Employees get $275 maximum in unemployment money once they are laid off.

Here are some tips on what to do once you’re without a job.  This list is provided by the Consumer Credit Counseling Services.

1. Make a list before going shopping and weigh the importance of each item before buying.

2. Talk to your family/friends about what you are going through and realize that you are not the only one that is going through this situation. Analyze what is important and decide on a plan of action.

3.  Realize that you will have to tighten the purse strings and that eating out or miscellaneous expenses might become a luxury.

4. If you are in need of money now, think very carefully about taking on additional debt while you're unemployed. One thing you could do is take out a passbook loan that is a loan against your savings. You'll lose interest on your savings account and pay 1 1/2 to 2 percent interest in addition, but the total cost might be less than the interest charged for another type of loan. Realize that if you take out a loan, you will pay interest for using someone else's money.

5. Prevent a setback by putting a set amount of money regularly into your Savings Account once you pay the bills.

6. Save 3 to 6 months of living expenses so that if you lose your job you will have something to fall back on

7. Immediately contact your creditors: bank, finance company, department stores etc. and make an appointment to let them know what happened. Perhaps they will let you make affordable payments in a short period of time or allow you to refinance your loan. Know that an agreement is possible to keep from losing what you have.

8.  If you are in dire need of money there are several Social Agencies which are here to help. That’s what they are here for. Contact Access Florida for more information and look below for a list of more government agencies which you can contact for assistance.

9. Examine your Work Life Insurance Policies. The Comprehensive Omnibus Budget Resolution Act (COBRA) of 1985 provides you the opportunity to continue group health insurance for up to 18 months after you have been laid off. You will have to pay the premiums but you have 18 months to find other insurance. 
 
Government Agencies that help with Unemployment

1. Unemployment Compensation -- File an unemployment claim or appeal; report unemployment compensation fraud

2. ACCESS Florida -- Apply for food stamps, temporary cash assistance, and Medicaid; report changes to your case; check your case/benefit status

3. Government Benefits -- Information on over 1,000 benefit and assistance programs; prescreening questionnaire for potential eligibility for benefit programs

4.  Bankruptcy Forms -- Required forms for use in filing bankruptcy cases; forms manual includes instructions

5. USAJOBS --Official job site of the Federal Government; view job openings; apply for jobs; create and store a resume

6. USA.gov -- The official web portal for the United States Government; provides links to government information by topic, by audience, and by agency

7. Forms.gov -- The U.S. Government’s official hub for federal forms; searchable by form name or by government agency

8. State of Florida Employment: People First -- State employment openings; online and printable applications