Unemployment Claims

[Already Gone]

I have, in the past, forgotten to do the IB1 when opening a new claim once.  I still got the money.  I know a few other people who didn't even know that they were supposed to file one on a new claim.  They got paid too.  But, I still recommend doing it - even though it is a major PITA to try to do it in New York.

[Already Gone]

I tried file on line and it would NOT let me. YOU experts and mind readers figure it out. I was just telling you what i was told, and i will say that was several years ago. Yeah it seems like it should be OK, after all Bartlett is in Mass. . Remo

If you had been paying attention to the dozens of posts here that are just trying to help you, you would have found out that MA does not allow you to file an interstate claim online.

If you do not live in Massachusetts - whether you worked there or not - you can't file online.  You either have to file an Interstate Claim (which you do at your home state's unemployment office) or you file a combined wage claim (which yo have to do in a Mass. Unemployment office).

Bartlett being in Massachusetts has NOTHING at all to do with where you file your claim.  You could work for a company from Mongolia and file in Mass. as long as they reported your wages to Mass or to any two other states.  Likewise, you could work for Bartlett all year, and NOT be able to file in Mass. because all your wages were reported to one state that is not Massachussets.

Don't insult people who come here to help just because they did their homework and you didn't.

[Rennhack]

If you had been paying attention to the dozens of posts here that are just trying to help you, you would have found out that MA does not allow you to file an interstate claim online.

If you do not live in Massachusetts - whether you worked there or not - you can't file online.  You either have to file an Interstate Claim (which you do at your home state's unemployment office) or you file a combined wage claim (which yo have to do in a Mass. Unemployment office).

Bartlett being in Massachusetts has NOTHING at all to do with where you file your claim.  You could work for a company from Mongolia and file in Mass. as long as they reported your wages to Mass or to any two other states.  Likewise, you could work for Bartlett all year, and NOT be able to file in Mass. because all your wages were reported to one state that is not Massachussets.

Don't insult people who come here to help just because they did their homework and you didn't.

Thanks Troy, I couldn't think of a nice way to say it.

[MR BIG]

I have, in the past, forgotten to do the IB1 when opening a new claim once.  I still got the money.  I know a few other people who didn't even know that they were supposed to file one on a new claim.  They got paid too.  But, I still recommend doing it - even though it is a major PITA to try to do it in New York.

Did you read Smart People's post? He is RIGHT! You DO NOT need the IB1 from your home state to open a NEW claim, but you need it to RE-OPEN the claim. HELLO?

[vikingfan]

  you will need to contact your unemployment office in your home state and have them send a IB1 form to mass. you will also need to do this everytime you have to reopen your current claim.

enough said

[Carolina Jethro]

Did you read Smart People's post? He is RIGHT! You DO NOT need the IB1 from your home state to open a NEW claim, but you need it to RE-OPEN the claim. HELLO?

I was told by Mass to do it both times and I did. I spent more time in the SC office than I did in Mass. I flew round trip from Myrtle Beach and stayed in a suite in the financial district through Expedia for a little over $300. Well worth the trip!

[Already Gone]

Did you read Smart People's post? He is RIGHT! You DO NOT need the IB1 from your home state to open a NEW claim, but you need it to RE-OPEN the claim. HELLO?

I'll repeat that I have had no problem filing a new claim without filing an IB1 when I got back to NY.

However, I live by the Golden Rule: He who is handing out the GOLD makes the RULES.  MA told me to file an IB1.  They are probably wrong.  But it is simple:  They give me money - I do what they say.  Fair enough?

[Melrose]

As stated earlier, different reps give you different instructions.  I too have received money though I haven't filed an IB1.  That was before I was ever instructed to do so.  Since, I have heard both when filing a new claim or opening an existing one. 
"All it takes is following a few simple rules".... aka... KISS, 'keep it simple stupid',
do what you suppose to do, don't make it harder than it has to be.  Listen to those trying to help you and get your money or keep asking questions and sitting in wonder.  Either way.... we're out fishing and hunting while getting paid.

As for filing on line, no way, unless your situation is as Troy stated. 
Understand the difference, filing a new claim can't be done, re-opening can't either, claiming weekly bennies of course can.  Re-opening online flags the dept. to the date that you first claim, then you'll be prompted to call in, they'll then tell you to contact your home state for the IB1.

Be sure you get online the first day following your layoff date.  If you wait, you'll have to sweet talk the rep into back dating your claim.

[JerryTaylor]

My son and I just returned from Boston last night. We both printed off "Bruce Moffatt post", and filled in our information.  Very helpful!!!We arrived at downtown office, that was clean and empty. We signed in, waited maybe 5 mins. we were called into office, presented our information, typed out. The whole thing took a total of 30 mins. for both of us.
Back to the airport, where we called from the airport pay phones to start claim.
We file our first claim tomorrow on internet. We were both told we only had to file a IB1 form if we needed to restart a claim. Not on new claim. Were told our checks would start arriving in about 3 weeks max., possibly sooner. First check would probably be for at least 2 weeks, with 3rd check arriving shortly there after. The key here is that for a Multi-state claim (Combined Wage Claim) must be done in person. Restarting claim during your calendar claim year can be done over the phone. After exhausting your claim, new claims must be filed in person. Interstate claims can be filed from your home states. The only way you can file an interstate claim is if you worked in Mass. or the company you worked for reported the unemployment to Mass. (Which usually never happens)

[thenukeman]

Yes this thread is not named properly and has been brought up before. This should be combined wage claim, which is what we are mostly talking about, The interstate claim is a diffrent claim.  You can read about that some where here.  Bottom line work two states file in any state is going to be a COMBINED WAGE CLAIM, not Interstate as stated as the heading of this thread.  Maybe the moderator can change the name to combined wage which is what we are mostly talking about and is what the Nukeworker in 99 percent of the time needs to know about.  If someone ask about interstate to a state employee they will look at it and may get it confused. Moderator may want to look at this and edit for clarity on this thread to put in combined wage where it is needed and put edited by moderator.

[thenukeman]

I have stolen this from Beercourt which was stated earlier in this thread but I think needs to be put in for clarity.

It is important to distinguish between an interstate claim and a combined wage claim.  An interstate claim is filed by one who has worked in one state and lives in another.  For example, one who has worked in New Jersey but lives in New York can file an interstate claim in New York against New Jersey.  New York would administer your claim and pay your checks at the New Jersey rates.
A person who has worked in two or more states is eligible to file a combined wage claim in any state.  If you worked in Pennsylvania and Florida (or any two states), you can file in Massachussetts, which has the highest maximum benefit in the US and an additional allowance of $25 per dependent child per week.  To file a combined wage claim in Mass., you must do so in person and cannot normally back date to the date of layoff.  That means don't wait a month affter layoff to file, because the claim doesn't start until you get there.  This is NOT THE SAME as an interstate claim.  Massachusssetts, having the highest payout of all 50 states, is quite used to processing claims from residents of other states.  Just tell them you want to file a combined wage claim, and where you worked.
Your employer needs to have reported the wages to the states where you worked.  This is TOTALLY SEPARATE from where they withheld taxes.  If they only reported your wages to Texas, you cannot file a combined wage claim.

[thenukeman]

Good change to the title of this thread!  Thanks oh great Moderator. This is the thread that may me go Gold and see the promised land of Mass. It needs to be right!!!  I was a great Doubter like Remo, I said this can not be true, I was a non Believer,  A Atheist of the place called Massachusetts unemployment.  I was about to accept my offering of 275 from  TN a most evil place when it comes to unemployment.  I still doubted I wrote Mass and they answered all my questions positive.  Just to be sure I carried my Questions and Answers with me to Boston.  I was a little Agnostic about this but I felt that with Mass's answers that I have entered the promised land.  I had a little trouble talking to the person since I was from TN and I think he was from Cambodia.  I told him I wrote your state and this is what I want.  Then the tablets of Mass unemployment were thrown in front of me, and with my magic pin I was back to going to the airport to go back to lovely TN ( except for unemployment)  I then got my first 8 checks in a row, I then said I am a believer!!!the tears came to my eyes and said why was I ever an atheist to Mass Unemployment. Nukeworker told me the scriptures , I just did not want to believe, Hopefully we can make another convert, Mr. Remo!!!  I then wrote a small offering to Nukeworker.  A mere 36 dollars for my change of heart,Halleuiah I am a believer.  Yes the difference between 625 and 275 is 350 a week over 10,000 a year.  If I just tithed the amount I made I would have had to send a thousand dollar check.  But no Nukeworker ain't no greedy televangelist preacher who says let us PREY,  I still pocket 9964 and send a 36 dollar check. Also This 36 dollars a year allows me to the Gold Polysci area to explain to the liberals their failings in thought. They  try to explain the liberal ways.  I am Atheistic when it comes to liberal thought. But hey I was converted to Mass unemployment maybe I can be converted to a liberal.

[boilermaker42867]

Wondering if I could get some advice...

I live in Georgia but worked two outages at different times in the state of PA..One was December of 2007 and again in May 2008.My Georgia unemployment claim has been closed out and I will have to start a new one, but I was told that it was possible to file on PA, which would get me about 200.00 more a week..Problem is I have no idea what the requirements are and if I qualify..I was also told I would have to drive up there and be in the state when I filed..I dont want to make the trip all the way up there only to be told I dont qualify and have to eat the gas up there and back. I have worked in more than one state in the last 18 months..so that part is covered..just foggy on the rest..any help would be appreciated..

[vikingfan]

boilermaker, search the previous posts on this thread. and you will find your answers here ! you can also contact the mass unemployment office and thye can give you a ball park figure of what your benefit rate will be. $600 a week for mass is alot more then the $300 a week or so that GA would pay ya . so pay for the gas or plane trip and go to boston.

[Shawnee Man]

The cheapest flight is to Providence, RI then rent a car to drive 18 miles to Taunton,MA to unemployment office. Get in early as possible. The counselor there is very familiar with out of state claims. She is a great lady.

[Rennhack]

Wondering if I could get some advice...

I live in Georgia but worked two outages at different times in the state of PA..One was December of 2007 and again in May 2008.My Georgia unemployment claim has been closed out and I will have to start a new one, but I was told that it was possible to file on PA, which would get me about 200.00 more a week..Problem is I have no idea what the requirements are and if I qualify..I was also told I would have to drive up there and be in the state when I filed..I dont want to make the trip all the way up there only to be told I dont qualify and have to eat the gas up there and back. I have worked in more than one state in the last 18 months..so that part is covered..just foggy on the rest..any help would be appreciated..

Here is a link to the PA unemployment info:


File for PA UC Benefits
PA Benefit Overview
PA UC Eligibility

[JessJen]

PA requires 16 credit weeks which can hurt at times....also atleast 16k between your two high quarters. 

They are really good about seeing if you qualify before doing anything though so definitely call and see if you can qualify before writing them off. 

[vikingfan]

call both the PA and MASS office talk to them on the requirements in terms of how much you made in each qtr etc. pa pays about 525 a wek for 25 weeks. where as MASS pays 600 a week for 30 weeks. pa pays $8 for dependent. MASS will pay you $25 per dependent child. either way you need to be in the respective state to do the initial claim.

[gravy58]

You don't have to be in PA to open a claim. You can open a claim by phone, They will ask you what state your calling from & you simply tell them PA.
Mass you have to go to the Mass office and do it buy phone there. The person on the phone with you will ask to talk to the receptionist there to verify your in the office.
Mass is the way to go for a good weekly return. I got a round trip ticket for a $100. Flew out of Charlotte in the morning, went to unemployment office across the street from the airport had lunch and was back in Charlotte by 4pm. Back home by the time the wife and kids were home from work and school. Just like another day at the plant.

[hamsamich]

watch out for that "u don't need a phone in PA".  depends.  you most likely have to use a cell phone, or you have to lie and say you are on a cell phone.  and if they have caller ID or other slightly more sophisticated means of finding out where you are you may be in for a shock.  be ready.  i filed "in pa" over the computer from NY and they knew it and turned me down...cost me 2 or 3 weeks of $$$$ because it took them almost 2 weeks to let me know  i had been disapproved.  i know using cell towers it is relatively easy to find out where you made a call from within 1- 5 miles depending on the "cell phone tower density" in the caller area.  it would suck to be given the stamp of approval then 2 months later have to repay your unenjoyment because the state of PA has easy access to cell phone tower data.  do they?  probably not...yet. 

[Rennhack]

watch out for that "u don't need a phone in PA".  depends.  you most likely have to use a cell phone, or you have to lie and say you are on a cell phone.  and if they have caller ID or other slightly more sophisticated means of finding out where you are you may be in for a shock.  be ready.  i filed "in pa" over the computer from NY and they knew it and turned me down...cost me 2 or 3 weeks of $$$$ because it took them almost 2 weeks to let me know  i had been disapproved.  i know using cell towers it is relatively easy to find out where you made a call from within 1- 5 miles depending on the "cell phone tower density" in the caller area.  it would suck to be given the stamp of approval then 2 months later have to repay your unenjoyment because the state of PA has easy access to cell phone tower data.  do they?  probably not...yet. 

Cell tower data is hard to get without a court order, it is unlikely anyone would bother.  The internet, opn the other hand, ever time you access a server, your IP address is saved, and easily accessed for free.  With an IP address, you can get location data easily.  I do it all the time.

[hamsamich]

i understand that, i was just saying you never know what is around the corner for data use.  this is just one example.

http://www.physorg.com/news76178303.html

you never know, they might come up with a system that has a YES or a NO on it, so as not to give out your data.  you never know what new uses technology will bring!  once a technology becomes "old hat", it starts to be used in many different ways never envisioned prior to the onset of that technology.

i just want people to know PA is actively looking at your location whatever way they can get it, so watch out!

remember how hard it used to be to trace someones call?  now it just shows up on caller id!

[Rob143]

i just want people to know PA is actively looking at your location whatever way they can get it, so watch out!

I've never understood the motivation to not just follow the rules on this one.  I drive 5 1/2 hours each way to Mass every year and we've had numerous people on this thread alone state what it cost them to fly into Boston.  I live in PA and only upped my WBR by $130 on my current claim and didn't think twice about the cost of going up to Mass.  Why in the world do people who are looking to increase their WBR by $200 - $300 a week balk at a one time expense of less than one weeks increase to just be in the state they're supposed to be in?  I did myself in a post above mention that I know guys who live outside PA who have told me about the one little check box saying they're in PA.  It is however on you to do the right thing or be willing to suffer the financial repercussions of not doing so.  Despite a few non-believers this is perfectly legal and as Troy said in one post a gift.  Why try cheating in getting a perfectly legal gift?  To each his own.



To correct the 16 weeks and 16K in your two high quarters comment a few posts above regarding PA.  You can qualify based on 16 credit weeks but you only qualify for 16 checks.  To qualify for a full 26 checks you need 18 credit weeks.  A credit week is any week in which you earn $50 or more.  If you get a Sunday layoff that Sunday is in a new unemployment week and as such will be yet another credit week for you.  In regards to the two high quarters PA has never used two high quarters in at least the last 30 years.  I explained in detail in a post several pages back by now exactly what you need to qualify for PA.  As anybody can see claiming PA would be second choice to Mass but there are a few circumstances in which PA may be of benefit and for those people that info was offered.  Pa looks at your high quarter, just one quarter in your base year.  If you fall into the alternate redetermination issue that I mentioned above the appeal letter is quite simple. 

[gracy89]

If you become unemployed, you should file your claim within 7 days of your last day of unemployment to avoid delay in your payment.. To qualify for unemployment, you will have to provide your social security number and the full name, address and telephone number of all employers you have worked for in the last two years. If you are not a United States citizen, you need to provide your alien registration number.

[vikingfan]

If you become unemployed, you should file your claim within 7 days of your last day of unemployment to avoid delay in your payment.. To qualify for unemployment, you will have to provide your social security number and the full name, address and telephone number of all employers you have worked for in the last two years. If you are not a United States citizen, you need to provide your alien registration number.

isn't that a given ??