48% of professionals live paycheck to paycheck. State unemployment benefits aren’t compatible with modern living costs, capped by the government at ~$235-$500/week in most states, covering less than 15% of monthly expenses. A career gap due to a layoff is a financial crisis, not a temporary inconvenience.
Bridging the gap between a layoff at your last job and your next big thing.
Reliable income continuity when you need it most.
Your position is eliminated
due to a layoff.
Get approved for State
Unemployment benefits.
We supplement up to 60%
of your monthly income.
Your career moves and your protection should too. Your policy is individually owned and stays with you across employers. Because Cushion is 100% private, your employer never knows.
Involuntary reasons like a layoff, reduction in force or if a position is eliminated by your employer. We do not cover voluntary quits, firing for performance, misconduct.
Coverage is triggered by a qualifying no-fault, involuntary separation from your employer—such as a corporate reduction in force (RIF) or position elimination. Voluntary resignations, quitting, or terminations for cause (such as misconduct) are explicitly excluded from coverage.
Is there a vesting period. The vesting period is a 120-day waiting period (just like your health insurance). This is to protect the integrity of our member pool, and ensure others are not purchasing coverage right before they're being let go, protecting you and your coverage.
The standard 120-day vesting window exists to maintain the structural integrity and stability of our member pool, ensuring individuals aren't purchasing coverage only after discovering a layoff is imminent. If an involuntary job loss occurs during this initial window, your policy will not activate, but your premium layout will be handled according to our terms.
Yes, Cushion employs structural safeguards to protect our members. New policies are subject to a mandatory 120-day Vesting Period. Claims originating from a separation that occurs on or before day 120 of your policy are not eligible for coverage. Additionally, claims related to mass layoff announcements or WARN Act notices issued prior to binding are excluded.
Is there a vesting period. The vesting period is a 120-day waiting period (just like your health insurance). This is to protect the integrity of our member pool, and ensure others are not purchasing coverage right before they're being let go, protecting you and your coverage.
The standard 120-day vesting window exists to maintain the structural integrity and stability of our member pool, ensuring individuals aren't purchasing coverage only after discovering a layoff is imminent. If an involuntary job loss occurs during this initial window, your policy will not activate, but your premium layout will be handled according to our terms.
Yes, Cushion employs structural safeguards to protect our members. New policies are subject to a mandatory 120-day Vesting Period. Claims originating from a separation that occurs on or before day 120 of your policy are not eligible for coverage. Additionally, claims related to mass layoff announcements or WARN Act notices issued prior to binding are excluded.
Anything, it's unencumbered cash. You recieve direct, unrestricted cash payments to maintain your household how you see fit; whether thats rent, a mortgage, childcare, student loans or any other fixed obligation you may have in your life.
None at all. Unlike rigid insurance structures, Cushion delivers unencumbered, unrestricted cash directly to your bank account. Whether you need it to cover a mortgage, maintain childcare, pay off student loans, or simply preserve your existing retirement nest egg, you have total autonomy over the funds.
No. Cushion is 100% private and operates entirely outside of corporate HR channels. Your payroll connection via our secure API is confidential and encrypted; your employer is never notified, and it has zero impact on your day-to-day employment status.
Absolutely not. Cushion is an individually owned, private asset. We use secure, read-only consumer-permissioned payroll APIs to instantly verify your income and tenure. We do not contact your HR department or management, keeping your strategic financial planning strictly private.
State unemployment is designed as a baseline safety net, and its maximum payouts typically cover less than 15% of a high-earning professional's monthly fixed obligations. Cushion is designed as a supplementary layer, paying out alongside state benefits to help keep your mortgage, lease, and daily life fully funded while you navigate your next career move.
You can select a Target Replacement Rate designed to help cover 40%, 50%, or up to a maximum of 60% of your verified gross income (when combined with state maximums). This ensures you have substantial runway while preserving a strong incentive to re-enter the workforce.