Check in here if you are not eligible for unemployment benefits

[NightWatcher]

Myself and my SO are both subcontractors who do professional jobs (her a marine biologist observer, myself an independent private investgator). We have paid self employment tax for years but are ineligible for claiming it on the back end.

We are eligible for food assistance...and will most likely be trying to get it again.

The good news about being so close to rock bottom is that the final fall wont hurt that much, not too far to fall. My butts been skimming along the bottom for almost two years now.


I fault no one who is eligible for assistance but remember that there are a lot of us out here with no hope of a government safety net.

[Hello_Kitty]

1. That's what I always think of when they announce unemployment figures on the news

They'll say "5 million people are collecting unemployment" but there are at least as many other jobless people who don't qualify. Hell, I know a construction whose former boss was deducting UI from his paycheck but pocketing it instead of submitting it to the government. When the job was finished the guy tried to collect unemployment and was told that there was no record of his employment and that he was ineligible. Of course, by this time, the boss was nowhere to be found.

[Captain Hilts]

5. This is why most economists now use the # of people working, because so many don't ...

show up in unemployment numbers. And who does varies from admin to admin because they change the standards.

The number of those actually working full-time is easier and more consistent to calculate.

[villager]

2. Yeah, 1099er here myself...

No unemployment bennies for me, either...

[Myrina]

3. Same here ....

... I guess having learned to 'live poor' over the past 20 years has made this episode not-too-frightening in my mind.

Also makes it easier to walk away from things I may have to walk away from, unlike some folks were have become accustomed to a certain uber-consumeristic-existence because they've had unlimited charging potential (and have used it) to surround themselves with 'stuff' in an attempt to define who they are (thinking of a couple former co-workers, particularly) ...

:shrug:

[Captain Hilts]

4. I'm not. Finishing a degree while unemployed prevents me from applying for the minimum 3 jobs/week

[Traveling_Home]

6. I always made it a point to pay...

my own unempolyment insurance tax when I was self employed.

'Course I retired in 2001 so maybe this is no longer possible. Did you have the opportunity, if not the money, to purchase unemployment ins. fot yourself?

[NightWatcher]

7. I paid for myself, but due to the fact that technically I have not been let go

from my own business, I am not eligible.

I just have not been able to wrangle up enough clients to get by, so according to all this is only my fault and not worthy of assistance.

[Traveling_Home]

8. If I understand....

You haven't closed your business (become unemployed). You are still actively working at being a PI just not making any money. Your business is just slower then hell but you are still in business. Since you aren't unemployed you don't qualify for unemployment.

Nothing in the new legislation or ever proposed would help in your situation. You need to bite the bullet, close you business and look for a new job. You would qualify from what you told me under those circumsyance. Just like anyone else out of work. Is that correct?

Good Luck