You lost your job. The first 30 days.

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Losing a job is hard, and a lot happens at once. Most of it can wait a few days. A few things cannot: apply for unemployment now, and do not miss your health coverage deadlines. This page puts those first.

Your checklist

Tick things off as you go. Your ticks stay in this browser only.

Your deadlines

Type your dates. We show the real calendar dates for each deadline, with the rule it comes from. Papers from your employer, your plan or the Marketplace come first. If a date on them is earlier, use theirs. If a date falls on a weekend, do not count on extra days.

Unemployment: apply right away

• Apply in the state where you worked, as soon as you can. Each state runs its own program. Find yours with the Unemployment Benefits Finder. Worked in more than one state, or live in a different one? Your home state's office can explain how to file. (DOL)
• Why now: in many states your claim starts from the week you apply, not the day you lost your job. (Washington, for example) Some states also have an unpaid waiting week. (DOL)
• The first payment usually comes two to three weeks after you file. (DOL)
• Quit or fired? You may still qualify. Apply and let the state decide. California, for example, says there is no penalty for applying if you turn out not to qualify. (California) To qualify you generally must have earned enough in a recent period and be out of work through no fault of your own, as your state decides. (DOL)
• Keep filing every week (or every two weeks), even while a decision is pending. Report any work, pay and job offers. Most states also want a record of your job search. (DOL)
• Most states pay up to 26 weeks. Some pay fewer. (DOL)
• Severance and vacation pay can delay or lower benefits in some states and not others. Report all of it on your claim. (New York, for example)
• Denied? You can appeal. The deadline can be short, so check your notice right away. (DOL)

Health coverage: your options side by side

These deadlines are short and hard to fix later. We do not tell you which to pick. It depends on your income, your health, your doctors and your state. Compare real prices before you decide.

• Choosing COBRA does not lock you out of the Marketplace. But if you drop COBRA early just to save money, you may have to wait for Open Enrollment. Pick a Marketplace plan within 60 days of losing job coverage if you want one. (DOL) (CMS)
• Changed recently: the rules for Marketplace tax credits (the help with the monthly price) have been changing, and Congress has been debating them in 2026. We do not state the current rules here. Check HealthCare.gov or your state Marketplace for a real quote.
• Open Enrollment for 2027 plans is happening now in many states (as of November 2026). Dates vary by state; check HealthCare.gov or your state Marketplace.
• Medicaid rules may be changing (as of November 2026). Check your state Medicaid office or HealthCare.gov before you rely on older guidance.
• Your employer has fewer than 20 workers? Some states have "mini-COBRA" laws for smaller employers. Ask your state insurance department. (DOL)

Your final paycheck and unused vacation

• Federal law does not say your final paycheck must come right away. Some states do. If your regular payday has passed and you have not been paid, contact your state labor office or the U.S. Department of Labor. (DOL)
• Federal law does not require paying out unused vacation. Whether you get it depends on your state's law and your employer's written policy. (DOL)
• When final pay is due, whether vacation is paid out, and what happens if it is late are all different by state. There is no official table for all states, so we do not print one. Ask your state labor office.

Severance agreements

A severance agreement often includes a release: you give up the right to sue your employer over your job, including for discrimination, in exchange for pay or benefits. (EEOC)

• You can ask for more time. If you feel rushed, ask in writing. (EEOC)
• Think about having a lawyer read it before you sign. A lawyer can also tell you whether to ask for changes. Group exit offers are often not open to changes. (EEOC)
• No agreement can stop you from filing a charge with the EEOC or taking part in an EEOC case. (EEOC)
• Check how severance affects unemployment in your state before you sign. It differs by state.
• Before you sign a release, free or low-cost legal help: LawHelp.org or the Legal Services Corporation finder.

Big layoffs: the WARN Act

• Employers with 100 or more workers generally must give 60 days' written notice before a plant closing or a mass layoff that affects 50 or more workers at one site. There are exceptions, like sudden business events or natural disasters. (DOL)
• Pay instead of notice does not count as notice. (DOL)
• If an employer breaks the rule, each worker can get back pay and benefits for up to 60 days. Workers sue in federal court, alone or as a group. The Department of Labor does not sue for you. (DOL) (DOL guide)
• Some states have their own "mini-WARN" laws that cover smaller employers or need longer notice. They differ by state; ask your state's dislocated worker office. (DOL)
• Free or low-cost legal help with a WARN claim: LawHelp.org or the Legal Services Corporation finder.

Retirement accounts: do nothing fast

• Your choices for a 401(k): leave it in the plan (if the plan allows), move it to an IRA or a new job's plan, or cash it out.
• A direct rollover is safest. The plan sends the money straight to the new account. If the plan pays you instead, it generally holds back 20% for taxes, and you have 60 days from the day you get it to roll it over. To avoid tax on the full amount, you have to make up that 20% from other money. A missed deadline can sometimes be fixed with a waiver. (IRS)
• Cashing out: the money counts as income that year. If you are under 59 and a half, you may also owe a 10% extra tax unless an exception applies. (IRS)
• Age 55 rule: if you leave your job in or after the year you turn 55, payouts from that job's plan (like a 401(k)) skip the 10% extra tax. This does not apply to IRAs, so moving the money to an IRA loses it. (IRS)
• Have a 401(k) loan? When you leave, the plan may treat the unpaid amount as a payout. You may be able to roll that amount over until your tax filing due date (including extensions) for that year. Ask your plan how long you have. (IRS)

Taxes

• Unemployment benefits are taxable income for federal tax. You will get a Form 1099-G showing what you were paid and any tax taken out. (IRS)
• To have federal tax taken out, give Form W-4V to the agency that pays your benefits (not to the IRS), or make estimated tax payments instead. (IRS) The form shows the withholding rate. We could not confirm it on a current IRS page, so check the form.
• State tax on unemployment differs by state.
• Got a 1099-G for benefits you never got? Someone may have filed in your name. Contact your state unemployment office. (IRS)
• A retirement cash-out is also taxable (see "Retirement accounts" above).

Other help

Where every rule and number comes from

Last checked November 14, 2026. Every rule, number and date on this page traces to one of these. Our full research notes, including what we could not confirm and what may go out of date, are public: research-log.txt.