Unemployment in two different states

by Barbara
(Kearneysville, WV)

I moved from Virginia to West Virginia 3 years ago. Two years ago I lost my job in WV and was unemployed for 7 months. While drawing unemployment from Virginia, I found a part time job in WV. Yes, I did claim my earnings from the part time job. I worked this part time job for 6 months until I found a full time job in Maryland. I had this job for a year and got laid off. I collected 26 weeks of unemployment from Maryland. I received a letter from MD about Emergency Unemployment Compensation, I was instructed to call them. But when I called last week to sign up, I was told I had "unused" wages to draw from in WV. So I went to WV unemployment and they verified that I have to open a new claim with them. The weekly benefit is less than half what I was receiving from MD, because it is from a part time position. How can I receive unemployment benefits from wages earned while receiving unemployment?? Isn't the Emergency Unemployment Compensation supposed to be from your last place of employment?



Hi Barbara,

As I've said before .. extension benefits confuse even me. I think it's because there's the possibility of two different kind of extensions possibly exisiting .. either a state extension first and then a federal extension.

Pile on top of this that everytime the senate passes a new bill to extend benefits further .. they screw up somehow which causes glitches that force the states to do certain things.

Apparently, if you still have wage credits when you file for a second benefits year .. they are forcing you back to a regular claim for a 2nd benefit year .. instead of allowing you to go forward with an extension based on the higher base period wages.

I can't really say why, but I'm sure it's because the Feds don't want to pay extension benefits .. if they don't have to and if they do .. wouldn't it be better for them to pay the punier amount?

The fact that the standard base period can create a lag period of up to six months of unused wages is what I "think" is probably at the root of why you're getting screwed now.

As I do not feel qualified to explain "extensions" and think that I speak better to fighting initial denials of benefits ...

I suggest you visit this website. And be sure to sign up so when they send emails out with links to easily contact your legislators you can be right on top of the letting yourself be heard.