Unemployment conundrums

Embarking on my third unemployment claim in six years, I find that I still don't understand the timing of the process – specifically, when I am supposed to start filing my "weekly claims". You would think that should be simple to determine. You would be wrong.

It all comes down to ambiguous, sloppy, and conflicting terminology in the various paper and electronic instructions and FAQs provided by the VEC. As a technical writer, who makes (well, "made") a living by writing clear and unambiguous instructions, I find this to be particularly annoying. Here is my quandary.

First, some facts:

• My last day of work was Thursday 3/31.
• I have about 3.5 days of vacation pay coming to me in my final paycheck, which I haven't received yet.
• I filed my initial claim Friday 4/1.
• I received my monetary determination and PIN on Wednesday 4/6 (supposedly processed and mailed on 4/1, which I find hard to believe). 

Now, that monetary determination claims an "effective date" of 03/27/11 – that's Sunday, four days prior to my last day of work –and says it's for "benefit year ending date 03/24/12". As near as I can tell, that means I could not possibly qualify for benefits for the first week of my "benefit year", because I was employed for most of that week! So I guess I have only 51 weeks during which I could collect a maximum of 26 weeks of benefits.



Next, some quotes from "Your Unemployment Rights and Responsibilities", a copy of which came with the other paperwork:

• "To receive a payment for benefits, you must file a weekly request for each week you wish to claim."
• "Your benefit week begins on Sunday and ends at midnight on Saturday." So, my benefit week ended yesterday, 4/9.
• "The first week you meet the weekly eligibility requirements will be your waiting period week." [For which you do not receive any benefits.] Since I could not possibly have met the weekly elgibility requirements (see below) during the week ending 4/2, presumably the week ending 4/9 ought to be my waiting period week. Or is it? (see below)

Weekly eligibility requirements include:

• "You must be able to work and be available to work." Yes, I was able and available last week.
• You must "make an active search for work". That's defined as at least two "work search contacts" each week. Yep, I submitted two resumes last week.
• "You must report all wages earned for any work...for the week they are earned (not when paid)." [Emphasis added.] Yes, I had some self-employment earnings last week, which would be deducted from my weekly benefit amount. That's assuming I was eligible to get benefits, but that was my waiting week. I think. Here's where I start getting confused. While reporting any wages earned is listed as a "weekly eligibility requirement", it sounds like earning wages doesn't make you ineligible for benefits, rather that it offsets the benefits you are otherwise eligible for. But I'm not really sure. If just earning wages actually makes you ineligible then maybe this wasn't my waiting period week.
• "You must report the receipt of holiday, vacation, and severance pay. Holiday or vacation pay must be reported for the week in which it applies and will be deducted like wages from your weekly benefit amount." [Emphasis added.] Confusion escalates. Whereas wages are explicitly said to be reported for the week earned (not paid), this clause gives two apparently contradictory instructions concerning vacation pay. I would expect that the "receipt" of vacation pay would mean you actually were paid for the time. On the other hand, "the week in which it applies" presumably means the days the vacation pay covered, i.e., in my case, the 3.5 work days following my last day of work. If so, then 2.5 days of that pay would "apply" to last week - but I haven't yet "received" the pay. So which is it?

OK, so far I can't figure out (a) if last week would be my waiting period week, or (b) if I am supposed to report that vacation pay for last week or wait  until I "receive" it. But I went online tonight anyway, to file a weekly claim for the week ending 4/9/2011.

Only one catch: It's asking me questions about my eligibility for the week ending 4/2/2011. Apparently, I have to file a weekly claim for the week in which I was only unemployed for one day (and will eventually receive acation pay for that day). I suppose that ties in with that mysterious "effective date" of 3/27, but it really makes no sense. Obviously I cannot possibly meet eligibility requirements for that week... yet I won't be able to file a claim for the week ending 4/9 until I first file a claim for the previous week. So I'm going to have to calculate dollar amounts for 32 hours of wages earned, AND vacation pay for 8 hours, AND self-employment earnings for that week, AND report that I was not looking for work, just so they can send me a letter or email saying I'm not eligible for that week, which I already know.

And I can't help but recall my experience with my first unemployment claim, in 2005, when I got a couple weeks of severance pay; I filed my initial claim immediately after the layoff, then had my first two weekly claims rejected because I was getting severance pay, and then was told by the case worker at the VEC office that I really shouldn't have filed those two weeks at all. Go figure.

Excuse me while I go figure out how much I earned (but have not been paid for) the week ending 4/2/11. Inquiring minds at the VEC want to know.