Multi State Unemployment? (file, receive, apply, claim)

[nrdalert]

Recently relocated to PA (military fiance) and kept my job in Washington State, but worked remotely. I'm being laid off at the end of the year (sometime this month) due to lack of funding for my position.

I've been working remotely for 3 months, but employed with the company for 12. Will I be submitting my claim to Washington, or to PA?

I've never had to claim unemployment, so I don't know how this works. I'm really stressed about this.

[Chyvan]

PA has a better benefit. Look at your paystubs. If PA taxes have been coming out, then start there. If you're denied by PA, you'll be able to use your PA application as justification for backdating when you apply in WA. While it will take longer to start benefits, you'll be able to get all the money you would have gotten had you applied in the right state from the beginning.

Actually, since it's only Wednesday, you have until close of business on Friday to apply for this current week to count. Do some research based on your earnings and base periods available to you to determine which state really is the better deal for your specific situation. If you find that PA taxes were never taken from your check, you can skip this step and just apply in WA and not bother with something that's not likely to make any difference in to your benefits.

[Ariadne22]

PA uses only one base-year - excluding the quarter in which you apply and the quarter preceding that.

Even if PA was paid a UI tax (unlikely), none - or very little - of your PA earnings will appear in the base-year it considers.

If you apply now, it uses earnings July 2012-June 2013. None of your PA earnings will appear in this base year.

If you apply in January (2nd week), it uses earnings October 2012-September 2013. Possibly a few weeks PA earnings will appear in the PA database.

You would need to request a combined wage claim from PA to include your WA earnings. With 80-90% of your earnings in WA state and no tax paid to PA, it is unlikely PA will agree to this.

Chances are all your wages have been reported to WA state and you will be eligible for a WA claim.

Max benefit in WA is $624 - maximum benefit in PA is $573.

WA calculates its benefits as follows:

How much will I receive?

The amount you receive each week (weekly benefit amount)
is 3.85 percent of the average of the two highest-paying quarters
of earnings in your base year. However, we never pay less
than the minimum weekly benefit amount or more than the
maximum weekly benefit amount.

The total amount of benefits you can receive during a benefit
year is called your maximum benefits payable. You get
whichever amount is less:

• 26 times your weekly benefit amount; or
• One-third of your total base-year wages.

http://www.esd.wa.gov/uibenefits/for...ed-workers.pdf

Download the foregoing WA handbook and read.

Since you've only worked for this employer for 12 months, unless you have other WA earnings going further back to improve your total base-year earnings, a more important consideration is determining when to file.

Examine your quarters carefully and the total base-year earnings should you file in January vs. December. Do the calculations as per above formula.

If you file first week in Jan., WA will most likely backdate your claim to Sunday, December 29, which automatically excludes a quarter of earnings.

Chances are your benefit improves if you file no earlier than January 5th.