DEO asking for PUA documentation - confused about which 'Claim Effective Date' to use

The 'Claim Effective Date' they're asking about is the date of your NEW claim application, not your original UI claim. When you apply for additional benefits after exhausting regular benefits, that creates a completely new claim with its own effective date in the system. You'll need to provide documentation covering the period before this new claim date. The documentation requirements changed in 2023, and now you need to submit proof within 21 days or risk having to pay everything back. I went through this in February.

i had the same issue last month!! the DEO is TERRIBLE at explaining anything. they want docs from before ur new claim not the old one. btw make sure u submit EVERYTHING u have bc they denied my friend who only sent in 1 paystub

It's definitely the date of your new claim application, not your original UI claim date. I dealt with this confusion back in January. DEO's wording is incredibly unclear! When you applied for the additional benefits after exhausting regular benefits, that new application date is your "Claim Effective Date" for documentation purposes. For income verification, you should submit: 2024 tax returns (full return, not just W-2), any 1099s from the qualifying period, and if you were self-employed, profit/loss statements. Upload everything through your CONNECT portal under "Document Upload" and select "Income Verification" as the document type. Keep in mind that DEO is extremely slow processing these documents. Mine took 5 weeks to be reviewed even though the portal showed "received." I'd suggest following up after 2 weeks by calling them directly.

Omg DEO and their confusing terminology. When i went thru this they wanted my NEW claim date docs but the lady on phone told me wrong info and i had to appeal when they denied me. so frustrating!!! double check everything

I HATE how the DEO intentionally makes everything confusing!! They're HOPING you'll submit the wrong documents so they can DENY your claim and save money. This happened to me - I sent docs from my original claim period and they denied me saying I used the wrong date range. Had to appeal and wait 9 MORE WEEKS for benefits. The system is RIGGED against us!!

Just to clarify a couple things based on recent changes: 1. For 2025 claims, the documentation requirements are stricter than before. You need to show income from all quarters they're using for your calculation. 2. The CONNECT system now has a "Documentation Status" tracker under the "Determination Status" section where you can see if they've received and processed your uploads. 3. If your documents are rejected for any reason, you'll get a fact-finding notice within 48 hours in your CONNECT inbox. Also, make sure you're continuing to submit your work search requirements (5 per week) while waiting for this to be resolved, even if payments aren't coming through yet.

btw when you upload stuff make sure the files arent too big!!! my friend had his docs rejected cuz the pdf was over 4mb and the system didnt even tell him there was a problem!

I work at a career center and help people with these issues daily. Here's what you need to know: 1. For 2025 documentation requirements, they're specifically asking for proof related to your NEW claim date. 2. The documents need to cover your "base period" - which is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before your NEW claim. 3. Acceptable documents include: tax returns, W-2s, 1099s, pay stubs showing YTD earnings, and employer-issued earnings statements. 4. Bank statements alone are NOT sufficient unless they clearly show the source of deposits as wages. 5. If you're missing documentation, a signed affidavit from your employer on company letterhead can sometimes work. Hope this helps clarify things!

Been through this nightmare TWICE now. Even when you submit the right docs they sometimes claim they never received them! ALWAYS take screenshots of your confirmation screens and note down confirmation numbers. The DEO "loses" documentation all the time and then blames claimants!!