Imelda Avila-Thomas has spent over two weeks grappling with the government’s unemployment system, trying to secure compensation to sustain her household during the ongoing government shutdown. As a federal employee currently on unpaid furlough, she needs these funds to help manage essential expenses like groceries and mortgage payments.

Despite her persistent efforts, Avila-Thomas has faced roadblocks in the process. She followed directives to upload proof-of-income documents through a provided link, but the system continues to reject her application, citing unverified wages. This leaves her questioning whether the very individuals who might resolve such issues are also caught in the furlough.

A local union leader and mother of a 12-year-old daughter, Avila-Thomas represents a broader group of federal workers navigating the complexities of unemployment claims. Although the number of claimants has surged, it still represents only a small percentage of the over 670,000 furloughed employees, as reported by the Bipartisan Policy Center. Unemployment benefits vary significantly across states in terms of amounts and duration.

According to Department of Labor data, approximately 26,000 federal employees filed new unemployment claims between September 28 and October 18, with about 3,300 filing in the week leading up to the shutdown on October 1.

Furloughed workers must weigh their options carefully. If back pay is granted after the shutdown, those who received unemployment aid would need to repay it. However, Avila-Thomas believes that later repaying the aid is preferable to accumulating debt now.

Having dedicated 16 years to the Labor Department, Avila-Thomas faces financial strain despite her husband’s employment with the Department of Veterans Affairs. As a disabled veteran still receiving his salary, they have nevertheless been forced to reduce expenses, including their daughter’s dyslexia tutoring, and have turned to a food bank to help balance their reduced income.

“This would cover that — the essential basics,” said Avila-Thomas, whose local American Federation of Government Employees covers Labor Department workers in several states. “And yes, in an ideal world, everybody would have six months worth of savings. And the reality is, most of our members are coming to that point where they could no longer pay those regular bills.”

She has applied for part-time work and said she isn’t looking for a handout.

Federal workers’ jobless aid relies on states

Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees relies heavily on state laws and processing.

The specifics vary. Massachusetts has a high-end weekly benefit of $1,105 per week for up to 30 weeks. In Mississippi, it’s no more than $235 weekly for up to 26 weeks. Roughly half the states pay less than $600 a week maximum, according to U.S. Department of Labor numbers.

Not everyone gets the maximum weekly rate. Some states offer fewer than 20 weeks. And the limits can grow in some states when unemployment rates are particularly high.

Around the nation’s capital, the maximum weekly payment is $444 in Washington, D.C., $430 in Maryland and $378 in Virginia.

In Texas, where Avila-Thomas lives, the weekly maximum is $605, for up to 26 weeks.

States normally issue payments within two to three weeks after someone’s claim is approved, the Labor Department says. And most states also have an initial “waiting week” for which benefits are not paid upfront. Beneficiaries typically receive money for that week only later, if they exhaust all the weeks they’re allotted, the National Employment Law Project says.

States are responsible for verifying an applicant’s job and earnings with their federal employer. But the Department of Labor has warned that the shutdown may delay processing of this information by federal agencies.

Many workers have not received forms normally sent by their employing agencies that are used to verify employment and earnings, according to the National Employment Law Project.

Questions have come up about states’ varying requirements that people prove they are job hunting while receiving unemployment checks. The Labor Department has said waivers of the requirement may apply for the furloughed federal workers under state laws, noting they face ethics limits on outside work. And some states have specified that work-search mandates won’t apply to these workers, waiving them for several weeks or longer.

But in Texas, Avila-Thomas said she has not received a clear answer. Many of her job matches could present a conflict of interest, she said. The Texas Workforce Commission did not immediately respond to a request to clarify the work requirement for those workers.

Those still working without pay are ineligible

About 730,000 federal employees have kept working without pay, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center, and they are generally not eligible for unemployment benefits. They will receive back pay after the government is reopened. Workers on reduced hours could be eligible for unemployment.

“Excepted” employees working without pay are typically necessary to respond to emergencies or ensure national security, such as air traffic controllers and airport security screeners.

The Trump administration has said pay will continue for some groups, including FBI special agents and military troops. Paychecks never stopped for some other workers whose departments, such as the Postal Service, rely on their own revenues or certain other funding sources.

There have been other wrinkles specific to how this administration has handled the shutdown, as well.

Earlier in October, the Trump administration threatened that back pay for furloughed federal workers would not be guaranteed, though he later backtracked on it. Trump has also sought to lay off more than 10,000 federal workers during the shutdown. A judge has blocked the layoffs while a lawsuit challenging them plays out.

Avila-Thomas said workers like her are ready for the shutdown to end.

“We’re ready to get back,” she said. “I think I’ve driven my family crazy with things and projects.” ___

This story has been updated to correct the name of the American Federation of Government Employees.

___

Associated Press data journalist Larry Fenn contributed from New York.