Unemployment benefits in Florida: Questions and answers

Sheila wrote:

Today, I learned the unemployment office does not help people like they say they do. They ARE liars...
I went to my counseling session at unemployment. Well, as usual, a waste of time. The woman was very, very nice, I don't have a problem with her at all. Turns out they don't have any work training classes and do not have a way to help you if you go to school.
Basically, they will help you go to school, but not really. They want you to check out fafsa and pell grants first, and then, and, now here's the kicker, You HAVE TO HAVE A JOB!!!!!
Now, I know I can go to school if I have a job, I don't need unemployment to tell me that. I thought the point of training was to get a job. These people want me to work full time and then go to school until 10pm everyday. She wants me to try to enroll in school by January. I reminded her that I didn't have a job. How is this helping???? It is not. Sorry, but I was very disappointed. The woman even gave me tips on how to job hunt. Gee, I've been doing it for 2 years now. Oh well, back to the drawing board.....

Are you on employflorida? My advice is to get started in that
first..http://www.clmworkforce .com/careerSeekers.asp and if you
are considering school, go straight to a community college or technical college and seek out a counselor to go over what new
career you may be interested in, now is the time for change, I
truly believe this. I haven't been in school in 30 years, I start
college in January..I applied for the Pell Grant right on line..got it all squared away, than I took some part time employment. If you are on unemployment they will subsidize the difference. It's a journey you might consider taking? Right now the right jobs are so scarce, this I know. I find people are feeling the pressure even if they are working. Salaries are being cut, hours are being taken away, most jobs are part time or on call..at this point we are more at the employers mercy than ever before, so you just have to take what little bit you can get and just keeping moving small steps forward if necessary. Just don't give up on yourself, you are not at fault for a bad economy and I don't see it getting much better for a while so you just have to improvise and get ready for new changes in your life, change can be a good thing if you're not afraid of it...you just need to embrace it and keep moving forward stronger than before..don't let the world knock you down, you know who you are! That always remains..our will can take us many places in life. Good Luck

Could be you will have to get a pell grant, keep looking for work, and go to school at night. You don't have to go full time. You could try a student loan. I think all the fully funded training programs are for so-called displaced workers. These are people whose jobs went overseas or were part of the auto industry, but I'm not sure. Florida's job losses weren't from these areas, mostly. Don't give up.
Sometimes you never know.

You guys are missing the point... Before I ever became unemployed I could have gone back to college anytime like ANYONE can. My unemployment office claims that they have training for dislocated workers. That is NOT true. There is NO training. It is a LIE....

I don't need advice on how to find a job, been looking for almost 2 years now. I certainly don't need the "it's time for a change crap"...Of course we have to change, the economy sucks now and probably won't get any better.

I CAN'T GO TO COLLEGE UNTIL I FIND A JOB!!!!!!!!!! I WON'T NEED COLLEGE IF I HAVE A JOB...IF I DIDN'T NEED A JOB I WOULDN'T NEED NEW TRAINING!!!!!!!!!! ANYONE CAN GET FINANCIAL AID, BUT UNEMPLOYMENT WILL NOT HELP YOU IF YOUR UNEMPLOYMENT RUNS OUT..

There, get it now.

I was declined unemployment benefits, appealed and it was reversed. I have been unable to claim weeks since Sept 19th because the system said I didnt qualify. Called several time got the run around, well I spoke to a woman yesterday. They claim they had no idea I wont the appeal. I emailed her personally the decision. She said that it doesnt mean anything that I won it is still up to the wage credit department. The last paycheck in questions was recieved during the second quarter 2009 but was earned in the 1st quarter 2009. It says so on the paystub. They are sayig because it was given in the 2nd quarter, they keep it there. That is why I appealed. The decision was reversed and told to put those wages on the 1st quarter. I guess my question is can they do this? If the appeal decision is to use those wages in the 1st quarter why are they not doing it? I qualify as long as that one paycheck is being included. I am confused and frustrated! Thank you!

In the TX Unemployment Benefits handbook it specifically states that a person who voluntarily quits their job to move with a spouse is still entitled to benefits, however, you take a penalty of 6-25 weeks.
This is my situation and I was denied for benefits but had my appeal hearing yesterday. It's been 8 weeks of no payments and I'm hoping something gives, either I get approved or get an interview! I am in dire straits and it seems like my options now are to "shake my a@@" or "slang some rock", neither of which are very appealing. I would like to mention something that really disturbs me...those who believe that most people try to take advantage of the unemployment system. Seriously? Like one can get rich off $392/wk and that's the max benefit. That's not even $10/hr.

isteppdndoo wrote:

In the TX Unemployment Benefits handbook it specifically states that a person who voluntarily quits their job to move with a spouse is still entitled to benefits, however, you take a penalty of 6-25 weeks.
This is my situation and I was denied for benefits but had my appeal hearing yesterday. It's been 8 weeks of no payments and I'm hoping something gives, either I get approved or get an interview! I am in dire straits and it seems like my options now are to "shake my a@@" or "slang some rock", neither of which are very appealing. I would like to mention something that really disturbs me...those who believe that most people try to take advantage of the unemployment system. Seriously? Like one can get rich off $392/wk and that's the max benefit. That's not even $10/hr.

Sounds like Tx gets much more then us Floridians. The max here is $275.00/wk!! I went from a $65,000/yr job to $275.00/week. If I hadnt fortunately put money away for an emergency fund to cover at least 3 months salary I would have been devastated financially. Thing is most people either dont have the means or the foresight to do so. The extra $25.00 stimulus check a week knocked alot of people out of the ability to collect any form of food stamps or other public assistance also. Florida is the worse for employee rights.

Woo Hooooo!
We're gonna get another 20 weeks after the new year, thankfully!
Anyone collect from Florida and yet reside in another state?
I'm wondering how easy that process is. I'm getting ready to start my federal extension next week and then the begining of the year I guess that extension will go another 20 weeks.

I have been waiting for benefits since Oct 5 2009, why does it take so long here in Florida to collect anything?

Sheila wrote:

<quoted text>Yes it does.

Sheila wrote:

<quoted text>
Are you willing to put your money where your mouth is and GIVE these people jobs so they don't suck the government dry? If not, then shut up.

YOu are kidding right... WE are the ones who supply the money to the goverment.... If you ask me the goverment is sucking us dry! Then they decide who and where are money goes.... and hassle us the whole way through it. What a joke!!!

Hello again. I am going to school with the Workforce Investment Act. You can find the link on the site where you file for UE. I guess I met all the requirements, it did a long time to get it though. Now that they passed another extention, any idea when it will be dispersed?

Julio-
If you're a legal immigrant, then it is not a problem. Calling someone racist when they deny benefits to someone who broke the law and is illegally here, that is not racist, that is ignorant-on your part! If you're legal, you'd have a SSN. How'd your employer "tax" your pay without an SSN? Sounds fishy to me!

craziperson wrote:

I was recently laid off from my job of 6 years on January 26,2009. I filed for unemployment it was granted. I have received about 5 weeks of benefits. Then I took a job only paying $ 8.00 an hour - I gross $ 164.00 while i was there then quit because I can be making more money with unemployment than working for $ 8.00 an hour. I have filed for an appeal since the unemployment denied my benefits since I have worked and quit. I'm waiting for a hearing date at this time. I have called them today for status, they told me that I WOULD NOT received any benefits until whatever is determined at the hearing date!
Has anyone collected unemployment found a job, then quit because it didnt pay enought? and where you able to received benefits after the hearing date? As in on the hearing date, was it granted?
Please let me know! Thanks!

If you go on the florida unemployment webpage, you will see that the states policy is: If you quit your job then you are not eligible for benefits. If they allowed people to get benefits for quiting their job then this state would be more broke than it already is because millions of low class people would do that!

MISHA wrote:

<quoted text>
YOu are kidding right... WE are the ones who supply the money to the goverment.... If you ask me the goverment is sucking us dry! Then they decide who and where are money goes.... and hassle us the whole way through it. What a joke!!!

You are absolutely right Shelia! Not to mention how our government foolishly wastes our tax dollars on this dumb a-s-s war and lets not forget the 4 billion they have wasted this year on prosecuting non violent drug offenders! If our government would just stop those two things they could just about hook us up with some healthcare!

MISHA wrote:

<quoted text>
YOu are kidding right... WE are the ones who supply the money to the goverment.... If you ask me the goverment is sucking us dry! Then they decide who and where are money goes.... and hassle us the whole way through it. What a joke!!!

Excuse me, You are absolutely right, "MISHA"

This is not always necessarily true. I had never quit a job in my life until after losing my bookkeeping position due to company layoffs and downsizing, I desperately signed to a training for a call center who promised me I would not be forced the original hours they were giving me, which was out of my county and in the middle of the night. Needless to say, as a single woman I was not comfortable with those hours, and I was not going to sign at first, until she told me not to worry, they were very flexible with hours, so I attended the orientation to only find out that you have to bid for hours and that goes by seniority. As it was, I only attended the seven and a half hour orientation, and declined on the training. In this company, you were not actually an employee until you completed the eight week training any way. But, because I just went on my first extension a few weeks prior, the state was now paying my benefits, and they didn't want to, thus, they refused my unemployment. I am working two jobs right now, but I would still like to have what is owed to me. I have always worked hard in the state of Florida, and paid into the system for years and never used government dollars, and now when I need it, this is the respect I get. People need to stop stereotyping, it's ignorant and immature, not everyone is the same. I am a hard worker and have never slacked off to use the system, and it is people like us who have the hardest time getting anything we have paid into.

I recently moved to North Carolina I was wondering to claim my weeks, do I need to claim them in Florida or North carolina??? Does anyone know the answer???

Does anyone know if you lose all your unemployment compensation when you return to work-I am talking about the funds still available under your name. Are they still available if you become unemployed again?

My florida unemployment ran out as of Nov 23d. That was my first extension. Do I get a 2nd one. Do i have to wait till Jan. 2010?