Blogger Denied Benefits Because of Ad Revenue

[JMcEntegart]

An out of work lawyer in New York has had her benefits revoked because her blog (which has so far earned her just under $240 in the months it's been online) is seen as a business/income.

Blogger Denied Benefits Because of Ad Revenue : Read more

 

[zerapio]

If she can spend it then it IS income. Whether she has to report the hours that she spends updating it or if the money that she earns affects her benefits that's another subject. It seems the DOL needs to update its policies to catch up with times.

 

[blarneypete]

Here's the thing that makes me upset.

She's been laid off for six months and she can't find a job in that time because she's looking for a paralegal job.

I have a problem with her receiving my dollars when she spends six months "looking for a job". Go flip burgers or something! Go earn SOME money while seeking out that specific job type you really want. But do SOMETHING, don't just sit on your fat ass holding out for a job that may never happen. If you have time to blog, and blog well enough to get enough ad impressions to earn $40/month blogging, you damn well have enough time to ring up my cup of coffee at a convenience store.

 

[hellwig]

Income is defined as "the monetary payment received for goods or services, or from other sources, as rents or investments", so yes.

However, she should have gone to H&R Block, or read up more on tax laws before she blindly put down $100 as taxable income. There are minimum amounts before income from a single source is considered taxable. There should even be free tax consultation services for people who can't afford H&R Block.

She may not be a tax lawyer, but she never had to take a tax law course? Is she actually bar-certified, or is this why she can't find a job?

 

[Platypus]

[citation][nom]hellwig[/nom]There should even be free tax consultation services for people who can't afford H&R Block.[/citation]That is what ACORN is for. Tax dollars sent to them can tell you how to turn that $100 Google check into a down payment on your own brothel.

And I have to agree with Blarneypete. There should be some way to get these people some kind of work, and if they refuse because they're just too good to flip burgers, then they must be too good to receive unemployment benefits.

As an added bonus, I've heard plenty of stories about grocery store workers, fast food workers, etc, who will intentionally try to get fired. If they get fired, it's much easier to get unemployment benefits. So you take a couple of months of unemployment, then work at a grocery store for a few days until the guy fires you, and then you go back on the free stuff for another two months.

Just rip off the bandaid. It'll make us both feel better.

 

[ryanegeiger]

It's just a shame she got 'punished' for trying to be honest about what she's making. If she'd have kept quiet, the amount of money wouldn't have even shown up on the radar. I'd be more inclined to be upset if she was receiving full UE benefits AND making extra money on 'the side'. Investigate it sure, but don't cut off someone's ability to eat/live just because you're "not sure."

 

[-unknown-]

[citation][nom]blarneypete[/nom]Here's the thing that makes me upset.She's been laid off for six months and she can't find a job in that time because she's looking for a paralegal job.I have a problem with her receiving my dollars when she spends six months "looking for a job". Go flip burgers or something! Go earn SOME money while seeking out that specific job type you really want. But do SOMETHING, don't just sit on your fat ass holding out for a job that may never happen. If you have time to blog, and blog well enough to get enough ad impressions to earn $40/month blogging, you damn well have enough time to ring up my cup of coffee at a convenience store.[/citation]
[citation][nom]Platypus[/nom]...There should be some way to get these people some kind of work, and if they refuse because they're just too good to flip burgers, then they must be too good to receive unemployment benefits.As an added bonus, I've heard plenty of stories about grocery store workers, fast food workers, etc, who will intentionally try to get fired. If they get fired, it's much easier to get unemployment benefits. So you take a couple of months of unemployment, then work at a grocery store for a few days until the guy fires you, and then you go back on the free stuff for another two months.Just rip off the bandaid. It'll make us both feel better.[/citation]
So let me get this straight, professionals shouldn't get Unemployment Benefits since they should just pick up any job they find, and non-professionals shouldn't get Unemployment Benefits because some people tend to abuse the system by purposely getting fired so they get the benefits... so who should get Unemployment Benefits?

 

[the_krasno]

You can't live with so little money, cut the girl some slack! But now that I think of it, she IS a lawyer.
I'm torn between my sympathy for the economic troubled people and my hatred of lawyers.

 

[warezme]

government institutions are generally Blind and Stupid. They will either blindly and stupidly ignore people they shouldn't or blindly and stupidly attack those they should not. That is their M O .

 

[Platypus]

[citation][nom]-unknown-[/nom]So let me get this straight, professionals shouldn't get Unemployment Benefits since they should just pick up any job they find[/citation]Would you feel sorry for someone who died of starvation because they only wanted steak and refused to eat the meatloaf sitting in front of them?

[citation][nom]-unknown-[/nom]so who should get Unemployment Benefits?[/citation]I'd compare it to car insurance. What if we didn't have car insurance, but instead had a small tax increase to cover everyone else's accidents, no matter what their skill was or what they were driving? I reckon people wouldn't care so much about running into each other or being a leech on the others around them. For the folks in the crappier vehicles, there is very little incentive to try your best. If you total your car, you get a new one provided by our taxes.

Now I ask you: Do you think this sounds like a good program for everyone, or should we go back to having people pay for their own insurance and having an incentive to do well?

 

[davehcyj]

It is income -- I mean it wouldn't be fair to treat her the same as people with truly no income.

At the same time though it isn't really fair to take away all benefits from her. I mean that would be kind of silly to say "we're taking away your $400 unless you give up your $100 job". You don't want to incentivize people to stop working...

 

[Guest]

@blarneypete: you're a moron. And you're obviously a low wage wannabe techie who hates on people who have higher earning power than you do. Maybe becuase you think you deserve to make more money...whatever. Quit whinning....I think maybe you should start pissing standing up; that way, maybe you would at least start LOOKING like a man.

When people pay their dues by putting long hours in university/professional work, they're NOT going to go back to high school work, especially if it takes them away from preparing for long and grueling interviews. Yes, professional interviews last in the HOURS, not minutes.

Nut up or shut up. nuff said.

 

[asgallant]

[citation][nom]blarneypete[/nom]I have a problem with her receiving my dollars when she spends six months "looking for a job". Go flip burgers or something! Go earn SOME money while seeking out that specific job type you really want. But do SOMETHING, don't just sit on your fat ass holding out for a job that may never happen. If you have time to blog, and blog well enough to get enough ad impressions to earn $40/month blogging, you damn well have enough time to ring up my cup of coffee at a convenience store.[/citation]

Apparently you have never been unemployed in a recession. As one of the currently unemployed (I'm now in my 10th month of unemployment), allow me to educate you on the problem here: 1) where I live, there are few open jobs of the "burger flipping" type available anyway, and those go immigrants, high school students, and people who have no skills. McDonald's doesn't want to hire me even if they had a job open - I'm *way* too overqualified. 2) Looking for work is a full time job in and of itself, you just don't get paid for it. I spend at least 8 hours a day scouring sources for work, and I consider myself lucky if I find even one single job opening I am qualified for. If I had a burger flipping job, I couldn't conduct my job search to anywhere near the same level of detail.

 

[Montezuma]

[citation][nom]blarneypete[/nom]Here's the thing that makes me upset.She's been laid off for six months and she can't find a job in that time because she's looking for a paralegal job.I have a problem with her receiving my dollars when she spends six months "looking for a job". Go flip burgers or something! Go earn SOME money while seeking out that specific job type you really want. But do SOMETHING, don't just sit on your fat ass holding out for a job that may never happen. If you have time to blog, and blog well enough to get enough ad impressions to earn $40/month blogging, you damn well have enough time to ring up my cup of coffee at a convenience store.[/citation]


Listen, you fucking retard, as I am only going to say this once; when you have spent as much time, as this Karen has, in school, you do not "go flip hamburgers". If she wanted to reduce herself to such a thing, there are many fast food restaurants, along with many other "stupid people" jobs that will look past her resume.

You do not put someone with intelligence and good work ethic into a shit job that all the morons in this world can do. Yeah, I might sound like a prick or a snob, but I refuse to waste my intelligence and hard work on a shit job. I also see no problem with this woman getting unemployment. She paid her taxes, and probably paid more in a month than you do in a year.

If I have paid a shit ton in taxes, then I expect to be able to live on the government when I fall on hard times. When I find a job to replace the one I lost, then that expectation goes away.

Why should I have to pay for lazy assholes to sit on their ass all day, doing the same thing they have their entire life(nothing), then listen to idiots, like yourself, tell me that I cannot reap some of the money I put into the pot?

 

[fatedtodie]

"Apparently you have never been unemployed in a recession. As one of the currently unemployed (I'm now in my 10th month of unemployment), allow me to educate you on the problem here"

I have been unemployed during this recession and I couldn't find a job in my local area. Did I take benefits for being out of work? nope I opened my options nationally found a job in 3 days.

Do i feel sympathy for people that can't do that or don't have skills? nope.

 

[IndyColts99]

Judging by the comments on here, I can tell a lot of you have never been on unemployment.

As far as unemployment benefits "coming out" of working peoples pockets, um, no. It's unemployment insurance that the employer pays, at least that's the way it is in Florida, where I am in my 9th month of collecting benefits.

As far as the lady in the story turning in the check - STUPID. Noble and honest maybe, but stupid. Should of just cashed it and kept it to herself, and no one would of been none the wiser.I figured it out long ago, once you have your payments set up and are collecting, DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING. Don't change banks if you get direct deposit, don't change addresses, don't change submit dates, don't change ANYTHING.

Nice and/or honest guys(gals) finish last.

 

[Platypus]

[citation][nom]asgallant[/nom]Apparently you have never been unemployed in a recession. As one of the currently unemployed (I'm now in my 10th month of unemployment), allow me to educate you on the problem here: ...Looking for work is a full time job in and of itself, you just don't get paid for it. I spend at least 8 hours a day scouring sources for work, and I consider myself lucky if I find even one single job opening I am qualified for. If I had a burger flipping job, I couldn't conduct my job search to anywhere near the same level of detail.[/citation]Nor could you waste time posting on Toms Hardware and other sites. I suppose you didn't get any good leads today either. It must just be a string of bad luck. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

PS: Please don't cry on the forums (not directed at anyone in particular). We are interested in hearing your side of the discussion, but we don't need pity-parties based on how long you've been unemployed or how hard it is to find a high-paying job. If your current strategies aren't working, then maybe it's time to adapt.

 

[Guest]

It's as much an income,as when I'd earn $50 for helping out a friend fix his toilet!

Our bank account got closed by Bank of America, not because we had debt, but because we did not have any income coming into the account for 1 month!!!
How's that for American 'justice'?

 

[Guest]

Go figure the government like insurance companies doesn't want to pay. They should pay her the difference. But good old Government sharks who want to take and take and take and never return anything found a loophole not to pay that's nothing new. I would close the blog and take their 405 or your 405 you already paid for this with your taxes.

 

[jellico]

Wow, a government bureaucracy that can't figure out how to implement/enforce its own policies? NO! And these people to run health care?! HELL NO!