Refusing Unemployment Benefits?

[ziggy29]

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).

Agreed. It would be like someone who's not self-employed refusing to take half of their SS payment because it was paid by their employer.

 

[Rustic23]

As I said, I didn't take it because of the hassle at the time. However, I omitted I had a one year six figure severance package. Did I leave money on the table, yes. Would I give back SS, well if I had Gates or Buffets type income, I think I would.

 

[citrine]

I am on supplemental unemployment benefits right now....they pay the difference between what I make in the pt job and the weekly benefit I was entitled to working in megacorp. It makes a big difference since I can pay all my bills and continue to keep COBRA until I graduate from school.
Don't let silly pride/ego keep you from what your wife has already worked for.

 

[unclemick]

1969 - will the last person leaving Seattle turn out the lights?

1992 - whadda mean you're eliminating my department?

Show me the money! Twice even.

heh heh heh - frugal - I'll show you frugal! Of course there are other words for it. ER'd Jan 1, 1993.

 

[ziggy29]

1969 - will the last person leaving Seattle turn out the lights?

No, that was just the Seattle Pilots baseball team turning out the light in 1969 before moving to Milwaukee.

 

[Texas Proud]

Back in the 80s my BIL got laid off and did not apply as he had savings... he was the head of a construction company.. so not much need back then in Houston... the savings went... and he finally went in to get his benefits and was told 'you filed to late'... so take it while you can..

Another BIL is in the situation where they are planning on reducing the hours worked and want the employees to sign up for unemployment 'to make up the difference'... well, it seems that getting PARTIAL benefits start the clock on how much you can get time wise... so he did not apply... this will give him full benefits if he does get laid off for however many months etc. he qualifies...

 

[Bestwifeever]

I'm thinking another reason to file is that there may be new programs (jobs, insurance, whatever) that are available only to people unemployed during a certain time (I have heard of something, which of course I can't remember, that is offered for people who lost their jobs after 9/1/2008, for example). Your wife might miss out on these if she doesn't file for benefits.

 

[freebird5825]

I'm thinking another reason to file is that there may be new programs (jobs, insurance, whatever) that are available only to people unemployed during a certain time (I have heard of something, which of course I can't remember, that is offered for people who lost their jobs after 9/1/2008, for example). Your wife might miss out on these if she doesn't file for benefits.

EXCELLENT point. My county has programs for retraining displaced (laid off) employees at local community colleges. In order to qualify, you have to be formally registered with the State Department of Labor, i.e. unemployment office.
Real live example - My housecleaner will be starting a fast track LPN program in mid April. She aced the qualifying exams, and NYS will be paying the tuition in full. I have already volunteered to be her math tutor. I am so excited for her.
So what does this have to do with your DW? It could open up some other possibilities for future reference, if her c*reer field is on a long term downswing for j*b openings.

 

[OAG]

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.

I would suggest OP file but, the foregoing is no longer correct since the Stimulus Bill has a BIG chunk of Taxpayer Money expressly to be be used for the States (that have or, for that matter, don't have, a shortfall in the unemployment tax funds run by the individual States).

 

[ziggy29]

I'm thinking another reason to file is that there may be new programs (jobs, insurance, whatever) that are available only to people unemployed during a certain time (I have heard of something, which of course I can't remember, that is offered for people who lost their jobs after 9/1/2008, for example). Your wife might miss out on these if she doesn't file for benefits.

One of those is the 65% COBRA subsidy for nine months, available for people laid off between 9/1/2008 and 12/31/2009. Of course, this may be moot if you are a two-income household which can just switch to the other spouse's insurance using a "qualified mid-year family status change", but for others not in that situation, it's pretty huge.