DC unemployment is incredibly Byzantine to navigate and get benefits paid. DH was laid of from a DC job (we live in MD) in the beginning of Dec. He did not receive any severance, and is still looking for a job. After visiting the DC unemployment office TWICE in person, and after multiple calls and visits to the website, he finally got the card which will be loaded with the benefits. As of today, we have not received any funds on the card. Two full months after his lay off he has yet to receive any unemployment $. So good luck to ya.

In DC, you can't apply for unemployment until your severance runs out. I received 10 weeks' pay as severance, for example, and I received it in one lump sum. I had to wait ten weeks past my last day on the job to apply for UE.

2nd point: the threshhold in DC is VERY low. You can basically work at minimum wage for 8 hours a week and put yourself out of eligibility.

Conclusion: Only do the hourly contract work during your severance period. Once you're ready to apply for UE, you have to stop working altogether or you will lose it. I know. It's a profoundly stupid system.

Caveat: I don't know if having part-time contract wages on your record precludes you receiving benefits based on your former full-time salary. It might. So you should really talk to someone. I used to be able to reach someone at the DC UE office in the mid-mornings. I'd have to sit on hold for 5-10 minutes, but it wasn't bad.

OP here, thanks. I live in MD but work in DC, and the DC website doesn't have any info I need and of course their call lines no one answers. I don't really know if the rules are the same in each state--MD deducts *any* contract income off the top of your unemployment compensation, it looks like. But I am not sure if its the same everywhere. . .

Look at the unemployment website in your state/county. Where I live, your unemployment kind of goes on hold when you're working. If you're working for "too long" they assume you're re-employed and they cancel it and you have to re-apply when your contract ends. But since you're going to be doing "a few hours" that may not happen to you.

I am about to get laid off at the end of February. My company is interested in hiring me back to do a few hours of contract work a week. Does anyone know if that would preclude me from applying for and receiving unemployment? I am receiving some severance, but this would be nowhere near full time work.