Help Wanted: Tangled in unemployment dilemma

DEAR CARRIE: I am writing on behalf of a relative who was recently laid off from his full-time job. He filed for unemployment insurance when he was laid off from a part-time job in March. He collected four weeks of unemployment checks and then landed a full-time job. He worked in that job from April to November of last year.

After this recent layoff he went online to file a new unemployment claim. When he entered his Social Security number and PIN, he received a message that said he would receive a form to update his employment information because of a break in his claim. He filled it out and sent it back. In the meantime, despite certifying weekly that he is unemployed, his benefit rate is still based on his part-time employment.

He tried to call the unemployment customer call center from the state Labor Department's website to find out how to have the benefit amount adjusted to reflect the money he earned with his most recent employer. But he could not reach a person. We sent a letter to the Department of Labor with this information but have not heard back.

Should he follow any other procedures to get the rate adjusted? Or should he just wait and see if the agency sends him anything regarding the salary he earned while working full-time?

-Shorted Benefit?DEAR SHORTED: Unless his "benefit year" is about to expire, your relative can expect to continue receiving the same amount. In the universe of unemployment benefits, a benefit year is key. It is essentially the 52-week period that began after he filed his initial claim.

Here is what the Labor Department says:

"When the claim was filed in March 2010, a valid claim was established with a benefit rate and year. The claim is good for one year to receive the equivalent of 26 weeks within the 52-week benefit year ending date. Subsequent employment cannot be considered as a valid claim as the year was already established. Upon the [benefit year ending] date, if [he is] still unemployed, a new claim would be filed to determine eligibility based on possible prior unused and new wage credits.

"The rate is locked in for the duration of the claim. New employment, whether higher or lower than previous, has no effect as a valid claim is in existence. That explains why the benefit rate has not changed.

"As for calling the [Telephone Claims Center], he should call 888-209-8124 and follow the voice prompts until he hears 'for all other questions, press 4,' which puts him in a queue to speak to a rep. We also have an [unemployment benefits] Will Call service, which allows callers to schedule a day and time for a call back - very useful when the lines are busy."

DEAR CARRIE:I worked for a company with a profit-sharing plan. I haven't been able to get any information about where my money is. Can you help me? - Where's the Profit?DEAR WHERE'S: The Employee Benefits Security Administration, which has jurisdiction over private-sector companies' profit-sharing, 401(k), money-purchase and employee-stock ownership plans, is the place to start. The toll-free number to reach a benefit adviser there is 866-444-3272. You should be prepared to provide the name and location of the company sponsoring the profit-sharing and information from your latest account statement, an EBSA spokeswoman said.For more on unemployment benefits go to: labor.ny.gov/ui/claimantinfo/beforeyouapplyfaq.shtm.

For more on retirement plans and EBSA go to dol.gov/ebsa/consumer_info_pension.html