RANDOM comments

[Skyon Archer]

Federal employees can, in most circumstances, file for unemployment benefits during a government shutdown. The Office of Personnel Management has recently updated information on how federal workers can file for unemployment insurance during the partial government shutdown.

Employees’ eligibility for unemployment varies by state. In most circumstances, the state where an employee’s official duty station is located is the state that will determine a worker’s unemployment eligibility in the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees Program. State unemployment insurance agencies administer this program on behalf of the federal government.

However, read these rules:

Question: Are Federal employees required to repay the unemployment benefits received when/if wages are paid retroactively for the time that they were not working during the Government shutdown?
Answer: In most States, including the District of Columbia, employees who receive unemployment benefits and also later receive a retroactive payment from their employer for the same time period, will be required to repay the UI benefits received.
The State UI agency determines whether or not an overpayment exists and, generally, the recovery of the overpayment is a matter for State action under its law; however, some State UI laws require the employer to recover such overpayment.

Question: Can an employee’s wages be garnished if there is an overpayment of benefits?
Answer: Yes, if the State law has provisions for wage garnishments. However, employees will be given the opportunity to voluntarily repay the overpayment first before the State proceeds with any garnishments.

Question: If I am overpaid benefits, will I be required to repay the entire amount all at once?
Answer: It depends on the State requirements; most States will allow an individual to set up a repayment agreement to satisfy the overpayment.

Kind of sucks really. So you are "laid off" so you file for unemployment compensation to help you cover bills. Trust me, it's not the same paycheck you were receiving, it's only a small portion of it. Then the government resumes operation and, yes you are paid back pay for the time you were off, but you must now pay back all the unemployment compensation you received!