There is a lot of excellent info in this thread. I'm going to try not to cover anything that's already been answered numerous times, I hope.
The current max in Mass is $600/wk as of Sunday October 7, 2007. Plus $25 per dependent up to half you draw. In other words you could have 12 kids and get another $300/wk. You only need wages to support the WBR of $600, not the total amount including dependent allowance. This is indeed good for 30 wks, all 49 other allow 26 wks. Their year begins the 4th quarter of each year, not the 1st quarter, so their new rates begin in October.
I understand from a recent co-worker who is drawing from, and lives in, NJ that he's getting $542/wk. I have no idea otherwise except to say it's my understanding they're a pain for non-residents.
That brings us to PA. My state of residence. The max is $520/wk as of January 7, 2007. The dependent allowance is $5 for the first and $3 for the second for a total of $8. Yes, it was a total of $8 in the 70's when my dad collected it on my sister and I every winter. New rates will be out soon for January 2008. Year begins 1st quarter.
I keep seeing quarters being discussed as January 1 to March 31 for example. Unemployment is based on a week beginning Sunday and ending Saturday. As such each quarter begins on the first Sunday of the month, but not necessarily on the first day of the month.
The issue of exhausting benefits has been kicked around a few times throughout this thread. The question of available eligible quarters came up. This is where states using lag quarters (Not using the most recently COMPLETED quarter) versus a state like Mass which uses the 4 most recently completed comes into play. As an example let's say you want to take a 6 month vacation beginning essentially now. If you were opening a claim in a state using a lag quarter, your best money and simplicity being PA which uses a lag quarter, they would be looking at the 3rd & 4th quarters of 2006 and the 1st & 2nd quarters of 2007. You still have the 3rd quarter of 2007, and the not yet completed 4th quarter of 2007 as unused quarters to establish eligibility in Mass 6 months from now. You open your PA claim, suffer your waiting week and draw 26 checks, and go to Mass the week immediately after filing for that 26th check from PA to open for another 30 weeks from them.
The question of why worry about any other state when Mass pays the most came up. As a PA resident who is on my 4th Mass claim as of 2 weeks ago it's a fair question. The only practical reason would be if you didn't have sufficient wages to max out in Mass. If you're going to draw at least the same $520 as PA, or whatever it goes up to in January, or especially if you have several kids you can collect $25 each on to boot then Mass is a no-brainer. If you're going to come up short of $520 total going to Mass it MAY benefit you to look at PA.
To qualify in PA you must meet the following 3 criteria in order to qualify for benefits.
1) You have total base year wages of $20,720 (Part C of the benefit rate chart-link posted below)
2) A minimum of 20% of your base year wages were earned outside of your high quarter.
3) You have 18 credit weeks. A credit week is any week in which you earned at least $50.
You do need $13,520 in your high quarter to qualify for the max of $520, or so part D of the chart says. The part you won't get from the benefit rate chart is that as long as you meet the 3 criteria listed above you may still qualify for max under the alternate benefit rate calculation. This is calculated by taking your predominant hourly wage within your base year times 40 (hours) divided by 2. If that number is higher you qualify for the higher amount. I've personally used this alternate method to max out before I knew about collecting from Mass. All you need to do is wait for your notice of financial determination in the mail. If it will benefit you then you have 10 days to appeal the determination in writing. Whatever you do, and no matter what anybody tells you over the phone, this MUST be done in writing within 10 days. Sit back and wait for the make up checks for the difference to start rolling in about 6 to 8 weeks later. You'll get the lower amount right along until they get it adjusted so you're not out everything waiting for them.
Benefit rate chart for PA:
http://www.dli.state.pa.us/landi/cwp/view.asp?a=357&q=236806Entire PA UC law: (for the rare few who like me read all this stuff looking for the loopholes)
http://www.dli.state.pa.us/landi/CWP/view.asp?a=185&Q=213727It has been correctly stated that you must be in state in Mass to open, and you need only give them your home address wherever that may be.
As a PA resident I've never done a non-resident claim. I do however know we haven't had any walk in centers for years now. You used to have to do it all over the phone. You can now open online as well. I'm told by friends who have opened in PA that when done online there is one box to check stating you are inside PA when filing. On this point I'm passing along what I've heard, but not personally witnessed. I do however know that Pa has also done direct deposit for years. Mass still mails me a paper check every week, in an envelope which expressly says do not forward. It's an extremely minor inconvenience which I live with for the extra $100+/wk.
I'm sure somewhere thru typing all this I've forgotten something I meant to comment on when I read thru this thread. I'm equally sure I've rambled on long enough for now. If you want to hear about rambling ask Rennhack how long winded I got in person at Three Mile on the subject when it came up there last month.
The bottom line is that this is perfectly legal and not difficult. I think everybody who is entitled should get every penny they legally can in unemployment. Hopefully something I've said helps somebody out there just like I've benefited. We all win when we help each other out.