Furloughed Federal Colorado Workers Eligible For Benefits: State

LAKEWOOD, CO – Civilian federal workers who received notices Saturday that they will be furloughed as a result of a shutdown of the federal government will likely be eligible to receive unemployment insurance benefits while they are out of work.

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment on Sunday urged federal employees affected by the shutdown to apply for furlough benefits. Furloughed federal workers should file their claims online at www.coloradoui.gov.

There are approximately 53,200 federal workers who may be eligible for jobless benefits because of federal government shutdown, the department said.

There is a mandatory one-week waiting period before a claim is activated and workers may not file their claim until their last day of work, the department said. More information is listed on the website. Unlike most claimants, the federal workers are “job attached,” which means they will not be required to conduct a job search during their furlough.

If workers are already receiving unemployment benefits prior to the shut down, they will continue to receive all payments regardless of the government shutdown, the department said.

Related: Government Shutdown: Here's What Would Be Affected In Colorado

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