Claiming Retro Weeks Online

Thank you, I will try in the morning! I will let you know. Thanks again.

Robert

Can someone explain the retro pay please? Who qualifies for that and why? I have been on unemp for over a year and that has never been mentioned to me...did I miss something?

maryrunge wrote:Can someone explain the retro pay please? Who qualifies for that and why? I have been on unemp for over a year and that has never been mentioned to me...did I miss something?

Retro weeks were those that were paid after the EB benefits began going out around the beginning of July. The retro weeks were weeks that hadnt been paid since Feb since that was when EB was established to be begin payments. Personally I collected weeks from the month of June and 2 at the end of May in a lump sum around the first week of July. New EB claims will not have a retro week period since they are already paying out now, its just we had to wait on them to get the system upgraded so they could issue claim checks.

I received my letter late learning about the retro weeks, so I filed my claim on August 18th, and recived a check for 4 weeks retro and 4 weeks stimulus on August 19th, tho i claimed 9 weeks total. My new date to claim was August 24th and I claimed tday and although it processed my weeks it didn't issue any more checks since and it shows a new claim date of September 7th. I am in Tier 2, and my new determination date was July 5th 2010. My payments before were 275 weekly but after they issued my 4 weeks retro it went to 215 weekly. Why didn't i get any of the other weeks retro, why did my weekly benefit get reduced and why didn't they issue me any checks for claiming benefits today. I tried calling several times and can't get through to the agency. Any ideas?

wow that's a new one. You'll most certainly have to speak with a rep...look in the AWI contacts section for a person to call..good luck

flfranky--

That does sound like a mess. The only way that your benefits check amount can go down (outside of the $25 extra payments) is either 1) you worked some of those weeks, which I assume you would have mentioned in your post, 2) you had enough work history for them to place you in a new benefit year, in which case you would no longer be in Tier 2, but rather back in regular benefits, or 3) they just flat-out made a mistake.

If they put you in a new benefit year, you need to find out how many weeks you have coming to you by dividing your total credits by that new weekly benefit amount. Does your online account show your account balance now?

If you are now in fact on regular benefits, that may be bad in terms of the lesser amount of the check, but there's a possible upside, depending on how many weeks you have for regular benefits, and where that puts you in terms of going back on extended benefits before the upcoming Nov 30 eligibility cutoff that occurs again for going on to the next tier!

As connorgp says, you really need to talk to a good rep about this, first to see exactly what tier or regular they have you on, and second to make sure there's no mistake! I personally recommend Melody, using the contact numbers here on the site. She even returns calls if you leave a message, even if you might not hear back til the next day.

Hi guys,

Jim Stratton here at the Orlando Sentinel. I'm working on a story I was hoping to get some help with. Namely ...

Once EUC and EB (the federal programs) lapse, can you continue to claim weeks even though the programs have technically expired? I understand that on EUC you're allowed to finish up whatever tier you're in, but once that's exhausted, can you continue to file for weeks so that everything is "in the system" when Congress re-authorizes the program and payments are re-started?

Or, once the program lapses, are you unable to claim weeks until Congress acts and AWI notifies you that "hey, the system has been re-started?"

I've been told in some states, claimants are instructed to continue claiming weeks -- even though they won't get paid -- during the times the federal program has lapsed. Those states say it speeds up the process of getting payments out once Congress reauthorizes the programs. That is, your weeks are already logged as if the program had never lapsed. I don't know, however, if that's how it works in Florida.

Can anyone provide some insight? If so, please reach me at my e-mail: jstratton@orlandosentinel.com

Thanks,
js