Congress and President Donald Trump have little time and even fewer options to reach a funding deal to avoid triggering a partial government shutdown, which would disrupt U.S. government services and cause the furlough of hundreds of thousands of civil servants beginning on Wednesday, Oct. 1.

If a shutdown does occur, government functions deemed non-essential, like national parks, will close or cut staffing, while essential government services, such as the military and law enforcement, will keep working.

Here's what federal employees should know about filing for unemployment benefits during a government shutdown.

What does it mean to be furloughed?

A mandatory furlough is the "placing of an employee in a temporary nonduty, non-pay status because of lack of work or funds, or other non-disciplinary reasons," according to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). When an agency does not have enough funds, such as in the case of a government shutdown, a "shutdown" furlough occurs and those employees not categorized as "excepted," or essential, pause their work.

Technically, impacted federal workers are still employed but may be able to get temporary work elsewhere during their leave, depending on state unemployment rules.

Are furloughed federal workers eligible for unemployment?

If agencies within the U.S. government begin to close, some government workers may qualify for UnemploymentCompensation for Federal Employees (UCFE), which follows the same rules as state unemployment benefits. To find contact information for your state, visit http://www.servicelocator.org.

Employees may need to provide proof of wages, such as an earnings and leave statement, or Form SF-50, and may also be asked to provide a Form SF-8.

Most states pay a maximum of 26 weeks of regular benefits. The maximum unemployment benefit is determined by state law.

Typically, benefits will start getting paid out 14 to 21 days after a claim is filed.

Are 'excepted' or 'essential' employees eligible for unemployment?

Employees designated as "excepted" or "essential" typically continue working full-time and are ineligible for unemployment benefits unless their jobs are affected by a break in appropriations, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget.

This category often includes military personnel, law enforcement, transportation safety officials, emergency services, medical staff, power grid maintenance workers, Social Security and Medicare employees and U.S. Postal Service workers, according to the Office of Personnel Management.

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can federal employees file for unemployment benefits if the government shuts down?

Reporting by Michelle Del Rey , USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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