World of Mayja

Anyone who is unemployed knows who the UIA is (Unemployment Insurance Agency). In my state, I have to contact them every other week to collect my benefits. I have a specific time period to contact them, otherwise I could lose my benefits.

I requested access to the Internet reporting system and they had to mail me my password - not email - MAIL the password. By the time the letter arrived, the password had expired because there's a very short window when it will remain active for login. Brilliant. So I used the phone system instead.

Well, the phone system has been overwhelmed by the number of people calling every day. They've had some issues with it, and have had to do emergency repairs/system upgrades in the recent past.

In mid September, I called the system to report that I'm seeking work, haven't found a job, blah blah blah. I made sure the call completed and hung up. You have to wait a mandatory three business days before you can check to make sure your payment was processed. I waited and called to verify. They claimed that I never called the system as there was no record of my call, thus no check. And, to top it off, I was going to lose my benefits because I didn't contact them within my call-in timeframe. That's government for ya.

I filed a claim stating when I called and that I understand how the system works as I have been doing the same thing since January (omfg). I finally received a determination today - in November - in regards to my September claim. Since I failed to contact the system within the required timeframe, they are not going to give me my two weeks of benefits for mid September. Since they didn't think I was lying, they're not going to kick me off the system completely and they're going to allow me to finish collecting my final weeks of unemployment.

Can I protest this? Sure, I could. I'm debating if it will be worth the effort, paperwork and the hearing I'd have to attend. Plus, if they find that I'm still ineligible, I'd have to pay them fees for the hearing/lawyers/etc.

The best part about all of this is now they're also trying to make me pay back money I received the week after the two in question. This is obviously due to a clerical error as to when the ineligibility period ended. As I write this, I'm on hold with the UIA to discuss the errors of their ways.

I've been on hold for 45 minutes so far... wish me luck.