In Va., 550 federal workers file for unemployment
Number of claims in state expected to rise due to shutdown
As the partial government shutdown enters its fourth week, at least 550 federal workers who are furloughed have filed for unemployment benefits in Virginia — and the number continues to climb.
“We have seen a steady increase in claims,” said Bill Walton, director of unemployment insurance for the Virginia Employment Commission. “Especially this last week.”
Federal workers who are furloughed or are working without pay are allowed to apply for the benefits, which range from $60 per week for 12 weeks to a maximum of $378 per week for 26 weeks.
Employees must repay any unemployment benefits they received if they get back pay when the government reopens.
Walton said it’s a busy time of year for the commission, anyway, during a time of seasonal layoffs. But 550 processed claims so far have been attributed to the shutdown, which began Dec. 22.
“I know without a doubt that number’s going higher,” he said, as it does not include applications filed this week or others already filed but not yet attributed to the shutdown.
“We are seeing a spike in claims.”
Almost 9,000 federal employees and contractors in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. have applied for the benefits, Politico reported last week. About 800,000 federal workers are affected nationwide, of whom 350,000 are furloughed.
Employees filing for the benefits through Saturday would see a check at the earliest two weeks from now. They must file a claim each week of unemployment to be paid.
“Anytime folks are separated from employment, it’s a scary time,” Walton said. “That’s something we’re very conscious of . ... Folks can be very desperate at times.”
In past government shutdowns such as in 2013, Walton said furloughed workers often held off until they went back to work. But this shutdown is the longest in U.S. history.
“We’ve certainly hit a window where if folks were delaying their application, they’ve reached a point where they’re submitting those now.”
He added that there’s an extra administrative step for dealing with federal employees’ claims, because their wage information is not already on file and the commission has to reach out to the government agencies to get it. In the private sector, companies provide that information quarterly.
Furloughed employees can learn more about their options on the commission’s website: www.vec.virginia.gov/node/9998.
Meanwhile, the cities of Portsmouth and Norfolk have offered to help furloughed workers with their bills.