Unemployment

[Sabinka444]

Hello,
I am currently in the middle of an appeal to receive unemployment benefits in PA. I was laid off due to lack of work. I applied after being out of a job for 1 year. My family used our savings at first to pay bills, thinking that i will get a job within a short time frame. However, we have depleted our saving and I applied for government help. They denied my claim, stating that I applied too late. However, I earner thousands of dollars for 6 years of hard work and I feel entitled to some help. We just had a small baby, who is 14 months. I really need to win my appeal. Can you please help with some legal advice. What can I do to win this appeal?

 

[Patricia_Young]

Not much. You did wait too long. WAY too long. Why you didn't apply immediately is beyond me.

 

[Sabinka444]

I didnt think I would need the money, I had enough savings. I dont like to tell future employers that I am receiving unemployment.
They only found $2000 for that entire year claimed. I was thinking that they could help.

 

[Patricia_Young]

There is no shame is receiving unemployment benefits, why would you think there was?
Unemployment is not a needs-based system. There are rules that need to be followed.

What I think the $2,000 they "found" are the wages reported by your ex-employer in the base period which, if you filed the claim after Sept. 30, 2009 would be July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009. Does that sound about right? If so, what that means is that you did not financially qualify by waiting so long to open your claim.

I'm sorry, but there are rules and there are consequences for not following them.

 

[Sabinka444]

When I spoke to the local unemployment office, they sounded as if I had a shot. They said to file an appeal with a letter explaining my concern. This was my first time filing and I was not aware of these rules. I thought you could file anytime as long as you were not let go due to bad behavior.

 

[cbg]

The problem is that your eligiblity is based on your earnings in the five quarters JUST passed at the time you apply. If you waited a full year to apply, then for four of those quarters you had no earnings. No earnings, no benefits.

And why would you have to tell any prospective employers about your unemployment status anyway? They aren't going to care and have no need to know.