Retro pay and unemployment benefit amount

[cosmic_me]

Thank you

[lhssprovider7]

Cosmic_me, I read your post from last october and was wondering if you are still active on this board. I am so incredibly sorry for your loss and for the nightmare you went through. In fact what i read makes nightmares seem like a walk in the park...people can be so unsympathetic and cruel. The callousness of people is hard to believe let alone understand. I just
lost my mom and have had some terrible experinces myself. Im still trying to sort all of this out. Like you did for your mom I had quit
my job and to dedicate all of my time to her
care 24/7...it was a priveldge for me.....but
the system can be so frustrating and difficult.
I completely understand how very frustating it can get. My problem is now i dont know if I qualify for unemployment and I really need to talk to someone like you who has been through things like me.....please email me at [email]xfigures@aol.com[/email] if you can....I dont know if I will find my way back to this forum again, im not very good that way...I hope to hear from you soon.

[Jlkph7702]

I just received my first unemployment check. I had thought I would have gotten a retroactive check first. Will the retroactive check come later?

[Ariadne22]

Originally Posted by Jlkph7702

I just received my first unemployment check. I had thought I would have gotten a retroactive check first. Will the retroactive check come later?

No one can answer this unless you provide more information on what retro, exactly, you are talking about. We need to know:

1. What state is paying your benefits?
2. When did you first file for benefits?
3. When were you first paid?
4. Why weren't you paid for the weeks for which you are expecting retro pay?

[noriet]

After 20 years, yes 20 years, of caring for my disabled son, since 1994, he died unexpectedly, not from his condition, but from an accident, and I'm reeling. I thought to apply for Unemployment since I took care of him 24/7 and need to regroup, and try to find a job. But need the finances now to pay rent.

I understand, I believe, you cannot claim unemployment in California if you took care of a spouse or child. But I think I'm eligible if I was taking care of an adult son.

Would that be under the California Unemployment Insurance Code 621-623? Could someone help me with regards to dealing with the Public Authority supervisor that says, "no way".? Thank you

[Ariadne22]

Originally Posted by noriet

After 20 years, yes 20 years, of caring for my disabled son, since 1994, he died unexpectedly, not from his condition, but from an accident, and I'm reeling. I thought to apply for Unemployment since I took care of him 24/7 and need to regroup, and try to find a job. But need the finances now to pay rent.

I understand, I believe, you cannot claim unemployment in California if you took care of a spouse or child.

But I think I'm eligible if I was taking care of an adult son.

Would that be under the California Unemployment Insurance Code 621-623? Could someone help me with regards to dealing with the Public Authority supervisor that says, "no way".? Thank you

My sincere condolences on your loss.

Some states do pay relatives under a different program (not unemployment) to care for disabled family members. You may have been paid under that program all these years.

Unemployment benefits are only granted on the basis of eligible earnings in your current base period. If you - or anyone - applied now, you would need to show W-2 wages of at least $1,300 in one quarter, or earnings of $900 in one quarter, with total earnings of $1,125, in the base period July 2013-June 2014.

Since you've been 'unemployed' for 20 years, there is absolutely no way you qualify for unemployment benefits in ANY state - unless the wages you were paid for caregiving for the past 20 years can be considered eligible wages.

• What entity paid you for this caregiving?
• Was FICA withheld from these wages?
• Did that entity pay UI and SDI tax on these wages?
• Did you report this income on your federal and state tax returns?

If you can answer 'yes' to all of the above, then you may very well have wages on which to base a claim. In that case, apply for CA unemployment benefits online and see where it goes. "Public Authority" may very well be wrong.

Otherwise, I imagine you are quite familiar w/CA's social safety nets, but you might review the link below - and set up an appointment with your Social Services people to see which benefits might be applicable in your current situation.

http://edd.ca.gov/pdf/Assistance_for...lifornians.pdf

Good luck.

[Zebralady75]

Retro pay is not considered wages...I know I am yearrrrs late on this issue but it is still interesting. All you had to do was google retro pay vs. pay or retro pay vs. back wages...there is clearly a DIFFERENCE...and unemployment can not say you are committing a fraud against money that was already alloted to you from past pay...it is not new pay it is just the difference of past pay. In addition, the figures that you used to apply for unemployment benefits were reported you are just receiving the difference of that money.

P.S I am so sorry to hear about your mom and totally sorry and stunned that people would be so cold and cruel to your story even though they had to read a bit more...where is the compassion!???

[Chyvan]

Originally Posted by Zebralady75

Retro pay is not considered wages

You don't know what you're talking about.

Retro pay IS wages. The issue was: are the wages allocated to the period they were earned? The answer is that under most situations: no. The date on the check controls to which quarter the wages are allocated.

Originally Posted by cosmic_me

Believe it or not my first paycheck came in Sept. it was for April thru Aug of 2011.

She was concerned because she received, 4 months of earnings in one check that inflated the wages for the July to Sept quarter, that upped her benefits.

There is no "retro" pay issue here. It's all settled by the date ON the check.