Unemployment Claims

[pappy]

The lady in Az was in error. She did say that she knows of, but as many of us have learned every state has their own rules, and even they may change on us. As of now Mass allows filing with your home address as long as you are physicaly in a Mass office to file. The requirement is to register at your local job services with an IB1 when you return home. I have learned the hard way that, at least in Ga., many of the employees at job services have a hard time handling just that part. Even had 2 tell me I had to open a new claim when I still had 10K left in my existing claim. If you believe (or know) that they are in error, try to diplomatically ask them to contact somebody in Mass to verify the requirements.

[thenukeman]

I wrote the following questions to Massachusetts Problem Resolution Unit. Just copy this line to a letter to your email with questions you may have according to your situation. ProblemResolutionUnit@detma.org
They responded in 1 work day.

I have taken out some personal info and condensed this.

To: ProblemResolutionUnit@detma.org
Subject:Unemployment Benefits Interstate Claim
Dear Sir:
I have worked in Three states, NC, CT and TN in the last year. I have worked for Bartlett Nuclear of Plymouth Mass. doing outages at Nuclear Plants.  I have made approximately the following, 1qtr 2006 18000, 2qtr 10000, 3rdqtr 1000, 4thqtr 13000. I filed in TN for unemployment and they used my 2005 quarters. I filed on February 17, 2006 but my benefits run out December 30, 2006.  Bartlett has offered me a 3 month job starting February 18, 2007 and I have accepted it.  I have been permanently employed prior to 2006 for 19 years.
The questions I have are,
1.  Can I file in Massachusetts an interstate claim?
2.  Since my benefits end on December 30, 2006, can I apply Jan 2nd? ( assuming first day Massachusetts unemployment open after December 30, 2006) If not, when can I apply?
3. Given the 4 qtrs of 2006 I have estimated, what would be my estimated unemployment for Massachusetts?  I have 2 children under 18. 
Thank you for your time and information.

( This was Massachusetts reply)
We don't make predeterminations.  You have the right to come to Ma to file when you benefits are exhausted in Tn.  We will send a form to the States where you have worked to verify wage and separation information.  When the wages are transferred to Ma, we can then determine your eligibility.
When you file in January, we will be using the base period of 01-01-06 through 12-31-06.  If the quarterly wages that you gave me are correct, you should be eligible for $575 per week.  However, we do have to verify your earnings with the States where you worked.

[thenukeman]

By the way my brother in law used to work for unemployment in TN and told me I had to file in TN. I decided to write Mass to see if he was correct. Obviously he was not when it comes to a multiple state claim. I used to work for the state. The director of my department actually said all we expect is the minimum from everyone.  So I encourage everyone to write to multiple people to include the address I have given in my last post.  You get it in writing and these people seem to be on the ball.

Also I doubt any states that pay low have people wanting to file an interstate claim there,  Therefore they do not know about it. Another reason to check and get it in writing from a big paying state as Massachusetts before you go so there are no problems or misunderstandings.  The low paying state employees may not be dumb and lazy, just uninformed and inexperienced in interstate claims.  Who in their right mind knowing there is a 300 dollar a week difference would file in a low paying state? I had to file in TN last year because I only worked one job. If I had a do over I would have worked an outage or 2 and then file. But I was uninformed also. Now I am some what self and nukeworker educated.

[Dave Warren]

nukeman is quite correct....I flew into Providence, R.I. (on Southwest very reasonable) 2 weeks ago. The unemployment office was 15 miles northeast of the airport. It took me all of 55 minutes at the unemployment office to start a claim. When I got back to Ohio, I had to get a form from them and they sent it back to Massachusetts. My first check for $575 will be here tomorrow. It is a smooth process and they don't put you through all the crap. I talked to a friend of mine who got laid off the same time I did, and Ohio unemployment told him some mumbo-jumbo about him not being able to do a Massachusetts claim. If you have any question, call the Mass. office and let them tell you the answer.

[Dave Warren]

Also, after reading through the other posts, I was never once asked for a Massachusetts address......I do all my weekly work-search questions online too. I answer 4 questions that takes about 2 minutes to process.

[nowhereman]

As it stands, so long as you walk into a Mass. unemployment office and it will work like clockwork, however being in CT  I have dealt with  my unemployment office  over the phone( "sir you must use the phone system for your issues") it has taken(5 weeks)( till 12/18 )for them to file  an IB-1 to Mass.  correctly.
And now we have to wait another 2 weeks for the employer to respond

And it wasn't for a lack of trying. just try calling the CT unemployment office on a Monday. it would seem that you are taking money out of their wallets by filing an interstate  claim.

[Melrose]

As I am flying out Wed. Night to Boston, this has now got me thinking...

So the question is, does MASS require an instate MA address to file combined wage claims or not... or does the Public Servant I just spoke to just not know what she is talking about.  I did file in MASS several years ago using a PO Box there, and then drove back here to AZ, so would I be covered that way?

Any help is appreciated.

The answer to your ? is, no.  You do not need to have a Mass address.  The PS prob is more misinformed than doesn't know what she's talking about.

I've called to file, reopen a claim, use to handle it right over the phone, never saw an IB1 form, they always handled it.

Now, I have to contact the home state to have them submit the form to Mass.  To reopen the claim, I've ben told that I have to caontact the home state, I hang up, call back, get someone else, and they take care of things.  Soooo they really aren't quite on the same page.

Now they ask you to fill out a survey list of ?s asking why you're coming to Mass for UE.
Somebody will throw a wrench in things and make this harder for those that file multi-state claims outside of their home state.

[thenukeman]

Well, I made my Pilgrimage to Mass.  Flew to Logan international Boston, Took cab to  210 South Street, Cost me 18 dollars.  My interview lasted about 30 minutes. I had all the information Renhack mentioned in previous post typed on a sheet of paper.  The interviewer took all the info off the sheet and put it on his computer. I only had to write down a couple of items. He gave me a sheet of paper to set up my pin, a Mass Unemployment book and told me to file a I8-1 in TN which I have done. The lady up front told me I noticed you took a cab. Why dont you take a right outside the door walk a block take another right and that will take you to you see a glass building. Take the Silverline bus back for 2 bucks to the Airport.  They took me right to the gate I needed.  This place is called the South Station and had several food courts.  I ate there since I had plenty of time for my flight. Easy, and TN office said thats what you should do if you work 2 or more states, because TN pays so low.  They were helpful also and seemed amused.   

[Rennhack]

It's about time some of us started using the system to our advantage.  I wish this info was readily available 17 years ago.  I think of all the money I gave away over the years.

[thenukeman]

Concerning combined state claims,
A couple of mistakes I made, 
1. Filing in TN when I should have waited an took an outage in another state. Even if it was a wait for a few weeks.
2. It cost me 600 dollars last week because my claim was exhausted in TN Dec 30 but I did not show up until Jan 9, 2007. I thought I could go back to January 6 and claim it. Unfortunately I was wrong. Your claim is not retroactive for a combined state claim. So as soon as your funds are EXHAUSTED file in another state. Do not wait over a week.

Things I have done right thanks to Nukeworker.

1. I understood the exhausted part. Meaning if your funds are exhausted in the state you claimed, even if your benefit year is not over you can claim in another state.  This helped me in 2 ways,
a.  My benefit year was not over in TN till Feb 17 2007, But my funds were exhausted on DEC 30.  I legally claimed in Mass on Jan 9,2007.
b. Since I was not laid off till mid quarter last year which was my lag quarter for TN I got to count this for my 4 quarter average for MASS.  In effect working 3.5 quarters last year but claiming 4 quarters for average for my Mass claim. 

I encourage everyone else to write any other legal ways they can come up with so we can help each other.  I am going to become a Gold member as soon as I get my first Mass check to celebrate.  If this has helped anyone else and they are not a gold member I encourage them to become one.

[Aerosquirl]

Does anyone know where I can get a list of maximum weekly unemployment for each state.  I used to know, but i guess its CRS or too much wind in my hair .  Also, if you file a combined wage claim and don't have wages in the state you live in, how is your weekly benefit amount figured out?  Thanks guys  

[atomicarcheologist]

It's about time some of us started using the system to our advantage.  I wish this info was readily available 17 years ago.  I think of all the money I gave away over the years.

I'm with you!  I remember when Mass took over the lead in UC benefits.  I think it was around 1980.  Some of my friends would harass me about making more but no one ever said anything about Interstate Claims.  I have a question on this.  When you work in two or more different states, do you have to have the state of employement withhold state income tax from you or can you work in reciprical states and have only your home state tax withheld and still be eligible for the Interstate Claim?

[Rennhack]

Does anyone know where I can get a list of maximum weekly unemployment for each state.  

Mass Pays the most, what more do you need to know?  Why would you want to know who pays the least?

As for the others questions, it depends on where you file.

[Already Gone]

I'm with you!  I remember when Mass took over the lead in UC benefits.  I think it was around 1980.  Some of my friends would harass me about making more but no one ever said anything about Interstate Claims.  I have a question on this.  When you work in two or more different states, do you have to have the state of employement withhold state income tax from you or can you work in reciprical states and have only your home state tax withheld and still be eligible for the Interstate Claim?

I'm going to REPEAT what the person in Mass., UI office told me.
"We don't care where your taxes are withheld.  It has no bearing at all on your unemployment claim."
Your unemployment claim depends solely on where your wages are reported for unemployment purposes.  Taxation and Unemployment Services are two totally separate agencies of state governments, and apparently they never communicate.  It is very LIKELY that an employer who withholds taxes for one state will also report the corresponding wages to that state for UI.  You can probably have your taxes withheld in your home state if you are working in a reciprocal state, but you have to make sure that your employer is reporting the income to UI in the state where you are working.

[thenukeman]

Your claim is based usually on the maximum you make in 2 quarters.  Each state has a different formula, To max out in Mass you have to make about 30 K in 2 quarters.   You could make  29 K in one quarter and only 1K in another.  As for the tax laws per state. You could get exempt from paying in a state you work in if its for a short time.  I personally paid tax in CT, NC and expect to get all my tax back I paid in from each state. I worked in TN and also live there so I pay no state tax there. You may also have to pay state tax based on where you live.  Thats what HR block is for.  Since I do not know all the state rules I have HR Block do my taxes.  If you plan to make Road teching a living I believe Filing in Mass and Living in TN would be a good choice, Max unemployment in Mass. No state tax in TN.

[atomicarcheologist]

It is very LIKELY that an employer who withholds taxes for one state will also report the corresponding wages to that state for UI.  You can probably have your taxes withheld in your home state if you are working in a reciprocal state, but you have to make sure that your employer is reporting the income to UI in the state where you are working.

So you are telling me that I have to convince my company that they need to increase their paperwork in order to maximize my Unemployment Compensation.  Oh, this is going to be fun.  I guess I get to irritate the HR people first and end up banging heads with the bean counters.  Oh well, that's life in the trenches with the small companies.

[Already Gone]

That is exactly the dilemma I'm facing now.  My company reports my wages to my home state of New York only.  They started doing so about 15 months ago.  Unless I work a week in some other state for another company, or convince my company to change back, I'll be stuck claiming in NY.

If your company is only reporting wages to one state, you can either ask them to change that, or take a short job with the other guys before you file your next claim.

[Atomic Frog]

Does anyone know where I can get a list of maximum weekly unemployment for each state. 

Follow this link, it shows the following information for each state for 2006: Weekly benefit amount, Dependent benefit amount, and Base Periods.

http://www.workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/unemploy/uilawcompar/2006/monetary.pdf

For more information you can also go to this page:

http://www.workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/unemploy/uilawcompar/2006/comparison2006.asp

Hope this helps

FROG

[Brett LaVigne]

This is a good post, thanks to all for the information.  This is a great example of why this site is so good for us carnies!

[Rennhack]

http://www.workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/unemploy/uilawcompar/2006/monetary.pdf

Thanks Frog, I've been looking for that for a long time.

But all I really need to know is $575/wk + $25/wk per dependant.  For 30 weeks.

[skuts]

Mass. unemployment requirement in 2004. initial sign up, physically had to be in state, work in at least 2 states.

Washington 2005 same requirement for intial sign up.

[vikingfan]

 mass unemployment weekly benefit amount is currently 575$ a week plus 25$ a week for allowable dependents.

http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=dlwdterminal&L=3&L0=Home&L1=Claimants&L2=Understanding+Unemployment+Insurance&sid=Edwd&b=terminalcontent&f=claimants_understandUI_qa&csid=Edwd#howMuch

[Cathy]

Holy cow! Makes it even harder to get motivated to go back to work!! I have to shake my head thinking about my daddy telling me I need to get a real job 

[thenukeman]

2708 a month for almost 7 months with 2 dependents.   30 weeks unemployment and 22 weeks outages makes for a work year,  Just make sure your Quarters fall right and your bonuses get paid in your high quarters!! LOL

[Tina]

  I hope to contribute  more up to date information on this subject  this last year I filed my claim in Mass ... my residence at the time was Illinois ... once I personally filed my first claim in Mass I went back home to Illinois and submitted an IB1 Form at my local unemployment office which emailed it to Mass and my unemployment started arriving... I was required to call a computer every sunday to anwser a few questions in regard to my job search but no big deal.... then I went back to work for two weeks and after submitting my sunday information my checks stopped but once my two weeks was done I called and reopened my case file by phone and started my unemployment back up ... I even moved my residency from Illinois to Oklahoma and was able to collect my unemployment with out having to go into a Mass office... and as for Mass unemployment they are the only state that offers medicale coverage for unemployed people if you live in their state.... they hope the trend will go to other states as well but as for now they are the only state offering medicle insurance to the unemployed...  Hope this helps good luck