Surviving on Unemployment Insurance

[preciousjeni]

Since I work with a lot of consumers whose sole income is unemployment insurance, I wonder every day how they're managing to survive. In New York, the maximum benefit is only $405 per week. That's only $21,000 gross per year!!! I know many of these people are completely stressed because they don't have savings.

How does one survive on UI when they're supposed to be out traveling to interviews and such? So, they have to spend money on transportation at the very least, plus housing, food, etc.

Is anyone on GC on unemployment or know anyone who is? How do they manage???