Overview

• OPM says most furloughed employees may claim unemployment, but eligibility, waiting periods and benefit formulas vary by state, while essential staff working without pay generally do not qualify.
• Weekly unemployment payments are limited and taxable, with cited examples of roughly $440 in D.C., $378 in Virginia and up to $430 in Maryland, and initial payments can take two to three weeks.
• Under the Federal Employee Fair Treatment Act, any unemployment benefits received during the shutdown must be repaid when retroactive wages are issued, and states can recover overpayments through collections if workers do not arrange reimbursement.
• FEHB coverage continues during furlough as premiums accrue for later payroll withholding, and reimbursements from flexible spending accounts or long‑term care policies resume only after past‑due premiums are paid.
• Colorado updated its unemployment portal with a shutdown checkbox, designates furloughed federal workers as job‑attached with no weekly work‑search requirement, and advises filing after the last day worked.