‘Where will I end up? Homeless?’ Readers share stories about the expiration of unemployment benefits.
Shelley Sloan, 50, DeLand, Fla.: I am a marketing/public relations professional, and I find myself with a new title these days: “Unemployed American.” My position was eliminated in March because of covid-19 cutbacks. That same day, I logged into the Florida unemployment system to begin the process of claiming my benefits. I immediately ran into errors, timeouts and system-wide failures. The antiquated system could not handle the massive influx of applicants such as me.
I was finally able to complete my application, but it took eight weeks before I received any type of funding. I was approved for the maximum amount, which in Florida is $275 a week for 12 weeks. For me and my family, that was enough for groceries and gas and that’s about it. It did not cover bills, my mortgage, or any unplanned expenses. After 20 years of being gainfully employed, I went from making almost $1,700 a week to $275.
At the same time, I also began receiving the additional $600 per week from the Cares Act. This was a true lifeline, because it provided enough to also pay for bills and other necessary items. Luckily, my husband, an essential front-line worker, was still employed, so we had some income. I cannot imagine a scenario in which we were both out of work. Waiting eight weeks for small unemployment checks would have probably rendered us homeless. The expiration of the federal aid will make it more difficult for us to get by.
Since I have been unemployed, I have seen many memes on social media comparing people collecting unemployment to “Scrooge McDuck.” This is not some get-rich scheme, in which millions of people are just sitting back collecting their riches from the state or federal government instead of looking for a job.
There is no pride in being unemployed. Refiling for my benefits every two weeks is something I dread doing because I must admit to myself that I still do not have a job and I need help just to get by. I have feelings of depression, worthlessness and despair every day. And receiving federal and state funds certainly did not “discourage” me from wanting to get a job. In the past five months, I have applied for 60-plus positions for which I am qualified. To date, I have interviewed with four companies, none of which have hired me.
I feel so humbled after going through this ordeal and am angered seeing how Congress has been unable to pass another stimulus relief package. I am sick of being lumped into a bucket by politicians telling us unemployed people to “just get a job.” Obviously, it’s not as easy as they think.
Karen LoNardo, 59, Bonney Lake, Wash.: I was a pastry chef before the pandemic. I had a great job in a casino on tribal land. The extra $600 meant that I could still continue to pay all my bills without any worry about not being able to. My job is pretty much gone. The casino is being very cautious about rehiring the food and beverage department. Now, with the expiration of federal aid, everything is tight. I will be able to pay my mortgage and car payment. Not much left for food and basic utilities. My health insurance went away with my job. I am 59 years old and was 10 years from retirement. Congress is supposed to act for the benefit of the American people. This Congress cares nothing about us. What do I do with this anger? Where will I end up? Homeless? These are the thoughts that terrorize me daily.
Mark Oliver, 61, Bridgewater, Mass.: For 40 years, I’ve been employed in the entertainment industry as a union studio mechanic and stagehand. Now, I’m out of work indefinitely. I want to go back to work — I’m bored and am running out of honey-do chores. Without the extra $600, I can’t afford to pay all my bills and spend money on takeout at the local restaurant for a stress reliever. I challenge any politician to pay your mortgage, utilities and other bills and spend pennies on reviving the economy with the typical unemployment benefit. Maybe if senators worked, legislated or negotiated more than an average of three days a week while receiving a full-time salary of $174,000, they would understand.
Tami Towers, 47, Rolling Meadows, Ill.: I am an early childhood teacher and there’s no work. I’ve been in the field for 30 years and never saw anything like this. My husband and I rely on the $600 to pay rent and for necessities. Without the $600, we will be living in our car. We will be homeless. We are barely staying afloat as it is, but losing the benefits would leave us in a dire situation. God help us all!
Wanda Fischer, 71, Schenectady, N.Y.: I am retired; however, my son was furloughed and just went back to work. His wife just lost her job. They have three kids and a mortgage. Has it occurred to anyone that we retired people who have fixed incomes will be called upon to support our adult children who otherwise will not be able to make ends meet? My daughter-in-law had a job where they didn’t need day care, given the hours she had. Now, she’s applying for jobs that will pay $16-$17 an hour and will entail paying for day care. Guess who might have to pay for that?
Jessica Williamson, 32, Gulfport, Miss.: Allowing federal unemployment benefits to expire is an extreme loss for myself and my two children. I was laid off because of the pandemic and returned to work in July, but only, at most, 19 hours a week at $6.25 an hour plus tips. I’m on the verge of eviction and without that extra unemployment it would literally take every single week of working and claiming unemployment to cover my rent, lights and water. That $600 a week was not an incentive to stay at home because we all knew very well that it was only temporary. We are not refusing to return to work. Rather, we are putting our lives at risk every day to do our part in keeping the economy going, even as the benefits expire and Congress argues back and forth.
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