6. UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS (UIB)

A. General

This section provides information on the UIB requirements in the GR Program.

B. Policy

All employable GR applicants who have been employed within the last 18 months preceding the initial application for GR shall be required to apply for UIB.

When determining the GR grant amount, the gross amount of UIB will be counted towards the GR budget. This includes situations in which an overpayment is being deducted from the UIB check.

C. Information on UIB

UIB is a program which provides income to eligible persons who are out of work. In general, eligible claimants applying in California, must have earned a minimum of $900 during a twelve month base period and must:

· not have quit his/her job without good cause;

· not have been fired for cause;

· be able and available for employment; and

· be seeking employment.

Central EDD inputs information on an automated data file. The file is updated regularly and is the source for information provided on the Claimant Abstract. The same WBA will be generally paid for each week of unemployment throughout the duration of the award. However, adjustments may be made to the WBA due to recomputation of the award. Such adjustments will occur if wages in excess of $25 are reported, if SDI eligibility occurs, or if other internal adjustments are necessary. If the claimant’s work history is known, UIB may be accurately estimated using the UIB Informational Pamphlet available in each FRC and EDD Office. The WBA is reduced if the claimant receives a pension, retirement, or annuity. The reduction is on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

GRPG Letter 65 (6/11)

D. Procedure

Workers must take the actions in the table below to determine if an applicant/recipient must apply for UIB.

Step	Action
Pre-application	Evaluate applications to determine if the applicant is employable and if the applicant has been employed within the preceding 18 months. If it is determined that the applicant is employable and has worked within the past 18 months, the pre-application worker shall inform the applicant that he/she must call the EDD at (619) 265-0036 in order to file an UIB claim and bring proof of the claim to the intake appointment.
Intake	Evaluate applications to determine if the applicant is employable and if the applicant has been employed within the preceding 18 months. If the applicant meets the criteria, the worker shall request proof that the applicant has filed a UIB claim. Failure to provide verification will result in the denial of aid.
Granted	Review the Monthly Eligibility Report (CW 7) each month to determine if the recipient has terminated employment. If the recipient terminates employment and is eligible to continue receiving GR, the worker shall inform the recipient that he/she must apply for UIB. Failure to provide verification will result in the discontinuance of aid.

E. EDD Telephone Claim Filing

EDD expects to process San Diego area claims with callers having to wait in a phone queue between one and five minutes. However, claimants will only spend 10 to 20 minutes at the most in completing a telephone claim. Claimants will be told whether or not they have a “valid claim” (i.e., sufficient money in a claim to collect benefits) while they are on the phone with an interviewer. A DE-429 Notice of Award will be generated for each claimant and usually mailed the same day. The Notice of Award will show if there is a dollar benefit available in the claim. Claimants will receive their Notices within two or three days. Notices of Award must be received through the mail. Notice cannot be picked up from an EDD office site. It will not be possible for applicants to receive a Notice at a FRC or FRC Post Office Box. A final determination for UIB eligibility is made by EDD in three weeks after a fact finding process has taken place and benefits are claimed by the applicant. (See J, below for Interstate claims.)

F. Preapplica-tion/Intake

Applicants will be instructed to call (619) 265-0036 in order to file a telephone claim. There is no EDD toll-free number for information or for claim filing. Claimants must call EDD at their own expense. Applicants will be told that they will receive a Notice of Award in the mail and that they must provide the Notice to their worker. These instructions must be given to new applicants as early as possible in the intake process.

G. Homeless Applicants

Homeless claimants must be able to provide a mailing address to EDD when filing a telephone claim. The address must be one at which the claimant can receive UIB checks if they have a benefit entitlement. Because of the potential for receiving a claimant’s UIB checks, FRCs will not serve as a mail distribution center for homeless applicants/ recipients. Receptionists or workers will therefore inform homeless applicants/recipients of the need to obtain a mailing address when referring them to file a UIB claim. The address can be any one in which the claimant can receive mail, whether a friend’s address, a shelter address, or a private P.O. box.

H. Routine Requests for Verification

Both intake and granted workers will obtain all routine, non-immediate need requests for UIB verifications from the applicant/recipient. Workers will instruct applicants/recipients to call (619) 265-0036 and request that a Notice of Award or a printout of their payment history be mailed to them. Applicants/recipients will then mail the verification to their worker. Workers will treat applicant/recipient failure to obtain or forward required documentation as any other “failure to provide essential information.” Workers will deny or discontinue the individual claimant, or the entire case if appropriate, when the claimant fails to provide requested UIB verifications.

I. Emergency Requests for Verification

Verification of UIB claims and benefit entitlement will be obtained by fax on an emergency basis when the following criteria are met:

· an applicant has filed for UIB and states that he/she has completed a phone filing, but does not have a Notice of Award; and

· is otherwise eligible to receive an initial grant payment; or

· is an applicant or recipient and is currently homeless.

A standardized form (Appendix A) will be used for fax requests to EDD for applicants who must be processed for an immediate need payment. A separate box is to be checked for interstate claims. Unless the box is checked, EDD will only look for California UIB claim information.

Requests for information other than that provided by the DE-429, Notice of Award, are not a part of immediate need application processing and will not be made by fax.

J. Extended Un-employment Insurance Benefits

During periods of high unemployment, California has a special program for claimants whose regular benefits have been exhausted. This is the California Extended Duration (Cal-Ed) Program. The Federal Government has a similar program of extended benefits known as Federal Extended Benefits (Fed-Ed). The maximum amount of an ED claim is 50 percent of the original (parent) claim. The WBA amount remains the same as the parent claim.

“FED” stamped in red in the center portion of the UIB identification booklet means the person has received his extended benefit. “EME” stamped in this portion of the booklet means the person has received the extension of the extension. The worker should refer clients to EDD to pursue further benefits if they received UIB within the past 12 months, and FED and EME is not stamped on the booklet.

In order to expedite the new claim, the wage earner should be instructed to take his expired handbook with him and to report to the same office where he had his most recent claim. If he has since moved to another area, he should apply at the office serving the area where he now resides. It takes approximately two weeks to process each claim. There are not requirements to serve a waiting week, and payment will be made for the effective date of the claim.

If at any time the wage earner becomes eligible to regular UIB, EDD will terminate the Extended Unemployment Insurance claim and require the claimant to file a new claim for UIB.

K. Trade Adjustment Allowance

Trade Adjustment Allowance (TAA) is a variation of UIB which covers employees of selected companies adversely affected by imported products. Upon certification to TAA, and “impact date” is established for the company. Employees laid off on that date, or a date within a specified time period thereafter, are eligible. Benefits are mailed from Sacramento, either weekly or bi-weekly. Eligibility usually lasts 52 weeks and maximum benefits are $190 per week with an average of $60 per week. Any UIB received by the individual in the same week is deducted from TAA benefits. TAA benefits are treated in the same manner as UIB.

No form is available for use in verifying these benefits. However, verification can be obtained by writing to:

Manager, Manpower Payment Training Unit #850

Employment Development Department

MIC 48

800 Capitol Mall

Sacramento, CA 95814

Workers must specify the following information:

· The person’s name and SSN.

· The petition number and name of company. The worker is to request the payment history, current status, and number of remaining weeks of eligibility.

L. Interstate Claims

The Interstate Benefit Payment Plan allows a person residing in one state (the agent state) to claim benefits from another state (liable state) if he/she earned wages covered by Unemployment Compensation in the liable state. These claims are called Interstate Claims. Interstate Claims are filed through the local EDD office, but benefits are paid in approximately eight weeks by the liable state. Verification of benefit amounts can be obtained by writing the employment office in the other state (Appendix B), or by calling the San Diego EDD office at (619) 265-0036.

M. Verification

Verify when:

· benefits are initially reported by the applicant/recipient;

· there are changes in the amount/dates of benefits reported;

· there are reasons to believe a claim has been filed or benefits are being received, which have not been reported;

· a claim has been filed but no determination has yet been made, or the claim was denied; or

· a year has elapsed for Employables.

How to verify:

· documents in the applicant’s/recipient’s possession which verify receipt or non-receipt of benefits through a denial or reduction statement;

· form DE 429;

· form DE 2707, Emergency Requests for Verification of UIB;

· EDD Real-Time; or

· IEVS is used to verify the information provided by the applicant/ recipient. IEVS information received from EDD can be considered verified upon receipt.

GRPG Letter 65 (6/11)