Unemployment Nightmare Happens

To The Editor:
I retired from the Philadelphia Fire Department after 30 years in April 2004. Prior to my service as a firefighter, I served honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps. When retired my wife and I moved to North Cape May.
For me, helping other people comes much easier than ever asking help for myself. That being said, I really need help. That’s why I’m writing this letter.
After four years, I took a part-time job working as a maintenance man for the Diocesan Housing Services Corp., which is an entity of the Camden Diocese. Two years later, in March 2010, I was laid off due to a change in my working conditions that I was not able to accept for personal family reasons.
I collected unemployment compensation until the end of October 2011, at which time I was informed that my claim was ineligible because my employer is a non-profit religious organization and therefore exempt from paying unemployment compensation tax. The amount I’m told I owe the state is $19,295.
I filed an appeal with the appeal tribunal and had a phone hearing on March 13. I produced my pay stubs that prove unemployment compensation tax was deducted from my pay. These deductions were taken out from my first check in March 2008 until the end of September 2009, a total of 18 months.
My contention is that during this period of time, my employer chose to participate in the unemployment process and then chose to be exempt beginning in October 2009.
It doesn’t seem to matter to the state. The appeal examiner explained, even though my employer took deductions for unemployment from my pay it does not negate the fact that they are exempt.
Unless I’m missing something, I figured that if I worked, paid into unemployment, and then got laid off, I would be able to collect my fair share. I’m not looking for handouts. I don’t understand how, after collecting for 19 months, it is decided that I shouldn’t have gotten anything and that I have to pay everything back. What happened to my unemployment tax deductions?
My wife has since become disabled with complications from a neurological disorder and we can’t afford to owe this money. I just want what I have worked for, nothing more.
JAMES E. HOLT JR.
North Cape May