victory

"[A]n individual...shall not be disqualified for benefits if....at the time of leaving [work], an adequate disability of...an aged or disabled parent of the individual...existed to justify the leaving"

Oh, NC General Statute 96-14, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

Being a family caregiver doesn't pay very well. That is to say, it doesn't pay at all. I quit grad school, where I received a stipend for teaching, to take care of mom. From what I gather, there is no state or federal financial assistance for family caregivers here in NC. I believe that Medicaid and/or Medicare might pay family caregivers, but I'm not sure the amount and my mom isn't yet eligible. After being here for six months it finally dawned on me to try for unemployment benefits. I wasn't sure I'd be eligible since I wasn't laid off and I was happy to be proven wrong.

I was asked to call the Division of Employment Security. Finally, after 30 minutes on hold, a woman with a thick New York accent and a wicked sense of humor took my call. She was incredibly helpful until, of course, she couldn't find any record of my last two years of employment. So I'm still in this godawful process, but making headway. Baby steps, small victories.


Image: "Winged Victory of Samothrace," 2nd c. BCE, Greece, on display at the Louvre.