When I lost my job at the Gap, I worried that I wasn’t going to be able to pay my bills and go back to college, which was my goal that year. But then my uncle told me about unemployment benefits.

When you’re in between jobs, unemployment insurance benefits—in which the government provides you with a weekly income—can help stabilize you while you look for a new job. Every state has different unemployment laws, but eligibility requirements are similar: You have to be laid off or have lost your job through no fault of your own. (If you were fired, you’re not eligible.) You also have to be “ready, willing, and able” to work. (Check the Department of Labor website in your state for other eligibility conditions.)

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I applied for unemployment with the New York State Department of Labor, and soon felt better knowing that I would be secure with my rent and my other bills.

Filing a Claim

In New York, you can apply for unemployment benefits online. You have to provide the names and addresses of all your employers for the last 18 months, and explain why you no longer work there.

How much money you get depends upon how much money you earned the year that you were laid off. It’s different for every state, but in New York the maximum you can receive is $405 per week. To get your money, the Department of Labor either gives you a debit card or they deposit the money directly into your checking account.

In New York, once you do the initial paperwork, you have to check in each week to claim your benefits. To do this, you contact the state Department of Labor online or over the phone any day of the week.

The benefits are paid for a maximum of 26 weeks, which is half the year. But if you still haven’t found a job—and you can show that you are actually looking—you may be able to get an extension for up to 93 weeks (though that may change in 2013).

image by YC-Art Dept

Holding Up Your End

When you claim benefits, you have to actively look for work. Department of Labor representatives may send you questionnaires, check in to see if you’re job hunting, or ask you to meet with one of their employment specialists. I didn’t have to meet with anyone, but I was searching for retail and office work. I wasn’t able to find anything full-time, but I picked up a job cleaning an office one afternoon every other week.

If you’re working at all—even if it’s just a few hours a week of temporary work—the Department of Labor has to know about it. If they find out you’ve been working without reporting it, they can withhold your benefits or even disqualify you. The good thing is that the government understands that cleaning an office twice a month won’t pay the bills, so I can still claim unemployment and receive partial benefits.

While I continued looking for a job with more hours, I realized this was a good time to go back to college. The New York Department of Labor’s 599 Training Program allows students to continue receiving unemployment benefits without having to look for work while in school. You have to apply for this and your classes have to be part of an “approved training course.” Thankfully, my enrollment in Queensborough Community College, where I’m working toward an associate degree, was approved.

It Happens to Everyone

You shouldn’t feel ashamed about getting unemployment, but I know it’s hard to adjust. One day I used my Department of Labor debit card to buy coffee and the cashier looked at the card oddly. I got embarrassed, but then I realized that unemployment can happen to anyone.

These days, I joke to people that I’m on the “U. to the E.” They ask, “What does that mean?” and when I explain, they start laughing. More often than not, they tell me stories about when they were unemployed.

To apply for unemployment benefits in New York, go to labor.ny.gov