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First of all Hello to all. I am new to this forum and have researched my questions but the info I received was old or did not apply to me from what I could find. So forgive me if my questions are redundant. I will be more than happy to be pointed in the correct direction.
I live in Maryland and have been unemployed starting 02/28/12. My six months of state unemployment ended the last week of August and I then moved to EUC Tier 1 w/e 09/08/12. I exhausted Tier 1 of 14 weeks benefits on 12/8/12 and have now been paid for 3 weeks of Tier 2 benefits as of 12/29/12. In MD they do not have much info on EUC on the state website prior to what I found today. So previously I had no idea how long the Tiers were and how many I qualified for until I started researching in mid November. All I was told when I filed for EUC over the phone was that I was approved for 28 additional weeks but I would be cut of on 12/29/12 due to the Federal Law. BTW, the MD website does not provide much information on EUC, how it works or it's Tiers and how long they last ( well until today I might add) and the only correspondence I received was the letter to call and apply for EUC and the letter informing me that benefits would end 12/29/12. We do not receive any notification on when we move from one tier to the next.
As I came closer to the end of the year and still had not found employment I started my research in regards to the Tiers and what it would mean for me benefit wise if an extension was granted. It was during this research that I noticed once I accessed the Citibank Prepaid Unemployment Site that I could not only see all of payments it also listed my balances each time I received a payment. At this point I noticed that in late October the available balance I had to draw from went up by $3240.00. After calculations I deduced this was for an extra nine weeks of unemployment (Tier 3 benefits?). I derived from this after researching my state's monthly unemployment numbers over the past year that Maryland must calculate the Tiers you qualify for based on the prior quarter. This made the most sense since I started EUC in September that they initially used the prior quarters numbers which only qualified me for Tiers 1 & 2. Once Septembers unemployment numbers were published in October the quarter average of July, August & September when averaged were over 7% and that seemed to explain the benefit amount I had available going up as it seemed they deemed me qualified for Tier 3 benefits.
Sorry so long winded. Getting to my actual questions. Since the extension was approved I went on my states website today and saw the info you will see in the link.
I then called the DLLR because it appears to me that I am now going to lose the Tier 3 amount as of 1/5/13. This means if I do not find employment then my benefits will expire w/e 03/16/13 versus 05/18/13. When I called she verified that per what is in there system today shows that I have another 20 weeks. So is this going to drop to 11 weeks before I file next on 1/14/13? Maryland unemployment for the last quarter of 2012 will most likely be below 7% which would mean no more Tier 3. Are we not grandfathered in though for us who went on EUC when Tier 3 was available?
Also while on the phone with her she stated that I would be receiving a card in February to apply again. When I asked why she stated that because I had no earnings from April through September of 2012 that they had nothing to base my unemployment rate off of and I would have to reapply. Well if I had no earnings how can they determine a rate?
She stated she did not now how that was done but my weekly benefit amount would go down. Does anyone have any input on how much it will go down? I presently get $360.00 per week plus $16.00 for my two children under 16. It is hard enough getting by on $1500.00 per month as the cost of living is outrageous in addition to that where I live is mostly government contractors and military. I worked for the only Health Insurance company within 2 hours from my home. Jobs are scarce here and it is sad to only see one and a half pages of want ads each time the paper comes out.
Thanks for reading my very long post and any information and insight will be very much welcomed.
Last edited by Princessnridge; 01-03-2013 at 02:59 PM..
You will need to recertify your claim at the 2/2013 bye. Standard procedure at a bye is to check for new claim eligibility. If you worked while collecting benefits, you may qualify for a new State of Maryland claim - benefit unknown.
If you have not worked, there is no new claim, and you continue on the EUC tiers - exhausting Tier 2, and beginning Tier 3, if its UE rate trigger allows.
NO, THERE IS NO GRANDFATHERING. UE rate triggers on the various tiers determine whether or not a state can pay a particular tier at the time you reach eligibility for that tier.
Thank you for your reply. Yes, I always make things too complicated. :lol: Did you happen to check out my link to the MD unemployment? It appears to me that since I am in tier 2 as of 12/29/12 that I only get 28 weeks total. Also I did not start EUC until September as my last benefit week ending on the original 26 week claim was 09/01/12. They only gave me 14 & 14 initially then added 9 at the end of Oct. Also no I have not worked since 02/27/12 and that job I had for 16 years.
Maryland and Texas began a 13 week mandatory "on" period in Tier 3 of EUC08 on October 7, 2012. Based on the most recent releases of state unemployment rates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these states are below the 7.0% threshold rate necessary to remain "on" in Tier 3 of EUC08. As a result, they will conclude a payable period in Tier 3 and the week ending January 5, 2013 will be the last week in which EUC08 claimants in these states can exhaust Tier 2, and establish Tier 3 eligibility. Under the phase-out provisions, claimants can receive any remaining entitlement they have in Tier 3 after January 5, 2013.
So, it appears, earliest MD can again trigger on to Tier 3 will be March 31 - UE rate permitting.
Thank you for your reply. Yes, I always make things too complicated. :lol: Did you happen to check out my link to the MD unemployment? It appears to me that since I am in tier 2 as of 12/29/12 that I only get 28 weeks total. Also I did not start EUC until September as my last benefit week ending on the original 26 week claim was 09/01/12. They only gave me 14 & 14 initially then added 9 at the end of Oct. Also no I have not worked since 02/27/12 and that job I had for 16 years.
I read that link. If you exhausted your state benefits, you were eligible for, and MD should have put on, 20 weeks Tier 1. MD is misreading the BLS directive on eligibility dates.
Every other state does not begin the 14 week Tier 1 until claimaint exhausts state benefits on or after 9/8.
Since MD will be triggering off Tier 3 on January 5 and you are still collecting Tier 2, Tier 2 is it for you, for now.
However, call MD about adding back another 6 weeks on Tier 1. They made a mistake.
I read that link. If you exhausted your state benefits, you were eligible for, and MD should have put on, 20 weeks Tier 1. MD is misreading the BLS directive on eligibility dates.
Every other state does not begin the 14 week Tier 1 until claimaint exhausts state benefits on or after 9/8.
Since MD will be triggering off Tier 3 on January 5 and you are still collecting Tier 2, Tier 2 is it for you, for now.
However, call MD about adding back another 6 weeks on Tier 1. They made a mistake.
Thank you very much. Your insight is greatly appreciated.
Oh, one last question for now. Where can I find the information regarding the twenty weeks on Tier 1 that I should have been given? I don't want to go spouting off to the DLLR without something verifiable to back me up. TIA.
Oh, one last question for now. Where can I find the information regarding the twenty weeks on Tier 1 that I should have been given? I don't want to go spouting off to the DLLR without something verifiable to back me up. TIA.
BLS ADVISORY: UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAM LETTER NO. 04-10, Change 9:
Quote:
Modifications Related to Maximum Entitlement to EUC08 Tiers
• EUC08 First Tier: Effective for weeks of unemployment ending after September 2, 2012, the maximum entitlement will be reduced.
o For all new EUC08 First Tier claims established for a week ending after September 2, 2012 (in most states, this is the week ending September 8, 2012), the maximum entitlement is reduced to the lesser of 54 percent (from 80 percent) of the maximum regular Unemployment Compensation (UC) entitlement or 14 times (from 20 times) the regular UC weekly benefit amount.
o Individuals whose accounts were established with EUC08 First Tier amounts before the maximum entitlement was reduced will (if otherwise eligible) continue to receive the balance of their EUC08 First Tier until exhaustion or the final payable week of EUC08, whichever happens first.
BLS ADVISORY: UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAM LETTER NO. 04-10, Change 9:
Right from the horse's mouth. Your EUC08 Tier 1 was established with week ending 9/1.
This is ALWAYS the way BLS calculates eligibility.
The day on which you exhaust is also the same day on which you are eligibility and receive entitlement. Tier 1, on 9/1, was 20 weeks.
It is done this way in EVERY state.
If you have trouble with a phone rep on this, send in an appeal, with a copy of the BLS Directive.
Shucks, You got me again. I was just going to post this:
At first it looked quite promising but as I scrolled down and saw Sept 2 as the 14 week max I felt impending doom. So all I need is to find something that states that my EUC eligibility date is supposed to start on the last day of the benefit week of my initial claim? My balance prior to this filing period was 451.00 for w/e 8/25/12 & I was paid 360.00 + 16.00
(kids benefit)= 376.00 then for w/e 09/01/12 was the remaining 95.00 and no kids benefit. If based on a 5 day per week benefit which equals 72.00 a day then I exhausted my 26 week benefit prior to lunch on Tuesday the 28th of August.
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