I am collecting Oregon unemployment and I heard it was okay to go to school full time

I heard that it is ok to go to school full time while collecting unemployment.

I Later found out that it is only ok after jumping through some hoops. The problem is, I started school already three months ago as a degree seeking student before the hoop jumping.

I did my full job search and never mentioned to any potential employer that I was in school. I have requested the proper paperwork to fill out with UI before my summer classes begin and they are asking me to tell them if I was in school any time the past two years. I have four days to respond. Is there a way for me to stay on this? i am a little scared. Has anyone dealt with this before? Thank you.

Uh-oh. I don’t know what to tell you .. because either way, at least as I see it you’ll have a problem.

Tell the truth and they will then probably decide that you owe them an overpayment for the three months you continued to collect and ignore that question, which is usually present on a continuing claim form and whether it was intentional fraud on your part might possibly still be up for debate.

The question on the claim form goes something like this:

Did you begin or attend training or school in the week you are claiming benefits?

It’s pretty hard to miss on the claim form in my state.

Tell them no now .. and if they find out you were attending school full-time .. that’s fraud which I see no easy exit from and intentional fraud generally, carries even harsher repayment criteria.

But, I can tell, that you might be wanting someone to tell you it’s okay to fib .. because no one knows you were going to school.

You sound like you’re wondering how the UI department would find out .. unless you are the one that tells.

That, I don’t know the answer to .. but the first question that pops to mind to ask you is .. how did you finance the school tuition?

Did you use any government grant, scholarship or student loan to finance school?

I’m certain the government has the means to cross check these types of things.

How aggressively an unemployment dept. may pursue unemployment fraud is not something I can prove, but common sense tells me that when you’re low on funds .. you do become aggressive with effort to recoup money that shouldn’t have been paid ..

If I, personally had to choose from the beginning of this fiasco, I would have risked a suspension of benefits pending an investigation by truthfully answering the question from the very first week I began school.

But that’s me ..

And, it’s also me to consider the source I heard something from .. before assuming it as the truth.