Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you need the money, you obviously don't have a choice and need to file. If the extra $400 a week of cash flow will not impact you then you need to weigh the pros and cons.

If you end up getting back pay, filing for unemployment you don't need is a wasted couple of hours. If you don't get back pay, however, those couple of hours of work could be worth 1000s of dollars.

Good point, couple of hours is not my concern, I am concerned about 2025 tax return. I live in Virginia and pay income tax to Virginia. I don't want to get DC unemployment benefit information involved in 2025 tax return, not sure how to deal with it at this point.

If you work in DC you are already earning income "in DC" and paying taxes in Virginia, because DC, Virginia, and Maryland have a tax reciprocity agreement.

When you file for unemployment, you can choose to have taxes withheld, or not.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you need the money, you obviously don't have a choice and need to file. If the extra $400 a week of cash flow will not impact you then you need to weigh the pros and cons.

If you end up getting back pay, filing for unemployment you don't need is a wasted couple of hours. If you don't get back pay, however, those couple of hours of work could be worth 1000s of dollars.

Good point, couple of hours is not my concern, I am concerned about 2025 tax return. I live in Virginia and pay income tax to Virginia. I don't want to get DC unemployment benefit information involved in 2025 tax return, not sure how to deal with it at this point.

My spouse received VA unemployment several years ago and we live in DC. We did not have to file a VA return. Just like salary, DC taxes were withheld, not VA.

If they follow the law...hah hah hah what laws does this Administration heed? If there is litigation over this getting back pay could take a long time,

Anonymous wrote:If you need the money, you obviously don't have a choice and need to file. If the extra $400 a week of cash flow will not impact you then you need to weigh the pros and cons.

If you end up getting back pay, filing for unemployment you don't need is a wasted couple of hours. If you don't get back pay, however, those couple of hours of work could be worth 1000s of dollars.

Good point, couple of hours is not my concern, I am concerned about 2025 tax return. I live in Virginia and pay income tax to Virginia. I don't want to get DC unemployment benefit information involved in 2025 tax return, not sure how to deal with it at this point.

Anonymous wrote:If you work in DC, you file in DC.

I did this when I was furloughed for 6 months. Company was in MD, I live in VA.

The cap for me at that time was $10k. But it’s $10k I wouldn’t have otherwise received.

It’s worth it if you can deal with the bureaucracy.

You’ve paid into the unemployment system. It’s time for it to pay you.

But for fed, there is back pay (traditionally, now backpay is required by law, if they follow the law. It was signed by Trump during his first term, after 35 days of government shutdown).

DC can pay me unemployment benefit now, but I will need to return everything to DC later on, not worth. It will make tax turn form complicated.

If you need the money, you obviously don't have a choice and need to file. If the extra $400 a week of cash flow will not impact you then you need to weigh the pros and cons.

If you end up getting back pay, filing for unemployment you don't need is a wasted couple of hours. If you don't get back pay, however, those couple of hours of work could be worth 1000s of dollars.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe if your agency is located in dc then you file with dc

Really? That will make 2025 tax return form even more complicated, if I file for unemployment. Then I will not file.

I don't pay income tax to DC, I pay income tax to Virginia.

Yes, but your employer pays unemployment tax to DC if they are located in DC so that’s where you would file at least for private employers. I don’t know if it’s different for Feds.

https://unemployment.dc.gov/page/information-claimants

The maximum weekly benefit amount you may receive is $444

That is not a lot, not worth to do so.

Anonymous wrote:I believe if your agency is located in dc then you file with dc

Really? That will make 2025 tax return form even more complicated, if I file for unemployment. Then I will not file.

I don't pay income tax to DC, I pay income tax to Virginia.

If you work in DC, you file in DC.

I did this when I was furloughed for 6 months. Company was in MD, I live in VA.

The cap for me at that time was $10k. But it’s $10k I wouldn’t have otherwise received.

It’s worth it if you can deal with the bureaucracy.

You’ve paid into the unemployment system. It’s time for it to pay you.

I believe if your agency is located in dc then you file with dc

Anonymous wrote:You can file if you’re out of all other options, and if you don’t get back pay it might turn out to have been a good move. But if you’re paid back you’ll have to return everything. Many of our support staff who are GS-10 and below are facing uncertainty.

I don't think I will file, there should be back pay. Not worth to deal with extra paperwork and extra information on 2025 tax return form.

You can file if you’re out of all other options, and if you don’t get back pay it might turn out to have been a good move. But if you’re paid back you’ll have to return everything. Many of our support staff who are GS-10 and below are facing uncertainty.

My DH is furloughed and we are not going to file for unemployment. We have a 9 month emergency fund though, so we will use that as needed until back pay comes through. We are still getting my paycheck, which helps slow the bleeding too.

We're lucky we have enough financial cushion to absorb this. It's making me glad we've kept our expenses low (ex: staying in our modest house vs upgrading to a bigger one).

Work in DC, live in VA.

My understanding is that I will need to return unemployment benefit to Virginia （if received unemployment benefit）, as long as there is backpay for furlough employees, correct?

It seems not worth to do so, which requires extra paperwork, extra information about 2025 tax return. Unless for who don't have enough saving (emergency fund) and need unemployment benefit.