I am asking for a friend, NOT MYSELF. Thank God I have never been unemployed. My good friend needs to know what to expect. A company she used to work for is auditing her because they suspect she received benefits after finding full time work, which she did. What is this process like and what should she expect and what is the worse that could happen? She shouldn't have done this and she knows, but she was unemployed for about 14 months and didn't feel secure for a while. Not excusable but there is a reason. Thank you so much for the answers. Peace.
2006-07-31 11:58:56 · 4 answers · asked by Sleek 7 in Business & Finance ➔ Careers & Employment
Yes, I went through this a few years back and it was a nightmare. I was on unemployment after being laid off from my job at a factory, and I took a part-time sales job. I reported all the income I earned each week, so everything was legitimate. After 3 months or so, I called the service center to ask a question, and as a result my case was brought under scrutiny by an unemployment examiner. They determined that I was employed full-time, because it was a sales job and there were no direct limitations on the number of hours I could work (though there were a number of other limitations, but the legal statute didn't make any allowances for that). The examiner ruled that I had wrongly collected unemployment benefits and had to pay them back. However, in my case it was not considered fraud because I didn't lie or hide any info.
I appealed the ruling to a Referee, who upheld the examiner's decision. I appealed again to the Unemployment Board of Review, who also upheld the ruling. My only recourse at that point was to hire an attorney and appeal to the court system, and the lawyer I spoke to told me my chances of success were slim to none. In the end I had to repay $4000 of unemployment benefits with interest.
In Pennsylvania, if you are caught fraudulently collecting unemployment benefits, you have to pay back twice as much as you collected. Plus, if you collected more than 8 weeks' worth of benefits they automatically file criminal charges. The charges will depend on the circumstances and on exactly how much you stole. Obviously this varies from state to state.
2006-08-01 12:55:16 · answer #1 · answered by I Know Nuttin 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Ok, the first guy was a bit overboard w/his answer! It's not great, but not nearly that bad! First of all, every state runs differently. What most likely will happen, is she will have to pay the money back plus fines. Any homeowners rebate, other unemployment claim or state tax return will be used to take the money back. Fines are usually paid seperately. In general, thats the worst of it. She is not likely going to jail...
2006-07-31 19:10:18 · answer #2 · answered by scarlettrhett 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because your friend stole government money, she can expect to be charged with a felony, taken to court and tried, found guilty, and sentenced to prison and to pay the money back.
I try to keep thieves out of my friends circle.
2006-07-31 19:02:30 · answer #3 · answered by Stuart 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
She's in big trouble!
2006-07-31 19:09:20 · answer #4 · answered by newyorkgal71 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋