I was laid off about a month and a half ago from my job in Michigan, and I'm still waiting on my unemployment benefits. I applied right away, thinking I would be eligible, but nothing has come through yet. This isn't my first time dealing with unemployment; I went through a similar situation about five years ago, but back then I made the mistake of doing some gig work while waiting for my benefits, which ended up disqualifying me. This time, I've been patient and haven't taken on any side jobs. I've called the unemployment office multiple times and even visited Michigan Works for help, but they keep telling me that they process claims in the order they receive them. They won’t give me any information about whether my claim has been denied or not. I got laid off along with a large group of coworkers after our company voted to unionize, and it feels like we were targeted for that. The union is aware of the situation, and there are lawyers involved, but I know that these things take time. In the meantime, I’m frantically applying for other jobs and considering going to truck driving school, but I really need to make some money to get by. If my unemployment claim is going to be denied, I need to know so I can start doing gig work again. It’s tough because my partner is also laid off from their job and isn’t eligible for unemployment either, so we’re both struggling without a steady income. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.