Unemployment Claims

[hamsamich]

you have to show up in person and they will either do you in person or put you on a special phone that can only be used at the Mass Unemp office.  Go early; if you show up at the end of they day they may make you come back in the morning which sucks if you are not from mass.  I'd say show up by 1pm and you will be ok unless something is really screwy.

[kaveman32]

cool i maybe heading that way next week, but is there some sorta waiting period or just a zero balance..also give me a I.M. as to where you are these days.....also the father inlaw says hi.....just kidding

[Brewster]

Update, just got back from 210 South St, Boston, MA (Jobnet). Very easy to find ( I-93 to exit #20 right on Kneeland 1 block and it's on the corner of South St) don't bother driving around Chinatown looking for parking, go directly across the street and use the CETA parking lot (plenty of room). There is a dumb guy there that will tell you cannot park there. But tell him you are there to put in an application for CETA (didn't hurt I was carrying a manila envelope and wearing a suit coat, even with a 2 ft ponytail) he will give you a yellow pass to put under your windshield wiper, and wish you good luck. Then go to the front of the building and walk across the street. There is a green awning above that says "210 South Street" and a glass door that says "Jobnet". Go up the stairs and sign in. Try not to be nervous about the Chinese American babbling in the cubicle to your right. His name is Shu-Chung Shen, and a super pleasure to deal with. He explains everything to you including the fact that you will not receive $508, but only $575/wk. He was also be adamant that you file an "IB1 form" as soon as you get home and even put that in writing. The information I brought with me is listed below and was the difference in the 25 min this took and who knows how long.
   
I was gonna make this work one way or the other but I needed to consult "Nukeworker" for the advantage. I was afraid that I would have to get another mail service. I read all the posts especially "Beercourt". I have met, known and lived with him. I have worked, counted, trusted him to be right every time (annoyingly so). His info and interpretations  were perfect, as they always are.

Name:
DOB:
SSN:
Address:

Dates of employment:
Employer:
Address:
Phone #:
Contact:

Address of work performed:
Reason for leaving:
Salary/:
 
Hope it helps, Bruce Moffatt

[Already Gone]

You're making me misty, Brewster.  But I'll never forget the wise words you once said to me; "It's okay to cry, but you gotta drink milk while you're doing it."
Cheers
T

[Rennhack]

Update, just got back from 210 South St, Boston, MA (Jobnet).

I needed to consult "Nukeworker" for the advantage. I read all the posts especially "Beercourt". I have met, known and lived with him. I have worked, counted, trusted him to be right every time (annoyingly so). His info and interpretations  were perfect, as they always are.

Brewster, thats for the walkthrough, I bet a lot of people print that out, and take it with them in the future.

I have to echo what you said about Troy.  I've never worked with him that I know of, but on this site, he's never been incorrect. (except politically incorect, ).  He's correct me a few times, and I appreciate it.  I think he's a "NukeWorker national treasure".

[RDTroja]

I think he's a "NukeWorker national treasure".

I can see the new poll now... "Vote for the NukeWorker National Treasures of your choice."

[Already Gone]

Where's that friggin' moderator when a subject gets off topic?!?!?!?!

[thenukeman]

Only 575?  You also receive 25 dollars per child up to 17 years old.   I do not know if they have a max number of children.  My max with 2 children is 625,  I only got 609 because I did not quite max out.  Get your dependents SSN to take with you to help.  It helped me. 210 South street, Boston MA, The Nukeworker unemployment site, LOL,  I seen a forum on PA unemployment, But why, when Mass is better?  LOL

[hamsamich]

I believe the max$fordependents is "up to one-half" of your weekly rate, or the max rate, can't remember which.

[LaFeet]

For Mass   you get 25 bucks a dependent (not including the spouse)

The age cutoff is 18, but can be expanded if they are a special needs child or a full time student (up to age 25)

[Halcyon Daze]

my daughter lives in Wilmington, VT so I go up and stay with her when I register. I take the 20 min drive to N Adams, Mass where the UI office people are like the Maytag Repairman. No lines, no waiting and people so underworked they come running when a customer walks in.
The first time I went there I actually had spectators while I was being walked through the process.

[LaFeet]

my daughter lives in Wilmington, VT so I go up and stay with her when I register. I take the 20 min drive to N Adams, Mass where the UI office people are like the Maytag Repairman. No lines, no waiting and people so underworked they come running when a customer walks in.
The first time I went there I actually had spectators while I was being walked through the process.

Thats so cool,  avoid the Springfield office.  Itsa zoo.  If you have to go to the Springfield area, take a few extra minutes and go to the Holyoke office instead.  Just like the N Adams.

[Rennhack]

The post with cool links to unemployment info was lost in the server move.  I have the attachment I made from one of them, I'll re-attach it here:

[hamsamich]

if you don't like pdf files, like me, here are a couple of good links.

http://workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/unemploy/sigprojul2007.asp

http://workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/unemploy/laws.asp#overview

[Rennhack]

Hammy, thanks for reposting the links.

[texascat]

Hello I made the journey to Boston to file my combined wage claim.  I just wanted to pass along my experience and a warning.  Watch out for the beggars and pickpockets.  I was approached many times by very friendly people that struck up a conversation and every time ended up asking me for money.  What really opened my eyes was when I was standing outside the south station bus terminal.  It was about 8:00 am and an old man approached me while I was having a smoke, he had a suitcase with a greyhound tag on it.  I didn't think much of it and figured he was just traveling, he was preaching to me about smoking, another person showed up and asked to bum a smoke and said he had been waiting for a bus overnight, I gave him one and didn't think much of it as he sat down.  Another man walked up and struck up a conversation about him being from Houston since I had my Houston Astros shirt on, and said he was from Houston as well and became overly friendly repeatedly shaking my hand and pulling me close to pat me on the back.  He said since I was from Texas I should have a big Texan belt buckle and wanted to see it, I told him I didn't but he still wanted to see since my shirt wasn't tucked in, I didn't do it, anyway after a few pats to many on my backpack I noticed the old man was sitting there playing with the greyhound tag and ignoring the situation.  The friendly man then asked if I was a cop and I said no, then he asked for some money so he could get a forty, I told him I didn't have any cash and quickly walked inside the terminal while he was telling me not to leave come back and talk.  When I got back inside I turned around and they were all gone, I looked at my back pack and many of the zippers had been unzipped.  Luckily nothing was missing.  I then realized what almost happened, the man that bummed a smoke from me was the pickpocket, the overly friendly man was prepping me to be mugged and locate my valuables, wallet, phone etc.. and unzip my backpack and distract me, it also gave the appearance to passers by that I knew him with all the hand shaking, the old man was there to hide anything inside the suitcase.  I told the security guard what almost happened and he said it happens all the time there, he called it in and some officers quickly showed up, but since nothing happened there was nothing to be done.  I know this can happen anywhere but felt I should pass along for those making the journey to 210 South Street.

Other then that, the journey was easy, arrived at Boston Logan airport, waited outside airport arrivals bus stop and took Silverline bus to the south station, cost was 2 dollars, waited in South station train terminal until I was begged to death and moved to the bus terminal, security seemed tighter in the bus terminal, waited until about 8:25am then walked to 210 Southstreet, quickest way from the bus terminal is to walk down to Kneeland Street and take a right, then another right on South street, its right there.  They took my info and setup my pin.  They were very nice and even walked with me to the bus terminal to show me how to get back to the airport, you will need to go to one of the machines and buy a prepaid card, when your buying the pass choose other amount and  enter 2 dollars on the touchpad and pay, follow the signs to silverline down the stairs, there is more then one silverline, there is a sign further down to the left and says SL1 to Logans airport, take that one.

I had a Texas claim that ran out of funds but hadn't reached the one year anniversary yet, I qualified for the max of $575 plus $25 a week for my dependent.  Hope this helps and don't talk to strangers.

[illegalsmile]

Just another reason to go to the N Adams office.

[Dave Warren]

I didn't get begged on when I flew into Providence, RI. Probably because I rented a car and drove to the nice office. Heck, they had 3 guards, and didn't need one. Probably to screen the applicants. Nicest neighborhood I have ever seen an unenjoyment office in.

[Rennhack]

If we post a few walking and riding maps, we have the makings for a fromers travel guide here.  My MASS unemployment runs out in 6 weeks.  I am sad about that.

[Meltdown]

Had some time to kill a couple of years ago so I Amtrak'd up to Providence, rented a car downtown and drove to the Plymouth UE office. Really nice place, took about 45-50 minutes and I was done. Back to Prov, bummed around, ate at 3 Steeples or something like that, then got on the train home. Not a bad experince at all.

[remowil55]

I'm glad someone put some details down, i was told that you couldn't do that. Live in one state and draw from Mass. how do you do the weekly claim, do they let you call it in. What about a local address. Thank for the info. Remo

[MrHazmat]

All this already explained, go back and read the entire post and you will know all.

[Meltdown]

You put your home address down. As long as you work in 2 different states during the reporting period you're an interstate worker - the state you're standing in when you file a claim is your agent state. I just report online weekly and it goes to direct deposit.

This does not constitute legal advice. Use it at your own risk. I've had no problem.

[HenryBlack]

The actual term to use is a Combined Wage Claim. If you are claiming Mass. unemployment then you have to go there to file the first time. After that all you have to do is go to your home employment office and have them file the form for you and Mass will automatically start sending your checks as soon as they recieve the form. When your claim runs out you have to go back to Mass to start a new  claim. I was told by someone here that Pennsylvania will let you file online but I haven't tried myself. Fly to hartford and take a 15 minute taxi ride to Springfield  office in and out in about an hour. Good luck

[brwood]

This is not legal advice but I believe that Federal rules/regs govern the fact they go back up to 6 quarters of work.  How each state defines that varies.  NJ will not count the most recent quarter but MA will if you are into the next quarter when you file.  Check each states definitions.  I believe they all go back as far as possible and only claim the minimum amount of quarters to get you to the maximum benefit amount so theoretically you could still have quarters available for the period that you are filing against.  Only way to know is to talk to an unemployment person and have them check what is what. 

In MA it is easy.  In NJ it is not.  It is one of the worst to file in as far as beaurucratic nonsense/incompetence.  Basically you start to file and if you do not like what you hear then get up and leave or hang up the phone and file elsewhere.  I did that in NJ and made a 3 hour drive to Falls River, MA and was in and out in an hour.