It seems that Dog Ate My Finances has created another uproar within the blogosphere by refusing to apply for unemployment insurance after a recent job loss.
Her feeling (that unemployment is equivalent to a hand-out – which I don’t agree with) may tick people off, but her action (not taking unemployment, which, in some teeny tiny way, lessens the strain on the whole system) should be something that benefits everyone in her state who is taking unemployment.
So I say, each to his/her own. If you qualify for unemployment assistance, don’t be ashamed to take it. Being on unemployment is not a sign of weakness nor a personal failing. If you decide not to take unemployment for whatever reason, then good for you, and don’t be ashamed to stand behind your decision.
In the end, we’re all just trying to do the best we can, by making decisions that mesh with our financial and personal goals and beliefs, right?
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Def. agree with you. I don’t see a problem with her not taking the benefits if she doesn’t need them (keeps them available for other people who are not so lucky), but her “handout” attitude about them was kind of offensive. Or at least they would be, if I considered taking advantage of government programs to be pejorative (which I don’t… they exist for people who need them to use them).
You have to kind of know her history to understand why she feels so strongly about “handouts”, so I understand that…its a personal reaction. A bit proud perhaps, but as you said, “each to his/her own”.
I guess that’s what the uproar is, her pride, but I don’t feel all that offended by it. I see where its coming from, and commend her for standing by her beliefs. It takes a lot to put that all out there knowing that you’ll be getting reamed by the pf blogosphere.
Besides, I can’t really imagine being in her place, nor do I know anyone personally that is in a similar position and had the option of taking it or not. Most of the people I know that have lost their jobs have NEEDED the money, and thus taken unemployment. Her husband’s business is doing great, and she recognizes that. Perhaps not taking the unemployment was the right decision in her case?
I too think if she doesn’t want or need it, that is great and I don’t really care. The attitude about saying it is equivalent to a handout was a little… insulting. And I’ve never collected unemployment (::crosses fingers::)
I don’t care that she doesn’t want to accept it. People can do whatever they want to do. It was the tone of her post – that accepting unemployment even with savings – is a wrong and greedy thing to do. I think that’s what people had a problem with; not her pride, but the judgement she passed on everyone else out there.
I’ve never needed unemployment, and I still felt insulted by what she wrote.
I guess I haven’t read that particular post. There are a lot of misconceptions out there about unemployment. Adding to the confusion, every state has slightly different programs. First of all, it’s not at all a handout. In most states employers (like Senor Dog) are required to pay into the program in proportion to the number of employees they have and how many they lay off in a given year. The only people she is helping by not taking the money is her former employer. In some states employees pay into the program. It’s like having SS withdrawn from your check every pay period and then refusing to collect in retirement, you’re just getting your own money back.
It’s a benefit which we pay for, by paying state taxes.
She is simply getting her money back
Good point– that’s how I felt too after reading the post. While I’m a fan of exercising one’s judgment, it doesn’t extend to judging the choices of others.
The “handout” (as she qualifies it) is not just about money, it’s what you do with it. To some, it can make a difference like not having your kids taken away, enabling a spouse to support a family on 3 jobs instead of 4, and paying for basic healthcare so the family stays afloat instead of drowning under crippling medical bills after something initially innocuous goes untreated.
It’s great that she’s in a position where she feels that unemployment is unnecessary, but I think the post would’ve been more well-received if the last paragraph was omitted.
I was gonna write what Moneymonk and Miss M wrote–it seems like she has the facts a little incorrect (granted i haven’t read the post, so I can’t say that for sure).
this is funny, because i’m currently reading ‘Bitter in Black’ by Jen Lancaster, and in it, she writes about how she’s republican and ‘can’t take handouts’ like unemployment after she gets fired. her hubby explains to her that her employer and her past self were paying her unemployment checks, and her moral issues were solved.
it really isn’t a handout…i wonder if that would change her mind? that is an interesting take on the system.
this all reminds me of when i refused to ask for money from the insurance company after a car hit me. i could have sued, i could have demanded all sorts of compensation, but i didn’t because i didn’t feel like i deserved the money–i didn’t DO anything for it! in reality, all it did was benefit the insurance company’s bank accounts and shareholders. the guy that hit me’s rates still went up whether or not i took the settlement…
It’s a benefit which we pay for, by paying state taxes.
She is simply getting her money back
But the very same can be said for welfare.
Maybe, it has less to do with her not needing to take the money and more to do with being able to claim self-righteousness over other’s that may take unemployment. I’m thinking if it were really about her not needing it, the post wouldn’t have smacked with as much judgment as it did.
Just a thought.
I read Dog’s post on not taking unemployment insurance. I feel the same that to each his/her own. My only thought was that she could be mindful of her readers. The tone might be taken that it’s less than to do such a thing. I don’t think so but it might lead others to think differently.
Jerry
http://www.leads4insurance.com
I just read Dog’s post, and I can see both sides of the coin. I, too, recently lost my job (thankfully, I was re-hired about 6 weeks later) and had to decide whether or not I was going to file for unemployment.
I had some money stashed away in a savings account, hoping to use it for a new car, a wedding, or a down payment (at that point, I was just stashing away money for a major purchase), so I wasn’t immediately in need of cash, but I knew how tough the job market was for marketing people, as I had just graduated from college in May. I wasn’t going to take any chances and not be able to pay rent or student loan bills.
At first I felt bad, like I was trying to get my hands on money that other people needed more, but I realized that I worked so that I *could* collect if I lost my job.
And I’ll tell you what: I’m glad I filed when I did (2 days after losing my job) because I didn’t get any money for 6 weeks. Money was starting to get really tight, and now I can breathe a little easier, knowing I had that buffer.