 left in it which means two weeks, 12/4/12 - 12/15/12. Ie, I will hit Tier 3 before the end of December (But I would still collect Tier 3 until 2/16/12 which is past when I started collecting from my original benefit year on 2/7/12 according to my calc's looking at payments from my bank).

If I'm "grandfathered" and allowed to stay on Tier 3 if I start collecting before the 3-month report that might cause a loss of WI Tier 3, then it would be better for me to just not collect and trigger Tier 3 until that plays itself out, correct?

[Ariadne22]

Originally Posted by elmiriachi

If I'm in the middle of collecting Tier 3 and Wisconsin loses eligibility do I automatically lose Tier 3 benefits and start back at 1?

No. If Congress extends the legislation in its present form and you are already collecting Tier 3, you continue to do that.

Originally Posted by elmiriachi

I just checked the unemployment website and my current tier has $288 left in it which means two weeks, 12/4/12 - 12/15/12. Ie, I will hit Tier 3 before the end of December (But I would still collect Tier 3 until 2/16/12 which is past when I started collecting from my original benefit year on 2/7/12 according to my calc's looking at payments from my bank).

Earliest BLS will announce a trigger off for WI Tier 3 will be December 21, which means earliest WI will trigger off Tier 3 will be either December 30 or January 6th, long past when you would have exhausted Tier 2. You would need to exhaust Tier 2 AFTER WI triggers off in order to avoid eligibility for Tier 3.

Originally Posted by elmiriachi

If I'm "grandfathered" and allowed to stay on Tier 3 if I start collecting before the 3-month report that might cause a loss of WI Tier 3, then it would be better for me to just not collect and trigger Tier 3 until that plays itself out, correct?

Absolutely. You would need to stop claiming Tier 2 probably December 8th. Leave yourself one week.

Check with this board before reopening the claim and claiming that last week. Even though BLS announces a trigger off, eligibility for Tier 3 remains through the Saturday before the trigger off date. Thus, that final week of Tier 2 must be claimed no earlier than with the week ending one week AFTER the Tier 3 final eligibility date, which date BLS always announces on this page:

Office of Unemployment Insurance, Employment & Training Administration (ETA) - U.S. Department of Labor

[elmiriachi]

Greatly appreciate the response Ariadne. The job situation is bad where I'm at. I would hate to make a mistake collecting that would reduce potential benefit eligibility while I'm looking for work.

[Ariadne22]

Indeed. Especially since the Claim 2 benefit is so much better than what you are collecting currently.

[elmiriachi]

I just wanted to clarify one thing. It says I have $288 remaining which is two weeks worth of claims. If I claim this week and it drops down to $144 this won't yet trigger some sort of pre-approval process for tier 3 correct? It isn't until I completely $0 out the balance that it triggers the tier 3 approval process, correct?

I want to be sure because then I can go ahead and claim two weeks after the job report data comes out if it looks like we will still be stuck on tier 3.

I don't think I'd have the time to get back onto tier 1 after the job reports come out in January but at the very least I'd need to knock it down to 1 week remaining on this claim for that to be possible.

Also, does anyone know where on the Wisconsin website to find out when the bye week is?

I'm guessing where it says "Benefit Year Start: 1/22/2012" "Benefit Year End: 1/19/2013" which means I'd have to exhaust before then to get knocked back onto tier 1.