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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Posts
    2

    Default Can I Claim Benefits for Past Unemployment

    Hi,

    This may sound like a stupid question to some but I'd like to know if it's possible to apply for unemployment benefits for a time in the past when I was indeed unemployed. The company I worked for previously had a massive lay off and it did provide us with a severance package when they let go of us. I went through the severange package verbiage and didn't find any clause preventing me from applying for unemployment. At the time, I did not consider applying for UI because, well, honestly it didn't occur to me. It's been almost 2 years since. Is it still possible to apply and get UI for the period that I was unemployed?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    24,521

    Default Re: Can I Claim Benefits for Past Unemployment

    No, you can't. If you had applied at the time you would almost certainly have qualified, depending on the laws of your unnamed state either during or after the end of the severance. But UI benefits are never retroactive beyond the date you file the claim.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    38,867

    Default Re: Can I Claim Benefits for Past Unemployment

    I wouldn't say never but almost always.

    the 2 years; no way. I have done it and they made it retroactive (I think) 3 weeks but that took jumping through some hoops to get there.

    I know my brother was given severance when his job ceased to exist at one employer. The state looked at it as if he had earned it in the ensuing weeks and denied him benefits for the period of time the severance covered. It had nothing to do with the severance package ruling him ineligible since the employer is not who makes that determination. The state does and they do it according to the laws in place.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    24,521

    Default Re: Can I Claim Benefits for Past Unemployment

    Yes, let me clarify what I'm saying.

    In some states, benefits are payable only after the severance is exhausted. You can be approved immediately, but you won't start receiving any benefits until the severance is gone. In other states, you can receive unemployment simultaneously with the severance. And in some states, whether you have to wait for the severance to be exhausted to receive benefits depends on what you have to sign to get the severance. But just receiving severance does not in and of itself disqualify you - it may delay the start of the benefits but that's all.

    I have never, in 35 years of HR, seen a UI claim approved for benefits to be received for a period of time before the claim was filed. If jk has, I can well imagine the hoops that had to be run through for it to be approved even as little as 3 weeks. It is very much the exception rather than the rule, and there is no POSSIBLE way it will be approved for 2 years back.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Posts
    2

    Default Re: Can I Claim Benefits for Past Unemployment

    Thanks for the replies guys. I guess that's a lesson learnt for next time. Don't even wanna think of how much money I lost cuz of my naiveness

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