Navigating the Unemployment Office

By DaveA on Thu, 01/22/2009 - 5:40pm

Over at DaveWrites, I've posted 7 tips on navigating the unemployment bureaucracy in Massachusetts based on my own experience being laid off on New Years Eve. A couple of key points:

Just go stand in line. Go a day early and ask how early you need to be there, then come back the next day and get a number. Don't waste your time trying to get through on the phone.
Apply for health insurance assistance through the Medical Security Program even before you file your initial claim. But they won't do anything for you for many weeks.

If you have been laid off, try to stay positive and don't let the process of collecting unemployment distract you from your job search. The volume of people who are now filing claims is huge and the system is overwhelmed. But it's something you have to do to get that check!

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Comments

this isn't new

By Brett on Thu, 01/22/2009 - 7:13pm.

A couple of years ago when I went on UA, I regularly had to try about 6 times to get through to the telephone number...and better yet, the automated systems were not accessible during non-business hours, even if (at least on outward appearance) there as no immediate human intervention necessary.

My own tips:

-If you are laid off, you MUST walk out the door with ALL wages owed to you, except for very limited circumstances. "Bob cuts the checks on Tuesday, and it's Wednesday" does not cut it, nor does "payroll checks come from the other office." "You have IOUs in the cafeteria" does not cut it. "We need to calculate your vacation time" does not cut it. They knew they were terminating you- it's their fault for not having done the work ahead of time or scheduled your termination date appropriately. This carries treble damages and criminal charges against the officers of the company.

-File IMMEDIATELY. Do NOT wait for ANY reason. The clock starts ticking immediately on when your benefits END. Also, when you file you have to wait something like two weeks before you see a check.

-Don't expect much. The absolute max is equivalent to a $30k/yr salary...and YES, they withhold taxes, medicare, etc from you, meaning your actual UA is going to be more like an absolute max of $20k/year. I think my weekly check was something like 1/6th of my normal salary...

-You'll be expected to attend (in person) idiotic, useless "training" sessions which are only useful to the kinds of people who managed to get laid off in a rip-roaring economy. The kind of people getting laid off these days actually have brains...

Wait, has a bunch of stuff changed?

By eeka on Thu, 01/22/2009 - 7:18pm.

When I was collecting unemployment in 2004, they didn't withhold any taxes. They sent me memos telling me to set aside money with which to pay the taxes at 1040 time. (I didn't set anything aside, because I was employed for 7 months out of the year and I always get a lot back, so still ended up getting a little money back.)

I didn't ever have to go to any in-person anything. I just pressed a button on their automated phone thingy every week attesting that, yes, I had participated in job-search activities during the week.

http://1smootshort.blogspot.com

possibly of add'l help

By david_yamada on Thu, 01/22/2009 - 8:34pm.

Great pieces of advice.

This legal services site also may be of assistance:
http://www.masslegalhelp.org/employment-unemployme...

And just in case you get stuck...

By Meghan on Thu, 01/22/2009 - 10:44pm.

If it looks like you're not going to be able to meet your rent/mortgage payment, or you are at risk of utility shut-off, you can call United Way's 2-1-1 line (a three-digit dial like 411, 911). 2-1-1 is a free and confidential referral line for health and human services. The operators can listen to your situation and advise you about the best places to go for help. It might save you from having to call multiple places to no avail. I work for United Way and the vast majority of calls coming into 2-1-1 these days are requesting assistance with basic needs like food, rent, heating.

Best of Luck.

UA problem resolution unit

By anon on Fri, 01/23/2009 - 4:53pm.

When you cannot get through to the main number, call the problem resolution folks. They are very nice and helpful.

http://tinyurl.com/cgn38q