If you are a U.S. Post Office employee that has been laid off or terminated from your job, you likely qualify for unemployment insurance benefits. As a former federal employee, you have access to a variety of benefits and automatically qualify for unemployment insurance without any payroll deductions. Specific state requirements for unemployment benefits vary, but most postal workers can follow the same general guidelines to file an unemployment claim.

File your unemployment claim

Locate your state unemployment office (see Resources link) and find out the requirements for filing for unemployment in your state. You will need to file the claim in the state in which you were employed as a postal worker. Make sure you meet the eligibility requirements for unemployment benefits, which usually require that you worked a certain length of time and were terminated through no fault of your own.

The method to file an unemployment claim varies from state to state. Many states require that you go into the unemployment office to file your claim. Some have forms available you can mail in to file the claim. Other states, such as New York and California, have websites that allow you to file your claim online. Many states have hotlines you can call to file your claim. Whether you physically go into the unemployment office or file electronically, be sure to have all the required paperwork with you.

Be prepared to answer questions about your unemployment and why you were terminated. If you quit your job at the post office, you will not qualify for benefits. States require that you are terminated from employment because of reasons beyond your control, such as budget cuts.

Once you are approved for federal employee unemployment benefits, you will need to file your unemployment claim each week or every other week in some states. You will receive instructions from your state office on how to file your claims, which can usually be done online.