Ukulungiselela nokululama ekuphazamisekeni kwezezimali · Isifundo 1 2
When Income Stops: Your First 30 Days
A 30-day plan for a layoff, cut hours, or a government shutdown: decide which bills come first, apply for help, and avoid costly traps.
Kuqediwe kulesi sisetshenziswa
Izingxenye zalesi sifundo azikahunyushelwa olimini lwakho, ngakho-ke zikhonjiswe ngesiNgisi.
Kulesi sifundo
Yini ozoyifunda
- Decide which bills to pay first when income drops, using a worked example.
- Apply for unemployment insurance and other help in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
- Call landlords, lenders, and utilities to ask for a payment plan before a bill goes unpaid.
- Avoid high-cost loans and scams that target people in a money crisis.
Ukuthi lokhu kuxhumene kanjani namakilasi ethu: Our class covers how to rank bills by what happens if you do not pay them. This lesson turns that skill into a 30-day action plan for a layoff, cut hours, or a federal shutdown, with places in DC, Maryland, and Virginia to apply for help.
Amagama okumele wazi
- Umshuwalense Wokungasebenzi (UI) (Unemployment insurance (UI))
- Izinkokhelo zamasonto onke ezivela kuhulumeni, isikhathi esilinganiselwe, kubasebenzi abalahlekelwa umsebenzi wabo noma amahora ngaphandle kwephutha labo.
- I-Furlough (Furlough)
- Isikhathi lapho umqashi, njengohulumeni wobumbano ngesikhathi sokuvalwa, etshela abasebenzi ukuthi bayeke ukusebenza futhi angabakhokheli.
- Uhlelo lobunzima (Hardship plan)
- Isivumelwano sesikhashana nombolekisi sokunciphisa noma ukumisa izinkokhelo zakho ngoba imali yakho yehla.
- Ukubekezela (Forbearance)
- Imvume evela kumbolekisi yokumisa noma ukwehlisa izinkokhelo zemalimboleko isikhathi esinqunyiwe. Imvamisa usakweleta inani elimisiwe kamuva.
- Ilungiselelo lokukhokha (Payment arrangement)
- Uhlelo nenkampani yakho kagesi, igesi, noma amanzi ukukhokha umthethosivivinywa owedlule ezingxenyeni ezincane ngokuhamba kwesikhathi.
- Icala lomphakathi (Public charge)
- Isivivinyo emthethweni wokufuduka esibheka ukuthi umuntu angancika yini ekusizeni kukahulumeni. Kuthinta kakhulu abantu abafaka isicelo sekhadi eliluhlaza.
Uhlelo lwakho lwezinsuku ezingama-30 ngokubuka
Imali engenayo ingayeka ngaphandle kwesixwayiso. Ukudilizwa, ukuncishiswa kwamahora, ukulimala, noma ukuvalwa kukahulumeni kunganciphisa iholo ngesigamu. Ukuvalwa kukahulumeni kuka-2025 kwathatha izinsuku ezingama-43, isikhathi eside kunazo zonke emlandweni wase-US, futhi kwashiya abasebenzi abaningi bendawo yaseDC bengenankokhelwa.
U-Yaw no-Abena Mensah bahlala eHyattsville, eMaryland. U-Yaw waxoshwa emsebenzini wakhe wokulethwa. U-Abena usebenza okwesikhashana njengomsizi wezempilo ekhaya. Inkokhelo yabo yokuthatha ekhaya yehle isuka ku- $ 5,000 yaya ku- $ 2,500 ngenyanga. Lolu uhlelo abalulandelayo.
- Izinsuku 1 kuya ku-7: Faka isicelo sokungasebenzi. Hlola umholo wakho wokugcina. Bhala yonke i-bill, inani layo, kanye nosuku lwayo olubekiwe.
- Izinsuku 5 kuya kwengu-14: Beka izikweletu zakho. Ngaphambi kosuku ngalunye olubekiwe, shayela wonke umbolekisi kanye nosizo ongeke ukwazi ukukhokha ngokugcwele.
- Izinsuku 7 kuya ku-21: Faka isicelo sokudla, amandla, kanye nosizo lokuqasha. Buyisela ukunakekelwa kwezempilo okulahlekile.
- Izinsuku ezingama-21 kuya kwengama-30: Yenza uhlelo oluncane lokusebenzisa imali ngenyanga ezayo. Qhubeka ucela inkokhelo yakho yokungasebenzi masonto onke.
Week 1: File for unemployment and check your last paycheck
Unemployment insurance (UI) replaces part of your lost pay for a limited time if you lost your job or hours through no fault of your own. Apply in the state where you worked, even if you live in another state. Apply in your first week. It is free.
- DC: apply online through the DC Department of Employment Services (DOES). For help, call (202) 724-7000.
- Maryland: apply online in the BEACON system or by phone. Start at the Maryland Division of Unemployment Insurance.
- Virginia: apply with the Virginia Employment Commission or call 866-832-2363.
Each week, you must ask for payment, report any money you earned, and usually look for work. If your hours were cut but your job did not end, you may get a smaller, partial payment.
To get UI, you must have been allowed to work in the U.S. when you earned the wages, and you must be allowed to work now. People with an ITIN (a tax number from the IRS) but no work permit usually cannot get UI. If you were paid in cash or treated as a contractor, apply anyway and bring proof of your pay. The state decides.
Final paycheck. In DC, if your employer ends your job, your final pay is due by the next working day. In Maryland and Virginia, it is due by your next regular payday.
Health coverage. If you lose health insurance from your job, you have 60 days to sign up for a new plan through DC Health Link, Maryland Health Connection, or Virginia's Insurance Marketplace.
Isibonelo
Which bill comes first? The Mensahs' worksheet
Abena's $2,500 had to cover the family until Yaw's unemployment payments started. They listed every bill and ranked each one by what would happen if it went unpaid: losing their home, heat and lights, food, or the car Abena needs for work.
| Bill (in order) | Amount | Total so far |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rent | $1,600 | $1,600 |
| 2. Electric and gas | $170 | $1,770 |
| 3. Food (a shorter list, plus a food pantry) | $400 | $2,170 |
| 4. Car insurance | $150 | $2,320 |
| 5. Phone and internet (cheaper plan) | $60 | $2,380 |
| Left for other debts | $120 |
$2,500 income − $2,380 for needs = $120 left
Three bills did not fit: the car loan ($350), a credit card minimum ($75), and a store card minimum ($40). The car loan came first of the three, because the lender can take the car. So Abena called the lender before the due date and asked to move one payment to the end of the loan. The lender agreed. The $120 then covered both card minimums ($115). They also canceled streaming and a gym membership ($45).
Notice two things. Rent and utilities came before the credit cards, even though card interest is high. And the most important step was a phone call, made early.
Call before you miss a payment
Lenders and utilities can do more for you before you miss a payment than after. Most lenders do not report a late payment to the credit bureaus until it is 30 days past due, but late fees can start sooner.
- Car loan or personal loan: ask to move a payment to the end of the loan (a deferral), or to lower your payments for a few months.
- Credit cards: ask for a hardship plan with a lower interest rate or payment.
- Mortgage: ask your servicer (the company you send your payments to) about forbearance, and talk to a free HUD-approved housing counselor.
- Federal student loans: ask your servicer about an unemployment deferment or a payment based on your income. Never pay a company for this help.
- Utilities: ask for a payment arrangement. In DC, the electric company cannot shut off home service on days when the forecast is 95°F or higher or 32°F or lower. This only delays a shutoff. You still owe the bill.
- Rent: talk to your landlord before the rent is due. Read our renters' rights lesson to learn your rights if you cannot pay.
Hello, my name is [your name], and my account number is [number]. I lost my job on [date], and I cannot make my full payment due on [date]. What hardship options do you have, such as moving a payment or lowering it for a few months? Please send me the agreement in writing. May I have your name and a reference number for this call?
Write down the date, the person's name, and what they agreed to.
Help to apply for in DC, Maryland, and Virginia
Dial 211 in DC, Maryland, or Virginia to find local help with food, rent, and utilities.
- Food: apply for SNAP (food benefits): in DC through the Department of Human Services, in Maryland through the MarylandBenefits website, and in Virginia through CommonHelp. For free food now, call the Capital Area Food Bank's Hunger Lifeline at (202) 644-9807 (en español).
- Energy bills: in DC, apply to the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) for LIHEAP (the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) and the Utility Discount Program. In Maryland, apply to the Office of Home Energy Programs. In Virginia, apply for Energy Assistance through CommonHelp. Some programs take applications only at certain times of the year.
- Rent: DC's Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) helps some renters with very low incomes pay past-due rent. It takes applications only at certain times; check erap.dhs.dc.gov. In Maryland and Virginia, call 211.
SNAP rules changed in 2025. A federal law made them stricter. More adults ages 18 to 64 who are able to work and do not have a child under 14 in their household must now work or join a work program about 20 hours a week (80 hours a month) to get SNAP for more than 3 months in 3 years. People who get unemployment benefits, or who have applied and are following the unemployment rules, are usually excused. Refugees and asylees can no longer get SNAP because of that status alone. U.S. citizen children can still get SNAP even if a parent cannot.
A note for immigrants. A new federal “public charge” rule took effect on September 18, 2026. It lets immigration officers look at more kinds of public benefits, used on or after that date, when some people apply for a green card. Before you apply for benefits, get free advice from an immigration attorney or a representative at a nonprofit accredited by the U.S. Department of Justice. Do not go to a notario. In the U.S., a notary is not a lawyer. See our lesson on scams that target newcomers.
Government shutdowns: federal employees and contractors
Many DC-area families depend on federal paychecks. A shutdown affects federal employees and contractor employees in different ways.
| Question | Federal employee | Contractor employee |
|---|---|---|
| Back pay after it ends? | Yes, by a 2019 law. | Not guaranteed. |
| Unemployment during it? | If furloughed, you can apply for UCFE (unemployment for federal workers) in the state where you work. If you must work without pay, you usually cannot. | You can apply for regular state unemployment if your hours stop or are cut. |
| After back pay arrives? | You will most likely have to repay the unemployment benefits. | Does not apply. |
Back pay helps only after a shutdown ends. Until then, rank your bills and call lenders early. In past shutdowns, some banks and credit unions offered payment breaks or low-cost loans to federal workers, so ask yours. If you work for a contractor, ask whether you can use paid leave.
Qaphela
Crisis traps: costly loans and fake help
When money is short, offers of “fast cash” appear everywhere. A typical payday loan charges $15 for every $100 you borrow for two weeks. That equals an annual percentage rate (APR) of about 391%.
$15 ÷ $100 × 365 ÷ 14 days × 100 = about 391% APR
Maryland allows at most 33% a year in interest on small loans, and DC also has strict limits, so loans like this are likely illegal there, even online. Virginia allows some short-term loans. It caps interest at 36% a year, but lenders can also charge a monthly fee of up to $25. Check a lender's license on NMLS Consumer Access (nmlsconsumeraccess.org). A car title loan puts the car you need for work at risk.
Also watch out for:
- Anyone who charges a fee to file your unemployment claim. Filing is free on the state's own website.
- Calls or texts saying you won a “relief grant” but must pay a fee first.
- Work-from-home jobs that send you a check and ask you to send part of the money back. The check will bounce, and you will owe the bank.
Learn more in our lessons on high-cost loans and spotting scams.
Ithiphu
Plan for taxes on unemployment
Unemployment benefits count as income on your federal tax return. To avoid a tax bill later, you can ask your state to hold back federal tax from each payment. You can usually choose this when you apply, or later by giving your state IRS Form W-4V. Free tax help is available at VITA sites; see our lesson on filing for free. When a regular paycheck returns, rebuild your savings with our emergency fund lesson.
Izinto ezibalulekile
- File for unemployment in your first week, in the state where you worked. Filing is free.
- Pay for housing, utilities, food, and the transportation you need for work first.
- Call lenders and utilities before the due date. Ask for a hardship plan and get it in writing.
- Federal employees get back pay after a shutdown by law. Contractor employees are not guaranteed it, but they can apply for unemployment.
- Loans that cost hundreds of percent a year make a crisis worse. Look for free help first.
Hlola ukuqonda kwakho
Phendula imibuzo, bese ukhetha Hlola izimpendulo zami. Thola 5 6 ilungelo ukuqedela lesi sifundo. Awukho umkhawulo wesikhathi, futhi asigcini izimpendulo zakho.
Qhubekela phambili
Amawebhusayithi athembekile lapho ungafunda khona kabanzi. Lezi zixhumanisi ziya kwamanye amawebhusayithi angasebenzi yi-Dollar Scholars.
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Faka isicelo sezinzuzo zokungasebenzi e-DC (Enye iwebhusayithi)
Imiyalelo yesinyathelo ngesinyathelo yokufaka isimangalo sokungasebenzi kwe-DC ku-inthanethi nokuthi yini okudingeka uyisebenzise.
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Maryland Division of Unemployment Insurance (Enye iwebhusayithi)
Ungasifaka kanjani isimangalo saseMaryland ku-BEACON, uqinisekise masonto onke, futhi ubike ukusesha kwakho umsebenzi. Thola usizo ngeSpanishi.
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IKhomishana Yokuqashwa yaseVirginia (Enye iwebhusayithi)
Faka isimangalo sokungasebenzi eVirginia ku-inthanethi, faka izimangalo zamasonto onke, bese uthola inombolo yocingo ukuze uthole usizo.
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Hlola ezinye izinketho ezise- DC namaphethelo (Enye iwebhusayithi)
Thola ukudla kwamahhala eduze kwakho e-DC naseMaryland naseVirginia eseduze, noma ushayele i-Hunger Lifeline ukuze uthole usizo.
Lesi sifundo yimfundo ejwayelekile yezezimali, hhayi iseluleko sezomthetho, sentela noma sezezimali. Imithetho nemali iyashintsha, ngakho-ke hlola izinombolo ezibalulekile ngomthombo osemthethweni.