I am getting $655 a week in unemployment benefits!

[butterscotchcollins]

Unless their spouse makes 6 figures like OP.

Again, get where you're coming from but that's a pretty rude comment because you don't know OP's financial situation. Even if her goal in life was to be a rich pampered housewife who doesn't have to lift a finger, your moral judgments aside your issue seems to be with the failings of the system favoring the wealthy who don't "need" the money, not the $600 extra per week going to the average American.

 

[MillauFr]

I don’t begrudge anyone getting benefits that needs them. But for the OP to start this thread bragging about how she is pulling in $655 a week in benefits for her minimal part time job while her household income is six figures (as she put it) is appalling and not what the relief package was intended for.

How is claiming that you make six figures bragging?

 

[MillauFr]

Again, get where you're coming from but that's a pretty rude comment because you don't know OP's financial situation. Even if her goal in life was to be a rich pampered housewife who doesn't have to lift a finger, your moral judgments aside your issue seems to be with the failings of the system favoring the wealthy who don't "need" the money, not the $600 extra per week going to the average American.

But six figures is barely middle class here. Most people making just above six figures in the Puget Sound can't even afford to live in the city and have to commute from some distant suburb.

No way someone making six figure is wealthy. What is outrageous is what happened 10 years ago when most of the stimulus money went to billionaires.

 

[butterscotchcollins]

But six figures is barely middle class here. Most people making just above six figures in the Puget Sound can't even afford to live in the city and have to commute from some distant suburb.

No way someone making six figure is wealthy. What is outrageous is what happened 10 years ago when most of the stimulus money went to billionaires.

I make a great salary, and I live in NYC so of course that money doesn't go as far as if I lived somewhere else in the country, and I am still not complaining about my tax dollars going to help the average American or OP. Yes, I roll my eyes hard at the people who make $750k and feel like they're "poor" or "middle class". But I'm not mad at OP for collecting her check - if I were furloughed or laid off from my job and had the option to take unemployment instead of dipping into my savings I would take it too. Wouldn't we all, so that we could maintain a certain standard/comfort of living if we could? What's wrong with that exactly? If we're the richest country in the world why can't we afford to give ourselves a little relief with our own tax dollars? Why are we supposed to bear the burden of austerity while Amazon pays $0 in taxes and Jeff Bezos gets another Gulfstream? If you're a hardworking American you have every right to be angry right now, but don't waste that energy being angry at OP when you're really angry at the system that's taking food out of your mouth and putting it in the mouths of the wealthy.

 

[MillauFr]

Why are we supposed to bear the burden of austerity while Amazon pays $0 in taxes and Jeff Bezos gets another Gulfstream? If you're a hardworking American you have every right to be angry right now, but don't waste that energy being angry at OP when you're really angry at the system that's taking food out of your mouth and putting it in the mouths of the wealthy.

Exactly. Jeff knew exactly what he was doing when he moved out of NYC and to Seattle. Seattle is a billionaire paradise. He probably pays less than 1% of his income in state and local taxes in Washington State. On the other end of the spectrum are the people who are barely scraping by and end up paying 18% of their income in state and local taxes. We can have a reasoned argument about a flat tax system versus a graduated system where high income residents pay a higher % of their income in taxes. What shouldn't be up for debate is the fairness of a tax system where the lowest income residents are subject to a tax rate that is 18x what the billionaires pay.

 

[Searc]

Yeah I heard some people dont want to come to back work now that some places are stopping the furloughs... They are making good money to stay at home!

Said by someone who obviously has no idea how unemployment works.

 

[Searc]

Anyone who's bitter about people "getting paid to do nothing" should start by taking it up with trust fund babies and rich people who have never worked an honest day in their life.

If you're on unemployment YOU have paid into the system and it is YOUR money that you're getting back. I pay my fair share of taxes and am 100% OK with them going to give people a little bit more (or even a LOT more) so that they can feed their families and keep a roof over their heads, or even *gasp* take a vacation to relax from all this crazy stress. I'm one of the only people still working on my team, under an extreme amount of stress to deliver the work of 6 other people, and I wouldn't trade that for the gut-wrenching uncertainty of if/when I'm still going to have a job in the next 2 months.

The idea that this will incentivize people to stay unemployed is patently ridiculous - unemployment benefits are a short-term solution, no one voluntarily wants a multi-year gap in their resume and then to be fighting with all the people who were permanently laid off for positions from the very few companies who are even hiring after this. If you have a stable job that you can go back to after furlough, you're going to. If you want to use this time to be selective about the next move you make for your career so that you can be making a better salary or working in a healthier environment or get better benefits, there's nothing wrong with that. But to say that most people who are getting a slight boost in their income right now are just going to suddenly get lazy and never go back to work is silly.

Not to mention, if your employer calls you back and you refuse, you are no longer eligible for unemployment.

 

[Searc]

And I bet not one single person griping about the peons getting an extra $600 a week (through no fault/choice of their own) say a peep when corporations receive BILLIONS in tax breaks and bailout money, right?

 

[tvguy]

But six figures is barely middle class here. Most people making just above six figures in the Puget Sound can't even afford to live in the city and have to commute from some distant suburb.

No way someone making six figure is wealthy. What is outrageous is what happened 10 years ago when most of the stimulus money went to billionaires.

Certain some regions are exceptions. But in a country with a median income of $59,000 and an average income of $63,000 six figures is well above middle class for most folks. And The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy considers anything above $40,000 a year in Washington State to be middle class.

 

[wendow]

Something else to think about for her and perhaps the college students that are filing, in some states there is a limit to the number of months you are eligible for over a period of years. I would advise my college student to not apply as they could be hurting themselves when they get their entry level career job in the next year if that job were to go away. In that case, they would need “real” unemployment as they would be out on their own.

I think if my college kid didn't need the money and didn't actually rely on her income, then I might discourage her from applying but she pays her own college tuition. Tuition will come due for fall and she was laid off Mar 15 and most likely won't go back until June 15. Once she goes back, her work is opening with reduced hours and are saying they can only give everyone 10-15 hours. She is going to try to find another job too once stores open but it's unlikely she will earn enough to pay for her fall tuition. So, the UE would really help her.

I actually know several college kids in her same shoes....work to pay their own tuition, laid off and now struggling to get UE to approve them and pay. Some states have been really good about processing claims and others have been terrible.

 

[penn19]

I don’t think you apply for the extra $600. I think you just apply for unemployment. The extra $600 automatically comes in.

She qualifies for the benefits. I see no issue with it. She’s doing nothing wrong. She’s not gaming the system IMO. Gaming the system would be lying about your pay or employment to fraudulently get unemployment in the first place.

even if my husband made six figures I would still apply because I’m my own person with my own income.

Yep. I’m in the same position. DH makes six figures. I work a very pt job. I was furloughed so I applied. Why wouldn’t I? And who knows how secure anyone’s job is during all this? We have college to pay for also. I’ve started back to work but still less hours than before. If they pay me, they pay me.

 

[SL6827]

If you don’t return to work when asked to return them you lose your unemployment.

Well duh. I know that. School wont start back till August or September. I plan to return.

 

[Farro]

n/m

 

[SL6827]

So if my spouse made 24,000 a year instead of 101,000 a year then I should be eligible. What BS? Haters going to hate.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Well duh. I know that. School wont start back till August or September. I plan to return.

I’m on your side.

I wasn’t referring to you returning to work. It was a general you.

I was responding on this comment you made....

“And yes, this will make others decide not to return to work.“

The extra $600 won’t stop people from returning to work because if they refuse then they get zero dollars.

 

[SL6827]

I’m on your side.

I wasn’t referring to you returning to work. It was a general you.

I was responding on this comment you made....

“And yes, this will make others decide not to return to work.“

The extra $600 won’t stop people from returning to work because if they refuse then they get zero dollars.

Yes, most people here are on my side. I thank you for that. Initially when I signed up for the UE my husband told me I could get an extra $600 but I didn't believe him. I had to eat crow on that. But these people who are saying I am gaming the system are just jealous. I am not gaming anything.

 

[SL6827]

I will return to work when needed/able. I will not be able to get this amount of UE forever. But some people are just going to hate. Kinda like some people hate on me for getting to go to Disney so much in the past. Very 8th grade like mentality.

 

[SL6827]

Unless their spouse makes 6 figures like OP.

So what about the stimulous check, should we not be eligible for that? Because my husband makes 101,000 a year?

 

[butterscotchcollins]

So what about the stimulous check, should we not be eligible for that? Because my husband makes 101,000 a year?

Pretty sure you're not, in fact, eligible for that Karen.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

So what about the stimulous check, should we not be eligible for that? Because my husband makes 101,000 a year?

call the irs and return it. Same with your $600 a week. Call unemployment and return it.