No Result
View All Result
Military Families
SUBSCRIBE FREE
No Result
View All Result
 Military Families
SUBSCRIBE FREE
Military Families
No Result
View All Result

Did you know military spouses can claim unemployment benefits? 

Emily Marcason-Tolmie
by Emily Marcason-Tolmie
September 19, 2019
unemployment benefits

Military spouses might be able to claim unemployment benefits when they leave a job due to a PCS.

ShareTweetEmailWhatsApp

Orders in hand. Boxes packed. Goodbyes said. For many military families, moving from one duty station to another is common practice. Add to this stress a spouse forced to quit a job due to relocation. Securing unemployment benefits is one way of easing the financial burden of a permanent change of station. 

“Military spouses are very qualified and most of them have an education. Most of them have to leave their careers behind every time to PCS. That means that they have to start from square one every one, two or three years,” said Verenice Castillo, an Air Force wife and president and founder of Military Spouse Advocacy Network.  

Shelley Kimball, a Coast Guard wife and senior director of research and program evaluation at Military Family Advisory Network, echoes Castillo’s sentiment.  

“We know that moving and unemployment can have challenging effects on family finances. Leaving a job, losing that income and then struggling to find work in a new community can be a financial hardship,” she said. 

Kimball thinks planning ahead is key to receiving unemployment benefits because while almost every state in the country offers unemployment benefits for military spouses, the laws do vary by state.  

“Some states may require spouses leave their jobs within a certain window of time before the move, or they require that the military spouse have worked at the job for a minimum amount of time,” she said. “States will also put a limit on how long someone can receive unemployment assistance or have requirements for searching for work while receiving them. All of this will take time to figure out.” 

Mary Monrose, a Navy wife, learned from a fellow military spouse that she qualified for unemployment assistance when her family prepared to move from Hawaii to New York. 

“I had no idea that we could do it, let alone it be available for us,” she said.  

Applying for unemployment benefits took Monrose about a month from start to finish, but she believes time zones played a part in the delay. Otherwise, she says the process was painless. 

“Hawaii made it easy by giving the option to fax or email the paperwork to start rather than snail mail,” she said. 

Monrose would apply for unemployment benefits again, but she cautions other spouses to remain patient with the process. She says it’s worth the wait. 

“Having that secondary income while moving to a new station helped tremendously. Don’t think that because we are military spouses that we are not entitled to these benefits,” she said. 

For military spouses looking to utilize unemployment benefits, there are four things everyone should start with: 

  1. Know your employment facts including the length of current employment and salary. 
  2. File for unemployment benefits in the state where employment was held, not the state you are relocating to.  
  3. File for unemployment benefits before resigning from your current job.  
  4. Include a copy of the spouse’s PCS orders with the unemployment paperwork.  

Additional resources 

There is no denying that PCSing every two-to-three years is difficult for spouses trying to maintain a career. 

“In addition to a high 25% unemployment rate, over 70% of military spouses are under-employed,” Dan Manciagli, a job search coach and curriculum instructor for the military spouse community, said. “Resources for military spouses are on the rise and we encourage every military spouse to use the resources and learn new skills to reach your goals.” 

In addition to securing unemployment benefits, there are other available resources. Castillo recommends spouses use MSAN for employment mentorship, webinars, trainings, resume writing, local networking and partnerships with the Military Spouse Employment Partnership, Military Spouse Professional Network and other nonprofit organizations that focus on helping spouses find employment. 

According to Kimball, MFAN is also about connecting modern military families to the resources they need to help them thrive. 

“Leaving a job, losing that income and then struggling to find work in a new community can be a financial hardship,” she said. 

Kimball cites MilCents, an online, free financial education program meant specifically for military families. It’s also interactive, giving military families a chance to connect with each other as they move through the program. 

“We are all members of military families at MFAN,” Kimball said. “We are living this life, and we know what this is like. That’s why connecting families to the resources, people and information they may need to be successful is so important to us.”

Quick facts about unemployment benefits 

  • As of January 2019, 47 states offer some form of unemployment benefits to military spouses, with the exception of North Dakota, Louisiana and Idaho.  
  • Each state has its own unemployment insurance program and typically requires filing for benefits either by telephone or online. Visit the CareerOneStop Unemployment Benefits page for more information about individual state requirements.  
  • Some licensed professional credentials aren’t accepted over state lines. Dana Manciagli, a job search coach and curriculum instructor for the military spouse community, notes this trend with Arizona becoming the first state to recognize out-of-state occupational licenses in April of 2019. However, it may be years before all states adopt this change.  

Read comments
Tags: MFANMilcentsMilitary Family Advisory NetworkMilitary Spouse Advocacy NetworkMilitary Spouse Unemployment ActMSANunemploymentunemployment benefits
Share48Tweet30SendSend
Emily Marcason-Tolmie

Emily Marcason-Tolmie

Emily Marcason-Tolmie is a proud Navy wife, mama to two adorable little boys, writer and a prospect researcher at a small liberal arts college in Upstate New York. She loves living through the splendor of the seasons - even frigid snow-filled winters - at the foot of the Adirondack Mountains. When she isn't freelance writing, she is writing fiction. She won the Scintillating Starts Writers Advice Fiction Contest in 2019 and is published in Flash Fiction Magazine. Emily is a graduate of the prestigious New York State Summer Writers Institute. She earned her B.A. in Journalism from St. Michael's College and her M.A. in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University.

Related Posts

Fort Jackson things to do Military Families Magazine
Military Relocation

Living like a local when stationed at Fort Jackson

5 hours ago
Summit encourages military spouses to make time for personal wellness
Military Spouses

Summit encourages military spouses to make time for personal wellness

2 days ago
One military spouse’s heart health journey
Military Health

One military spouse’s heart health journey

1 week ago
Retreat focuses on wellness of military and veteran caregivers
Military Health

Retreat focuses on wellness of military and veteran caregivers

2 weeks ago
Tarola Thrasher Maryland Senate delegate
Military Spouses

Maryland candidate makes social justice a top priority

3 weeks ago
Fort Jackson area guide Military Families Magazine
Military Relocation

Fort Jackson area guide

3 weeks ago

Discussion about this post

Ads

Military News, delivered to your inbox

Get a free copy of MILITARY FAMILIES delivered to your inbox each month

Let's connect!

ABOUT US

  • OUR STORY
  • OUR TEAM
  • MEET OUR WRITERS

MAGAZINE

  • GET PRINT
  • GET DIGITAL

GET RESOURCES

  • MONEY GUIDE
  • EDUCATION GUIDE

ADVERTISE

  • GET OUR MEDIA KIT
  • CFC PARTNERS
  • PRICING
  • PUBLISHER’S STATEMENT

SUBMISSIONS

  • PITCH US
  • SUBMIT YOUR STORY
  • BOOK CLUB
Never miss out on the latest stories.
© 2021 Military Families by AmeriForce. Privacy Policy | Terms | Site by Swiss Commerce

Thank you for your interest in Military Families Magazine!

Thank you for your interest in Military Families Magazine!

Thank you for your interest in Military Families Magazine!

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Military Life
    • Deployment
    • Relocation
    • Military Spouses
    • Military Kids
  • Education
  • Career
    • Transition
    • Entrepreneur
    • Veterans
  • Health
  • Money
  • Travel
  • Get Resources
    • Education Guide
    • 2020 Military Money Guide
  • Giveaways

© 2020 Military Families by AmeriForce. Site by SCBW.