Vermont Business Magazine As a reminder, furloughed Federal workers impacted by the recent government shutdown have up to two weeks from the start of the shutdown to file an unemployment claim. The deadline for these impacted individuals is Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at 4:00 p.m.
Individuals can apply for Unemployment (UI) benefits by calling the UI Claims Center at 1-877-214-3330 (Monday – Thursday: 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. / Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.).
If Congress later approves back pay for workers who were furloughed during the shutdown, any UI benefits received will need to be repaid to the state. The Department of Labor encourages federal employees who may want to apply for UI to ensure they have the necessary documentation and information prepared to file a claim.
Necessary documentation and information for filing:
- Social Security Number (SSN)
- Wage verification (copies of pay stubs or W-2 forms) from all sources of income
- Mailing addresses and phone numbers of all employers you worked for in the last 18 months
- The start and end dates of your last job(s)
- Most recent Standard Form-50 (SF-50) and Standard Form-8 (SF-8), if issued
- Most recent Federal Earnings and Leave Statements (pay stubs)
- If you worked any time during the week you are filing your claim, be sure you know the gross amount (total dollars and cents before any deductions) of your pay
Federal employees can apply for benefits even if they have not yet received separation paperwork, such as the SF-50 or SF-8.
Additional information and guidance are available on our website at labor.vermont.gov. The Department will continue to update resources as new information becomes available.
Vermont Department of Labor, Montpelier, labor.vermont.gov
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