From the Ohio Unemployment site:
http://www.odjfs.state.oh.us/forms/file.asp?id=55028
Read the section under "When to file an application for benefits"
In part it says "....no benefits will be paid for weeks of unemployment that occur prior to the week of filing"
Since they waited 8 months to file they may be out of luck. Unemployment only pays for 6 months AFTER you're unemployed.

