General EB Discussion - Ongoing

SaraJ wrote:This coming week is my last week of EB. However, my "year ends" on Thurs. Aug.27 (actually this will be 2 years). I'm wondering if I'll get my last week or if my year will start over. Did some self-employed work last year that I got a 1099 for, but it was only~$1200. So I don't think this plays a role in the unemployment because the 1099 employer did not pay any unemployment taxes on this & I paid all the SS taxes on it. Does anyone have any idea how & if this will affect me?

You should be able to collect the last week of EB. After that they would need to certify you for a new benefit year, if you didnt earn any wages that will be it until this next run of EUC is approved and put through. Since your work was on a 1099 you will not show income in their system, so a new claim would not allow you to draw anything. My situation was 2 weeks worth of work done around the holiday last year that was reported on a W2, and on 7/1 they recertified me for a new claim of $87 a week After that runs out they will put me on my old EB claim where I have $3300 in the account payable at the $275/wk. Let us know what happens Sara

Just wanted to let everyone know that I claimed my weeks this morning and I just checked my account and it was updated to show a check was issued today.

Robbi314 wrote:Just wanted to let everyone know that I claimed my weeks this morning and I just checked my account and it was updated to show a check was issued today.

Thank god! Thanks for letting us know the system seems to be working, with what seems to be still a few people caught in the corners of the system from last week.

I know, right?? I was happy to see it processed quickly. Hopefully nancy yours and everyone's claims will do the same tomorrow. *crossing fingers* Keep us posted.

Hello,

This is my first post, although I have been lurking for about a month. I really appreciate this blog and the many posts that have been made. As I have read the stories by many people here I have been astonished by the incredible insanity of AWI. Also I have been touched by the stories of those who are desperate for help (as I am also).

I had a dream last night that I was standing on a stage in front of a high school auditorium in my underwear and a tee shirt. I stepped to the microphone and said, "This is what a degree in Electrical Engineering can do for you."

Sadly, I am about to enter the EB zone . As such, I have some questions.

My situation is as follows:

1. Started on Unemployment in July 2008.
2. I have not had any income during during the intervening time.
3. My 59th week ends this week. (week ending 8-29-09)
4. The 59th week is the first week of the two week normal certifying period.
5. According to my account information I have this one week left of benefits.
6. I have been receiving FL unemployment compensation in TX.
7. TX has been eligible for EB since May 2009.

Questions:

1. Do I have to make an application to receive EB? So far I have had to do nothing for each of my extensions. In other words, what action do I need to take?

2. Will FL send me some kind of notification that I am eligible to start EB?

3. If I have to make some kind of application, when should I make it. Next week (my first non covered week) or wait till after my final certification period on the 59th week (9-8-09)?

All advice is welcome and thanks in advance.

DisneyDean wrote:Sadly, I am about to enter the EB zone . As such, I have some questions.

My situation is as follows:

1. Started on Unemployment in July 2008.
2. I have not had any income during during the intervening time.
3. My 59th week ends this week. (week ending 8-29-09)
4. The 59th week is the first week of the two week normal certifying period.
5. According to my account information I have this one week left of benefits.
6. I have been receiving FL unemployment compensation in TX.
7. TX has been eligible for EB since May 2009.

Questions:

1. Do I have to make an application to receive EB? So far I have had to do nothing for each of my extensions. In other words, what action do I need to take?

2. Will FL send me some kind of notification that I am eligible to start EB?

3. If I have to make some kind of application, when should I make it. Next week (my first non covered week) or wait till after my final certification period on the 59th week (9-8-09)?

All advice is welcome and thanks in advance.

You do have to apply for EB; however, review the following link on the progression of unemployment benefits. I'm not sure if the first extension of regular benefits is still in place or not, but the EUC benefits are. So review this link & that will provide you with some guidance.

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

DisneyDean wrote:

Questions:

1. Do I have to make an application to receive EB? So far I have had to do nothing for each of my extensions. In other words, what action do I need to take?

2. Will FL send me some kind of notification that I am eligible to start EB?

3. If I have to make some kind of application, when should I make it. Next week (my first non covered week) or wait till after my final certification period on the 59th week (9-8-09)?

My sympathies on your dream!

You do have to apply for EB after you've exhausted your EUC benefits; the exact best date to apply I'm not absolutely sure about in your case. You will be sent a notice from AWI as soon as you exhaust EUC, letting you know that you are potentially eligible to get EB benefits. That notice might take weeks and you don't have to wait for it to apply. When you apply just go here and it will provide you with any intervening EB weeks that you might have missed in the process that you can certify right there in the application: https://www2.myflorida.com/fluid/eb_default.asp

(I'm assuming you still do everything through Florida's AWI website, not something that has to go through Texas, correct?)

When I ended EUC I had the same odd leftover one week. In my case I was told to certify for that last week one week later, not wait til the usual 2-week claim period. I would think that would be the same for you, but not sure.

Once you've claimed that last week your account balance will be zero, so then you can expect that notice from AWI. (There are two mailed notices, first for potential eligibility so you can apply, then another verifying that you can collect EB.)

I would wait til your account balance is zero before applying, but you may want to verify that with a rep in Tallahassee, if you can get through. (Try to avoid that Orlando general info number 888-896-0091--this is a bunch of barely trained call-center reps. Unless you get bounced over to them, your specific claims questions for EB will be handled through the usual AWI claims info number. That 888 number is just for general info and not usually claim-specific. And future EB claims will be done on the same web page that you used for EUC, not where the EB application is.)

So when your current claim is processed check if your next claim date is earlier than you might have thought. Unless there's some tiny amount over the weekly, it should set you up for the first, not the 8th, at least that's how it went with me.

nancym wrote:

(I'm assuming you still do everything through Florida's AWI website, not something that has to go through Texas, correct?)

That is correct, Texas is not involved (except that it's listed as EB eligible on the DOL site).

nancym wrote:When I ended EUC I had the same odd leftover one week. In my case I was told to certify for that last week one week later, not wait til the usual 2-week claim period. I would think that would be the same for you, but not sure.

I think this is good advice. I must have counted my weeks a dozen times trying to figure out how I had this odd week left over. I will try to certify for that last week as you did on the following week. Then later in the week when my balance is zero, I'll try to fill out the application for the EB.

Thanks, I'll let you know how it worked out.

DisneyDean wrote:
I will try to certify for that last week as you did on the following week. Then later in the week when my balance is zero, I'll try to fill out the application for the EB.

Thanks, I'll let you know how it worked out.

Good luck with that. I'd be surprised if your online date for next claim tells you 9/8, if you have just that one week and no change left over. Anyway, one more thing you should make note of, since there's been a lot of confusion over work search requirements for EB--This note appeared in the revised EB online certification today:

Please note: the first two weeks you claim for Extended Benefits do not require you to list your work search contacts.

(Of course they still want you to keep records in case of a random audit, but you won't have to list them on your claim at first.)

There is a separate thread for work search requirements on this forum if you ever need it.

nancym wrote:I'd be surprised if your online date for next claim tells you 9/8, if you have just that one week and no change left over.

Apparently, you are 100% correct. I just checked my account and it now says that my next certification should occur on 9/1. It must have needed time to cycle.

Am I still right in assuming that I should do the application for EB late next week? Or have I misunderstood the process?

DisneyDean wrote:

nancym wrote:I'd be surprised if your online date for next claim tells you 9/8, if you have just that one week and no change left over.

Apparently, you are 100% correct. I just checked my account and it now says that my next certification should occur on 9/1. It must have needed time to cycle.

Am I still right in assuming that I should do the application for EB late next week? Or have I misunderstood the process?

I'm not 100% sure what the deal is with that. I know that they won't be looking at your EB claim til you zero out. Whether it makes any difference if you apply a day or so before that process is being reviewed I don't know. But the link online says to apply after your EUC benefits have exhausted, which to me means the moment you see a zero balance in your account.

DISNEYDEAN:
Listen to Nancy...DO NOT send in your EB application/claim early. A friend of mine did & he was rejected b/c he had not exhausted his EUC. Then when he tried to get it straightened out, it took forever b/c he had previously been denied. I can't remember if he had to file an appeal or if he finally just found someone who could fix it....I think he found someone to fix it.

hEY!!!!! Seems like they are getting back on track, first time this happens that i claimed my weeks early this morning at about 9, i checked the claim info at 3:30 and it was already updated with check issued! this never happened before, at least not in my case, so, i read a few posts back that someone had also claimed today and check was issued today! whew! are we dreaming or what?

By the way, Hello UIO!!!!!!!! how's the fab guy of the forum?

DisneyDean: When I exhausted my EUC,the system would not allow me to claim for EB until my balance zeroed out. It would not recognize my SSI#. After you claim on the 1st(for what ever is left over in your account) give the system a couple days to let your account zero out. At that point,the system should allow you to apply for EB. When I claimed my last two weeks of EUC(on a Monday) and there were some funds left,I was allowed to claim for the remainder of my balance the following Monday

Just now claimed my 20th week (claimed 1 week only) of EB (my previous claim was on Aug 25 and the auto confirmation then said my next claim date was Sept 8th, but the system let me claim today).

We'll see what that disaster in Washington (aka Congress) brings for future extensions when they reconvene this month.

Good Luck

sc4ram wrote:Just now claimed my 20th week (claimed 1 week only) of EB. We'll see what that disaster in Washington (aka Congress) brings for future extensions when they reconvene this month.

Good Luck

Me too Sc4ram...I just claimed my last week of EB. It will be interesting to see what happens!

Has anyone else had this prob. I did some temp and day labor work back in Nov and Dec before Bush's ext. went in. Only two weeks did I earn slightly more than my weekly payments (though at the time I was out of benefits). Even when the extension took place, If I earned any money I reported as was told to. Now they say I owe them for the extensions and are holding my EB money, even after they sent me the form telling me I was eligible and I claimed my weeks from feb 22 to June. Are any of you having similar probs with eb. (My case is finally "under review" after filing 2 appeals. Any ideas or info would be great!


ADMIN EDIT: Moving to ongoing discussion thread

I have had an appeal reversed (8/20/09) and was wondering when my back unemployment benefits will be sent. I am supposed to receive over 10wks that I have claimed.

ADMIN EDIT : Reposted to correct ongoing thread

Kirby, how long did it take for you to find out the results of your appeal?

Kirby:

I went through an appeal hearing 1 July 2008 which was a Tuesday. I won the appeal and received a check for 6 weeks back pay by the Friday of the same week. I realize the system wasn't as jammed up in 2008,but I think you have waited more than long enough to receive your back pay. You might try calling the Deputy Clerk for your appeal referee and ask her/him if they can tell you what the hold up is. If you don't already know,you can get the clerks name and number from the AWI web site under "file an appeal" section. Just follow the prompts and it will take you right where you need to be. Have you received the letter of decision from the appeal referee yet? Let me know if I can be of further service. I love it when an appellant wins an appeal!!

Thanks Gonzo! I was hoping someone would be able to help him with this. We have 30+ new users this morning and more to come I assume since the article in the Orlando Sentinel this morning.

Please welcome these new members and try and provide as much help as we can. I am sure many of them did not even know there was so much more information available from us, and its probably going to overwhelm many people. I expect we will see a surge in people with issues that have passed us but that we will be able to provide some insight to.

My pleasure UIO....always willing to help a P.O.R. in Florida. We long time unemployed have learned much about the system through our own research and our ability to network with fellow Floridians. Sites like this are vital in supporting and advancing our cause. I thank you UIO for opening this site,not only for the wealth of information that is available here,but the fact it deals with issues that directly impact us here in Florida. People being denied UC benefits are my favorite to help....I love to see them prevail. As we all know,Florida is not a worker friendly State when it comes to laws protecting employees....we virtually have none. Being a college degree carrying paralegal, I love the fight of an appeal. So I will do my best to help anyone who has questions concerning an appeal or the process of the appeal.

P.S. Welcome all new members to this site!!

I have been unemployed for 9 months...I originally sign up for Unemployment compensation back in Jan. 1st, 2009.
I was currently going to real estate school looking to change careers since I lost my job. I followed the internet question as prompted and stated that I was going to school for the first 2 weeks of the year and that I was unavailable to look for a job. I continued to receive letters in the mail telling me to claim weeks...This false hope continued for months. I never received any compensation and finally called to find out why I had not received any funds. They then told me I was disqualified and they sent a letter stating this. I look for and found the letter and it was a fact. I had to file for an appeal to dispute this classification. They scheduled my phone hearing on May 1st, 2009. I try to tell the referee that I have never had to apply for the this program and I do not know all the ins and outs and that I was just being honest on the questioner. He did not want to hear my story rather he wanted to know that I had received the letter that disqualified me and I said I did receive the letter and he then said...the defendant has stated and confirmed had he received the letter and the hearing was over.

At that time I was done with government support and made a commitment to myself that I would support my family with no help from the US. Government. We'll I am still unemployed and have been draining my bank to say current with all my responsibilities. I have since had would a change of heart..I decided that I would accept a small check every month and that it would really help in my current situation. We'll I have jumped through all the hoops that they have asked of me, at the unemployment department, and they still will not reverse the decision the referee had made regarding my lack of knowing how the system worked.

I have now heard that they will not reverse the referee desicision and that I will have to take it to court??? It is tough out without any assistance. Any suggestions? Help

*ADMIN EDIT - Moved to correct thread

Hello and Thank You!
Hope I am posting this in the right place.
So glad I found this in todays paper.
I ran here right away. lol
I will try to explain my situation as best I can.
Since receiving so much wrong info from AWI I hope someone here can help me.
I don't know what to believe when I talk to them.
I have been reading all the topics and replies all morning.
I tried to call the numbers and extensions I found on here but only get a voicemail.
Have left messages. Hope they call back, but I will keep trying.
Anywho....
I have been on Unemployment since August 2008.
I had a part time job from Jan 09 - July 09, but I still received partal Unemployment benefits while I worked. My department closed down, and my benifits continued back to the full amount of 212.00 per week..
OK, I just claimed my last one week of 23.00 on Tues, Sept 1st. Yesterday.
My account info on their site said balance 23.00
Since I wasn't sure if I exausted all my benefits, or if I had another tier left...
I called at 7:30am yesterday, low and behold I got thru. The man on the phone told me that all my benefits were in fact exausted and I needed to apply for EB.
Sooo I went to the link yesterday and it told me I wasn't elegible to apply for EB.
So I figured I would wait until today to let the last 23.00 claim process.
I checked my claim info this morning and it says I have a new balance of 1700.00 some odd dollars. And my next time to claim weeks is Sept 15th.
It now says my weekly amount will be 171.00.
And....the question I have is...I went to the EB claim page, and it is letting me start an EB claim. So do I have to fill out the EB form online before I can claim the new 1700.00 balance showing, or is that another tier? and should I wait untill my balance says zero to alpply for EB? Or maybe....Do I have something extra in EB along with the 1700.00 I could apply for?
I am so confused right now.
Thanks for any and all help..
You all are just awesome!

Beaches wrote:Hello and Thank You!
Hope I am posting this in the right place.
So glad I found this in todays paper.
I ran here right away. lol
I will try to explain my situation as best I can.
Since receiving so much wrong info from AWI I hope someone here can help me.
I don't know what to believe when I talk to them.
I have been reading all the topics and replies all morning.
I tried to call the numbers and extensions I found on here but only get a voicemail.
Have left messages. Hope they call back, but I will keep trying.
Anywho....
I have been on Unemployment since August 2008.
I had a part time job from Jan 09 - July 09, but I still received partal Unemployment benefits while I worked. My department closed down, and my benifits continued back to the full amount of 212.00 per week..
OK, I just claimed my last one week of 23.00 on Tues, Sept 1st. Yesterday.
My account info on their site said balance 23.00
Since I wasn't sure if I exausted all my benefits, or if I had another tier left...
I called at 7:30am yesterday, low and behold I got thru. The man on the phone told me that all my benefits were in fact exausted and I needed to apply for EB.
Sooo I went to the link yesterday and it told me I wasn't elegible to apply for EB.
So I figured I would wait until today to let the last 23.00 claim process.
I checked my claim info this morning and it says I have a new balance of 1700.00 some odd dollars. And my next time to claim weeks is Sept 15th.
It now says my weekly amount will be 171.00.
And....the question I have is...I went to the EB claim page, and it is letting me start an EB claim. So do I have to fill out the EB form online before I can claim the new 1700.00 balance showing, or is that another tier? and should I wait untill my balance says zero to alpply for EB? Or maybe....Do I have something extra in EB along with the 1700.00 I could apply for?
I am so confused right now.
Thanks for any and all help..
You all are just awesome!

Hey Beaches, thanks for joining! If you leave a voicemail for Josh, Melody or Cass, they are quick to respond to you same day, so hang in there.

From what I can tell you have exhausted your regular initial unemployment claim and it is now showing a new balance of $1700. From what I gather by your post, this is the 2nd tier EUC benefits provided by Pres Bush last fall. Hence the reason the EB Application online states you are not currently eligible. You must first exhaust the EUC tier before you can collect any EB benefits. One thing to note is however, currently the EB law is set to expire EB benefits at the end of this year. Once congress meets again this next session there is a provision for them to extend the current EB program through 2010 which would be great in your case so you can use that claim (tier).

I hope this info helps and if not keep posting and we will do our best to try guide/help you!