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I was laid off from my former employer in DC one week ago after working there 3 months.
Before that, I worked in MD. I left the job in Maryland to take the better paying and better in general job in DC.
So all of the wages in my base period are MD wages, but my most recent employer, and the one that laid me off, is in DC.
None of the DC wages are included in my base period-- that period ends March 31 and I started in DC on April 1. So which state do I file in?
I looked on the websites for both, and the DC one says that the wages for your base period don't have to be DC wages, but then further down it says those wages may not be included in the initial calculations for your weekly benefit amount, so I may have to appeal. I would prefer not to have to go through all that and have all of my benefits held up if I could just file in Maryland instead. And Maryland's website seemed to indicate to me that, if I worked in more than one state over the past 18 months, I may be able to choose which one to file in.
However, I don't want my Maryland employer to appeal this, and I don't want to cause any extra issues since I quit my Maryland job to take the DC job. Plus, I'd much rather have my DC employer have to pay extra for unemployment insurance instead of my MD employer, who I still feel very loyal to (it's a nonprofit without a lot of money to spare).
But I'm not sure how the payments are calculated or if that would even matter.
Because all your base period wages were earned in MD, which state pays the best benefit is the least of your concerns.
Yes, apply first in DC - ask for a combined wage claim. That said, to date, no state reported on this board pays benefits when none of the base period wages were earned in that state. If denied in DC, apply in MD.
MD has what is called the 18-month rule. If you quit a job to take another within that time period, it won't grant benefits unless you can prove the job was substantially better than the old. Even then, you will need to appeal. Your MD employer will most certainly contest.
Because all your base period wages were earned in MD, which state pays the best benefit is the least of your concerns.
Yes, apply first in DC - ask for a combined wage claim. That said, to date, no state reported on this board pays benefits when none of the base period wages were earned in that state. If denied in DC, apply in MD.
MD has what is called the 18-month rule. If you quit a job to take another within that time period, it won't grant benefits unless you can prove the job was substantially better than the old. Even then, you will need to appeal. Your MD employer will most certainly contest.
Thanks for letting me know about MD's rule. I will definitely apply in DC then. DC's website says, "Base period wages may be from District employers, the District government, the Federal government, the US Military, or from employers in other states", so I am hopeful. They also allow use of an alternative base period if you are not eligible under the normal base period, and that alternative base period would include my wages earned in DC. Here is hoping!
They also allow use of an alternative base period if you are not eligible under the normal base period, and that alternative base period would include my wages earned in DC. Here is hoping!
You don't want an alternate base period. 3 months of wages won't get you much of anything if anything at all.
You're simply trying to use DC's rules and MD's base period wages to get a claim.
I worked for an organization in Massachusetts but I live and worked in Maine. The organization held a government contract to perform work in Maine. The contract ended and I need to file for unemployment. Do I file in Massachusetts or Maine?
Start with MA because they have a better UI benefit. However, by all rights, it probably should be ME. If you get denied by MA, then use your MA denial to get your ME claim backdated to the start of your UI so that you aren't penalized with a delayed start to your benefits.
I live in GA work as a contractor for a company out of MA for a total of 6 mos in PA over 2 different quarters other base quarters were worked in GA can I get unemployment benefits from PA since that was the last state of separation?
can I get unemployment benefits from PA since that was the last state of separation?
It's not a question of can. GA's benefits are terrible. You try PA, and pray, and be sure to ask for a combined wage claim before accepting the first no. Only if it's a complete fail do you seek benefits from GA, but applying in the wrong state first is a legitimate reason to get your claim backdated so that you aren't penalized for any lost weeks of unemployment.
If you expect a lengthy time on UI, and depending on how your wages are by quarter for the last 6 quarters, there's the possibility of getting a GA claim, and when you run out of money, getting a second claim from PA. There really is no one-size fits all answer. Sometimes you have to have a crystal ball to be able to do the right thing.
I live in GA work as a contractor for a company out of MA for a total of 6 mos in PA over 2 different quarters other base quarters were worked in GA can I get unemployment benefits from PA since that was the last state of separation?
State in which you last worked is not necessarily a determinant. State to which employer reported your wages and paid UI tax IS.
MA has an even better benefit than PA ($698 v. $573), pays up to 30 weeks vs. 26, allows you to choose an alternate base period through date of discharge as a base period if it results in a 10% higher benefit, and doesn't have the PA two quarters of wages and 49.5% of wages outside of high quarter qualifier (which disqualifies many). Instead, MA requires you earn at least $3,500 and that earnings in its base period equal 30x the weekly benefit.
If there is any chance your MA employer reported your wages to MA, you might consider applying there first - and preserving the GA wages for a fallback claim when MA is exhausted - assuming they aren't needed to qualify in MA. If it takes using the GA wages to get a 30 week claim in MA at more than twice the GA benefit, of course request a combined wage claim.
Disadvantage to applying in MA, is that it can take MA up to ten weeks or longer before it gets benefits going. MA is very slow in processing. Try calling first to see if MA shows any wages for you.
If you apply in PA, in addition to the 49.5% issue, PA requires at least two quarters of earnings and uses only one base period. If you apply now, PA will use earnings April 1, 2014-March 31, 2015 - which excludes PA earnings Apr.-June 2015. You won't qualify on one-quarter of PA wages alone without the Georgia wages. As Chyvan said, request a combined-wage claim. Hopefully, PA shows wages for you and doesn't quibble on where the majority of your wages were earned.
Your employer may have reported all your wages to GA. In that case, you're stuck with a GA (max benefit $330) claim for about 14-16 weeks - depending on unemployment rate. Apply there last.
I lived in New York and worked for the same company for over 3 years. I left my job in New York in Oct 2015. I moved to Arizona and started working for the same company (it is a national retailer so I guess it is considered the same company?). I do not know for sure whether it was considered a transfer, or a quit/termination in NY & rehire in AZ, but the decision to leave NY was definitely initiated by me.
I was working for 3 months in Arizona and then the company decided I was not meeting performance standards and terminated me, and said they would not contest unemployment insurance. It appears I do not qualify for Arizona unemployment insurance though because my wages do not meet the required amount, but I could do a combined wage claim with NY (right?)...IDEALLY, I want to file in NY because the benefit is higher there, but I am confused whether I qualify to file in NY because I was ultimately terminated in Arizona. Any advice would be really appreciated. I have been trying to search for the answer online to no avail. Thanks!!
I lived in New York and worked for the same company for over 3 years. I left my job in New York in Oct 2015. I moved to Arizona and started working for the same company (it is a national retailer so I guess it is considered the same company?). I do not know for sure whether it was considered a transfer, or a quit/termination in NY & rehire in AZ, but the decision to leave NY was definitely initiated by me.
I was working for 3 months in Arizona and then the company decided I was not meeting performance standards and terminated me, and said they would not contest unemployment insurance. It appears I do not qualify for Arizona unemployment insurance though because my wages do not meet the required amount, but I could do a combined wage claim with NY (right?)...IDEALLY, I want to file in NY because the benefit is higher there, but I am confused whether I qualify to file in NY because I was ultimately terminated in Arizona. Any advice would be really appreciated. I have been trying to search for the answer online to no avail. Thanks!!
File in NY. No need for a combined wage claim, as base period for current claim is October 1, 2014-September 2015 and none of your GA wages are in it.
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