Why do unemployment rules feel like a maze I can't win?

Here is what is actually happening. You are tired, money is tight, and a system of forms and deadlines is asking you to perform at your best right when you have the least to give. That gap — between what is demanded and what you have — is the problem. It is not a character flaw. Most people treat this as a comprehension problem: if I just read the rules closely enough, I'll get it right. But the rules are often written badly on purpose or by accident, and no amount of rereading fixes that. What you need is not more study. You need a short list of the next required actions, done in order, with someone checking your work. This is easier with others than alone. One person misses a step because they are overwhelmed; four people together catch each other's blind spots. Use your pod. Divide the maze into pieces. Let each person hold a piece of the burden instead of one person holding all of it.