Ever Receive Unemployment Compensation?

I received UC for about 8 weeks in 2003 when the start-up went bankrupt. I have been receiving it again for the past 9 weeks but someone actually read one of my online resume submissions and I have an interview on Tuesday. So much for my extended vacation.

Filing was relatively easy and $477 per week is worth the effort to file and claim.
 
Never.

Could not think of it. As part of the immigration process, my brother had to sign an affidavit, that I would never become a burden to the United States.

Even after becoming a citizen, and had times of hardships, I always managed to stay off of unemployment, even when entitled. Yeah there were times I could have claimed, but a promise is a promise.
 
ls99 said:
Never.

Could not think of it. As part of the immigration process, my brother had to sign an affidavit, that I would never become a burden to the United States.

Even after becoming a citizen, and had times of hardships, I always managed to stay off of unemployment, even when entitled. Yeah there were times I could have claimed, but a promise is a promise.
Click to expand...

You should not think of it that way. It is a government-run insurance program with premiums paid by you (through your employer). Collecting on it would not be a "burden to the US" any more than collecting on a health or life insurance policy would be a burden on the insurance company that issued the policy.
 
Collected for 8 mos in 2005. While on UI after separating from active duty Navy, the state paid 100% tuition, books, fees, and graduation fee, since I was unemployed! Because I was in college, I was waived from job seeking. UI was $523 per week at the time. I was waiting for the phone call with my hire date with the state too. Plus, I was a weekend warrior (yep, claimed those days as days worked on my claim) and also recieved my GI bill payments (state $$ and fed $$) Lived pretty well at the time.

(now the Post 9-11 GI bill pays my last year of graduate school in its entirety!)
 
This year was the first time. I collected it for about a month while I waited for my new job to start.
 
ls99 said:
Never.

Could not think of it. As part of the immigration process, my brother had to sign an affidavit, that I would never become a burden to the United States.
Click to expand...

The way that I understand it, UC is really a benefit of employment, like health insurance, that is paid for by employers, but administered by the state and federal government. I doubt that making a claim for a benefit could be construed as becoming a burden.
 
RonBoyd said:
You should not think of it that way. It is a government-run insurance program with premiums paid by you (through your employer). Collecting on it would not be a "burden to the US" any more than collecting on a health or life insurance policy would be a burden on the insurance company that issued the policy.
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Sorry, I still think of that way, and always will. I keep my promises. Though being retired makes the thing un-needed.
 
Yes, multiple times.

It makes it harder to ER when you are frequently unemployed. I imagine that those who had unsteady careers are under represented on this forum.
When I was young, I had a time or two when being unemployed was fun.

Now, the worst job I ever had was looking for work. Glad to not be doing it.
Coincidentally, I just accepted w@rk as a tax preparer today.

Free to canoe
 
Collected for the first time when I fire'd ... 30 weeks at $651/week. Now it's 70 weeks - WOW!
 
$651 a week? Holy smokes... where is that??
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MA ... max UI is $601 then they pay $25/kid. That was 2005 ... probably went UP from there. The 70 week deal is really tempting ... but I just can't stomatch going back.
 
I collected twice. I recall that I collected $75/week in 1972 after my discharge from the Air Force. It was a kick going to the California EDD in Santa Monica. Lots of actors between gigs driving up in luxury cars. The 2nd time was 1991 and I collected approx $250/week and actually increased my savings balance.
 
mickeyd said:
The way that I understand it, UC is really a benefit of employment, like health insurance, that is paid for by employers, but administered by the state and federal government. I doubt that making a claim for a benefit could be construed as becoming a burden.
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I would have to agree. I seriously doubt the government would send someone out to deport a legal immigrant because they were fired through no fault of their own. Besides the government can't take away US citizenship, unless there is proof of dishonesty or fraud committed resulting in wrongful citizenship being granted. If a serial killer lies and says they've never committed any crimes and it isn't discovered until after they are a US citizen, they can have their citizenship striped, or marriage fraud are two examples.
 
No UE for me. I have been lucky in finding work and keeping it through my life.

I have a relative that is coming close to the end of his UE benefits. He has been working hard to find work with no luck. In contrast to Fuego's acquaintances, he has not enjoyed his time off and has been very concerned about getting work. Part of the problem was that he could not afford COBRA and is living without health insurance in his mid-50s, and he has no savings after having some major expenses. So he is entirely dependent on the UE.

I wonder how many people are in this position and what they will do when UE expires. The country as a whole doesn't have enough jobs right now.
 
Free To Canoe said:
It makes it harder to ER when you are frequently unemployed. I imagine that those who had unsteady careers are under represented on this forum.
When I was young, I had a time or two when being unemployed was fun.
Click to expand...

My brother is one of those "frequently unemployed", and it is basically what we all here would called "early semi-retired" except he still has to work from time to time to earn money to support himself and his family.

I don't think he intentionally becomes unemployed, but more likely is somewhat indifferent to it. He has had plenty of time off to learn new skills and actually improve his skill set that he can then leverage with employers and do what he seems to enjoy doing.

He knows that the UI payments are enough to get by on, and he has a diverse enough skill set that he can do a few different things if the UI runs out and he really needs money. Auto repair, mechanical work, computer hardware/software/networking, used goods reseller, handyman, home improvement/laborer, etc. There's a quick buck out there for ambitious smart people, you just gotta know how to hustle! :)
 
Martha said:
I have a relative that is coming close to the end of his UE benefits. He has been working hard to find work with no luck. In contrast to Fuego's acquaintances, he has not enjoyed his time off and has been very concerned about getting work.
Click to expand...

I guess each person deals with unemployment in their own unique way. It probably depends on their assets and financial needs when they become unemployed, as well as their prospects for finding suitable replacement employment quickly when their UI ends. And note I said the people I know were either indifferent to finding a new job or hoping to stay unemployed for a while and continue collecting UI. One person, for example, makes more from UI and not paying for ridiculously expensive childcare versus working and paying for childcare.

UI in my state is roughly $27000 a year income with some tax advantages (assuming you made a decent middle income salary pre-termination). Not exactly poverty level (roughly 250% the poverty level for a single person actually).
 
FUEGO said:
Auto repair, mechanical work, computer hardware/software/networking, used goods reseller, handyman, home improvement/laborer, etc. There's a quick buck out there for ambitious smart people, you just gotta know how to hustle!
Click to expand...

This is what I meant earlier about being "too entrepreneurial" to have collected UC. I don't mean to imply that I was good at it, however, so I have to disagree with the need for being "smart." I have always said that I would have preferred to have been born "witty" rather than "smart." (What was it someone said about standing in line twice for "logic," well...) Smart (measured by high intelligence) actually seems to be a hindrance to success in this area.
 
Yes twice. The first time, my employer cut back hours (and of course wages) and so we got a very modest partially unemployment payment. The second time after I got laid off by my start up. I think I collected 3 or 4 weeks.
 
brewer12345 said:
No, I meant that I essentially have a job for life at an employer that cannot go out of business if I want to stay where I am.
Click to expand...

brewer said:
Something like that. More like policeman.
Click to expand...

Let me guess. You are an internal gummint auditor!
 
No.
Father and sister have on occasion.
 
My wife did once, while I was working. It was strange, while I was earning over 500k, she would get $400 from the state once a week.
 
Never have applied for Unemployment though have been told I was eligible every year I got laid off as a tax preparer. Problem was....I had no intention or interest in seeking a job until the next winter when I start preparing tax returns again..only interested in working during the dog days of winter.

Hey, Free to Canoe, I was down in Cook Forest last weekend camping & hiking...cold. Get any snow last night?

RE2Boys
NW PA
 
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