Anonymous wrote:I'm applying. I'm not counting on back pay this time. Feels like the right thing to do. It's money we pay into and I have never applied before.

You do not pay into unemployment unless you live in PA, AK, or NJ.

I'm applying. I'm not counting on back pay this time. Feels like the right thing to do. It's money we pay into and I have never applied before.

Anonymous wrote:Why would you get unemployment when you get back pay? this seems like double dipping.

Do you not read the news? Trump has been threatening to not follow the law and not pay back pay to federal workers.

Plus people can’t just live without paychecks

How do the taxes work if you get back pay? Do you have to repay the gross amount even though unemployment is taxed, and then you just double pay your taxes and try to get it back when you file your return?

If you need the money now, this seems like a good idea. Be sure you save your receipts to repay if needed. But no one should be counting on timely back pay.

OP here, in case anybody else is looking for this info.

Applying for benefits as a furloughed employee is explicitly allowed, unless you are excepted. We must repay when we receive backpay. We are exempt from the job searching requirement.

Uploading documents comes later after setting up an account.

Don't complicate your life. I have filed unemployment only once and it was pain. A year later I got a letter how I under reported $8 and 'it's punishable' and how I should explain why I took government's money when I already earned money and repay it asap. We earned money, but about 40% of what we used to make.
This was in Covid. Nobody knew what amount to report (net, gross) when we back to work in June.
The paperwork involved was so complicated with nobody answering phones, letters, or e-mails from their office.

You cannot do this. You will be liable for the money that you take when you get paid again. That is something you might want to consider.

Not worth it.

Anonymous wrote:Why would you get unemployment when you get back pay? this seems like double dipping.

I will repay unemployment if and when we get backpay.

Why would you get unemployment when you get back pay? this seems like double dipping.

Who knows how long this will go on...I have some questions if anybody has gone through this process.

1) I just created an account in Beacon, and it appears that my next step is to register for the Maryland Workforce Exchange. I thought that I had read that furloughed employees were exempt from the job search requirement? Or is that not correct?

2) I had my documents (SF-50, SF-8, LES, etc.) ready to go, but didn't get to a part where I had to upload any of them. What am I missing?

Appreciate any help. I do know that I'll need to repay if we receive backpay, but it will help with bills in the interim.