I was recently laid off, and wanted to go back to school. I first went to the unemployment office. I signed up, and they told me that not only could I collect while going to school, I didn’t have to actually go find a job for the duration.
Fast forward from August to three weeks later. My benefits are cancelled because I’m going to school and therefore have no free time to do work (not really true, but fine.) I check in, and my caseworker files an appeal for me based on the idea that my training program should not have been rejected.
My appeal was today. Now apparently, I find out she lied (or just spewed BS) to me and there’s no such option. Why there is not, I don’t know, since they apprently spring for Dentakl Tech positions and things which probably take longer than my benefits anyway. So they’re deciding whether or not 13 credit hours is too much.
I have no real expectation that anything will change or I’ll receive any benefits, so what now? Is ther anything I can do, or is “My caseworker lied to my face.” going to help? I would have changed my approach and maybe gone in a later semester and found something else in the meantime, or tried on of their approved programs had I known the difference.
I have done case work in the past, although not related to unemployment. If something that substantive, like “client will be pursuing X course of study and will therefore be eligible for benefits” gets said during a conversation with the client, that should go in the caseworker’s notes. You might want to escalate to have a supervisor review the notes from that meeting. Obviously not every place will have the same process, but in general there should be some record keeping.
In my experience, you typically do need to be available to work to collect UI. However, it’s not beyond belief that a state might make an exception for some people who enroll in training programs. That would be down to the specifics of a state’s program, though.
ETA: If the state only pays during approved courses of study, I expect they are unlikely to make an exception for even a documented caseworker mistake. Everyone’s mistakes aside, the taxpayers will only pay what they pay.
Good luck. I’ve fought for my rights a couple of times, and won, but it took months and studious paperwork and study of regulations. A royal waste of time, but I was too hungry to let it pass.
Alright I work for Unemployment although not in your state. Also I do not make decisions I am the one who processes the claims though.
The way it works in New Jersey is if you are unemployed through no fault of your own and the program you are in is considered a demand program. I would assume those on this list <pdfs> are demand fields but you should check with your closest career center
I know in New Jersey it’s not the unemployment agent who decides if youcan go to school but someone in Employment Services.
