EagleandBear
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Re: Applying for Unemployment Benefits
Well...the state of Wyoming blew over $2000 on an administrative law judge and staff time. The judge ruled in my wife's favor. She had all of the documents, dates they were sent, a log of the phone calls that were made, etc. What happened? The staff had lost the documents that she had both fax'd and mailed in. I am still not convinced that this incident was due to incompetence. Looks more like some folks find odd ways to entertain themselves during the long winter months.591Views0likes0CommentsRe: Applying for Unemployment Benefits
When she signed up to work in WY we were unaware that UI was available. She was promised a job that was to start in November but the start date got pushed back to April or May. It was not until a friend told us that UI was available did she apply. There is no attempt to defraud anyone here - it was just a straight up application for UI. In the past good Christians saw that some families get stranded and need assistance. Neither of us have ever applied for UI until this year. If you do not like the law change it but do not disparage those of us who are applying for much needed assistance and doing so in full compliance with the law.591Views0likes0CommentsRe: Applying for Unemployment Benefits
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?591Views0likes0CommentsRe: Applying for Unemployment Benefits
She had worked enough to meet their requirements and her application was accepted on December 9th. She has met all of their requirements and has been actively looking for a job. Xanterra approved her UI. She began receiving a little over $100 a week. It was in January that the case worker said that she could not find the papers we sent in for late December. She sent two sets of the documents in. The case worker called to say that everything was OK. A week later she got a notice that she had to have her case reviewed by a tribunal via teleconference. Something is amiss. I just do not know if it is ineptitude on their part, if they are bored during the winter months or if they have some kind of malignant endgame in mind. I do not ask that question without cause. I spent a significant part of my career investigating and testifying against California state and local employees who were involved in criminal activities and corruption. But that was in CA - I do not know how things are done in Wyoming. Instead of protecting the interests of the taxpayer the folks at UI will have spent between $300-$500 in a process that could have been settled with a single phone call.591Views0likes0CommentsRe: Applying for Unemployment Benefits
Thanks to everyone for your comments. So far we have not gotten any wind of Xanterra being involved. She got a call from them in January wanting her to return for the 2015 season. I am still unsure how the system works. The Feds subsidize the States in some way or another but I do not understand the employer's relationship with the State that is allocating the benefits other than confirming the applicant's employment status and conditions of termination. The people who recommended that she apply for UI had worked several seasons for Xanterra. No one mentioned that Xanterra took exception to their UI applications.206Views0likes0CommentsRe: Applying for Unemployment Benefits
I missed the question about SSI. I do get retirement benefits through social security but she has to wait six more years before she is eligible for SSI. Since this is the first time we have applied for UI benefits I am clueless as to how it affects my eligibility for UI benefits. We have traveled in WY, ID and MT on and off for the past 40 years. There were times when we felt unwelcome even if we had tourist dollars to spend. Years ago the folks at Salmon ID were outright hostile and some of the signs in WY threaten to shoot you if you fish in their rivers. Things have improved some in these states but I feel much more accepted in most of the other states. Sorry to say but even if I am eligible it may be easier for us to hunker down and wait out the dry spell rather than get into a brawl with a government worker who has an attitude.206Views0likes0CommentsRe: Applying for Unemployment Benefits
This is our first time dealing with UI in any state but I think that Wyoming depends on seasonal workers in many ares and provides UI services to get people through the transition. In our case, the job offer she had fell through. She applied for UI benefits to help us until she gets a job. What seems to have triggered her letter of disqualification is that the staff in Wyoming could not find the documents we sent to them. Thus far we have sent in three copies of everything. Two claims of lost documents seems to indicate that the problem is due to something more than ineptness - but maybe my experience in investigating government agencies in California compels me to think about such things. The bottom line is that Wyoming allocates a little over $100 per week to UI claimants. The process has taken up over 20 hours of her job hunting time and I would guess will involve at least 10 - 12 combined hours of their staff time when the process is finished. At best their process is flawed. If someone were scamming the UI system he/she would have plenty of time to play footsie with the State staff but the time spent fulfilling the UI process measures winds up by encumbering the applicant who is serious about finding a job. Anyway, I wanted to see if anyone else felt as though the State staff created problems rather than help solve them.208Views0likes0CommentsApplying for Unemployment Benefits
We have been full timing for 7 years. Two years ago we had some unexpected expenses and decided to work camp. We work camped for Xanterra in Yellowstone for two seasons. When we left Yellowstone last September we thought we had a job in Oregon but the start up date got pushed back to sometime in April or May of this year. A friend recommended that we apply for unemployment benefits. Since I am getting SSI my wife applied for unemployment benefits and was accepted on December 9th. Two weeks later my she was audited for the week before December 9th and what would have been her first week. She has been actively looking for a job and fulfilled all of the requirements of the unemployment program but there were no jobs in late December and all the businesses were laying people off after Christmas. January has been dry especially because there has not been enough snow for the ski lifts to operate (it is a big deal in this area). We received notice that they would no longer pay her unemployment benefits. We were told that they could not find certain documents in her file. We sent duplicate copies to them via USPS and Fax along with the requisite protest. Two weeks ago the unemployment office called to say that everything was OK but yesterday we got a notice that we have to teleconference with their “tribunal” next week. I am 65 and neither of us has ever applied for unemployment benefits. My questions are: How common is it for work campers apply for unemployment? Do the unemployment offices provide a service or do they purposely run rough shod over the applicants? If I want to challenge the unemployment office in Wyoming who do I contact? Is there an office at the Federal level that has oversight responsibilities for Wyoming’s unemployment insurance program? Thank you for any help in this matter.8.9KViews0likes23Comments
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