The last I heard, here in Indiana you can be on UE for 99 weeks. It breaks down to 26 from the state level and 73 from the federal level. And yes it burns me!
My sister was let go in December of 2008. I forget how much she was earning but she receives a bit over $400 on UE. She keeps saying she won't even look at jobs that pay less than $15 - 16 / hour. Why? She says that by the time she factors in the costs associated with employment (i.e., gas costs, health insurance premium for 2, new clothing, eating out for lunch, etc.) she would lose money by working.
The only job leads she has followed in the last few months are where a friend has called and mentioned an opening where he worked. She applied for it in Nov 2009, was offered it and turned it down based on the above criteria. Another spot opened at the same place in the spring of 2010 and she applied, was offered it and again, turned it down based on the same criteria.
In the meantime she has applied to every relief agency in the area (trustee for rent, utilities, insurance) and has received assistance. She even gets money from her church. When there was a delay in July on UE checks she applied for, and got approved for, food stamps. Two people in her house and she gets $367 a month. She "sells" her food stamps. Once she starts gettiing checks again she won't qualify for food stamps though
Having said all that, she joined a club with monthly dues and a weekly donation, eats at McD for lunch a couple times a week, shops everyday, wants me to go to FL with her for a vacation, went out to a sit down restaurant 3 times last week and once school starts up, rather than eating school lunch or eating at home, she'll pick her daughter up and take her to lunch everyday just like she did last year (Subway, Burger King, McD, Dairy Queen) and drive her to/ from school (4 trips a day) even though it's easily within walking distance.
Did I mention that she's been working for the last 3 weeks? Yep, it's a friend so she convinced him to pay her cash so she doesn't have to report the income and risk losing benefits.
Now my ex, he was let go in May of 2009. He was making $10/hr at his job and paid $75/week in child support. He was to the courthouse that same day filing for his support to be lowered. It's now at $55/wk. When asked by the judge how much his UE was he replied with $260/wk. I had proof that he was getting $290/wk and showed it to judge.
$290/wk breaks down to 40 hrs/wk at a min. wage job in Indiana. The judge asked why he didn't take a min. wage and get off assistance. Same as my sister, once he figured in all the costs he was making more money by staying home. He's only applying for $10/hr jobs. She didn't like that and ordered him, very clearly, to get a job, any job. It's August now, more than a year later, and he just can't find a job.
She told him that if you start at the bottom, $7.50/hr, then you are at least in the door. You can work your up, probably get raises along the way, and benefits. He has no insurance so my DH covers DS.
Please note that I do have sympathy for folks that can't find anything. Maybe the area they live in has been hit especially hard or maybe they work in a specialized field like one would have via training (teacher, mechanic and the like) and jobs are sparse. But turning down jobs, refusing to take jobs that pay the same as on UE, using UE for vacation, selling food stamps ...
