Compensation While Waiting on Clearance Transfer

I work at a company in VA. I was working there for 6 weeks when I was called at work the Monday before Thanksgiving and told that I had to pack up and go home (after I had already been there for 5 hours) because the funding for being paid for uncleared work had expired and I had to sit at home and wait until the nomination letter for my clearance was complete. I have been home ever since without pay. My mortgage fell behind as well as all the other bills because I can't file for unemployment while I am technically employed. I figured that I should have still been paid from overhead or some other way because I am still an employee of the company. Is there a way I can be compensated for the time that I have been out of work? The bills are stacking up daily and I am getting collection letters and calls now.