unemployment (how much, unemployment benefits, income) - Massachusetts (MA) - City-Data Forum

maball · 02-01-2010, 08:03 AM

I collected unemployment from August 2008 to February 2009. I worked from February 2009 to August 2009 and then was layed off. I received 628.00 per week. In November 2009 I was told I had to open a new claim and now my unemployment rate is 397.00. Why could I not extend the claim? Was this because I was working 6 months of the year?

miu · 02-01-2010, 08:39 AM

Before you became unemployed in August of 2008, how much did you earn a week and how long were you working at that company?

And when you were working from February 2009 to August 2009, how much were you earning per week?

Highwyre237 · 02-05-2010, 10:52 AM

A few days late, sorry/ But the way unemployment works to my knowledge is it's based off of your highest quarter earnings of the past year. Since the previous job your unemployment was based off of (the max, if that was before the extra 25 a week) has been over for more then a year, they no longer use those earning to base anything off of.

So, what most likely happened was, you had a well paying job, were laid off. Then after being unemployed for a few months you decided to accept a job that paid much less then the last.

The way it works is, you get 1/2 of your gross income up to 628 (+25, so 653).

So, before you were earning 66,000+ and when you went back to work, you were earning around 39,000 annually or about 19.5 an hour.(if you were working 40 hour weeks)

If these numbers are wayy off, there may be a mix up.

Its a crappy situation, I had to deal with it too.

3Hooligans · 02-10-2010, 09:59 PM

I was terminated in 2009 and reinstated at arbitration in 2009, after not being found at fault. During the time I was out of work I collected unemployment. When I was reinstated by the company they removed the total unemployment I had recieved while I was out, from my total back pay settlement.

I received a 1099G from the state for the full amount of unemployment I received. When I called unemployment I was advised that no "overpayment" or reimbursement was made by my employer for this account with uenemployment.

What is the recourse I can take with the company for not paying uenemployment back? I now owe thousands of dollars in tax's to the state.

Thank you.

miu · 02-11-2010, 04:59 AM

Sorry, but it seems to me that you DO owe that income tax to the state (and feds). Those unemployment checks you received count as income, and the mistake you made was not requesting the unemployment benefits office to withhold income taxes from those checks you got. When you got rehired and your employer paid you that back pay settlement, they counted your unemployment checks towards the gross total.

I know from my friends that collect unemployment checks during the slow weeks at my job, that there is an option of having income taxes withhold in their benefits. Smart people do, but others feel that they need as much money as possible at that time, so they opt not to have anything withheld from their UE checks.

Nobody likes to have to pay the IRS at tax time, but it does happen. But the plus is that you got your old job back. I hope that when you got rehired and got your back pay, you didn't spend it all.

Highwyre237 · 02-12-2010, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by miu

Sorry, but it seems to me that you DO owe that income tax to the state (and feds). Those unemployment checks you received count as income, and the mistake you made was not requesting the unemployment benefits office to withhold income taxes from those checks you got. When you got rehired and your employer paid you that back pay settlement, they counted your unemployment checks towards the gross total.

I know from my friends that collect unemployment checks during the slow weeks at my job, that there is an option of having income taxes withhold in their benefits. Smart people do, but others feel that they need as much money as possible at that time, so they opt not to have anything withheld from their UE checks.

Nobody likes to have to pay the IRS at tax time, but it does happen. But the plus is that you got your old job back. I hope that when you got rehired and got your back pay, you didn't spend it all.

Its a bit off of you to say "Smart people do" get taxes taken out... When you're living in the city, making 1/2 the gross pay you used to... many people do need the tax free income to afford living while job hunting.

If your company said they owed you wages, and then removed the amount they had to pay to unemployment for you, its just that... It should make up the total amount of money you made anyway, because they arent accountable for it all. I would talk to payroll or HR and get to the bottom of all of it... See how much they really withheld. I have a feeling it isnt a mix-up with the state, but with your comapny.

Highwyre237 · 02-12-2010, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Highwyre237

If your company said they owed you wages, and then removed the amount they had to pay to unemployment for you, its just that... It shouldn't make up the total amount of money you made anyway, because they arent accountable for it all. I would talk to payroll or HR and get to the bottom of all of it... See how much they really withheld. I have a feeling it isnt a mix-up with the state, but with your comapny.

Fixed, sorry typo

miu · 02-12-2010, 06:06 PM

Well according to my co-workers that collected unemployment last year during the slow work weeks, unemployment benefits totaling $800 and over during the year are taxable. And yes, smart people do plan ahead in situations like this. This is why one should never live from paycheck to paycheck, even when the economy seems sound. And ignorance isn't any sort of defense when it comes to the IRS and taxes.

Reneeme · 02-15-2010, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maball

I collected unemployment from August 2008 to February 2009. I worked from February 2009 to August 2009 and then was layed off. I received 628.00 per week. In November 2009 I was told I had to open a new claim and now my unemployment rate is 397.00. Why could I not extend the claim? Was this because I was working 6 months of the year?

My weekly MA unemployment checks went down after temping for four months, and yes, your unemployment rate went down because you had to open a new claim (due to a new benefit year).

The person I talked to at the unemployment office explained that the federal govt. is not going to pay extended benefits to people that are eligible for state benefits, so that's why they recalculate. (not sure if this is the whole reason, just writing what I was told).

In my case, my temp job crossed into two quarters, so it made my checks smaller than if I had my pay more concentrated into one quarter. If your job started in February, you probably had a quarter with only partial employment/paychecks as well (Jan-March, April-June, etc).

What I try to tell myself, is that if there were no extensions, temping and/or working again as in your sitiuation, would have been a good thing not a bad thing.

miu · 02-15-2010, 09:00 AM

With unemployment rates so high, if you lose your job, count on a long wait before finding another fulltime job in your field. If you have to, get a part time job doing anything to supplement your UE check. And also immediately look at your budget and jettison all frivolous expenses. Immeidately stop the Starbucks visits and eating out. Sell your unused or unworn possessions on craigslist or eBay. Cancel your cable service and go to the library for internet access. Most people have a lot of waste in their daily budgets that they are unaware of.