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View Poll Results: Should she file for unemployment?
No, unemployment is meant to help those that need to put food on the table 8 15.69%
Yes, she qualifies and therefore should file. 43 84.31%
Voters: 51. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 03-26-2020, 09:07 PM   #21
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... And yes, the employer pays. But, it is part of the cost of an employee and therefore I have always considered the premium the employer pays part of employee compensation (like healthcare, 401k match, etc).
I agree it is part of the cost of having an employee, but that doesn't mean it is employee compansation.

So if the government stopped collecting employment tax you think that the employer would increase the employee's pay to offset? Do you consider OASDI tax to be employee compensation too?
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Old 03-26-2020, 09:07 PM   #22
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I’d take it and use the funds to support small businesses in your community by ordering take-out, buying merchandise when they reopen, etc.
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Old 03-26-2020, 09:11 PM   #23
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Good idea... if I get a stimulus check perhaps that is what I'll do. But what if I get used to doing that?... I'll become a Blow that Dough/Robbie B type-guy.
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Old 03-26-2020, 09:20 PM   #24
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Originally Posted by Sunny View Post
When community spread started happening in our area my wife stopped going to her job at a candy store. While the place is still open for carry out the owner put his main candy maker on unemployment.

Under the new package that is being approved in Congress, and going by the unemployment FAQ for Covid related issues, my wife would qualify for about $800 a week.

This is the moral dilemma for us. It didn’t feel right to even run the numbers as her job was just for extra spending and gift giving to people, her candy store income isn’t figured into our living. Ye that is a decent amount of money, and of course the current tragedy affects our finances in other ways too. Just not really employment related.

I’m curious what others think. At this time we are not planning on her filing for unemployment and while that feels like the right call, I also have a nagging voice in my head saying that isn’t chump change either.
Make no mistake, much of the stimulus will go to the top 1% income earners who probably don't need it either. I understand your position, like you I nor my wife ever applied for unemployed benefits and fortunately never needed to. But we live in a different world now. You should apply for the benefits and save it in a rainy day fund (health insurance co-pay fund) or donate it at a later time if you don't need it.
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Old 03-26-2020, 09:24 PM   #25
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According to a New York Times FAQ:

I am lucky to have substantial wealth, and I want to give more to charity than I usually do. Have the limits on charitable deductions changed?
Yes, they have. As part of the bill, donors can deduct 100 percent of their gift against their 2020 adjusted gross income. If you have $1 million of income, you can give $1 million to a public charity and deduct the full amount in 2020.
The new deduction is only for cash gifts that go to a public charity. If you give cash to, say, your private foundation, the old deduction rules apply. And while the organizations that manage donor advised funds are public charities, you do not get the higher deduction for donating cash to your donor advised fund.

https://www.nytimes.com/article/coro...s-answers.html
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Old 03-26-2020, 10:01 PM   #26
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I like to live my life with integrity so definitely would not take it.
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Old 03-26-2020, 10:04 PM   #27
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OP - You should take it, as a taxpayer who is paying taxes and will be paying more in the future for this spending, I want you to take it so I know my share went to somebody other than Boeing (for more share buybacks or other Boeing CEO benefits)
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Old 03-26-2020, 11:01 PM   #28
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Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. If you feel you don't need it take the money and buy food for a local food bank. Help some of the people who are going to fall through the cracks and not get bail out money.
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Old 03-26-2020, 11:02 PM   #29
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OP - You should take it, as a taxpayer who is paying taxes and will be paying more in the future for this spending, I want you to take it so I know my share went to somebody other than Boeing (for more share buybacks or other Boeing CEO benefits)

Good point. This taxpayer agrees with you as well.
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Old 03-26-2020, 11:33 PM   #30
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OP - You should take it, as a taxpayer who is paying taxes and will be paying more in the future for this spending, I want you to take it so I know my share went to somebody other than Boeing (for more share buybacks or other Boeing CEO benefits)
After this train wreck virus is in the rear view mirror, I expect my taxes at all levels will rise (local, state, and fed). This level of unemployment is going to be devastating to their income tax revenue.

1/2 of our local income tax goes to the school district, so that reduction of revenue will no doubt cause the separate school property tax to increase.

And my state colleges had to refund some money this semester (50% of fees, meal plan, and dorm). They'll have to make that up somehow, and good luck if they try going back to the state begging for yet more money than they currently get.
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Old 03-27-2020, 02:41 AM   #31
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Take it and spend it. They'll just print more. Anyway feel confident that you will pay it back in the long run.
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Old 03-27-2020, 02:59 AM   #32
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Take the money and spend it in a way that relieves someone else's pain.
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Old 03-27-2020, 03:11 AM   #33
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I think she should take what she's entitled to. Her taking the money doesn't mean someone else goes without. And it is an opportunity to give to charity. So it's a win-win all around.
+1
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Old 03-27-2020, 04:44 AM   #34
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If she voluntarily gave up her job then I would not expect that she qualifies.
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Unintended Consequences
Old 03-27-2020, 07:52 AM   #35
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Unintended Consequences

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If she voluntarily gave up her job then I would not expect that she qualifies.
That is my understanding as well, and the situation I found myself in when leaving 1 employer for another only to have them change the terms of the job drastically.

This "$600" above normal unemployment booster was, according to Secretary Munuchin, "the easiest and quickest way to get money into peoples hands". One party tried to put language to the effect of "up to" or "not to exceed" current wages but was being blocked by the other party. Not trying to be political just stating facts.

The sad thing is though it is your moral dilemma with regard to extra spending money, it is the poorest of society that will be most significantly damaged by this "unintended Consequence"

My thoughts and logic:
It is the weakest "laziest" workers that will take the 4 month gift horse and ride it as long as they can. Not realizing that at the end of the 4 months, when the music stops there won't be any chairs for them. Thus they will come out the other side of this still not having a job, and needing to rely on the much lower state unemployment payments until they run dry.

On the positive side it can be argued that those same "weak" workers have poor financial management discipline and will likely spend every penny of the windfall on stuff. So in the end it may actually really help in jump starting the economy.
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Old 03-27-2020, 08:18 AM   #36
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I would take the UI money for as long as she feels uncomfortable going into work, and not feel one bit guilty. That is exactly how the law was intended. If it was meant to be distributed on a needs basis, it would have been written that way. You never really know how long this might last.
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Old 03-27-2020, 08:28 AM   #37
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Just because you can do something does not mean you should do it.

Personally, I would have a tough time taking it.

I was in a similar situation when I retired. Because Megacorp wanted me to stay several months longer that was intended, the deal was that I would get severance/benefits package (and a couple of other bennies) as if I had been laid off. Technically, I could have also filed for state unemployment, using the documentation that was generated by the Megacorp system. But my personal feeling was, I do not need this, it will not make a difference in my life, I have gotten way more in my career than I deserve, there are others who truly need it.

So I am not saying do not take the money... just that if I were in the situation, my conscience would not let me. Of course, everyone has to answer to their own conscience.
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Old 03-27-2020, 08:59 AM   #38
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I voted for taking the money.

By the time the first check arrives, one or both of you or many of us here might not still be around.

Once you get it, you can always send it back, give it to any number of charities begging hard right now, or simply give it all in a paper bag to some small business when they hopefully reopen in x months.
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Old 03-27-2020, 09:08 AM   #39
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Another option is to apply for the benefits and then donate the proceeds to charities in your area. That way you don't personally benefit but your community does.
+1

I would guess that if you don't apply for the money it will be spent anyway. Use it to help somebody. If you have a neighbor who is unemployed take her to the store and buy her a few bags of groceries. Or help another one pay for child-care now that the schools are closed.
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Old 03-27-2020, 09:10 AM   #40
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Eh... employees don't pay into unemployment... only employers pay unemployment tax. Were you thinking of something else?
Well, the employers write the checks, as they do for work comp and 1/2 of social security. But in all three cases the checks are for the benefit of the workers. Economists will point out that these are labor costs/part of pay as much as the hourly or salary pay is.

One of my hot buttons, in fact is people that call these "taxes" and then argue that they are regressive. They are insurance premiums and the workers get the money back less whatever the bureaucrats waste. So only the bureaucrats' part, above a reasonable administrative cost, is a tax.

So as far as I am concerned, it was her money and she has a right to the insurance payments. If she want to do something charitable with the proceeds that is a very nice thing. The fact that her money is being supplemented in the current case muddies the argument a bit but I think it is still sound.
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