unfiled claims for 3 weeks

[skmom]

OH- I did not file for unemployment for 4 weeks. Typicaly I file for them every other week as a way of making sure I do not overspend my money. But then I started having major computer problems.
I was able to continue to look for work by sending out resumes, asking friends to drop off resumes,becasue at the same time I was having car problems.
I begged someone to come over to fix my computer and they did last night
Now I cannot file at all because of the 21 day cut off.

Do I have any recourse? Is there going to be a way to restart this claim?
After reading through the site, I realized they drop the claim after 21 days

 

[Beth3]

If your State is similar to mine, you could have filed your weekly UC claims via the phone or even in person. Not everyone has a home PC and I seriously doubt Ohio mandates that UC claims must be filed via a computer.

You can file for a hearing with the State on the denial of your claim but I wouldn't hold my breath on the State reversing the decision. You might also try to open a new claim and see if that would work.

 

[commentator]

You will always have the right to file again asking to re-open the claim. The claim is in place for one year from the date of filing. There is no disqualifying reason that you cannot get it re-opened. (As long as you now have transportation!) However, what you have done is lose those weeks you failed to certify for. You will not be paid for those weeks unless they do what is called "approve a backdating of your claim." Usually this is done ONLY if there is a very compelling reason why you were unable to certify yet you were still eligible.

And frankly, you don't have a very good excuse for why you didn't file for them. All you have to do to get paid is manage to file for weeks of benefits. You could have gone to the local library or the local Career Services office and used the computer. You could have used the telephone system in your state. You could have mailed in claim forms, in fact! If you don't have transportation to anywhere else to apply for weeks when your computer is down, you weren't able and available for work anyway and were being very honest and correct in not filing claims for those weeks.

If you are re-opened but not backdated, you will still receive the same amount of money in your claim, the claim contains a set amount of money. But you get nada for those weeks you failed to certify. Your claim will be re-opened, and you will begin getting paid again after you certify for the first week after your claim is re-opened. Eventually, if you keep drawing until you have gotten all the unemployment out of this claim, you'll have gotten the same amount of money, it just took you twenty nine weeks instead of twenty six, see?

They could hardly make it much simpler to file for weeks of benefits. If you don't do it, you don't get money.