unemployment question

[falcondriver]

I talked to the unemployment office and they have stated that if you do any contract work you must report this and it will reduce your payment which isn't that big anyway but every bit helps. Is there anyway around this?

FD

 

[RightBettor]

Ask yourself this: Is it worth the legal ramifications should you get caught? As you stated, unemployment isn't that much anyway.

 

[falcondriver]

Let me re-phrase my question. Every pilot I talked to, told me I could do contract work and not report it. This is a false statement. I'm just curious if I'm missing something. I can do one days contract work and have to give up all my benefits for the week. This sucks. I can't find a job to save my life. I just want to go back to work.......
Falcondriver

 

[pilotyip]

What State

Depends upon what state you are in, here in Michigan they only deduct 1/2 of your pay you earn from your unemployment check. If you are drawing $300 per week max and you fly and earn $150, your unemployment check would be $225, so you still come out ahead. Having been unemployed in the state of Mich, I speak from experienice.

 

[Daysoff]

You do not really give up your unemployment. It should just extend the unemployment an extra week. You are given x number of dollars for your unemployment "benefit". Once that money runs out then you no longer get a benefit. So if you get some supplemental income it will just help to spread out your benefit over a longer period of time (at least in MN).

Anyway, if you only need to work one day a week to make as much in unemployment and you can keep flying, that sounds like a good deal to me but that is just me.

I feel your pain in just wanting to go back to work. Good luck and hang in there.

 

[Lindy]

RightBettor is right with respect to the legal ramifications.

If you claim weeks of unemployment while you had earnings and did not report the earnings, in Michigan, you will have to REPAY the amount of benefit you received. (The amount of repayment is deducted from your AGI on your taxes.....)

Additonally, are any of the contract flying employers sending you a 1099? If so, the earnings ARE reported to the IRS and you will (eventually) have to pay taxes on said earnings.