What Is a Pending Issue of Unemployment?

Unemployment benefits are money designed to help people who are out of work through no fault of their own. Sometimes those who have applied for unemployment or who are receiving benefits get a notice from the unemployment office that notes there is a "pending issue." This can mean that the person who needs unemployment doesn't get it, at least temporarily. However, unemployment recipients can fix the problems fairly simply in many cases.

A pending issue of unemployment is a problem unemployment representatives have found with your unemployment eligibility. Pending issues can vary because regulations for unemployment eligibility vary by state, but they always mean that the unemployment office is not sure it should pay your benefits to you.

Pending issues of unemployment fall into two basic categories.

The first is separation, which refers to the separation between you and your previous employer – that is, why you left your job. In all states, you can only collect employment if you left your job through no fault of your own.

The second category is non-separation. This is a catch-all category that deals with all other issues of eligibility, such as not registering for work training as required, having an invalid Social Security number listed or not reporting all income sources.

Pending issues of unemployment often happen simply because unemployment applicants and beneficiaries are not completely familiar with unemployment regulations. Sometimes they happen because the applicant or beneficiary simply misses a deadline or can't get in touch with the unemployment office when the representatives need information.

The best ways to prevent pending issues of unemployment thus are to review the regulations applicable in your state thoroughly and to use various tools like calendar alerts and organizational planning to stay on schedule.

Rectifying a pending issue of unemployment can be fairly simple. Generally, all you need to do is submit paperwork or other documentation that gets your unemployment account into compliance with regulations, provided you can show that your mistake was unintentional. Sometimes, a representative can clear up misunderstandings with a simple phone call, as well.

You may have to defend your right to benefits in formal hearings with the unemployment office, however. In the worst-case scenario, you may have to hire an attorney and sue to resolve the issue and get your benefits.

When you have a pending issue of unemployment, the unemployment representatives aren't sure whether you should get unemployment money. The general policy thus is to halt your payments until you and the representatives straighten out the issue. This may put a serious pinch on your budget, but it doesn't mean you won't ever get your money.

If you can resolve the problem and continue to certify your eligibility until a decision is made, the unemployment office will issue back payments to you that make up for the weeks where you weren't paid, assuming the result of the issue investigation is favorable.