I filed for weekly unemployment benefits on May 1. I’ve never done so before and am grateful for the additional consideration New Hampshire is giving to self-employed individuals. I qualify for only the minimum, but it would still help immensely. My regular clients have understandably suspended marketing services.
I have yet to receive any funds. Nor can I really even see if my claim has been accepted. By default, it was denied by the “system” due to my self-employed status, but I have been told numerous times to ignore that status update. (How reassuring!) When I first called I was told a processing time of 21 days. Then I was told five to seven weeks. Earlier this month, I was told eight to 10.
I understand how massive the strain must be on the state’s unemployment system. It’s the same process for the “system” to handle back when the norm was 600 to 700 filings a month, but is now near 10,000. It’s overwhelmed. Much like myself. I need to know though.
The “system” is not some large and powerful Wizard of Oz type machine, correct? There has to be a man behind the curtain somewhere? I’m beginning to wonder. I’ve tried numerous numbers and emails. I’ve yet to find him.
I’m sharing because I pay as an independent contractor around 40% into taxes and Social Security. Then I pay another $900 a month for health insurance. I take full responsibility for my career choices. I can accept that it isn’t “fair,” but I also had choices. I suppose I could have worked for a large company that pays for a lot of those things. But maybe I wanted to build something too? Maybe I could create an empire? I work hard. I’ve never taken a government handout before. So why Is my work ethic and ambition, the so called “American Dream,” automatically denied by the system?
Furthermore, what is this doing to the prosperity and growth of anything other than monopolies?
At some point, every large company, every organization, every system we base our fundamental welfare upon, was started as a small business or individual. Every. Single. One.
We’ve got to start valuing individuals, and the freedom and responsibilities to be independent in life, career and well-being rather then allowing government bailouts for large corporations to usurp funding and by proxy give them the “responsibility” for their employees. No thank you. It only further aids in personal failure and breeds dependency – which is seemingly the crux of everyone’s argument these days, whether you see it from my perspective or not.
(Lyndsay Lund Harkins lives in New London.)