Don’t get me started. It’s the most poorly managed government agency in the entire state.
Call, and call, and call, until you get ahold of someone. You have to call before 12:30 M-F, as they only answer phones for 4 hours a day. Expect them to tell you the computer system just crashed, so they cannot promise you that anything you have said or they have told you will be recorded in the system or acted upon. If you cannot understand them definitely ask to speak to a different agent and don’t be shy about why. Expect to be disconnected.
Seriously, it was the biggest headache of my life. It isn’t entirely true that they grant extensions if you enroll in school. You have to interview and be accepted, and they will call your teachers, which is embarrassing and imposing on your teachers. Request that interview AT LEAST a month before your benefits run out, and expect a lapse in payments if you do not, as they won’t interview you for a month after you request it and won’t issue a decision for a couple of weeks after. If you call, no one will have any idea what is going on with your account.
Yes, it’s 26 weeks. It’s a pain in the ass, and I’m so happy I got a job about 16 weeks in.
GOOD LUCK.