Quote Quoting sfrantz08
View Post
I will go straight to the unemployment office tomorrow and see what they can do. What do you think my chances are that they will understand my situation? And thank you for all your help!
I still say call them. Call them early and constantly until you get them. Nice you have a walk in unemployment office. I'd be surprised if you can find anyone in it that will be able to help you. But they may be able to help you get the number to call for the select group that deals specifically with this issue. Ask them.

Understand your situation? Well, they have seen it all and heard it all many many times before as far as "why I did it." All the way from "I just didn't under staaaannddd!!!!" to "Oh my God I can't, I mean can't just can't oh just can't lose my unemployment benefits and I was soooo scared, soooo scared........." to "The law states on page blah blah blah that I have blah blah blah, and if you do not agree to comply with my interpretations of this law, I will call my uncle, congressman blah blah blah, and we'll have your job.....!" Like I said, unless they are very new, they've heard every approach. They understand all right.

If by "understand" you mean cut you slack and let you get away with no fault, no penalties, no punishment or determination of fraud, all I will suggest is, be nice, be sincere, be ready to do everything you can do to make this right. Be firm and NOT WHINEY in that you did not understand the correct way you were supposed to report this. Say you want to move forward from here doing everything just right. This is why YOU have to take the trouble and make the effort to reach them, even if you "called a couple of times and couldn't get in" not just let it drag on until they actually catch you. They are much more likely to be forgiving if the person who is working with them is nice, not whiny or belligerent or defensive. They appreciate that you have been the one who took the action to fix this as soon as possible.

They really don't care why you did it. They just want to get it set right with the least amount of trouble in the least amount of time. Being needy and pitiful is NOT a factor in whether or not you will be penalized. As I said before it is NOT a poverty or needs based program. They don't care if your baby is starving, as it relates to unemployment insurance. They care that the laws are followed, that claimants meet the legal requirements for the program.

That said, be prepared for a few weeks without benefits while they are making a school decision for your claim. If things go as they should, and you receive the approval to be in school as you should already have had, you should be back paid for any weeks during the decision that your claim has been delayed. But don't whine about this, don't keep calling about the status of your claim, don't try to plead with them that you're destitute and cannot bear any break in the claim. They won't care, and it will only irritate them. You want them on your side, helping you get your claim in good standing so you can get on with your training without having to be hopeless and depressed and worried and agonizing all the time.