Applying for Unemployment Benefits

EagleandBear wrote:
I did not apply for UI but my wife did. People she had worked with last season encouraged her to file for UI in Wyoming. She has been activly looking for a job and fulfilled all of the State's requirements. The same people who encouraged her to file for UI said that they were never subjected to an audit or subjected to an ALJ hearing.

Yesterday my wife went through a telephone hearing with a judge. The only thing that the State adjudicator claimed was that she did not have the paperwork that we faxed in and mailed to her six weeks ago. My wife kept all of the documentation and was well prepared. She provided the judge with the proof that she had filed the paperwork on time, copies of the documents that were sent into the State, dates and times of the phone calls she made to the State staff, etc. It will take the judge 2-3 weeks to issue his decision.

Today we received another audit form from the same adjudicator (got the first audit form in December, 3 weeks after she applied for UI). None of the people we have talked to have had to complete an audit form let alone go through a hearing with an ALJ.

Again, something is wrong here. The State gains nothing when it makes unfounded allegations against UI applicants but in this case the State will pay over $2000 for the services of an ALJ to hear, review and investigate the adjudicator's claims that she did not receive the paperwork on time (despite the fact that we have the fax record and USPS tracking record w/signature). Anyone got a clue as to why the State would waste more money on an ALJ hearing than her UI benefits are worth? The tourist industry is a big deal in Wyoming and the State depends on people moving to WY to help out during the tourist season. Why would they want to discourage people from working in WY during the summer season?

Sorry, but the argument it will cost them more to investigate the claim than pay it is exactly the reason there is so much fraud in our legal system. Your argument is no different than if you were filing a nuisance lawsuit and figuring you will get some money, not because the suit was valid, but because it would cost who you are suing more to fight you off than pay you off.
Also, tourists do not come into Wyoming and other states based on their ability to collect unemployment benefits. If a worker wanted a job with me and implied that part of their motivation was the ability to collect unemployment after the job ended, they would NEVER be hired. Quite honestly, you took on a temporary job, so I don't feel you have any rights to collect unemployment compensation because that job ended. The law MAY be different and if you win and get some benefits, fine. But I will be the first in line to lobby my legislature to close that loophole if anyone ever collects on me for a seasonal job because that claim would effect my unemployment insurance rates which does make it my business.