Give Me My Money, B!+€#

I have mentioned this several times, and decided to finally explain the whole situation.

I was laid-off the beginning of September (yay!). I had been at my job for ten years, so I was offered three weeks for every year I had been there. I could take the lump sum and get 75% (minus taxes) or take a weekly amount for 30 weeks. I chose the weekly amount. I was planning on just being a SAHM, and why lose about half of what I could get. So I filled out my paperwork.

I had to wait a week before I could file for my weekly severance. I call them and go through an automated system once a week, answering questions like am I currently employed (no), able to work (yes), filed for unemployment (yes and no), etc.

My first check (they mail them out bi-weekly) arrived with just the first week. The next one, two weeks later, was a LOT less than it should have been. I called and inquired as to why. Because they take my weekly unemployment amount out of my check! Nice! So I'm technically paying for my own unemployment for 30 weeks. I'm not sure if this is legal (I'm not going to research it), but I know it is not fair or right.

On the other hand, I have filed for unemployment. I was initially granted it, but had to jump through a million hoops to get it. While I'm jumping through those hoops, I still file weekly and state that I am receiving a weekly severance of x amount of dollars. I have to state this every week. Well I get a notice saying I'm denied unemployment until such and such date because my gross weekly severance is above their limit.

So I call the Sub Plan and they say they need a denial letter faxed to them in order to reimburse me for the past weeks and get my weekly amount right. No big deal!

A few days later, I get a call from two people at my old employer saying that I HAVE to appeal the ruling and that I'm not receiving a weekly severance, but a supplemental unemployment benefit (SUB). It would be a severance if I took the lump sum. Tomatoe, tomato, right? (yes I know I spelled that first tomato wrong-it is driving me nuts too)

So I appeal and use some crappy paper they mailed me as "evidence" for my appeal (which did not support or refute the whole not-a-severance thing...which they told me to say I was getting a weekly severance to begin with!) and give them a date that my employer (who is in other states as well) got their SUB plan approved with the state of Indiana. So I fax all of that in and wait. Meanwhile, still getting 2/3 of my money taken away for unemployment.

I get a denial letter (again) and go through the whole appeal process (again). I got a notice about when my appeal will be. It was over the phone with a judge. My employer was invited to attend, but did not (go figure). The whole thing was a train-wreck. The judge grilled me about the whole severance versus SUB thing. I told her they were taking out the unemployment every week, so I'm technically only getting x amount of money a week. She doesn't care. She was appalled that they would take my unemployment out of MY money (they are supposed to pay that). The paper they had me send did no good either. And the judge said she wasn't going to look up some ruling from a few years ago, that is their job to provide.

So, I get another denial letter (big surprise! Like I didn't see that coming!) on my birthday. I can do one more appeal, but only if I have new evidence. I don't. So I faxed in the denial of unemployment to the SUB people. Hopefully in the next few weeks my checks will be back in order, and I can get retroed my other money.

And my former employer thinks they are sneaky. Trying to get away with paying 30 weeks less of unemployment to me. Kind of clever though...cheaper for them.

So I will get a check in about a week, and the rep I talked to said that the unemployment should no longer be taken out. I'll let you know...I have a feeling it isn't that easy, and I'll be fighting them for awhile!