Claiming Out Of State EB Discussion - Ongoing

I moved here from Ohio on unemployment. They just sent me a letter and said my unemployment has stopped because Florida is not currently in an extended EB. It ended 1/2/2010. I read Nancy M's info and my question is: Will OH allow me to continue collecting now that FL is on EUC? Does anyone know? Thanks

NancyL wrote:I moved here from Ohio on unemployment. They just sent me a letter and said my unemployment has stopped because Florida is not currently in an extended EB. It ended 1/2/2010. I read Nancy M's info and my question is: Will OH allow me to continue collecting now that FL is on EUC? Does anyone know? Thanks

Hopefully there may be someone here in your situation to answer this more definitely than I can; most people on this board are either collecting from Florida in state or from Florida living in other states, so you will probably need to get your information from Ohio or AWI here.

But it has been generally known that EB is dependent on the state EB status of the state you move into. Even though we are technically far over the unemployment rate needed for EB here, the actual program ended, and that is verified by the DOL posting that shows if the state is triggered on or off, and we are off as of Jan 2. (In fact, the whole program actually ended Nov 8 here because of the way the law was written and all on EB were switched over into EUC.

However, EUC is a federal program, and I don't believe it matters what the state status is for that. Even if it does, both Ohio and Florida are triggered on for both Tier 3 and Tier 4. So I don't see why you would be eligible for those Tiers, unless you already had them in Ohio and were just put back on EB afterwards.

Thanks NancyM. I know for a fact I have to send something IN WRITING from Florida to prove that FL is on EUC and I don't know where to get that information. I had problems once before where they cut off the checks and once I had something from Florida in writing they reinstated my unemployment and gave me the back weeks. Can anyone please tell me where on the State's website I can prove FL is on EUC. thanks

NancyL--

What?!? Is Ohio insane?? That information is public record on the federal website that everyone checks for EB and EUB triggers: http://atlas.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims_arch.asp

So obviously they have that information already, unless you've spoken to someone there that doesn't have a clue.

On the other hand, maybe they have some arcane legal requirement to have a formal letter from the state. If so, I would just contact one of the AWI contacts we have posted here under the AWI contacts thread. A big part of the reason for this site was to find reliable people at AWI that we could call and not have to wait hours or days for information. The people listed, such as Cassandra, Melody, and others listed will call you back if you can't get them immediately, just leave a message. It might take a day or so, but you usually get a reply.

While talking to a AWI rep today, he told me that they did not start working on out of state EB applications until Friday of last week. He also indicated that they would receive low priority until after EB claims finish on Tuesday of next week.

Maybe they could hire some low pay unemployed to help them with this.

Today is three weeks since I applied for EB and today my account finally shows a payment.

Hello- I am having a problem getting any information on my status for the Unemployment Extension. I spoke with a representative at AWI last week as the Bill was getting the first vote on the Senate floor. I had dialed 1-800-204-2418, the posted # on the AWI webpage. After a lengthy wait, I spoke with a female representative that explained the continuing process for the passage and signing of the Bill, she was patient and professional. She checked and told me I would be elgible for the proposed extension, and that I would be contacted as soon as the fund implementaion was sorted out. The contact would be made either by phone or mail, or I could get further information on their website. So far, no contact has been made with me, and I am having a very hard time calling the AWI numbers listed on the website. I had moved from Florida to Ohio in December, and have received benefits until my first claim weeks ran out the first week of June.
I have noted the phone numbers listed in your forum for Melody, Josh, etc., and I will try contacting them beginning tomorrow. I know it would be redundant to say I need the financial assistance yesterday, as many of you are in the same predicament. Is there any other avenue I might check?

Jinxitt52 wrote:Hello- I am having a problem getting any information on my status for the Unemployment Extension. I spoke with a representative at AWI last week as the Bill was getting the first vote on the Senate floor. I had dialed 1-800-204-2418, the posted # on the AWI webpage. After a lengthy wait, I spoke with a female representative that explained the continuing process for the passage and signing of the Bill, she was patient and professional. She checked and told me I would be elgible for the proposed extension, and that I would be contacted as soon as the fund implementaion was sorted out. The contact would be made either by phone or mail, or I could get further information on their website. So far, no contact has been made with me, and I am having a very hard time calling the AWI numbers listed on the website. I had moved from Florida to Ohio in December, and have received benefits until my first claim weeks ran out the first week of June.
I have noted the phone numbers listed in your forum for Melody, Josh, etc., and I will try contacting them beginning tomorrow. I know it would be redundant to say I need the financial assistance yesterday, as many of you are in the same predicament. Is there any other avenue I might check?

As outrageous as it may seem, the amount of time it takes for Florida to implement these new laws, especially when there has been a gap in coverage, is weeks, not days. We are talking about a system that still is using a 1970 mainframe here. So even though they knew something like this law was coming, it takes their programmers and staff an inordinate time to readjust everything just because of this ancient system. Not sure this time around, but in the past they've had to have outside contractors come in to do some of this work; I would imagine they might have a hard time even getting people who still work in that anicient legacy code.

So watch the AWI site with eagle eyes for any change in that notice they have up under Hot Topics, which currently says Aug 9. And personally I would check the online EB application to see if they've changed the dates within that, indicating that it's been modified for the new applications or not. The fact that they told you that you were eligible is at least a blessing, but it's now a waiting game for you, I'm sorry to say.

That is some great info. If you wait for phone call, it will never come and a letter will be weeks behind info on the website.

Several months ago, one of the AWI reps and I got into a discussion about their computers while we were waiting for his computer to come back up. Because Florida's unemployment claims never strained the system before the past couple of years, they had no need to buy new equipment (according to the people who made those decisions). Then came the crush of unemployed and the system is so overloaded, if they were to buy new equipment right now, they are worried about how much info they would lose in transferring it to the new computers. You can bet with the reduced tax base in Florida and the economic problems they are going through, they aren't worried about new computers to serve the unemployed.

Actually, the plans--and a large starting budget--have already been in place for a completely new computer system for AWI for over a year now. To be fair, I think the new system may involve more than just AWI, most likely also other state systems, or at least needs to be designed to interconnect with state government or DCF or whatever.

Also be fair, this kind of computer revamp can be really complex when it involves so many offices and various requirements. And the difficulties getting the old data out of the ancient system are not as simple as importing an Excel sheet into Access (haha!)

But on the other hand, I know how these government planning-by-committee things go--SLOOOWWWWLY! Add to that the fact that state workers are now taking staff cuts and cuts in weekly hours with the overload of new clients, I can imagine that their projected date for the new system might be stretched out farther into the future. As it was, it was already going to be a few years!

Put this down to bad original planning on the part of our legislature and/or the agencies from the beginning.

One of the big issues is trying to catch up with deadbeat parents who aren't paying child support but are collecting unemployment comp. While AWI info is confidential, other states have used a shared system and found ways to work around the confidentiality issue to get child support collected. Another issue, which a shared system could help with is a large number of people on probation who aren't reporting or paying probation fees but who are collecting unemployment.

The benefits of a shared system are numerous but the State needs to buy the equipment and add one agency at a time to reduce the possibility of errors.