Extended Benefits - PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!! (extension, file, receive, claim)

[leslievharvey]

Please help if anyone knows the answer. I received REG, Regular Unemployment Benefits starting June 21, 2009.
On December 20th 2009 I started receiving TUC, Temporary Unemployment Benefits until June 5th, 2010.
I'm confused as to what Congress Extended if they did not Extend Extended Benefits. I've never even gotten to Teir 1,2 or 3... Why did I not receive money on Aug 4, 2010 like everyone else? Here is the message I received on my unemployment home page:

Congress extended the deadlines to qualify for all extended benefit programs; however, it did not add additional weeks for applicants who have exhausted all entitlement to benefits. Texas Workforce Commission is issuing payments to customers who continued to submit payment requests during the suspension and after. The payments should appear in your account a few days after you request payment as scheduled. You can check the status of your payments on the Internet at ui.texasworkforce.org or by calling Tele-Serv at 800-558-8321. You do not need to contact TWC about the extension unless we send you a letter asking for information. When you exhaust your current benefits, TWC will send a letter if you are eligible for additional benefits.

[Ariadne22]

Originally Posted by leslievharvey

Why did I not receive money on Aug 4, 2010 like everyone else?

You did not receive any money because your benefit year ended on or about June 21st. Your ability to move through the tiers has been affected by the June 2 expiration date and the fact that your benefit year ended June 21 or thereabouts which requires you to file a new claim or recertify the old. Since everything was in limbo after June 2nd for two months, you probably were not aware your claim had expired during this time.

From what I have read on this board, Texas is doing a somewhat better job than some states getting caught up because of the almost two month lapse, but in your case since your claim year expired during the lapse, you need to file for a new claim year - which if you have not had sufficient earnings during your first claim year - will be denied, and then your old claim will be reopened and you continue on through the tier program.

You must call the Texas unemployment people to file a new claim or recertify/reopen the old, because you will not receive any more money until they have an active claim from you.

Congress did extend the eligibility dates for the tier program and the EB program retroactively back to June 2, 2010. These are two DIFFERENT programs. EB is usually the last level of benefits available after exhaustion of the regular and tier benefits and each state administers this program differently.

The "it did not add additional weeks" was put in your letter because so many were looking for weeks beyond the 99 already legislated. There are no additional weeks available at this time and this statement has nothing to do with your eligibility, the existing tiers or EB.

Again, you need to reopen your claim.

[betoecg]

I recieved regular unemployment benefits starting Nov 5,2009, and the TUC benefits starting April 10,2010, I as well did not get any letter in the mail about recieving additional benefits on Aug 5,2010, and my home page says the same as above, I still have one small payment request due on Aug 8,2010... What should I do? I have been looking high and low for jobs with no luck ! Basically, I am still on TUC until Aug 8th.. Does anyone know why I did not get any additional info via mail, or anything on my home page? It is stressing me out, I would not know what to do other wise.. I do not really understand the whole tier thing but i have only recieved REG and TUC. Please help. Thanks.

[Ariadne22]

betoecg, from the dates your post, it would appear you should still be claiming and receiving benefits and would move to Tier II without interruption whether or not you receive any communication from your unemployment commission. Not all states communicate or, if they do, sometimes send out erroneous information.

If you find you are not able to claim on Tier II, call or visit your unemployment office. I do not think you have a problem.

[Illbay]

I have a complicated problem. I was out of work from May 2009 till late September 2009, a roughly five-month period during which I received unemployment benefits. Then, I got a job.

Unfortunately that only lasted for eight months, September 2009 until early July 2010. I reapplied for unemployment, and was told I was eligible, but that since I was in "Extended Benefits," I have actually received NO payments, even though I keep applying for payments every two weeks as asked.

I don't get this. I received unemployment for MAYBE 22 weeks last year, yet I can't get any benefits now, even though I'm eligible for "up to $10,000" (and change)? Can anyone explain this to me? Or should I try and contact someone at TWC about this?

[Ariadne22]

Your original claim year ended sometime in May 2010. You attempted to reactivate your claim sometime in July - probably during the period BEFORE Congress had enacted benefit extensions in late July by passing HR4213, so there would have been no money available to you until the extension legislation was passed.

I think you've fallen between the cracks due to your claim year expiring and the passage of HR4213 which removed the benefit penalty in the event of a recalc due to working part time.

The expiration of your original claim and two month backlog is probably too much for the computers and unemployment staff to handle - especially since you worked during this time.

Call or visit your unemployment office to get this straightened out. You should now be able to continue on the tiers at the same benefit rate.