Gina,
I did have a safety net to fall back on when I was laid off, but after being unemployed for a long time the funds do eventually run out. I also did all of the things that you mentioned in your response and more. I paid for both short term and long term disability policies, I invested in the employee stock ownership program, I invested in a 401k program and received a nice match from my employer and I also had a modest amount in savings. I was fortunate and beat the market average with my investments. Unfortunately having life insurance doesn't really benefit me--the beneficiaries would have been the ones that would have "won the lottery" if I died.
However, after I was laid off I paid through the nose for COBRA insurance for as long as possible, spent another $10K on dental work, oral surgery and dentures, and I was run over while riding a bicycle and the driver left the scene of the accident. My medical expenses even with insurance were running nearly $500/month and I the normal expenses people have (food, clothing, shelter, utilities). While I was unemployed I sent in applications for every job possible from a restaurant server to those related to my degree. I even tried getting a few gigs as a freelance consultant in my profession, but trying to get people to pay up on their contracts after the work is done is a hassle and the amounts were so small that attorneys did not want to get involved. I took a couple of the larger contracts to small claims court and obtained judgments in my favor, but that doesn't mean that I can force those parties to pay.
I don't expect to gain any sympathy from anybody in this forum because everyone here believes that they can make it on their own--I used to think the same about myself since I provided for myself for over 25 years after I graduated college. However, it has been a tough economy in my field for almost ten years and most employers are reluctant to give older workers a chance to get in the door because they can hire someone younger for less money. The father of one of my conservative friends has been unemployed for about eight years and he gave up looking for work years ago because the only opportunities available were three or six month contracts nearly 1,500 miles away and he didn't want to abandon his family. For some reason, they still vote for Republicans even though it is not in the best of their family.
My health has been fragile for more than ten years and my weight has varied from 115 to 185 pounds and I'm a tall guy. The situation started getting much worse last winter and each month has been worse than the previous month. It is unlikely that I will live to my actual retirement age due to the chronic diseases that I deal with. I'd prefer not to be on government assistance, but I paid more than my share so I don't feel guilty asking for help now that I need it despite all the people on this Website that take pleasure in the misery of others.
