Anyone on unemployment? How do you make ends meet?

[Kycha]

thanks. I did just find out that I can defer my student loan for up to 3 years if I am unemployed! Thats huge!

Does anyone know if its even worth it to get a part time job or temp while unemployed? Ive heard that this causes your unemployment check to decrease which is why I heard its not worth it. Why would the government do that??

As pps suggested, it depends on your state. In PA, you can receive a partial benefit credit, which is 40% of your weekly benefit rate. If you are working part time during a week and earn no more than your partial benefit credit, your earnings will not reduce your benefits for that week. If you earn more than your partial benefit credit, the amount of your earnings that exceed your partial benefit credit will reduce your benefits for that week on a dollar-for-dollar basis. If you earn more than the sum of your weekly benefit rate and your partial benefit credit, you are not eligible for benefits.

For example, if your weekly benefit rate is $400, then your partial benefit credit will be $160. So you can earn up to $160 per week at your part time job without a reduction in your regular weekly benefit.

Now that we are in KY, things are different. If you earn any wages(gross) from a part time job, 80% will be deducted from the weekly benefit rate.

For example, if your weekly benefit rate is $400. And you earn $160 at a part time job. Your weekly benefit rate will be reduced to $272($160 x 80% = $128, $400 - $128 = $272).

 

[charming23]

Living on unemployement is hard but doable. I have been unemployed for a while and I am lucky I live with my mom but her income is limited so we had to use mine to make ends meet. I have found shopping sales and menu planning is a key. It keeps us from over buying at the grocery and helps utilize what we do buy. Also instead of buying expensive lunch items like lunch meats we eat leftovers a lot for lunch.

We also downsized our cable and started going to the library for movies more. It might take us a few weeks to get the newer releases but when it is free it is worth it.

 

[Mom2Ben02]

In IL, my DH can make 50% of his base pay (without any of the additions we get for the kids) without any subtractions from his unemployment check.

We make it work because we were eased into it, gradually. DH was in the auto industry. He was base + commission. Slowly, the commissions went down, down, down - then he took a cut in his base pay. Unemployment + his part time job is actually not much of a decrease to us, when compared to his last few months of working pay. When you figure in that I am now able to work more hours, we are probably pretty close to equal.

Still stinks, though

 

[kelcoppens]

As pps suggested, it depends on your state. In PA, you can receive a partial benefit credit, which is 40% of your weekly benefit rate. If you are working part time during a week and earn no more than your partial benefit credit, your earnings will not reduce your benefits for that week. If you earn more than your partial benefit credit, the amount of your earnings that exceed your partial benefit credit will reduce your benefits for that week on a dollar-for-dollar basis. If you earn more than the sum of your weekly benefit rate and your partial benefit credit, you are not eligible for benefits.

For example, if your weekly benefit rate is $400, then your partial benefit credit will be $160. So you can earn up to $160 per week at your part time job without a reduction in your regular weekly benefit.

Now that we are in KY, things are different. If you earn any wages(gross) from a part time job, 80% will be deducted from the weekly benefit rate.

For example, if your weekly benefit rate is $400. And you earn $160 at a part time job. Your weekly benefit rate will be reduced to $272($160 x 80% = $128, $400 - $128 = $272).

Thank you so much for explaining this! I feel much better thinking I could get a part time job now and it would help instead of hurt! I will look into temp agencies to start. Thanks again!