Filing weekly claims or certifying for contnued unemployment benefits.

by Kay
(Deerfield, IL)

I held a high level position with a company with good benefits. The first few months were smooth and I was complemented how how good I was and that I had settled into the team very nicely. I was given additional responsibilities. In August I developed a severe infection requiring me to take time of work even through I requested to continue work at home. They said no because of the proprietary nature of the info.

Just as I was coming back to work, my father passed away in Ireland. I did not ask for special treatment and took the company three day policy. One month later I was given a warning that I was missing to much work. (a hospitalization for myself and my father's death). The next month my best friend died, and I only went to the wake and took no time off.

But I was deeply affected by having so many people who are very close to me die. I requested some personal unpaid time off, and instead was released from from my job.

I filed for unemployment. Because I had moved to another state, I had to file an Interstate claim. Unfortunately it was a nightmare. Every day, I spent around 6 hours a day trying to file a claim. My phone bill was over $150 whereas it normally is $34. Eventually I got through on DEC 28, over6 weeks since I first started.

I am wondering can I and how can I file an appeal for those back unemployment claims which would add up to several thousand dollars.
How would I go about doing this?
Thank you very much.
Kay

Hi Kay,

If you are asking whether you can appeal a denial of weekly benefits for failure to file weekly claims, you can, but the decision will be based upon whether you certified for those weeks. Once your application for unemployment was submitted, it was your responsibility to then continue to file the weekly claims for continuing unemployment.

If you received a determination stating you were eligible based upon the reason for separation, but you were not eligible for those weeks in the interim between applying and receiving the determination because you failed to continue claiming or certifying each week you may certainly appeal, but it will probably not do any good.

I'm not sure, but I wouldn't think this necessarily means you'll never get those weeks, but that you'll just not get any backpay.

If you are just asking about those weeks prior to December 28th...you'll never get anything for those weeks because you hadn't filed a claim yet.