by Dino Duda
(St. Petersburg, Florida)
My Florida Unemployment Compensation benefit year began on 9/13/2009. I ran out of unemployment in March and they refilled it. I have just run out of money for the second time (Today, my benefits show a $26.00 balance).
Did I just finish Tier one or Tier two? Will I receive anymore Unemployment money?
THANKS!
Dino
Hi Dino,
Great, another excuse to climb up on my soapbox.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again .. when it comes to unemployment extensions .. I know less than you .. because the extensions we are experiencing are UNPRECEDENTED and I never had to care to learn about them for exactly this reason.
And although I’m trying now .. I don’t think I should try to disseminate information on how and when unemployment extensions will work or do the job they are supposed to do .. be an “economic stabilizer”.
I recommend the site that I believe explains extensions the best.
I use it to find answers and send emails to my political representatives in congress .. just use the search bar and type in “unemployment extension update” or “unemployedworkers.org”
I have no idea what tier you just finished, but regular benefits last 26 weeks and I believe that unless Florida passes it’s own bill .. the max amount of weeks anyone could collect in Florida prior to June 2nd was 79 weeks.
I also have no idea if when a new federal extension is passed or should I say IF .. whether it will retroactively restore extensions to those who have lost their benefits since June 2nd.
That may be the equivalent of asking for the moon from the US senate.
All this said, I have strong feelings about what would make another extension do double duty .. Keep unemployed people from calling a cardboard box home and using that same money you need and we can ill-afford as an in debt nation, to help STIMULATE THE REAL PROBLEM – NEW JOB CREATION.
I’ve also said before that the unemployment system as it exists now is like driving an unmodified car purchased in 1935 on the interstate during rush hour traffic in 2005 .. right before I noticed a huge increase in my workload as an unemployment appeal hearing coordinator.
So I find this article by a Washington DC think tank of great interest because something has got to change.
When it’s broke .. FIX IT!!
Tell me what you think.
Do you think I’m nuts to expect more of extension money than just stave off the inevitable day when there will be no more money for extensions?