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Personally I have a claim open. All 4 of my friends and 1 family member who have ever claimed benefits with the state of Arizona have all at some point during their claim received letters saying there was an "issue" with their claim. While this issue is unresolved the state does not pay benefits.
1 week ago I got the same letter asking about my ability to work full time... Saying that I need to tell them if I am able to work full time. Until that's processed, who knows how long that will take I do not get ANY benefits for weeks claimed.
Same thing happened to everyone I know who has claimed with the state. They try to come up with reasons to not pay people their rightly earned UC benefits.
IMO Arizona is one corrupt POS.
One question. I went over the statues and didn't notice anywhere that gives DES the right to freeze benefits for unresolved issues. Disqualifications yes, but not unresolved issues.
Where in the law do they have the ability to do that?
One question. I went over the statues and didn't notice anywhere that gives DES the right to freeze benefits for unresolved issues. Disqualifications yes, but not unresolved issues.
Where in the law do they have the ability to do that?
This is in the written literature that the state publishes that they are required to resolve eligibility issues before making payment for claimed weeks. Of course they shouldn't dally in their determination, I'm sure there are regulations out there stating the time frame that they have to adhere to re: eligibility determinations.
If they are taking too much time to give you a written determination, it is more likely due to large caseloads backing up, laziness of the examiners, or perhaps confusion on their part as to the appropriate regulations that apply to your claim. That isn't good, but I really doubt that it has anything to do with corruption.
You'll get the benefits AFTER the issue is resolved. I know it doesn't seem fair, but here's what you can do to while you're benefits are suspended. You go apply for every social service available: food stamps (snap), AHCCCS, TANF, LIHEAP, you can get a low income discount of between $10 and $17/mo with SRP/APS, you can then use your SNAP award to get an approx $10/mo on your phone bill with Lifeline through Qwest/Cox.
Technically, with that letter your income is effectively $0/mo, and you qualify for a whole bunch of that listed stuff. It's a blessing in diguise. I had my benefits tied up with an issue the same as you, and it took me 363 days before I saw a nickle. It would have been far cheaper for AZ to pay me unemploment benefits in a more timely manner, but instead I got $200/mo in SNAP, $8500 in energy home improvements, $600 in LIHEAP, the utility and phone discounts, and then when I finally got my unemployment, I still got to keep all that other stuff, but had I had the unemployment, I wouldn't have qualified for the other stuff. So turn lemons into lemonade.
Some states have their own peculiar methods to delay payment, but usually benefits are not stopped midstream unless you have an employer objection to the claim.
An "investigation into your ability to work full-time" sounds ludicrous, unless you have not yet begun to collect and this is part of AZ's approval process - or your employer has lodged an objection.
In June of 2013 the income requirement was raised from 1,500. per quarter to 3,000. per quarter. What that means is that you have to make above minumum wage and work at least 40 hours a week to be able to collect unemployment. Even though you may have had enough earned under the old law in a couple of quarters you now can not collect. Since alot of people in this state work part time or for low wages this really screws the low income again.
The second sentence in my post verifies your correct math. What I was trying to say is that they changed the law raising the income level but will not allow people to collect even though they had earned enough income in quarters right before the law was changed. My friend had earned enough in the two quarters prior to the law change but they have been disqualified. What is a bigger problem here is that many people have to take a part time time job and a large portion of those are seasonal. Companies here will hire you, use you and then do what they can to make you quit or cut your hours until you are moved out. Others will hire you part time and then never give you a set schedule so you can`t get another part time job. When the income level was at 1,500. at least you had something to fall back on. Not anymore. I don`t know how people are getting by here. It`s crazy with the high prices and wages that are the same as back in the early 80`s. Of course if are getting a "check" this is great place to live.
Can your friend appeal the decision? Is there still time left to do that? If so, I highly suggest they do so. Doesn't sound fair, but much in life isn't.
Similar to TX, NC - AZ is very claimant unfriendly state. Forget about an appeal in AZ. There is no way he would win an appeal - especially if the statute is specifically written to include any wages earned prior to the new law, which it apparently is. Sounds like AZ is trying to disquaify seasonal and migrant workers, primarily.
The only way to win this is to challenge the law itself in the AZ SC.
That is the table that's used. It definitely makes it so that the 20 hr/wk minimum wage crowd is now excluded from the system.
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