What is A Waiting Week?

[@caracrabtree715]

In other words you never get paid for the first week your unemployed, it's a week "served". I still don't understand the purpose of it, if ever I would have to receive unemployment for a month it would be $300 less than my rent alone, so why would they "steal" a week in the first place? I don't understand. I've been working since I was 11, on the books since 14 and spent the better years of my life working many hours practically neglecting my children's childhood among most everything else to just survive on bare minimal bills, but was totally mentally and emotionally and somewhat physically burnt out after 20 or so years, so now I have a job that pays less than my educated healthcare career and is on a school schedule still work summer and roughly 38-50 hours a week and still exhausted all the time (& feel 80) from spending the 1st 1/2 of adult life running on stress chemicals, toxic adrenaline and cortisone. Paid into a system my whole life that's only going to pay a fraction (get $180 when out of work) and on top of that they take the first week which is never paid (& in my case it's the week of Christmas vacation, which really bites). Where does that week go? What do they do with it? Their excuse is to avoid paying only 2 or 3 days if stopped working during the week, but law states depending how much you made, you would be eligible, so that excuse makes no sense. We've earned this insurance and right throughout out working life, and they treat it like it's a hand out to be happy and shut up about. My income like the majority of people gets taxed 30%, but as in all benefits and human rights for food, health, education and shelter they're too broke and treat it again like hand out, but have no problem feeding the irresponsibilities of corporate and blissful spending on defense contracts and other programs that destroy, but line their pockets rather well, but I have give up a measly week that probably doesn't mean much to anybody else but when my low income rent is 3 of my regular paychecks and I make more than minimum wage and work overtime, can barely buy enough food, forced to buy overpriced crooked auto and health insurance, can't afford a savings never buy anything or go anywhere, but ya, I'm ok with being ok with an unexplained week of my unemployment insurance away for nothing, sure, not like you have a choice, because even though it's an insurance you and your employer pays for, it's just handing out free money, right? So you don't deserve it, your lazy or poor or something like that that the media programs you to think and feel... What ever, I just wanted a decent explanation

[@Jazzyisms]

so I know that I don't get paid on my waiting week, but do I get paid for it the week after?

[@mauriciocifuentes4709]

Good question and yes I believe you do I did at least but I'm in California.

[@2highdj997]

I’m in Texas I got paid for my waiting week

[@ginamorris169]

@@2highdj997 how long did take to receive your waiting amount

[@chuteboxe18]

My first time claiming unemployment, I believe I didn't wait the week and today I received a letter saying they couldn't pay benefits of 3/22 through 3/28 I filed on Wednesday which was 3/25. My question is does that deny my whole Unemployment or just for that week? I'm in Oregon.

[@sclapsclap177]

Thank you for explaining this in Oregon, cause they don't do it here where I am from

[@jamesbarry1983]

this is perhaps the most confusing thing ever.... so do i reclaim the waiting week....or do i just not get paid for that week and go pound sand.....and then keep claiming weeks until they decide to pay.....