Problems Collecting Unemployment Benefits? (Austin, El Paso: purchasing, luxury, school)

[D'kota]

I am wondering if anybody besides my brother, is having problems getting in contact with someone in Austin in order to get his or her claim going. He finished collecting all of his unemployment benefits a month ago and was notified by mail that he qualified for an extention, but for this he has to talk to someone in Austin. He has been calling for two weeks and can't get through neither by phone nor online. Could this be due to the large amount of people without jobs opening claims? This is sure making it hard on people who are depending on this money to pay their bills on time.

[HookTheBrotherUp]

I am sure there is a long queue, too many people unemployed now. Is your brother disabled? If not, is he lazy? Why not get a job instead of depending on government assistance, after his initial assistance ran out? I find it hard to believe, even in El Paso, there are zero jobs out there to be had. If he has dependents, or debt, he needs to swallow his pride, work two, or three jobs if he has to.

[Smooth from ELP]

Originally Posted by D'kota

I am wondering if anybody besides my brother, is having problems getting in contact with someone in Austin in order to get his or her claim going. He finished collecting all of his unemployment benefits a month ago and was notified by mail that he qualified for an extention, but for this he has to talk to someone in Austin. He has been calling for two weeks and can't get through neither by phone nor online. Could this be due to the large amount of people without jobs opening claims? This is sure making it hard on people who are depending on this money to pay their bills on time.

Email your concern. They will get back to you within 24 hours. Long lines and busy signals is common right now.

Sending you a direct messege with email address.

[D'kota]

Originally Posted by HookTheBrotherUp

I am sure there is a long queue, too many people unemployed now. Is your brother disabled? If not, is he lazy? Why not get a job instead of depending on government assistance, after his initial assistance ran out? I find it hard to believe, even in El Paso, there are zero jobs out there to be had. If he has dependents, or debt, he needs to swallow his pride, work two, or three jobs if he has to.

Thanks for your opinion Hook. My brother has worked 18 years and this is the first time he collects benefits. There is a program for displaced workers who qualify, to obtain vocational training for other kinds of jobs. I see no wrong in people accepting this kind of help in order to help themselves move up to a possible better paying job in the future. While people attend school, they also qualify to collect their unemployment benefits. Thanks to this program, I might see my brother (who until now is a straight A's student) this year as a qualified and certified computer technician fixing up computers. Who knows, maybe he might even go fix a PC where you work!

[D'kota]

Originally Posted by Smooth from ELP

Email your concern. They will get back to you within 24 hours. Long lines and busy signals is common right now.

Sending you a direct messege with email address.

Thank you Smooth. Your opinion is greatly appreciated.

[HookTheBrotherUp]

Originally Posted by D'kota

Thanks for your opinion Hook. My brother has worked 18 years and this is the first time he collects benefits. There is a program for displaced workers who qualify, to obtain vocational training for other kinds of jobs. I see no wrong in people accepting this kind of help in order to help themselves move up to a possible better paying job in the future. While people attend school, they also qualify to collect their unemployment benefits. Thanks to this program, I might see my brother (who until now is a straight A's student) this year as a qualified and certified computer technician fixing up computers. Who knows, maybe he might even go fix a PC where you work!

D'kota, I've no problem with those who use their unemployment benefits, after all, this is why the employer pays for the benefits via a tax on one's income. The problem I have is that these programs have limits, usually generous ones of six months. Certain conditions also trigger extensions, as appears the case with your brother. In either case, it comes as no surprise to anyone who collects these benefits when the expiration date comes. These benefits are only to assist, not to be the sole source of income as many use it for. What happened to personal resposnsiblity in this country, savings, purchasing only what one can afford, etc.?

My question is, how many extensions should be given? When the extensions kick in, that is when the program changes from one which was funded with the FUTA tax to the state, to the burden of the Federal Government, aka you and I. I don't want to pay for someone else's benefits, for example, someone in Hawaii, Louisiana, etc.

What I took exception with of your original post was the line which read "This is sure making it hard on people who are depending on this money to pay their bills on time." My response to that is 'So what?'.

Unemployment benefits are for the welfare of the unemployed individual, and his/her dependents; that means food and shelter for the period until which one finds employment. Unemployment benefits does not mean car notes, DUBS, Spinners, cell phones, DirecTV, or cable; those bills are the sole responsibility of the person who's name appears on the account, not the Federal Government. Also, it is up to the debtor to negotiate terms with the companies immediately upon finding out that they have no job. This is the simplest, and most overlooked course of action for the unemployed. I'm not saying your brother has these things, BTW, but you get my point.

I guess Chicos would be covered, however, since that would fall under the welfare portion.

[DesertDog]

Hook, are you having a bad day? Make a drink and relax a little. Take into consideration the emotional issues and fear involved with losing a job especially if it's been a long term one. It's easy to say just work 2 or 3 jobs to get back on your feet but sometimes it's not practical or even possible. Giving up some of the extras is easy if you're single but if you have kids it's hard to make them do without what they are accustomed to having. I don't think anyone who has lost their job wants to stay unemployed it's just a little more difficult to bounce back in todays environment. Put your warm and fuzzy personality back on OK.

[HookTheBrotherUp]

Originally Posted by DesertDog

Hook, are you having a bad day? Make a drink and relax a little. Take into consideration the emotional issues and fear involved with losing a job especially if it's been a long term one. It's easy to say just work 2 or 3 jobs to get back on your feet but sometimes it's not practical or even possible. Giving up some of the extras is easy if you're single but if you have kids it's hard to make them do without what they are accustomed to having. I don't think anyone who has lost their job wants to stay unemployed it's just a little more difficult to bounce back in todays environment. Put your warm and fuzzy personality back on OK.

Meh. You might be right, I was in a hurry Friday, I suppose I could have re-worded my response and not be so blunt. I will admit, however, those are my sentiments about extensions. If anyone wants to know why, I'll post a story, else, as Pope John Paul once said 'It is what it is'.

[/PUT_ON_FUZZY_SWEATER] Apologies to all who were offended, especially D'Kota. No mal intentions, just stating my views.[/TAKE_OFF_FUZZY_SWEATER]

[jeana53]

My husband had worked since he was 16 and now at 55 he has been off work for 9 months. What kind of luxury does one think you can have on unemployment. We have always tried to have low payments but the money does run out and loosing your car after 3 years due to lack of money is a sad thing. He applies for work 5 times a day if not more. He is either too old or not educated enough. He does not qualify for the retraining prgram, his boss laid off ten at a time. We can not receive food stamps, help on our utilities(we have no cable) or even get health care. We make too much on his unemployment and I can not get an interview either(worked from 17 to 54). Till you are here, it is easy for all to judge.

[Smooth from ELP]

Originally Posted by jeana53

My husband had worked since he was 16 and now at 55 he has been off work for 9 months. What kind of luxury does one think you can have on unemployment. We have always tried to have low payments but the money does run out and loosing your car after 3 years due to lack of money is a sad thing. He applies for work 5 times a day if not more. He is either too old or not educated enough. He does not qualify for the retraining prgram, his boss laid off ten at a time. We can not receive food stamps, help on our utilities(we have no cable) or even get health care. We make too much on his unemployment and I can not get an interview either(worked from 17 to 54). Till you are here, it is easy for all to judge.

Some people forget when they were once unemployed. I was recently laid off and I realized a cold fact....your friends and family only sympathize with you in your presence. When they walk away they forget about you. You remind them of their frail situations and how easily they can loose their jobs too. So they avoid you or try to avoid the job situation conversations.

While I feel for your husband I have to remind you to tell him and yourself not to quit trying. There is always a solution to everything. Sometimes it is not what we want at first but you have to roll with it until your situation improves.

This may not mean much to you rith now but I will remember you and your husband in my prayer time. Anybody else that loves God and has a personal relationship with HIM will do the same....I promise you that.

Just have faith that there is a light at the end of this long dark tunnel.