Unemployment Help/Florida (extension, file, receive, apply)

[afterapplepicking]

So here's my story. Kind of have to explain and give dates and stuff or else I know no one will be able to answer my questions, so bear with me.

I was laid off from my job a few months ago, applied for unemployment the same day I was let go, and the determinations went through in my favor (my former employer told me they wouldn't be fighting it because I was one of about 500 people who got let go all at the same time and we were all losing our jobs due to no fault of our own.) This was (is) a Fortune 500 company. My benefit year for the unemployment benefits began on June 14th.

Now, to my knowledge, the way this currently works is that you have your initial 26-week benefit, followed by Federal unemployment help (EUC Tier 1/EUC Tier 2), and then there's the Florida Extended Benefit available after that.

Now, The Agency for Workforce Innovation says your benefits have to be exhausted or your benefit year has to expire prior to 12/19/09 in order to be eligible for Tier 1 EUC benefits.

I'm confused about when my claim will be exhausted. I haven't worked at all since the layoff in June, so I've taken the entire $275 a week, every week. I'm scheduled to claim 2 more weeks on 11/3 for the 2-week period ending 10/31. Currently, my available credits are $2,067 (When I first filed the claim it was closer to $7,000, but claiming my weeks between June and now has decreased the available credits.)

So, in my calculation, that's a claim on 11/3, a claim on 11/17, a claim on 12/1, and a claim on 12/15, each claim for 2 weeks, with the claim on 12/15 compensating me for the 2 week period ending 12/12. So I should be exhausting my benefits the week week prior to the expiration currently set on the EUC benefits, right? I'm worried about this because the first week is a waiting week and it gets difficult to determine how much time you have left. I know they'll probably pass an extension, but if they don't and if I don't have a job by then I'm going to be in serious trouble.

Thanks so much!

P.S. Please don't use my topic as a soundoff for political stuff about how lazy people are and etc, ok? I've heard enough of that, and it isn't fair, honestly. I worked my butt off for that company for a lot of years, and the layoff totally blindsided me, and I have been trying extremely hard to get another job, even applying for ones outside of my field/ones that pays less money/temp work. I'm not the kind of man who enjoys just sitting around doing nothing. I don't need to hear anyone quoting Rush Limbaugh about what a deadbeat I am.

You have no idea how much I hate this whole thing. I hate it on a molecular level.

[seain dublin]

You're not a deadbeat. Isn't there any information online about the extension? I though everyone was entitled to an extension throughout the country.

I would check online. You don't want to assume but it seems like when you exhaust your funds in Dec, the extension would start. But I would check online or call them.

Good luck.

[afterapplepicking]

Originally Posted by seain dublin

You're not a deadbeat. Isn't there any information online about the extension? I though everyone was entitled to an extension throughout the country.

I would check online. You don't want to assume but it seems like when you exhaust your funds in Dec, the extension would start. But I would check online or call them.

Good luck.

Everyone is...until the expiration of that extension.

Confirmed by board members that I did, in fact, beat the expiration of the extension. But not by much.

Still, there might be an extension of the eligibility deadlines, so anyone who's in my position should keep hope alive.

Or marry a rich person. There's always that.

[changeyourthoughts]

I live in FL and to figure all that crap out, I just called the 1800 number on florida unemployment website and spoke to live human to explained it all to me in terms I could understand. If I were you I would just call, they can then give you info as to your specific situation.

[frustratedinfl]

I have been on unemployment in florida for a year and a half there are no jobs in new port richey fl I have even went as low as looking for dishwashing work with no results i am now on my 4th "tier" of extended beniefits and i love how the employers of unemployment say there isnt anything after this teir as they did with the 1st 2nd and 3rd but heres the crappy part i am making less than half of what i did at my old job and i was let go for answering the phone and it was my fiance we did not have caller id on this phone and i was let go when i was the top seller. I dont understand why congress can clearly see there are no jobs the layoffs have now began to increase why they dont impliment 3 to 4 tiers at a time and stop making those of us who comply and look for work worry about how to provide for thier family. The way they set it up there is less and less money with each tier and everytime you get to a new tier you payment if you are direct deposit is cut in half and given to you in 4 days after you apply for ex one on wed one on thur. I think they need to realize this is by no means over and maybe restart people on their 4th tier all over again untill they can inrease jobs because florida is a right to work state its even harder to find work.

[kvnmccune]

I've been unemployed in Florida for over a year. I have 12+ years as a test technician, an AA degree in Business Financing and a Certificate as a Computer Network Support Specialist. Everyone whats experence, companies don't care about what type of education you have, all they care about is how much experence you have.I gave this example: I was a high school dropout at 15 no college education but I knew computer and networking very well, would you hire me. They said in a heart beat. The company said if you had an AA degree with all your certificates but no experence we would not hire you because you don't have the experence. This country is going back to the 1930 where you work in steel meals and you didn't need the education. I would like here from the people that unemployed and the pain and frustrations your feeling about being on unemployment and how there are no jobs there My e-mail address is
[EMAIL="kvnmccune@yahoo.com"]kvnmccune@yahoo.com[/EMAIL]
Also contact the whitehouse with this E-Mail address whitehousecontacts.com and click on contact the white house then in the upper right hand corner on the whitehouse page click contact us. Tell the Presdent to increase the unemployment benefits and lower the price of gasoline to 1.50 a gallion because the unemployed is suffering financially especally those of us in Florida where we have the lowest unemployment benefits in the nation. So please contact the whitehouse.

[martyr2]

EUC and Employment Status update and questions:

First - Thanks to all posters (and especially Ariadne22)- I have learned a LOT on here!

"Since you had begun receiving EUC before your bye, you should have contacted FL to reopen your old claim. Then, because it was past your benefit year, FL would first attempt to open a new claim. They are required to do this. Since you had no wages to support a new claim, FL will then deny your new claim application and resume paying you EUC."

DONE - They denied my new claim filed 12/1/12 (not enough wages) and have resumed paying me EUC.

"Normal resumption of EUC is routine. Employer will be notified. An issue might arise if your employer contests resumption of these benefits. If that happens, then FL investigates, you deal with the issues as they arise."

Did have issues in resuming EUC that needed adjudication that delayed my first EUC weeks. I found these out after claiming first EUC weeks on 12/11/12 and getting no payment. Had an adjudicator e-mail me requesting complete info on my separation and WC issues noted below.

Health - DEO cleared this issue 12/12/12 (Medically cleared to work without restriction)
Employment -Termination from part-time employer for exceeding medical leave (not the one I was injured at)- DEO cleared on 12/18/12. I have no idea whether they contacted my other employer (the one where I was injured).
Worker's Comp - Cleared 12/21/12 - (no longer receiving WC benefits).

Both the employment and WC issues above were deleted on 12/21/12.
On 12/26/12 (After seeing "No weeks to claim") I got verbal confirmation that I was back on EUC and all weeks would be paid in a couple of days- and they were, except for an offset where my first EUC week was one in which I also received a WC payment. I did receive Determinations from DEO reflecting that I am cleared to work and not receiving WC.

SO - With the extension of EUC, I think I am fine except for the following:

1. Did the issues I had to have adjudicated "re-qualify" me for resumption of EUC? Since I was declared monetarily ineligible for a new claim, it seems to me that these issues were adjudicated to do that. Is this standard for the resumption of EUC after break in EUC?
2. I still have the issue of the employer where I was injured. DEO has an entry in my file (entered after I filed my claim) that shows the status I chose on my denied claim- on permanent layoff (as the position has no scheduled hours, and I have not worked for them since June, have no expectation of being scheduled to work, and even since informing them that I am fully cleared to work, have not heard a word from them). One of the descriptions of this status when I filed was -"Employer has no work for you". I thought this was accurate then and do so even more strongly now.

With all the adjudication that I have had, I have no idea how DEO sees my status with this employer or whether it even matters. It looks to me that any issues DEO had are resolved, but since they did not seem to specifically address this one, I don't know how to think about it when I consider a resignation to accept a WC settlement.

Any ideas would help. Thank you all again for your help.

[thomasdavie]

My claim ended on 12/22/2012 . I was under the impression they were supposed to automatically shift me over to tier one if I qualify (and I do) .

However, instead I get a note on 12/26 stating..........you needed to establish EUC by 12/19 /2012 , which i couldnt of course because my benefits didnt run out until the 22nd.

So I am in limbo, not on regular benefits and not on EUC. However, I called the state to complain and they told me everyone would be re evaluated now that the extension has been passed. She indicated she had no timeline for when it would all be caught up.

I think we need to sit tight and try not to think about it even though that is easier said than done when we are starving.

[martyr2]

Mine is not a typical case- I am back on EUC Tier 1 that I started in April 2012, then had interrupted by an on-the-job injury and months of Worker's Comp. I was told months back that when I was healthy and cleared to work that this Tier 1 EUC would be resumed and it has.

I had several conversations with DEO and after having the above issues adjudicated, was told that I would resume EUC payments and I have.

So, already receiving EUC through 12/29/12 and having them move up my claim date a week to get that last week, I am expecting that I will continue to receive benefits without having to be re-evaluated all over again. I could certainly see that someone who is not receiving any benefits would have to be re-evaluated to determine whether they qualify.

But having seen that the new law makes no changes to tiers or eligibility, but merely changes the dates from 2012 to 2013 basically, and provides that it's provisions should be implemented as if they were part of the previous law, I am not sure I see how those who are in an existing EUC Tier would have to be re-evaluated. I think you got a less than informed agent.

Unfortunately, I think your case is one that would almost have to be examined anew. Your state claim has ended and you did not establish eligibility for Tier 1 in time. I admit that the ending of state benefits and the transition into EUC and what looks like a short window is something I am not an expert on. Have you checked the stick on Unemployment FAQ's? It does a good job of showing all the relevant dates.

I wish you good luck, and hope that Florida does not mess up this transition as well as ensures that qualified claimants get benefits.

[mochamajesty]

Thomas,

The letter that my husband received said that EUC Tier 1 eligibility had to be established by week beginning Dec 16 and ending Dec 22. My husband has transitioned to Tier 1. He was able to claim week ending 12/29. As of Friday, the system has not been updated to allure him to claim after that, but he has until Jan 15, so I hope they fix it by then.