Designer builds free layoff support tool after losing job

The day after finalizing her divorce, Amanda Snyder Cathey was laid off from her senior product design role, and a few weeks later her landlord told her she had to move because of a septic issue. With three daughters — the eldest facing college applications and financial-aid changes — she took time off to regroup and plan for a longer runway than after a previous, shorter layoff.

She began brainstorming tools she could build with AI and noticed many people on LinkedIn struggling after layoffs. That led her to create a one-stop site where users can search by state for unemployment benefits, health insurance, food assistance, mental-health resources and other essentials.

The site also includes a checklist of post-layoff steps and practical clarifications she found useful, such as how severance can affect benefits and possible Medicaid eligibility.

United States

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