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!WHEN ASKING A QUESTION POST YOUR LOCATION OR OTHERS WILL BE UNABLE TO ASSIST!

You are eligible for the $600 weekly FPUC payment if you are on any sort of unemployment, including PUA and partial unemployment. This is available for claims dated 3/28/20-7/31/20. The federal supplement does not affect eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP. It does affect SNAP and TANF.

If you filed for UI more than a week after your layoff date, you are eligible for backpay.

The obligatory waiting week has been waived, so your claim will process with a date a week earlier than what you apply for, to account for the waiting week waiver.

NY
There is a streamlined application process so that all applicants complete the same form, regardless of which program they'll eventually be eligible for.
PUA:
Unemployment for the self-employed. Acceptable proof of income includes prior year tax returns, 1099, P&L, bank statements and more. You will most likely be approved for standard UI even if you're an independent contractor, if you had W2 employment within the last 18 months.
If you are assigned the minimum rate of $182 when it should be higher based on your income, complete this form, fax it in, then send it again via the message center (Subject1: "Benefit Rate and Monetary Determination" Subject2: "Some of my wages are missing or incorrect") so that they definitely got it. Your rate should be adjusted in less than a week. You are also entitled to get your updated rate on all prior weeks.
You are also eligible for PUA if you landed a job but where unable to start due to the pandemic. You need an employment offer that was then rescinded to prove this.
PUA is available for a total of 46 weeks from 02/02/20-12/31/20.
Partial UI:
You can apply for partial UI if you're working 3 days or less, and earning $504/weekly or less. The DOL deducts 25% of your base rate for every day that you work. (You receive 100% of your rate if you don't work at all, 75% if you work 1 day, 50% if you work 2 days, and 25% if you work 3 days).
PEUC:
For those on regular unemployment- you will receive an additional 13 weeks of benefits after you've exhausted your initial 26 weeks. This benefit is available through 12/31/20.
Extended Benefits:
For those on regular unemployment- you will receive an additional 20 weeks of benefits after you've exhausted your initial 26 weeks and your PEUC weeks. This makes for a total of 59 weeks that you can possible receive unemployment benefits. This benefit is available as long as the state's unemployment rate is high.
Requesting Backpay:
The NY DOL is using Docusign to allow claimants to file backpay. You should receive an email from the DOL with instructions. The email subject is "Action Required - NYS DOL Certification for Back Week Payments". This might end up in your spam folder, so be sure to check that as well.
If you don't receive this email or you don't want to wait, call the NY DOL and speak to an agent to certify for backpay over the phone.
It takes a little less than a week from when you complete backdated certifications until your claims are processed and funds are released.
$0 Benefit Determination:
Email @cgr for instructions on a fix for this issue

You can email @cgr at chaiplus1@gmail.com for help with any unemployment questions.


NJ
Apply here.
PUA:
Unemployment for the self-employed. Acceptable proof of income includes prior year tax returns, 1099, P&L, bank statements and more. You will most likely be approved for standard UI even if you're an independent contractor, if you had W2 employment within the last 18 months.
At this point it looks like claimants are still being given $231- the minimum PUA rate- regardless of prior income.
You are also eligible for PUA if you landed a job but where unable to start due to the pandemic. You need an employment offer that was then rescinded to prove this.
PUA is available for a total of 46 weeks from 02/02/20-12/31/20.
Partial UI:
You can apply for partial UI if your hours have been reduced by 20% or more. You'll be allowed to earn an additional 20% above your rate determination. Your earnings will then be deducted from your rate, and you'll receive the balance as your UI payment.
PEUC:
For those on regular unemployment- you will receive an additional 13 weeks of benefits after you've exhausted your initial 26 weeks. This benefit is available through 12/31/20.
Extended Benefits:
For those on regular unemployment- you will receive an additional 20 weeks of benefits after you've exhausted your initial 26 weeks and your PEUC weeks. This makes for a total of 59 weeks that you can possible receive unemployment benefits. This benefit is available as long as the state's unemployment rate is high.
Requesting Backpay:
You can request backpay if you are lucky enough to get through to an agent.

Here is a guide for NJ residents from the LRRC.
« Last edited by cgr on November 27, 2020, 09:48:37 AM »

Author Topic: Unemployment Help  (Read 477325 times)

Offline miles lover

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Re: Unemployment Help
« Reply #2700 on: August 02, 2020, 02:05:59 AM »
In NY? Yes. You can get all weeks.
The Docusign lately only has 10 weeks but you can call in or message them via your online message center to get the missing weeks released.
In NJ also there’s also a way to get for 10 weeks ? I only was able to certify for 2 weeks. 

Offline miles lover

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Re: Unemployment Help
« Reply #2701 on: August 02, 2020, 02:07:14 AM »
kollel stipend
Btw if it’s from Bmg then you don’t need to report the checks now since it’s being paid from the cares act account now.

Online skv

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Re: Unemployment Help
« Reply #2702 on: August 02, 2020, 03:10:06 AM »
How would it be non-reportable (from a legal standpoint)?

Not sure, but I think its considered a scholarship if that makes a difference.
In general they were telling people to stop collecting UI after a baby

Offline cgr

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Re: Unemployment Help
« Reply #2703 on: August 02, 2020, 04:01:07 AM »
Btw if it’s from Bmg then you don’t need to report the checks now since it’s being paid from the cares act account now.
How does that change anything? As far as I know Federal Work-Study definitely needs to be reported.

https://careertrend.com/can-you-still-receive-unemployment-benefits-if-youre-getting-financial-aid-work-study-12564623.html

Offline ae123

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Re: Unemployment Help
« Reply #2704 on: August 02, 2020, 07:49:31 AM »
they've also told people to certify a week after giving birth as "ready, willing, and able" so...
The people I know who were in this situation were told pretty strongly NOT to say they are ready, willing and able.

Offline ae123

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Re: Unemployment Help
« Reply #2705 on: August 02, 2020, 07:51:17 AM »
How would it be non-reportable (from a legal standpoint)?
No idea.
All the Lakewood accountants ask for that information while preparing your tax return.
Most of them even have the exact amount on their forms prepared and just ask you if you're receiving Kollel checks or not.

Online skv

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Re: Unemployment Help
« Reply #2706 on: August 02, 2020, 08:09:01 AM »
How does that change anything? As far as I know Federal Work-Study definitely needs to be reported.

https://careertrend.com/can-you-still-receive-unemployment-benefits-if-youre-getting-financial-aid-work-study-12564623.html

I have no idea, but kollel checks aren't work study. I don't know the legalities of it, I just know that I asked them and I was told that they are telling people not to report kollel checks.

Offline avrumy

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Re: Unemployment Help
« Reply #2707 on: August 02, 2020, 09:03:26 PM »
Scholarship (kolel checks) is not income on the state level , only on the federal level.  maybe that is why Lrrc is telling people not to report kolel checks to UI. 

Offline cgr

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Re: Unemployment Help
« Reply #2708 on: August 02, 2020, 09:06:38 PM »
Scholarship (kolel checks) is not income on the state level , only on the federal level.  maybe that is why Lrrc is telling people not to report kolel checks to UI.
My understanding is that most kolel checks are Work-Study, not scholarships. In general scholarships are applied against tuition, while Work-Study is payment for study or courses.
Of course individual yeshivas might have it structured differently.
From what I've seen BMG is (federal) Work-Study and not scholarships.

Offline avrumy

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Re: Unemployment Help
« Reply #2709 on: August 02, 2020, 09:44:48 PM »
BMG are scholarships. Those learning in kolel do not have tuition.  They are taxable on federal level and not state in NJ specifically.

Offline cgr

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Re: Unemployment Help
« Reply #2710 on: August 02, 2020, 09:50:34 PM »
BMG are scholarships. Those learning in kolel do not have tuition.  They are taxable on federal level and not state in NJ specifically.
I was told by several people who reached out to me that they receive Federal Work-Study from BMG. Perhaps they were mistaken? I distinctly remember seeing BMG on the CARES Act list of yeshivos who received funding to continue Work-Study funding even if the yeshiva was closed.

As a general rule you can't have a scholarship without tuition/room and board fees- scholarships are meant to assist or cover tuition/room and board.

Offline flyingace

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Re: Unemployment Help
« Reply #2711 on: August 02, 2020, 11:29:33 PM »
I was told by several people who reached out to me that they receive Federal Work-Study from BMG. Perhaps they were mistaken? I distinctly remember seeing BMG on the CARES Act list of yeshivos who received funding to continue Work-Study funding even if the yeshiva was closed.

As a general rule you can't have a scholarship without tuition/room and board fees- scholarships are meant to assist or cover tuition/room and board.
Maybe difference is between Kollel and single boys?

Offline lakewoodcouple

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Re: Unemployment Help
« Reply #2712 on: August 02, 2020, 11:46:54 PM »
I was told by several people who reached out to me that they receive Federal Work-Study from BMG. Perhaps they were mistaken? I distinctly remember seeing BMG on the CARES Act list of yeshivos who received funding to continue Work-Study funding even if the yeshiva was closed.

As a general rule you can't have a scholarship without tuition/room and board fees- scholarships are meant to assist or cover tuition/room and board.

I would just like to clarify a little bit because it seems that a few different things are being mixed into one.

Based on my conversation with BMG office, this is my understanding. Everybody attending BMG has an official tuition bill. Single students generally pay a portion of it, a portion of it is covered by grants if they are eligible, and if there is still a balance, that is covered by scholarships (basically, through money that was raised by the fundraisers or the Roshai HaYeshiva). Married students also have tuition bill (albeit lower because they are obviously not being charged for room and board), but they are not required to pay anything towards their tuition. If they're eligible for grants (most of them are no longer eligible), that covers a portion but the rest is covered as a scholarship by money that is fundraised.

Kollel checks are paid to married students as institutional scholarships. It is a little bit of a gray area but most accountants do say that you are required to report it on your tax return. You are required to report it to government programs as well but depending on the program (and this has varied over the years) some may not count it as income.

Students who are eligible to receive federal work study can earn it by doing various jobs (putting away seforim, helping record shiurim, making phone calls etc.). The amount of money that they receive is dependent on how many hours they work and is very similar to regular income.

For this zman some of the students Kollel checks are coming through the Cares Grant. Since it is a grant (as opposed to a scholarship) all accountants agree that it is not taxable. As far as government programs is concerned, it does have to be reported but as far as I understand the programs are less likely to count a grant as income then a scholarship.

I hope that cleared up some of the confusion.

Offline cgr

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Re: Unemployment Help
« Reply #2713 on: August 02, 2020, 11:55:54 PM »
I hope that cleared up some of the confusion.

Thanks for the detailed explanation!

Offline lakewoodcouple

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Re: Unemployment Help
« Reply #2714 on: August 03, 2020, 12:19:22 AM »
Btw if it’s from Bmg then you don’t need to report the checks now since it’s being paid from the cares act account now.

Just to follow up on what I posted above, the Cares Grant may not be counted as income but you probably still have to report it. Double check with the LRRC.

Also, not all Kollel checks are coming through the Cares Act Grant this zman. As a matter of fact the majority are not so make sure that your Kollel check says Cares Account on it before assuming that it is a grant. Only Title IV eligible students are able to get from the Cares grant which is basically anybody that does not have a masters degree (which already rules out anybody who is in BMG longer than 5 to 7 years), Is an American citizen and has a proper high school diploma.

Offline Abe100

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Re: Unemployment Help
« Reply #2715 on: August 03, 2020, 10:21:09 AM »
Someone  who goes back to work, but only gets paid parsonage, in NY, Will that disqualify him from getting UI benefits?

I assume it will. Just want to make sure

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Re: Unemployment Help
« Reply #2716 on: August 03, 2020, 10:28:07 AM »
Someone  who goes back to work, but only gets paid parsonage, in NY, Will that disqualify him from getting UI benefits?

I assume it will. Just want to make sure
does their parsonage get filled for taxes?

Online gozalim

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Re: Unemployment Help
« Reply #2717 on: August 03, 2020, 10:31:42 AM »
i know someone who was out walking a mile a few days after having a baby...
just to add some dimension to this discussion, this year we had mothers of newborns making pesach themselves, with no outside help, with house full of kids.
Pesach (and covid) didn't ask if they're "ready willing and able"

Offline cgr

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Re: Unemployment Help
« Reply #2718 on: August 03, 2020, 10:44:44 AM »
Someone  who goes back to work, but only gets paid parsonage, in NY, Will that disqualify him from getting UI benefits?

I assume it will. Just want to make sure
If they go back to regular pay/hours then they should stop certifying, but if they're not at "full-capacity" and the parsonage is less than $504/week they can continue certifying.

Offline deal12349

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Re: Unemployment Help
« Reply #2719 on: August 03, 2020, 12:10:18 PM »
NJ
I work from home for an employee in ny.
I applied the first week of May.
At the end of June I got thru to an agent who said I will get a callback in 2 weeks.
The next day it updated to filed with a wbr of $0
Called again 2 weeks ago and was supposed to get a call back in 2 weeks from a specialist but never did.
Just called again and they said I have a phone interview to verify combined ny wages on october 23 and there is no way to change this date.

Is the only option to wait till then?