General EB Discussion - Ongoing

hsd wrote:I am so lost on this forum. Where did I post before? I haven't received followups to the discussion. My question is when can I expect to file if I started a new EUC Tier III claim, I have my confirmation # from November 19 but cannot file online, says I have no funds. Where else do I file?

hsd--

You can always click on the link "View my posts" at top left from the home page if you can't find your original posts. Sometimes we have to move posts into more appropriate threads, but the moderators try to send PMs to anyone affected by such moves. As for receiving followups, do you mean posts or emails notices? If email, you need to make sure the "watch this topic" is selected at the bottom right of the page.

As for your question, I'm not sure if I remember your exact situation, but since you are posting in the EB discussion area, I assume you were still collecting EB when the new law passed on Nov 6? If so, all EB recipients were cut off and automatically transferred over into EUC3 without having to apply.

I'm not sure what you mean by "confirmation number"--if your eligibility was confirmed and you transitioned automatically there should not have been a gap in payments. OR, is it possible you may be one of the people who just applied for EB and got that confimation number just as it was switched to EUC3??? If there's some glitch in your payments, you may need to call them. In fact, use one of the more reliable contacts here in the AWI contacts thread; they may take a while, but they generally do answer back messages that you leave.

But you say you have no funds, so did you run out of EB before Nov 8? If that's the case, then join the (angry) crowd. We are all waiting for AWI to update it's blasted computer programming and get its act in gear to give us the online application so we can get going on this. Funds will be back-dated to the week of Nov 8, but that doesn't help us until we can get those checks of course.

The last I heard from some people who called into AWI was that there would be an application available online starting next week. How long after that we would actually get checks is still in question.

If you're not in the group of people who automatically was switched over to EUC from EB, then you might want to follow the thread for ongoing EUC discussion. If you don't get this cleared up with AWI reps, please post more info about the details of your situation so we can answer your questions more clearly.

Thanks! My last check was early Sept for $191, I've been unemployed & continually searching for work since May 2008. Actually much longer since I started looking when many others in my company were getting laid off. I've always had the check mark on notify when reply is posted, but if I don't post every time, seems I'm forgotten. Had to wait for Stratton to post a blog to look at history to find this link. But now I've bookmarked it. Still trying to get through to UE by phone. Busy busy busy.....

hsd wrote:Thanks! My last check was early Sept for $191, I've been unemployed & continually searching for work since May 2008. Actually much longer since I started looking when many others in my company were getting laid off. I've always had the check mark on notify when reply is posted, but if I don't post every time, seems I'm forgotten. Had to wait for Stratton to post a blog to look at history to find this link. But now I've bookmarked it. Still trying to get through to UE by phone. Busy busy busy.....

Ok, so you're no longer on EB You might want to join the EUC thread here, since EB is effectively dead since Nov 8.

And if all your checks were less than the max (?), so you're in that category of "more complicated"--i.e., not as many weeks as everyone getting the 26 weeks regular at $275 in the beginning--right?

Or was the check for $191 because of some intermittent work you claimed that gave you an odd amount at the end. This makes a difference in when your benefits will end. You might want to get a better view of the "flowchart" of benefits by reading my recently updated post about the sequence of benefits here:
https://unemployed-florida.forumotion.com/senate-bills-state-policies-federal-initiatives-f6/fl-sequence-of-unemployment-benefits-t22.htm
(It's the topmost post in thread; I revised the entire post.)

And, I hate to say it, but you might find that most of the reps you get on the phone are pretty clueless about when we will actually get the new EUC3 funds. One of the better ones might be able to calculate how much you will be potentially eligible for in number of weeks, which will determine whether or not you can get "under the wire" to get Tier 4 right away.

Thanks! Yes, I did work full time & qualified for full amount but somehow it ended up last check of $161 + $25. Something about the 80% of benefit amount I believe.
Good to hear the $25 won't kick me out of food stamps which it did last year, although overall my monthly income averaged (because of lapses in benefits payments during transitions) only $801. But if you hit one month over $1164, you get kicked out of the program. I'm also now attending school for digital design on the WIA grant. There was a form I filled out & faxed for continuing benefits while attending school, but never got any response. And of course, I still can't get through on the 3 numbers I have for UE.

Ah, so it's even more complicated, being in WIA while getting benefits --

Glad to hear you got a WIA grant. I just learned that Central Florida is all out of funds for new applications til at least July. Not sure if that applies to South Florida where I live, still trying to get that information.

Yeah, I know why they're out of funds. They funded some community college programs such as medical administration at $19k which could have been cheaper if they had shopped around. I'm just going to a tech school part of the public school system so my entire program with books is under $5k. I shudder to think how much money was spent for training education at top dollar.

hsd wrote:Yeah, I know why they're out of funds. They funded some community college programs such as medical administration at $19k which could have been cheaper if they had shopped around. I'm just going to a tech school part of the public school system so my entire program with books is under $5k. I shudder to think how much money was spent for training education at top dollar.

Cripes! I see what you mean. I also wanted to take advantage of one of the tech schools near me, just wanted to get more skills in CSS, some database management, Actionscript, stuff like that, which I could have done in less than a year because I've already got a lot of the basics. I can get that stuff actually cheaper online, since I don't need the degree, but I thought at least I could take advantage of a small school loan for the year. But now it looks like that may not be an option if South Florida turns out to be busted as well. A friend of mine also is studying in one of the web design programs over in Tampa, got in the program early on.

Someone in California posted on another board that they required your last income to be less than $20 and hour in order to qualify for their state's WIA program, which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I thought the whole point was to compete with many of those H1B visas, and anyone who worked in computers in Cali two years ago but was laid off most likely was making more than 40K a year! If Bill Gates knew this he'd probably roll his eyes to the heavens.

Sheesh! California is more screwed up than we thought! My friend had to move out there because her husband got transfered (either that or lose his job). She says at least the wine is cheaper!
Have a good evening, have to get up early for school.

Hey everyone!

I think this is the right place to post this...

Ok, I had an available credit balance of 1,100$ on my unemployment...i get 275$ a week...so today, just for the heck of it i decided to check my balance again...well mysteriously it changed to 0$!!!!!!!!!!! im kinda freaking out because i am supposed to claim weeks on the 14th of december! I am hoping this is just an error...but does anyone know why they would remove all my available funds?

Thanks!

jessica2009 wrote:Hey everyone!

I think this is the right place to post this...

Actually, no, because if I recall from your previous posts, you're on Tier 1, correct? That would be the thread for "ongoing EUC"--this thread is EB, or Extended Benefits. That's the program that expired recently, the one that required work search reporting.

And btw, I assume you read my reply in the "eligibility" thread about your eligibility going forward. If not, please go there and read about the sequence of benefits, might help to see where to post here. I know, it's crazy, all these different programs!

jessica2009 wrote:Ok, I had an available credit balance of 1,100$ on my unemployment...i get 275$ a week...so today, just for the heck of it i decided to check my balance again...well mysteriously it changed to 0$!!!!!!!!!!! im kinda freaking out because i am supposed to claim weeks on the 14th of december! I am hoping this is just an error...but does anyone know why they would remove all my available funds?

Thanks!

As for why this should happen, I would think you should not have been affected by the recent re-programming that's going on for the long term unemployed, those who are about to get Tier 3. But apparently it has and your online reporting is screwed up somehow. As hard as it might be to get through to someone right now, I would try to get someone on the phone. You can try the AWI contacts thread to get a specific rep instead of just calling the main number.

It's quite possible, even likely, that what you see online right now is not the same as what the reps have in their system for you, which is the "real" info. So if you can't get someone today, and I can tell you their phones are ringing off the hook today especially, try tomorrow. If you get a message prompt, leave a message because those contact numbers we have here usually do call you back.

why is it everytime I call those idiots at the unemployment office I get a different answer. Friday when I called they told me they would manually re-issue the stimulus check for 22.00 now today when I called she basically told me I will not receive that money. Look I received it the first time but the stupid post office sent it back so now I am out of that money? Yeah I know it sounds like a trival amount, but when you have 30.00 to your name that 22.00 will help. also one more thing on the question have you applied for unemployment compensation in the last 12 mos? I answered no, but I think I should have answered yes so at the end of the application in that comment box I explained what happened. do you think that will delay my application?

nancym wrote:

jessica2009 wrote:Hey everyone!

I think this is the right place to post this...

Actually, no, because if I recall from your previous posts, you're on Tier 1, correct? That would be the thread for "ongoing EUC"--this thread is EB, or Extended Benefits. That's the program that expired recently, the one that required work search reporting.

And btw, I assume you read my reply in the "eligibility" thread about your eligibility going forward. If not, please go there and read about the sequence of benefits, might help to see where to post here. I know, it's crazy, all these different programs!

jessica2009 wrote:Ok, I had an available credit balance of 1,100$ on my unemployment...i get 275$ a week...so today, just for the heck of it i decided to check my balance again...well mysteriously it changed to 0$!!!!!!!!!!! im kinda freaking out because i am supposed to claim weeks on the 14th of december! I am hoping this is just an error...but does anyone know why they would remove all my available funds?

Thanks!

As for why this should happen, I would think you should not have been affected by the recent re-programming that's going on for the long term unemployed, those who are about to get Tier 3. But apparently it has and your online reporting is screwed up somehow. As hard as it might be to get through to someone right now, I would try to get someone on the phone. You can try the AWI contacts thread to get a specific rep instead of just calling the main number.

It's quite possible, even likely, that what you see online right now is not the same as what the reps have in their system for you, which is the "real" info. So if you can't get someone today, and I can tell you their phones are ringing off the hook today especially, try tomorrow. If you get a message prompt, leave a message because those contact numbers we have here usually do call you back.

EDIT opps sorry i quoted the wrong person! but this reply was meant for nancy!!

thank you for your reply! and actually i am just about to finish up tier 2! so i would be starting tier 3 soon if it is still available...my benefit year started on 02/01/2009 and now i am about to finish up my second set of benefits. As long as it is just a system error i can relax thanks for replying!

And sorry for posting on the wrong place...I am still trying to figure out the navigations here but i just found out about the view my posts button so that is really helpful!

Thanks again for your help

I got my "Dear Claimant" letter today stating that I am eligible for the EUCB & a claim will automatically be established as soon as their computer programming is completed effective from Nov 8. Now we wait.

jessica--

Your "second set of benefits" is not Tier 2, but Tier 1.

Cutting and pasting from my previous reply to you (in another thread) about the sequence of benefits:

26 weeks - regular benefits
20 weeks - Tier 1 (EUC1)
14 weeks - Tier 2 (EUC2)
20 weeks - EB (extended benefits, expired Nov 8, 2009)
13 weeks - new Tier 3 (pending program extension via Congress)
6 weeks - new Tier 4 (pending program extension via Congress)

Counting from Feb 1, 26 weeks takes you to Aug 1, when you would have started Tier 1. 20 weeks from Aug 1 is Dec 19 when you will be finished with Tier 1. That makes you eligible for Tier 2, which is 14 weeks. As long as you finish your Tier 1 before Dec 31, you will allowed to collect all of Tier 2, which would end on March 27 I believe.

Is there anything unusual about your claim that you did not get these numbers of weeks for each step--26 weeks for regular benefits and then 20 weeks for Tier 1? I think you are just assuming each step is called a Tier, when the first set is actually just called "regular benefits"-- I think you have more weeks coming to you than you thought!

nancym wrote:jessica--

Your "second set of benefits" is not Tier 2, but Tier 1.

Cutting and pasting from my previous reply to you (in another thread) about the sequence of benefits:

26 weeks - regular benefits
20 weeks - Tier 1 (EUC1)
14 weeks - Tier 2 (EUC2)
20 weeks - EB (extended benefits, expired Nov 8, 2009)
13 weeks - new Tier 3 (pending program extension via Congress)
6 weeks - new Tier 4 (pending program extension via Congress)

Counting from Feb 1, 26 weeks takes you to Aug 1, when you would have started Tier 1. 20 weeks from Aug 1 is Dec 19 when you will be finished with Tier 1. That makes you eligible for Tier 2, which is 14 weeks. As long as you finish your Tier 1 before Dec 31, you will allowed to collect all of Tier 2, which would end on March 27 I believe.

Is there anything unusual about your claim that you did not get these numbers of weeks for each step--26 weeks for regular benefits and then 20 weeks for Tier 1? I think you are just assuming each step is called a Tier, when the first set is actually just called "regular benefits"-- I think you have more weeks coming to you than you thought!

thank you so much! i was finally able to figure out how to find your previous reply with this information! nope nothing special or different about my claim...yes i was assuming all of them were called tier! i am so glad to have my information strait and now i know exactly where i am!!!!

26 weeks - regular benefits
20 weeks - Tier 1 (EUC1)
14 weeks - Tier 2 (EUC2)
20 weeks - EB (extended benefits, expired Nov 8, 2009)
13 weeks - new Tier 3 (pending program extension via Congress)
6 weeks - new Tier 4 (pending program extension via Congress)

Actually Most people in FL only start out with 20 weeks of unemployment. The Tier one is only 17 weeks and Tier 2 is 10 weeks. EB- 17 weeks, Tier 3 is 10 weeks, not sure about Tier 4.

I'm going t down to the local unemployment office today or tomorrow because I am not sure what the letter they sent me means. According to the letter, Tier 3 is going to replace EB????? If that is so, than how is it an extension?

Sheila--

Yes, you're right, many people don't get the full max number of weeks. The actual number varies with a person's work history. The previous post was an excerpt from my updated post of the full sequence of benefits and what the new Tiers mean. Please see the first post in this thread here:

https://unemployed-florida.forumotion.com/senate-bills-state-policies-federal-initiatives-f6/fl-sequence-of-unemployment-benefits-t22.htm?sid=c1e81d7ef550c7290c144131e94eded5

And I'm not sure where you are going in person, but as far as I knew, there are no local unemployment offices any more, only the local Workforce One offices for employment help, and they almost always cannot answer questions about your benefits claims. But good luck if you go.

As for EB, please read the link above, and it's pretty awful, but the way they are doing this, EUC 3 will partially replace the remaining weeks of EB for those on EB after Nov 8. In effect, those on EB will "lose" expected benefits amounting to from 1-8 weeks before being switched over to EUC3. If you lost all 8 weeks, you'd still have the remaining 6 weeks of the new extension left. BUT, since you say you were not getting the max weeks, if you technically finish up Tier 3 before Dec 31, you would be eligible for those extra 6 weeks of Tier 4 right away, going into 2010.

nancym wrote:Sheila--

Yes, you're right, many people don't get the full max number of weeks. The actual number varies with a person's work history. The previous post was an excerpt from my updated post of the full sequence of benefits and what the new Tiers mean. Please see the first post in this thread here:

https://unemployed-florida.forumotion.com/senate-bills-state-policies-federal-initiatives-f6/fl-sequence-of-unemployment-benefits-t22.htm?sid=c1e81d7ef550c7290c144131e94eded5

And I'm not sure where you are going in person, but as far as I knew, there are no local unemployment offices any more, only the local Workforce One offices for employment help, and they almost always cannot answer questions about your benefits claims. But good luck if you go.

As for EB, please read the link above, and it's pretty awful, but the way they are doing this, EUC 3 will partially replace the remaining weeks of EB for those on EB after Nov 8. In effect, those on EB will "lose" expected benefits amounting to from 1-8 weeks before being switched over to EUC3. If you lost all 8 weeks, you'd still have the remaining 6 weeks of the new extension left. BUT, since you say you were not getting the max weeks, if you technically finish up Tier 3 before Dec 31, you would be eligible for those extra 6 weeks of Tier 4 right away, going into 2010.

Hi Nancy and thanks for the info. Actually how many weeks you get from unemployment is based on what you make per hour. I know people who have only worked 2 years their whole lives and have gotten the full 26 weeks, and people who have worked their whole lives and only gotten 20 weeks to start. The only difference is what they made per hour. Most in Marion County FL fall into the latter. We are the poorest county in FL and unemployment reflects that.

I go to our CLM workforce for unemployment. Granted, they are not technically an unemployment office anymore, but they still try to help people. They still have an area specifically for unemployment. You are right about the third tier, it is awful. I went there to verify and it is true, Tier 3 is taking away anything you get on EB as of November 8th. For many people this means a LOT less unemployment, it doesn't really act as an extension at all. I talked to two seperate people in Tallahassee while I was there today and they said after december 27th, there will be no more extensions. In other words, if you are on the first tier, you will then go to the third. YOU DO NOT GET THE 2ND and EB. If you are the second you go to the third. If you just started, you go to the third. ....This really sucks for people who are starting school right now as there are no jobs out there. These people will eventually have to drop out. Such a shame. FL really sucks.

I specifically asked if Governor Crist came up with this and was told YES. Damn him. Why the national news hasn't picked up on this is beyond me.

Sorry for being so angry, but ya know what, I am!!!

Those of you who are on EB and claimed weeks this week really need to check on their claim. They are changing to tier 3 totally. My check is late because of that and smaller. One of the weeks is some extension of tier 2 and I will get that tomorrow. The other week should be for the full amount, but I won't receive it until Monday or Tuesday. EB is totally gone and so is whatever balance you had in their. Just wanted to give people a heads up.

Sheila--

The customer reps at AWI generally know less about politics than we do also. Crist had generally nothing to do with this specific Tier glitch screw-up. But we can blame him for plenty of other unemployment-related matters. Like last spring, even though he supported and even promoted the idea of taking stimulus money from the feds, as it got closer to his run for the Senate he caved to the more right side of his party and just remained silent while the state legislature haggled over the new law for EB, resulting in the 2-1/2 month delay in benefits that we all went through.

The glitch in the law about the Tiers you can pretty much exclusively blame on Congress, mostly the Senate, and in that mostly the Republicans for blocking every attempt to pass the bill, although the Dems waited too long to get it started and underestimated how much obstruction they would get. They also tend to dismiss any concerns about how long the states take to implement the laws they pass and kind of wash their hands of it once it's signed, as if for some of them it's "mission accomplished."

But don't forget that Tier 4 is only lost temporarily, until the new law is passed in Congress to extend the EUC program. That's in the works and might pass at least the House before Christmas in bill HR 4183. The Senate might of course take longer. Their bill is S. 2831. We have some discussion threads going on these over in the "Senate bills, etc..." thread.

I know it's not much consolation to have only that six weeks more on tap, especially for those like you who would get even less than the full six weeks, and then there is the possible or likely gap in payments to go through again, but Tier 4 is not dead, just in a freeze for now.

As for EB, that IS dead. The only hope for EB again in Florida is if the state legislature decides to extend it with possible further federal assistance, if Congress also extends that program of 100% funding. But I don't hold a lot of hope for our current legislature doing anything, at least not right away.

Got the letter that I am eligible, tried to claim my weeks, still says that I have no funds available. My EUC ended in Sept.

Nancy, what has happened to the EB payment is FL STATE LAW, not the senate law. This has to do with our Governor. The people at UNEMPLOYMENT in Tallahassee specifically said this is implemented by Crist. Each state still has a choice in how they handle the extension and CRIST chose to handle it this way. I am well aware that EB is DEAD as I have been posting here regarding that. I am trying to warn other people who do not know what is going on. There are people right now who claimed this week and have NO idea that they are getting such a small amount. Some of these people, most I should say, are basing their bill payments on this.

The only reason people are losing benefits is because our Governor chose to have it set up that way, not the senate. It didn't have to be that way. Crist cares nothing about his people, that is one reason he is considered the worst Governor in the united states.

hsd wrote:Got the letter that I am eligible, tried to claim my weeks, still says that I have no funds available. My EUC ended in Sept.

Call the unemployment office. You'll be able to get through, I got through twice today. Good luck.

Sheila--

There's plenty of blame to go around for this. But if you're looking at the state's role in this fiasco, outside of AWI's handling of it, Crist ironically had less to do with crafting that law than anyone. (I never voted for Crist; I'm on the other side, btw.) I say ironically because his own party was looking to him for guidance and he just stepped away from the whole process after initially coming out with the original plans to accept the stimulus money. If you want a culprit in the state, it would have to be Adam Hasner, the state senator who actually agreed to that bill at the 11th hour. It wasn't even a separate bill for unemployment; the unemployment provision was just tacked on to an original bill to raise the employer taxes in order to keep the unemployment fund above the critical flood line where an increase would kick in by law. (And it did anyway.) And it was crafted to make sure that not one extra penny of state funds was used after the 100% federal funding ran out by federal law.

But the important thing, as you point out, is that everyone be aware of the results of this mess, that benefit money that was promised is being cut short, and subtracted from the new EUC3, and that many people won't even be able to take advantage of the rest of the benefits in the new law until Congress fixes the "glitch" that cut off further Tiers after any that people qualify for before Dec 31. AND people on regular benefits who run out after Dec 31 are in even worse shape in many cases--they won't get a dime of any of the Tiers (plus no EB either) until that federal deadline is extended.

It's a shared mess. If the Senate hadn't delayed this, EB would have run out by state law on Jan 2 by state law anyway, but those folks would have had an extra 12-20 max weeks to count on, not just 6 or less (until further legislation).

For anyone needing to check exactly how Florida determines total benefits and weekly amounts, that info is online, but I have posted it on this forum for convenience as well:

https://unemployed-florida.forumotion.com/senate-bills-state-policies-federal-initiatives-f6/how-to-calculate-unemployment-eligibility-and-the-weekly-benefit-amount-t141.htm#2444

This may be helpful to anyone not knowing exactly when their various Tiers and programs ended. And also this info may help some who need to determine if they might be considered for a new benefit year if they take a temp job that pays a certain amount. (Most do not want to go to a new benefit year because the amount paid is a fraction of their former weekly benefit.)