Phone Interview for Sending in Claim Form Late

**expert novice** · 07-17-2009, 07:03 PM

My question involves unemployment benefits for the state of: California

I applied for UI on June 7th. My first two weeks are from 6-7 to 6-13 & 6-14 to 6-20. I received my forms on June 16th, I did not put them in the mailbox till 21 days later on July 7th.

I now have a phone interview scheduled for August 10th to explain my tardiness. I'm assuming if my explanation is not satisfactory I will lose my potential UI benefits. I can't afford this so I need to know what to do and what not to do.

Why I'm late in all its stupidity:

I honestly felt bad filing for unemployment because from everything I see and hear on the news there are people FAR worse off than I am. I've been unemployed since May 15th, but did not apply for unemployment till weeks later. My jobs usually last 2 years, then there is a few months break. I have never filed for UI before, I never felt the need. I thought that it would be the same again.

Regardless, after filling out the form for the first two weeks I didn't immediately send it in (obvious) because everything looked like I would be working again very soon. I had my tax refunds coming in and two recruiters looked to be very promising, nearly a shoe in for two jobs I'd get to decide between. Then the information that California isn't sending me my tax refund (IOU), then I get into a car accident (high deductible), and finally both jobs fall through. They may still happen, but not till October or possibly November. Everything hits the fan and I realize I need my UI benefits so I send in the claim.

Now I have the phone interview because I acted stupidly. I have been looking for work this entire time and as such I feel that I'm still entitled to my UI benefits that I pay taxes on all the time.

What do I do in the interview? What don't I do in the interview? If it's determined I'm ineligible is it possible to refile and do it again?

Thank you

**PattyPA** · 07-18-2009, 01:44 PM

Plead and pray. You're gonna lose. If you had been unconscious in a hospital, that would have been an acceptable reason.

**expert novice** · 07-18-2009, 01:56 PM

If that be the case is it possible to re-file for UI after the loss and start over?

**PattyPA** · 07-20-2009, 04:39 AM

Yes, you can refile with the current date. Your benefits would not be retroactive.

**expert novice** · 07-20-2009, 10:43 AM

Thanks for the help Patty, it's very much appreciated.

I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

**Scott67** · 07-20-2009, 11:30 AM

I don't think it is quite that bleak. I have helped a few people prepare for unemployment telephone interviews (here in California). I have found the interviewers in the calls to be quite reasonable. In one situation in which the person was about 4 weeks late in submitting the form (lost it in his house and thought he had mailed it since he didn't see it where his outgoing mail usually was) they denied the 2 weeks that he was late and then sent forms for each biweekly period up to the telephone interview for him to file after the fact. All were paid.

I recommend if you haven't already been doing it, immediately start documenting 3 employment contacts per week (date of contact,company contacted, person applied to (HR Rep works fine), address (internet address works fine), position applied for. Also, if you can remember this information from previous weeks, write down whatever you can remember. In my experience they only actually request this info if you are on the Federal Extension, but it is helpful to have just in case, and also makes good reference notes to use during the call.

They will give you a date and a 2 hour time-slot in which they will call. DON'T MISS IT. In the call, be pleasant and honest. "I didn't send in the forms because I thought I was going to get a job, but it fell through" will be taken as a reasonable explanation. Tell them (based on your post this is a true statement; don't say anything that isn't) that you have been continuously looking for work; you can even name the companies you thought would hire you (gives you credibility, they won't contact the company). The call will be over quickly - maybe 2 to 3 minutes. Once you've made the above points, don't say anything else except in response to questions from the interviewer. When the interviewer is closing the call, let that happen -- don't say, "oh, one more thing..." and take a chance of saying something that won't be helpful.

Do this, and I expect your claim will be approved retroactively for all or almost all of the time. Then, make sure you mail the forms ON the exact day stated on each form. After the initial stack of retroactive forms, this will always be on a Sunday - don't file it early or you may get another telephone interview.

**PattyPA** · 07-20-2009, 11:53 AM

Scott67, if that's true, I will sit properly chastised.

**Scott67** · 07-20-2009, 01:39 PM

Patty, Yes. That's the way it works here. I don't know what happens when people don't follow my advice because the people I have helped did as I told them. In one call, the interviewee started talking in circles a little and the interviewer (very quickly) became obviously annoyed, causing me to worry about an unfavorable outcome. I silently intervened and got the interviewee back on track.

Others may have examples of calls that turned out badly, but I suspect that happens when the interviewer gets the impression that the interviewee is being dishonest.