Money in One Chart

bad month

File for unemployment the week you lose the job, because the clock starts when you file, not when you were let go.

Each state runs its own program under federal rules. The Department of Labor's advice is to contact your state program as soon as possible. The first payment usually takes two to three weeks.

You asked for the first-week checklist. It is below, as the slides from the post, then the one move, then the tool the chart points at.

Slide 1 of 7: File for unemployment the week you lose the job, because the clock starts when you file, not when you were let go.Slide 2 of 7: After you file, the first unemployment payment generally takes this long to arrive.Slide 3 of 7: Every state runs its own program, with its own website, its own weekly amount, and its own rules, under one federal framework.Slide 4 of 7: People wait because they are hoping for a quick new job, or because they think severance disqualifies them.Slide 5 of 7: Filing for unemployment is not an admission of anything, and it is not charity.Slide 6 of 7: Three things to have ready when you file.Slide 7 of 7: Save this for the week it happens.

Three things to have ready when you file.

  1. 01
    Employer names, addresses and dates for the last eighteen months.Pay stubs or W-2s make it fast.
  2. 02
    The reason the job ended, in one plain sentence.Laid off. Position eliminated. Keep it factual.
  3. 03
    Your bank details for direct deposit.Paper checks add days.

The tool this chart points at

A budgeting app

Every bill and every recurring charge on one screen, so nothing is missed in a bad month.

Open it

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Sources: US Department of Labor, Unemployment Insurance topic page.

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