Anonymous
Post 10/23/2025 08:52     Subject: Would You NOT File for Unemployment Because You're...?
Anonymous wrote:I applied for unemployment when I was laid off. It was all online and was not a burdensome process at all. There really was no downside for me.


Same. $2800 per month paid my mortgage and significantly lengthened my financial runway during that time.
Anonymous
Post 10/22/2025 23:00     Subject: Re:Would You NOT File for Unemployment Because You're...?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't see a downside if not a fed. My husband was laid off in August. This is definitely not something we expected but I'm grateful it's available. My paycheck is small but my job gets us healthcare benefits, when we add the unemployment check, our mortgage is just about covered. It's been a difficult few months and the job market sucks but at least we have a few things going for us.


Mine was laid off in July and didn’t apply because he felt some sort of ego bruising at his former employer knowing he filed for the unemployment 🙄🙄🙄


Each unemployment claim increases the former employer's insurance rates.
So create a little pain for the people who laid you off!
Anonymous
Post 10/22/2025 22:26     Subject: Would You NOT File for Unemployment Because You're...?
I just did (furloughed) and I found the DC online portal super confusing. The website kept breaking without saving my work, forcing me to start over, and the questions were repetitive. I uploaded the same backup docs multiple times and was also asked to email them. Figuring out my quarterly gross income also took a while; I'm not sure why we can't put in our annual salary? To be fair, many of the questions didn't apply to furloughed Feds (who are currently employed), which is probably why I'm not approved yet.
Anonymous
Post 10/22/2025 20:35     Subject: Would You NOT File for Unemployment Because You're...?
Anonymous wrote:I applied for unemployment when I was laid off. It was all online and was not a burdensome process at all. There really was no downside for me.


I did too and I don't remember it being burdensome at all (in DC) or having to prove I had applied for jobs. It was a one time thing that took about an hr. This was height of the pandemic though so things may have been different for that reason.
Anonymous
Post 10/22/2025 20:12     Subject: Would You NOT File for Unemployment Because You're...?
Anonymous wrote:curious how such decision come about. struggling right now whether to do it or not. never ever imagined that one day i'd be eligible for it, so a lot to process (plus i got plenty of free time to think about it haha).


I wouldn't because I have pride.

Now if I were the only income earner, and had dependent children under 12 who couldn't work either, and I had no other recourse at all, then I would for them, not me.
Anonymous
Post 10/22/2025 18:30     Subject: Would You NOT File for Unemployment Because You're...?
Everyone complaining about how little unemployment pays- this is about what most other countries pay for maternity leave and Americans are begging for. My one friend got $250 a week. I think Americans think it’s full pay like a lot of white collar jobs pay out here.

I tried years ago to get Virginia unemployment and it was super convoluted. I also didn’t want to be required to take any job that came my way

Anonymous
Post 10/22/2025 18:16     Subject: Re:Would You NOT File for Unemployment Because You're...?
If you qualify for unemployment, there's no shame in taking it. I was on unemployment in 2020
Anonymous
Post 10/22/2025 18:09     Subject: Would You NOT File for Unemployment Because You're...?
so, applied for 2 jobs suggested by the DC site 3 days ago, and input that info into the Job Contacts page. but it still shows I've not complete any job contacts. anyone has any idea why or how to fix this? thx! --OP

Dashboard > Work Search
"You have completed 0 job contacts of 2 required."
Anonymous
Post 10/19/2025 21:29     Subject: Re:Would You NOT File for Unemployment Because You're...?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Several years ago, I decided not to apply for unemployment. Shortly after my grant funded job ended, my elderly Mom had major surgery, and I became her caregiver. At the time, I still had severance pay, and my understanding was that to receive unemployment, I would have to apply for a certain number of jobs a week, and I would have to accept accept a job if I was offered one. I didn’t have the time or emotional energy to seek advice, and by the time I did, I had passed the deadline to apply. I wish that I had applied— and received the benefits that I was qualified to receive.


AI search says no deadline for DC UI.


I’m in Maryland and my job was in Baltimore. No deadline ever? I had over 6 months of severance pay — and at that point was overwhelmed with eldercare responsibilities. Once things lightened up, I was told that there was a time limit — although I don’t, now, remember exactly what that time limit was.

AI also often needs to be double checked.


there's a warning and prompt for explanation coz it's past '6 weeks' since last day of employment.
Anonymous
Post 10/19/2025 21:27     Subject: Re:Would You NOT File for Unemployment Because You're...?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This is so interesting to me. I’d definitely apply—to me it’s money on the table that I’d be leaving.

Even if it’s a lot of paperwork, surely it doesn’t take more than an hour or two a week? Or am I wrong about that?


It's not the weekly check-in so much as the hours of very confusing forms to click through for the initial application. I have applied twice (during federal shutdowns, I tho understand OP is not a fed) and it is not a clear or easy process. They have a lot of duplicative questions, mandatory resume-building, drop-down menus that are required but don't apply to you, requirements to upload ID documents in weird formats ... it's a pain.

However, to me it's worth doing because if you don't do it fairly soon, you will not get paid for the weeks you've already been out of work. Better to get the process started and collect for the weeks you're unemployed, even as you're interviewing for the next job, than to wait until it's either too late or you're newly employed but in a financial hole.


can confirm. took me almost 2 hours to get through everything for the initial process successfully but i did it. will apply for two jobs tomorrow and then see what happens. --OP
Anonymous
Post 10/19/2025 17:58     Subject: Re:Would You NOT File for Unemployment Because You're...?
Anonymous wrote:Several years ago, I decided not to apply for unemployment. Shortly after my grant funded job ended, my elderly Mom had major surgery, and I became her caregiver. At the time, I still had severance pay, and my understanding was that to receive unemployment, I would have to apply for a certain number of jobs a week, and I would have to accept accept a job if I was offered one. I didn’t have the time or emotional energy to seek advice, and by the time I did, I had passed the deadline to apply. I wish that I had applied— and received the benefits that I was qualified to receive.

You would not have been eligible during the period you received severance.
Anonymous
Post 10/19/2025 17:29     Subject: Re:Would You NOT File for Unemployment Because You're...?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't see a downside if not a fed. My husband was laid off in August. This is definitely not something we expected but I'm grateful it's available. My paycheck is small but my job gets us healthcare benefits, when we add the unemployment check, our mortgage is just about covered. It's been a difficult few months and the job market sucks but at least we have a few things going for us.


Mine was laid off in July and didn’t apply because he felt some sort of ego bruising at his former employer knowing he filed for the unemployment 🙄🙄🙄


Too bad because it's payback. They have to pay.