Refusing Unemployment Benefits?

[Midpack]

Fortunately my wife and I have never been unemployed in our adult working lives of 34-36 years. We've also been big on personal responsibility, so we never planned to take unemployment benefits no matter what. My wife was laid off today. She has been expecting it, and so she has been looking for another job for over 2 months with no luck, so she is really unemployed for the first time ever. It will force us to reduce expenses, but we can get by for as long as necessary without her filing for unemployment. She has no intention of seeking unemployment benefits, but I thought it would be interesting to hear the various POV's that might come from this audience. What do you think?

 

[bbbamI]

If I lost my job, (if I had one, heh) the first thing I would do is apply for unemployment benefits.

 

[clifp]

Sorry to hear about your wife losing her job.

I must say I don't understand why you would refuse the benefits. Generally, unemployment benefits are paid from an employer funded insurance pool not form taxpayers. (I.e. all of us retired folks aren't paying for those folks collecting unemployment benefits) Presumably if such tax wasn't paid you would have benefited from higher wages over the years.

I see no difference between refusing to accept payment from your auto insurance company after an accident, and not accepting unemployment benefits.

 

[TromboneAl]

Do you refuse your tax refunds?

 

[Midpack]

Do you refuse your tax refunds?

I make sure I always owe, but I would not refuse a refund. Guess I'm not sure how the benefits are funded...so I'll Google that.

 

[Rustic23]

I have been unemployed twice when I could have claimed UEI. I did not either time. At the time I did not need the money, and I did not want to go through the hassle.

 

[freebird5825]

W*rking people unemployed by circumstance are completely different from the chronically unemployed by artful design.
I got laid off once in my life, way back in 1981. I filled out the forms and received the benefits.
Please reconsider...Unemployment benefits could make the difference between
tapping cash reserves now or tapping them later .

 

[FIREd]

I lost my job in 2002 and was unemployed for 4 months. I didn't take any unemployment benefits back then mostly because we didn't need the money (small severance, plenty of savings and we could easily get by on my wife's income) and quite frankly I felt too ashamed to stand in line at the unemployment office (I think that you can do everything online nowadays so that's less of a problem). It's silly, I know... But if that money were to have a huge impact on our survival, then yes, we'd get over our egos and file for unemployment benefits. But we would have to be in really, really deep trouble to count on a $240 a week benefit to survive...

 

[Nords]

What do you think?

You've paid for it, you've earned it, and you might as while file for it.

Even George Soros accepted unemployment benefits at one point in his life. Presumably he's more than made up for it.

If you have strong ethical issues with unemployment benefits, then consider this-- if you drew unemployment benefits and donated the cash to a local food bank, then how many other families would benefit from your charity?

 

[talltrees]

Good Grief!

Do you refuse police or fire protection? Have you ever used a library? Who picks up your garbage?

Good grief!

 

[ziggy29]

Whether you agree with them in principle, if you paid into it (directly or indirectly through your employer), take what's due you.

 

[FIRE'd@51]

I would definitely encourage her to take it for many of the reasons mentioned above. It's insurance, not a welfare payment. Besides, you (she) will be paying income taxes on it. Plus, if it matters, I believe the stimulus bill will pay 65% of her COBRA premiums for up to nine months.

 

[Razor]

I was laid off last year for 12 weeks for the first time in 40 years. I filed for unemployment online in Minnesota. No lines, no waiting. It took five minutes and two days later the money was automatically deposited in my account. There is really no reason not to take it.

 

[tmm99]

Responsible people get unemployed too. I would file for unemployment benefits.

I happen to be also big on personal responsibility like you. That to me has nothing to do with filing or not filing for unemployment benefits.

I have been paying taxes year after year and a few thousand dollars from the government wouldn't make me feel like an irresponsible person, or a lazy bum.

 

[Moemg]

Do you plan on collecting SS ? Then what is the difference ? This is a benefit you paid for so use it .

 

[CyclingInvestor]

In my (now concluded) career of 27 years, I qualified for 1 week of unemployment benefits, which I also did not need. I did not hesitate to grab it.You never know when it might be needed and unavailable.

 

[Westernskies]

YouTube - steve miller band take the money and run

 

[Notmuchlonger]

YouTube - Beatles - Money (That's What I Want)

 

[youbet]

Fortunately my wife and I have never been unemployed in our adult working lives of 34-36 years. We've also been big on personal responsibility, so we never planned to take unemployment benefits no matter what. My wife was laid off today. She has been expecting it, and so she has been looking for another job for over 2 months with no luck, so she is really unemployed for the first time ever. It will force us to reduce expenses, but we can get by for as long as necessary without her filing for unemployment. She has no intention of seeking unemployment benefits, but I thought it would be interesting to hear the various POV's that might come from this audience. What do you think?

Not collect unemployment benefits in Illinois...... whew..... you guys need to think about that! You're falling into the trap "those people" are setting for responsible folks like you!

Tell DW she doesn't have to go to the unemployment office or anything gross like that. You get the benefits started via the internet and a bi-weekly auto-phone call keeps 'em coming.

If your DW doesn't grab this money, Ill Dems will use it to promote further corruption. Don't you think Ill politicians are doing well enough as it is?

 

[NW-Bound]

Midpack, I am sorry to hear about your wife being laid off.

About unemployment, we have never claimed it, because we were fortunate to always have left on our own; we quit, and I thought quitters did not qualify. We also thought about the hassle and the stigma that might come with it. Additionally, we were not actively looking for a job.

Reading other posters' comments show me that there is no shame in claiming this benefit if one gets laid off against her will. It's really no different than claiming SS. Of course it would be nice for us to be so rich that we can say we will not need SS, but that is not going to be the case. I also did not know that there wasn't much hassle in claiming unemployment. Remember that you have been paying for this, and probably never get back what you paid in.

 

[Bestwifeever]

It's not need based. Collect it and save it if you don't need it til your wife gets another job, and then you can donate it to charity if you want to.

 

[kumquat]

While I've never been blessed with the opportunity to apply for Canadian unemployment insurance, I'm not sure I would. Bear in mind that I paid a premium to cover the cost while I was working. In Canada, UIC is a welfare program paid for by those who work. Canucks can dispute this if they want, I'll save my arguments for then, if I must.

My decision is based more on my GM's refusal to accept Canada's OAP. Old age pension was introduced in Canada in 1927 (I think). My GM who lost 7 brothers to the state between 1914 and 1918 refused it when she became eligible. Called it "blood money".

FIL, who died in 1997, had never collected any either. I think it was because he thought it would be taxed back (and 70% would have been).

Welfare is welfare, doesn't matter who pays for it.

 

[Sparky]

I was laid off in 2003 and I collected my unemployment. It was very easy, you apply over the internet, check in once per week on-line (more or less, depending on your state).

One other issue, it really took much of the shock of the layoff away. At least I had some money coming in as my mind was reeling about what I was going to do next.

 

[tryan]

I collected 30 weeks at $651/wk. Not sure why anyone would leave that kind of cash (19K) on the table. Who do you think you're helping?

Take the unemployment and donate it to charity ... now THATs noble and charitable.

 

[FUEGO]

It's a public benefit that you indirectly pay for via higher employment costs to your employer (the theory being they could have used a portion of that money to increase your salary in a free market absent the UI payment and subsequent benefit to you).

It seems strange not to take it given the low hassle factor and that you never know when you might need the money.