The company I worked for made a petition with the Department of labor called TAA or Trade Adjustment Act, which is a program that continues to pay your unemployment if you can not find a job to give you a new career that will make you more likely to find a job. This covers employees laid off from 2008 to now with the same company. This had to be done because it was over 1000 people loosing their jobs in a area with a total population of 80,000. There isn't any other place to work there with the set of skills that we have, so people have the option of learning something else at their expense and stay in the area or move to another area with them paying for your relocation. Each one of us had $15,000 to use either for school or moving. My intentions were to move to NYC and have them relocate me, but since I can not find anything here I need to go to school. The course of study can not attain a higher degree and can not be on-line. It must offer a certificate upon completion or a license and it has to be completed in 2 years. That is the only reason I can still collect while going to school. I know I am looking at this ahead of time, but looking at it carefully, is only one year away and I don't want to find myself with no income and 5 more months of school. If I sue them, it may take several months before a decision is made and the earlier I get this started, the earlier I get it completed. I never sued anyone in my life but this is my family they are messing with. To make matters worse I will be receiving a 65% reduction in my COBRA benefits, but I qualify for a program with the IRS that increases the subsidy to 80%. I enroll into the program in December, and in January the subsidy is scheduled to go back to 65%, which means that I will have to pay in medical insurance about 50% of what I get from unemployment if not more. the law is up for congress to evaluate and decide if it stays at 80% or goes back to 65%, but being that the elections are over and they don't have to stick to what they promised, it may go back to 65% for sure.
I know at least I have this option, which is more than many Americans have right now, but they keep making things more and more difficult for us. I was lucky enough to work for a large corporation that makes billions every year and can afford to send off their employees with something to survive for a while. I feel for those who don't even get that, which is the large majority. I don't understand how things are going to get better.