Losing a job is hard. Waiting for help shouldn’t make it harder.

In today’s episode, we look at what happens after a layoff—when someone does everything they’re told to do, files for unemployment, and then waits. And waits. And waits some more.

This isn’t just about paperwork or delays. It’s about what prolonged gaps in income do to families, housing stability, and trust in the systems meant to help during a crisis.

Because unemployment insurance is supposed to be a bridge—not a bottleneck.