Thousands of laid off federal workers are struggling to secure unemployment benefits.

As CNN reports, some workers were terminated for alleged poor performance—making it even harder to qualify for benefits.

Corinne Bazarnyj, a disabled veteran who joined the Department of Veterans Affairs as a training specialist in November, is one of them.

“I was terminated based on performance, that is not true. So, I honestly don’t know if I’m going to get unemployment or not,” Bazarnyj told CNN.

Like many other probationary employees, Bazarnyj received a termination letter citing performance issues, despite not being on the job long enough for a formal evaluation.

Others remain stuck in limbo, waiting on employment verification documents from agencies in disarray as the Trump administration pushes for rapid downsizing of the federal workforce.

Meanwhile, state unemployment offices—already stretched thin—are struggling to process the surge in claims. A bipartisan coalition of 20 states has sued the federal government to halt further layoffs and reinstate affected employees while litigation is ongoing. It’s important to note that roughly 80% of federal workers live outside the Washington, D.C., metro area, making this a nationwide crisis.

Adding to the challenge, state unemployment offices automatically track private-sector wage records but lack direct access to federal employment data. As a result, they must manually verify each former federal worker’s job history, salary, and separation details, causing significant delays.

Some states, including Maryland, Virginia, Michigan, and Maine, have taken steps to assist laid-off federal workers by providing online guidance. Virginia, for example, launched a video tutorial explaining eligibility requirements and the application process.

But that's not enough.

With thousands of federal employees suddenly unemployed, a better mechanism and updated criteria to process their benefits applications is urgently needed.