Hope someone can answer.. (collecting, file, apply, claim)

[lukedeez]

Hello, I have read through the Forums and havent found an answer specific to this. I recenly moved to GA after being on unemployment in FL. I have only worked for 3 months here and was laid off. I know if i refile in Florida they can reopen my old claim. But I wntt to be sure I get credit in GA for time worked here. Also GA pays higher benefits. Where should I file? Thanks in advance.

[Chyvan]

When was/were your FL claim(s) originally opened?

It's important because you might not have a choice. Most state laws state that you can't have an existing claim in another state or Canada before opening a new claim. You attempting to apply in GA might create an overlapping claim situation, and you'll just end up wasting time and having delayed benefits for no good reason.

[Ariadne22]

Originally Posted by lukedeez

I recenly moved to GA after being on unemployment in FL. I have only worked for 3 months here and was laid off. I know if i refile in Florida they can reopen my old claim. But I wntt to be sure I get credit in GA for time worked here. Also GA pays higher benefits. Where should I file?

FL won't recalculate your existing claim to include GA earnings. You would need to file a separate claim in GA, which might include any FL LAG earnings not used in your present FL claim. This is called a combined claim.

That said, if your FL claim has not yet reached its bye, as Chyvan says, GA probably won't open a new claim at all.

FYI - here is what you need to qualify for a claim in GA:

BASE PERIOD - The first 4 of the last 5 calendar quarters completed at the time you file your claim.

1. To establish a claim you must have:

"Insured" wages in at least two quarters of the base period (see
Definitions page 23); and

"Insured" wages totaling at least $1, in the two highest
quarters of your base period; and

Total base period wages of at least one and one-half times the
amount of money you were paid in the highest quarter.

OR:

ALTERNATIVE BASE PERIOD

The last four calendar quarters
completed at the time you file your claim. (Alternative Base Period can be
used only if you do not have enough wages to set up a claim using the
Base Period as defined above.)

ALTERNATE CALCULATION

This calculation is automatically
performed when the only reason a claim is not monetarily eligible is
because total wages are not equal to one and one-half times the high
quarter of wages.

To calculate the weekly benefit amount divide the
highest quarter of wages by 21.

The weekly benefit amount cannot be higher than the maximum allowed by law.

Wages must be earned in at least two quarters of the base period and total wages must be at least 40 times the weekly benefit amount.

http://www.gordon.army.mil/acs/emplo...20Handbook.pdf

You can try to file in GA, but most likely you will be denied at this point because of the existing FL claim.

One other thought. If you have exhausted FL state benefits and were collecting federal EUC on that FL claim, then FL might ask you to try to establish a GA claim - before it resumes paying federal EUC benefits on the FL claim. If GA denies you at that point, FL would continue paying EUC.

We need more info about your FL claim - i.e., date established, did you exhaust state benefits, were you collecting EUC?