For those currently unemployed - help thread

[The Heretic]

I hope these people saved the over payment amount.

According to the article, most, maybe all of them, were sent the overpayment notice by mistake.

In Oregon, I get the impression that if it is fraud then they require payment yesterday. If it is a mistake then they take it from you current UI benes if you are getting them. Otherwise they take it from tax refunds, etc. and ask for a payment plan and so on - a bit more reasonable than requiring repayment in 15 days. Also, I think Oregon has a longer appeal period IIRC.

Can't speak for other states.

 

[PenTurner]

Some of us are coming up on 26 week of unemployment. To continue getting the addtional 13 weeks, do we need to fill out any forms? If we were getting the additional $600 for the Cares act, does this mean we will get the additional 13 weeks? Just curious if I need to do anything to get the extra 13 weeks.

 

[The Heretic]

Everybody on regular UI got the $600 until it ran out at the end of July - even those who were on UI before CAREs was enacted. Everybody who is/was on regular UI will also get the federal 13 week extension when their 26 weeks runs out - keep on filing weekly claims.

I will run out in about 2 weeks, but I have a family member who ran out of their 26 weeks quite a while ago and they transitioned over to the federal 13 week extension then, but it took some weeks for Oregon to start paying, so be prepared for a delay (although, that was back when they were still struggling to get everyone taken care of).

That person has since run out of the 13 week federal extension and is now on the 20 week EB (state Extended Benefits) that come into play when the unemployment rate is very high (more than ~8%) - how long those benefits run depends on the unemployment rate so don't count on that period of benes going for 20 weeks - also, my understanding is that you might get anywhere from 50-80% of the normal UI bene, depending on the situation.

Beyond that, for the EBs, a different application had to be made? It took 7 weeks for Oregon to start paying those too.

But whatever you do - keep filing the claims.

 

[The Heretic]

Frequently Asked Questions

unemployment.oregon.gov

1. What are Extended Benefits (EB)?
   Extended Benefits (EB) is an extension program triggered by a state's unemployment rate. EB typically pays an additional 13 weeks of benefits, or 50 percent or of the number of weeks you were eligible for on your regular UI claim.
   During periods of high unemployment, an individual could receive up to 20 weeks of EB, or 80 percent of the number of weeks you were eligible for on your regular unemployment insurance (UI) claim. This is considered High EB, or HEB.
   Due to the state's high unemployment rate, individuals may be eligible for HEB. The weekly benefit amount of HEB is the same as the regular UI payment.
   If Oregon's average Unemployment Rate falls below 8% over a three month period, individuals on High EB may have their benefits reduced. When this happens, a written notification of the reduction will be mailed.
2. 
   How do I know I'm eligible for extended benefits?
   • You used all your regular benefits and any other extension available.
   • You do not qualify for a new claim in Oregon, any other state, Canada, or another federal program.
   • Your most recent Oregon claim expired May 16, 2020 or later.
   • Your total wages earned in the base year of the claim equaling at least 40 times your weekly benefit amount (40xWBA).
   • You must meet temporary eligibility requirements related to COVID-19(meet regular eligibility requirements after the emergency declaration expires).
   The first payable week is week starting June 28, 2020.
3. 
   How do I apply for extended benefits?
   To apply, keep filing weekly like normal and you will be automatically enrolled if you are eligible. We also may reach out to you, so please turn off call-blocking features on your phone because our phone number will not show the call as coming from the Employment Department. We may leave a message if we do not reach you. Make sure your voicemail is set up and has space to receive new messages. If there is an interruption in payment, please let us know by using the contact us form.
   If you claim a week of benefits and you do not meet the actively seeking work requirement, you will not be eligible to receive additional EB benefits until you worked in four (4) separate weeks and earned 4 times your weekly benefit amount (4 x WBA). Self-employment earnings do not count for this requirement.
4. 
   Where can I find more information on extended benefits in Oregon?
   You can find more information on extended benefits at https://www.oregon.gov/employ/Documents/EB FAQs.pdf.

 

[The Heretic]

DUA and Oregon Wildfires: Frequently Asked Questions

Department of Labor to administer Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) for people affected by the Oregon wildfires. Disaster Unemployment Assistance is now available for those affected by the Oregon Wildfires. How do I get Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA). Turn in an initial claim for…

unemployment.oregon.gov

 

[The Heretic]

I opened my claim on 4-4 and that week was counted as my waiting week. when I check on the week ending 4-11 it says my regular claimed has been paid and there is another payment made for the $600 I guess they are not going to retro the $600 for the waiting week even though it is not from the state?

Employment Department hopes to pay 'Waiting Week' by late November

PORTLAND, Ore. -- For several months, unemployed Oregonians have continued to ask: when will I be paid for the 'waiting week? ' During three days worth of hearings with the Senate Committee on Labor and Business, David Gerstenfeld, Acting Director of the Oregon Employment Department (OED)...

katu.com

They will pay the $600 too - but soonest they project to pay for the waiting week is late November - per director "not set in stone".

It really astounds me that their system is so complicated and messed up that it takes that long to modify it to pay the waiting week.

 

[The Heretic]

Federal data sheds light on Oregon unemployment delays

Federal data shows how long people have waited to get unemployment benefits. In Oregon, most people who started getting regular benefits last month waited more than ten weeks.

www.opb.org

 

[Flopsweat]

FYI

Since I put my resume on Career Builder (to apply for a job listed there) - I have been getting spammed by scammer recruiters sending me emails trying to hook me into "franchise" positions - most likely Ponzi schemes. Most of them have a PDF attached. I don't know if there is malware in the PDF, but I won't open it to find out.

I also get "pre-approved" recruitment - again, a scam.

Be careful with emails/etc. that you get from "recruiters" - some of them are trying to take advantage of people who are desperate for work because of the poor job market.

Linked In and Monster are like that too. If you're in STEM you'll also get calls from every fly by night H1B contracting agency going. You can pick them out right off the bat by the poor English and the totally unrelated jobs they push.

 

[The Heretic]

I do not put my phone # on my resume, and if it is optional on a job site or an application, I don't supply it there either. I don't answer my phone if it isn't a number I recognize and I require any recruiter calling me to email me first to setup an appt. for a specific time.

I don't send my resume to staffing agencies or third parties - if it isn't the actual employer I don't deal with them. There are a LOT of fly by night agencies out there.

It is the ones that send me emails about jobs that are obviously scams or unrelated to my experience/skills that I find annoying.

 

[The Heretic]

Extra $300 per week in unemployment should kick in Wednesday

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Oregon Employment Department (OED) said Oregonians should see an extra $300 of unemployment benefits in their online accounts Wednesday. The extra weekly payment is part of the Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program, created by President Donald Trump. On Twitter, the Oregon...

katu.com

I've not seen anything yet. I did get my regular benefit deposit.

 

[PenTurner]

I received 6 payments of $252.00 this morning, so they must be paying us retroactively for the $300.

 

[The Heretic]

I received 6 payments of $252.00 this morning, so they must be paying us retroactively for the $300.

As did I.

They have stated that yes, it would be retroactive.

Next, end of November (maybe) will be the payment of the "waiting week" if your waiting week was Mar 27 or later.

 

[The Heretic]

 

[Xaevian]

View attachment 757474

Washington created a third pathway, also known as the Nigerian shortcut.

 

[The Heretic]

So my regular benefits expired last week. I filed my weekly claim for last week just now. It redirected me to the three questions:



Preamble for these should have mentioned that they were for the week claimed - which I assume they meant.

Then it went to the regular claim form. I also assume that these questions are answered only once?

We shall see. Not sure if there will now be a delay while they process my PEUC claim or not.

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

No help from the current speaker of the house

 

[The Heretic]

No help from the current speaker of the house

Without turning this into a political debate, I caution everybody to not count on a "stimulus" of any kind until the end of January most likely, after the election at best. I hope there will be more before then (especially unemployment benefits), but I am skeptical.

 

[The Heretic]

FYI - I did get paid for last week today, so I am now on PEUC until the end of the year (or I am employed), then EB.

Oregon's unemployment rate for August was 7.7%.

https://www.oregon.gov/employ/Documents/EB%20FAQs.pdf

"EB will be available until Oregon reaches a 3-month average total unemployment rate that is below 6.5%."

 

[Bob D]

It seems that the House (Democrats) and the white house (Republicans) are caught in that classic pissing match where neither is willing to accept anything the other offers. The Senate is busy, but I'm sure they would find time to pass anything that the white house gives a thumbs up to.

In the middle of a contentious election like this one, I wouldn't expect either party to do anything unless polling shows that it would improve their position, and I doubt that conceding anything at all would improve either of their positions. So yeah, I agree with the assessment; don't count on any relief coming until the end of January.

I sure hope my industry survives, but I hope even more so that those who are already at the end of their rope find some more rope laying around somewhere.

 

[The Heretic]

I sure hope my industry survives, but I hope even more so that those who are already at the end of their rope find some more rope laying around somewhere.

I am doing ok financially.

I keep looking for work, but I won't apply for any positions in Portland proper unless it is permanently "remote" (WFH). Besides the commute, IMO it just isn't safe downtown (or east Portland for that matter) and I now refuse to deal with either the commute or the homeless or the riots.

My job was far enough away from downtown proper that it was barely tolerable, but the commute, an hour each way, sucked. So I apply for other jobs, but I don't think I will get anything at my age and I lack the "full stack" experience that a lot of the positions call for - I am a backend dev (from the DB forward to the service API level). By the time the job market returns such that they are desperate enough to hire someone my age without "full stack" chops, I will be off the market and not open to working anymore.

I know there are a LOT people out there, including several in my family, who are relying on UI benes to make ends meet, and that added benefits would help both them and the economy. A stimulus payment would help them too, but I think UI benefits are more targeted.

I would like to see a subsidy for COBRA rather than the pork that both sides (left and right) have thrown into their bills - politicians just can't help themselves I guess, corrupt no matter what.