The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions (NMDWS) has advised federal employees in New Mexico who may face furlough during a temporary federal government shutdown to prepare for the possibility of applying for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits. In a press release, NMDWS urged these federal employees to gather the necessary documentation and information ahead of time.
According to the NMDWS, the most recent government shutdown lasted for five weeks, from December 22, 2018, to January 25, 2019.
Typically, NMDWS verifies wage information with applicants' most recent employers. However, in the event of a complete federal government shutdown, federal employers may not be able to provide these responses. Therefore, federal employees planning to file an initial UI claim should ensure they have essential information on hand, including their Social Security Number, contact details of employers from the last 18 months, employment dates, relevant identification for non-citizens, gross pay details for the filing week, writing materials, and specific documents such as the Standard Form (SF)-50, SF-8 (if issued), federal W-2 form, earning and leave statements, and the Claimant's Affidavit of Federal Civilian Service, Wages, and Reason for Separation, ETA-935 form. This preparation is crucial to streamline the claims process during potential shutdown-related challenges.
NMDWS Secretary Sarita Nair stated that while they hope Congress can avoid a shutdown, partial wage replacement will be available to non-essential federal employees who are furloughed through no fault of their own. However, since federal law states that these employees will eventually receive backpay, those who choose to take unemployment benefits during the shutdown will most likely need to repay them when the backpay is received. Nair also mentioned that she will waive work search requirements for these individuals to simplify the process.
Under the 2019 Government Employee Fair Treatment Act, all federal workers will receive retroactive pay once government funding is reinstated after a shutdown. However, these employees will be required to reimburse the state for any Unemployment Insurance benefits they received during the furlough period.
It is important for federal employees in New Mexico to be prepared for the possibility of a government shutdown and to gather the necessary documentation and information ahead of time in order to streamline the claims process for Unemployment Insurance benefits.
