General EUC Discussion - Ongoing

nancym wrote:lafosl --

If you received EB after Nov 8 when the new EUC law was passed for Tier 3 and 4, the announcement was made by Florida that EB recipients would automatically roll over into Tier 3, supposedly without interruption, though I know some had gaps, and that any EB money paid after Nov 8 would be subtracted from your upcoming Tier 3.

I know this sucks big time and doesn't seem to make any sense, but there it is. This info was posted early on the AWI website and I think also in the actual application for EUC Tier 3 online. There was also a lot of discussion about all this in our thread for ongoing EB here that you can read through.

The only thing that seems odd is that they took so long to subtract that money, maybe due to other delays you had in your account? Everyone on EB in Nov-Dec went through the same thing, pretty hideous. I called the state myself (even though I had used up my EB long before) and was told that it was a technicality of how the actual EB law was written last spring that required a person to be paid EUC first, no matter what, and that status to be determined each week of EB. So for legal reasons (supposedly) they made that cutoff. The horrible part though, is that instead of giving that EB back after EUC, the law cut off all EB entirely on Jan 2, 2010.

To check if this is what happened with you, figure how many weeks of EB you got after Nov 8 and see if that is what was subtracted from your Tier 3; if different, then maybe there's some other reason.

None of this is 'fair." Some got all the EB, some like yourself if what I've said above applies, got partial, and those more recent will get no EB whatsoever, unless our state legislature does something new (doubtful).

I was not receiving EB after Nov 8. I finished up EB I believe the second week of October. Thanks for the info though. I am not sure exactly what the deal is, I do not understand how the representative "tried" to explain it to me. I will call one of the contacts on Monday and get it explained where I can understand, I was being rushed off the phone this morning and the rep did not really seem interested in my questions. Thank you

lafosl--

In that case, it's totally bizarre. Unless they overpaid you for EB--and that's something I'm sure you would have been aware of--it sounds like they simply made a mistake. There was so much confusion as they were transitioning over into that new programming for Tier 3 that anything could have happened.

In my own case I was going to be shorted an entire week if I hadn't called them. I don't know exactly how it came about, but somehow in the process of the combination of online app and contact with reps I was able to claim the first few weeks of Tier 3, but then had to wait like everyone else for the next claim date. But when I was next able to claim it was apparent that I wasn't being given the option for claiming a particular claim week. I had to call and get it straightened out, eventually was sent an offline check to make up the difference, since the computers were already set to run in a sequence without that week for me.

And it's also quite possible that the person you spoke with was "surmising" that they added that missing week back to EB because he/she had no other explanation for the missing amounts.

Good luck!

I live in Florida and my benefit year began on 1-4-09. I've been receiving the max of $275/ week since then (except my waiting week) plus the additional $25 a week, since it became available in the summer. As of today, 2-1-10, I have $1650 available. Dividing by the $275/ week, it seems my last paid week will be the end of week 3-1-10. I can not find anything saying what Tier I'm on, however it seems since my current benefit will expire the week after the Feb 28 deadline, I am not eligible for an extension, does this sound correct?
Is there anything in the works for us (I read your post updated on 12-19-09 bt I heard there was a decision to be made by Feb 19th for an additional extension?)

spd76un wrote:I live in Florida and my benefit year began on 1-4-09. I've been receiving the max of $275/ week since then (except my waiting week) plus the additional $25 a week, since it became available in the summer. As of today, 2-1-10, I have $1650 available. Dividing by the $275/ week, it seems my last paid week will be the end of week 3-1-10. I can not find anything saying what Tier I'm on, however it seems since my current benefit will expire the week after the Feb 28 deadline, I am not eligible for an extension, does this sound correct?
Is there anything in the works for us (I read your post updated on 12-19-09 bt I heard there was a decision to be made by Feb 19th for an additional extension?)

Yes, that's correct. But I only post overall updates in that "sequence of benefits" thread when actual laws are passed. We have ongoing discussion in the "Senate bills...etc." thread about possible upcoming legislation. (The bigger question for many of us is whether there will actually be another tier, rather than just another extension of deadlines.)

There is a jobs bill HR 2847 that passed the House that would extend that deadline by a bunch more months. But the Senate bill, unless we hear something different today or soon, does not have such a provision. And Congress doesn't seem to be aware of our deadlines generally.

However, I would find it hard to believe that they will not soon at least extend that February deadline for the Tiers. My personal guess is that you won't have to worry about continuing Tiers in your case, but there's no guarantee that there won't be some kind of delay in getting to your next tier, especially considering Florida's record on getting their new programming done.

BTW, my guess is you were on EB at the time this latest bill passed (did you have to fill out work search forms for every week?--that's EB), so you would probably have gone back to Tier 1 or 2 in late November, since the state discontinued EB on Nov 8.

I never had to submit any work searches. I was required to keep them but was never asked to submit them to anyone. So I guess I'm still in the dark on what Tier I'm on. I thought I was finishing up Tier II because by the time I run out (from 1-3-09 including the waiting week to 3-5-10) it's 60 weeks. So I figured 26 weeks for Original Unemployment, 20 for Tier 1, then 14 for Tier II.
If that's right, then I should *technically* be up for Tier 3 with 12 weeks, then possibly Tier 4 with 6 weeks, as long as the deadlines are changed...I think?

spd76un wrote:I never had to submit any work searches. I was required to keep them but was never asked to submit them to anyone. So I guess I'm still in the dark on what Tier I'm on. I thought I was finishing up Tier II because by the time I run out (from 1-3-09 including the waiting week to 3-5-10) it's 60 weeks. So I figured 26 weeks for Original Unemployment, 20 for Tier 1, then 14 for Tier II.
If that's right, then I should *technically* be up for Tier 3 with 12 weeks, then possibly Tier 4 with 6 weeks, as long as the deadlines are changed...I think?

My apologies, spd76un, I guess I've been on extended benefits of some kind for so long that I actually forgot that the state gave out Tier 1 and 2 before EB, not the other way around. What you've calculated makes perfect sense; you are most likely finishing up Tier 2. (And Tier 3 will be 13 weeks, not 12.)

Unfortunately for you and many others, because of the timing, it looks like you missed out on the 20 weeks of EB altogether. Prior to today I would have assumed that EB in Florida was gone forever, but I heard from someone who works with NELP that there is some kind of legislative move on EB coming up. I don't want to give false hope here, but as soon as I know more I'll post about it in the "Senate bills...etc." section of this forum. I also don't know if any change would apply to you specifically, but check back here later on--could be something, could be nothing.

Meanwhile, looks like you have at least 19 more weeks available to you if no job is on the horizon, that's assuming that Congress extends that February deadline, as I posted above, when there still might be some kind of gap in payments.

Hi Everyone!

I haven't posted in awhile because I had nothing new to say. LOL I have been on a rare interview but have never heard back, even after many calls inquiring....

OK, my question is: I have around $875 left in my account. If anyone remembers correctly, I had trouble getting my benefits back in December and was pushed a week behind everyone else. This mean my last week will be claimed March 1st for the remaining $275. Will I be able to continue to the next tier? Is there life after Feb? Port Charlotte, FL is now up to 13 percent unemployment and still rising.

Also, can someone point me to the right thread that might explain what happens next?

sharonB wrote:
...This mean my last week will be claimed March 1st for the remaining $275. Will I be able to continue to the next tier? Is there life after Feb? ...Also, can someone point me to the right thread that might explain what happens next?

Hi SharonB, welcome back! Though I wish you had that job so you didn't actually have to come back here, of course.

I'm in similar recovery from a rare interview process in Nov-Dec that got me to being the top candidate for a good job in Orlando but suddenly the company decided to simply eliminate the position! I'm still trying to figure out how I deal with that psychologically--(ok, they liked me for a job that no longer exists, swell.).

I assume maybe you already read my updated Dec 19 summary of the current laws and tiers, etc. at https://unemployed-florida.forumotion.com/senate-bills-state-policies-federal-initiatives-f6/fl-sequence-of-unemployment-benefits-t22.htm If not, check that out. But since you are going to miss the Feb 28 deadline, understand that you will most likely still get Tier 4 but you have to wait for the next move by Congress.

Our "Senate bills...etc." discussion threads have lots of posts of news and speculation about what will happen, since the House passed a jobs bill in December that includes another several months extension of that deadline (no new tiers), but it is sitting in the Senate, where they are trying to put together a jobs bill. We don't yet know if an unemployment extension of deadlines will be a separate bill or not. And there is only a vague rumor right now about a possible Tier 5.

Check out that section on this forum to keep up on the news, and keep tabs on what happens with both HR 2847 and any new Senate bills coming up.

For all those who exhausted all benefits in the summer or fall of 2009, before the earlier law, HR 3548, was passed, that means that we are all qualified for Tier 4, which will take us at maximum to March 27, 2010. At that time, all benefits will end for this group, unless it's possible Congress will consider further extensions in an upcoming jobs bill in the next sesssion

I got the above statement from your post. Great job, by the way. Due to the amount of people applying for that extension back in Nov. I don't feel I should be penalized for getting a later start than everyone else. It was by no fault of mine that I got my first check the week of Christmas, right??? Actually, they should have given me a full two weeks pay instead of it remaining at the end of my claim, now that I think back. Should I call Cassandra and crew, before the fallout?

Sharon--

I would call if I were you, but first I would go over exactly what claim weeks you were allowed to claim for (I hope you printed those out). You may have had a situation similar to mine back in December. For whatever reason when I started claiming and we were all trying to claim online and then calling in I was able to claim but when the computers were finally updated I had the correct amount left for what I received, but there was a missing week--I hadn't been allowed the opportunity to claim for a certain week, and the computers were already automatically rolling into the next claim dates.

So I called and explained that there was a missing week and they checked it out and sent me an off-line check, so now I'm on the schedule that everyone else is. In your case it sounds like your missing two weeks. I would definitely try to get them to straighten that out.

nancym wrote:Sharon--

I would call if I were you, but first I would go over exactly what claim weeks you were allowed to claim for (I hope you printed those out). You may have had a situation similar to mine back in December. For whatever reason when I started claiming and we were all trying to claim online and then calling in I was able to claim but when the computers were finally updated I had the correct amount left for what I received, but there was a missing week--I hadn't been allowed the opportunity to claim for a certain week, and the computers were already automatically rolling into the next claim dates.

So I called and explained that there was a missing week and they checked it out and sent me an off-line check, so now I'm on the schedule that everyone else is. In your case it sounds like your missing two weeks. I would definitely try to get them to straighten that out.

Just FYI: I posted some info regarding Cassandra under the AWI contacts forum (back in December I think). Not sure if you've spoken to her recently, but there may be a delay in reaching her, etc....
Good luck!

It seems from what I read here that the extensions are approved by all, but due to the storms in DC not everyone has seen the bill (over 300 pages) it is still in draft form. The mention of unemployment extensions is closer to the bottom of the article.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_congress_jobs

daytonaman wrote:It seems from what I read here that the extensions are approved by all, but due to the storms in DC not everyone has seen the bill (over 300 pages) it is still in draft form. The mention of unemployment extensions is closer to the bottom of the article.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_congress_jobs

This is a JOBS bill??? They're going to have to do better than that I think.

While there are a few good measures in here, it seems more like a bit of a cleanup of leftover business. They were supposed to be putting several bills in motion to address jobs--I sure hope this isn't the only one!

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=9797832



After reading this article, the bill looks about as worthless as a screen door on a submarine

Have many people been skipped with the EB? I recall a post here somewhere someone stating that due to a legal issue in the way a law was written that some people were skipped over for EB and pushed straight into EUC.
My claim has been going for over a year, 09/07/08 to be exact. My last date to claim on Tier IV according to my balance will be 03/01/10. 77 weeks & 1 day from my initial claim. According to my paperwork, I DID receive EB, But the numbers don't add up
Regular benefits, and All tiers of EUC = 79 weeks, add EB =99 weeks.
22 weeks or 5 months of benefits LOST??? And that # is not accurate, throughout the time I've been claiming I've had weeks that were as low as $53.00, ( Weekly Issued Amount is $243.00) , between tiers. Also, Tier III was supposedly 13 weeks, my credits were $2239, at $243 a week, that's 9.21 weeks, my tier 4 broke down to 4.2 weeks.
How many others here have numbers that just don't add up, Does anyone in the AWI office, Florida Law Makers offices', Congress know about these missing benefits? Only 2 days remain before next weeks recess, and DC has been closed 3 days this week, Something NEEDS to happen NOW, So many people at risk of losing anything they have left, What can we do?

I just went over the EB paperwork, I was given 14 weeks out of the 20 that were available, How & Why does AWI miscalculate all the numbers?

daytonaman--

There's a difference between the people who lost anywhere from 1-8 weeks of EB because of the way the law was interpreted last fall and those who don't get the maximum weeks because of how their benefits are calculated. It sounds like you fall into the latter category, or maybe both, because your weekly amount is less than the max $275 (plus the $25 extra).

1) If you were collecting any EB weeks after Nov 8, 2009, any weeks after Nov 8 were subtracted from your Tier 3. Seems outrageous, but that's what they did. (There's some kind of talk about an "EB fix" in the state legislature, but I'm not sure if that has anything to do with correcting that situation that affected many people last fall and going forward.) You could tell when you were on EB by the fact that you had to fill out those two job listings you applied for each week, with all the details, either online or in the mail.

2) The second category just comes from the way benefits are calculated for everybody (another thing many Democrats in the legislature are trying to fix this time around). You'll see that in my Sequence of benefits post (under Senate bills...etc.) that I qualify any maximum number of benefits by saying it depends on your work history. You can calculate your exact benefits, both the weekly amount and the number of weeks by following the guideline I posted here:
https://unemployed-florida.forumotion.com/senate-bills-state-policies-federal-initiatives-f6/how-to-calculate-unemployment-eligibility-and-the-weekly-benefit-amount-t141.htm

(If you want to read the entire AWI posting, it's linked there also in a Word doc you can download.)

If you worked in between it can be more difficult to figure it all out, but the same calculation of your work periods (4 of the previous fiscal quarters, discounting the current one AND the most recent), is done for everyone, and many, many people are in your shoes, getting less than the maximum that is usually touted by reporters in newspapers. Those people often don't even realize not everyone gets the max, either in weekly amounts or in number of weeks, so these reports can be misleading.

So when many of us talk about running out of benefits by the end of March (the last day that most who had the max weeks will last, unless there's work in between), we also realize that many are already out of benefits or are already on Tier 4 with fewer numbers of weeks.

Having said all that, AWI computers and reps DO sometimes make mistakes. If you have all your paperwork and can plow through that with those dates and formulas you can get from my posting I linked here, you might be able to tell if all the calculations are correct or not.

I agree with Nancy. Looks like you have a couple of things going on. You probably missed the extended benefits that Bush signed in early 08 I believe. I think it was for those who became unemployed in the latter part of 07. You didn't become unemployed till 09/08. So I guess you missed that window in which that particular extension applied. Not everyone gets 99 weeks or all the extensions. Also if you didn't make enough money, you don't get all the weeks available in each Tier. When all is said and done, I will have received 58 weeks at $131 per week myself, which is nowhere near the 99/$275 figure the media often quotes.

Ok, Gonzo and all other Florida people who's balance after claiming yesterday or today shows only one week left: I JUST GOT OFF THE PHONE W/ JAMES AT AWI 877-846-8770 AND WAS TOLD BY HIM THAT YOU MUST CALL YOUR AWI CONTACT ON MONDAY 2/22 TO CLAIM THAT LAST WEEK SO THEY CAN ZERO OUT YOUR ACCOUNT BEFORE 2/27 OTHERWISE YOU WON'T ROLL OVER TO TIER IV!!!

Robbi314 wrote:Ok, Gonzo and all other Florida people who's balance after claiming yesterday or today shows only one week left: I JUST GOT OFF THE PHONE W/ JAMES AT AWI 877-846-8770 AND WAS TOLD BY HIM THAT YOU MUST CALL YOUR AWI CONTACT ON MONDAY 2/22 TO CLAIM THAT LAST WEEK SO THEY CAN ZERO OUT YOUR ACCOUNT BEFORE 2/27 OTHERWISE YOU WON'T ROLL OVER TO TIER IV!!!

Thanks, Robbi. It's important to get this information out there.
Most of us here have probably either already exhausted Tier 3 or will report our last weeks today. But for whatever number of people have that odd "extra week," heads up on this--make that call to claim your last week on Mon 2/22 (or for some it would probably be their next Tuesday 2/23) so as to keep the machines running smoothly on your claim to get to Tier 4.

Thanks Robbi for getting that information out to us...you get a cookie!!

WooHoo!! Glad I could help

I had went on to claim my weeks yesterday (2/15) and didn't understand why it told me that I had 2 weeks to claim when I thought it was suppose to be 1 week (I thought we were only suppose to get 13 weeks) although I am NOT complainning those extra few dollars will help. today it shows that I have a zero balance and a check issued for 2 wks and a stimulus for 2 wks.
Is there anything I must do to get tier IV? or will it automatically roll over?

Had 4 weeks left after filing on the 8th of Feb. in tier 3. Just went on line to check my weeks and i'm down to one week left. Three weeks are gone. Anyone else have a similar situation? Thanks

Michelle,

If you were entitled to the FULL benefits of tier3,you should have received 14 weeks(13 from tier 3 and 1 week from tier2) Do you recall what your balance was before you claimed on Monday? Anyway,the transition to tier4 is supposed to be automatic. Keep an eye on your account and make sure that it updates. It may take some time to do so,but check it every day.

my beginning balance was around 3500.00. I guess I misunderstood how many weeks I was suppose to get. knowing now that it was 14 I wonder why my last check is not a full check. I normally get 494.00, but this check was for 330.00 (somewhere around there).