Thursday, March 11, 2010

Explanation of the unemployment extension passed by the senate

"The typical unemployment benefits package before the current recession tended to last 26 weeks in most states.

The Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) included in the stimulus package created three tiers of additional coverage. Tier one typically lasts up to 20 weeks, Tier two typically lasts up to 14 weeks, Tier three typically lasts up to 13 weeks. For those who have exhausted a regular unemployment account and federal EUC, there is are also Federal-State Extended Benefits (EB) which can run up to an additional 13 weeks. These numbers vary a bit from state-to-state, but the bottom line is that no one is able to get unemployment benefits longer than a total of 99 weeks.

The current jobs bill doesn't extend any of those tiers or add any additional coverage, such as a fourth or fifth tier.

What it does do is extend the deadlines for people to move from one tier to the next. Prior to the “phase out” period, if an applicant exhausts a tier of EUC benefits, he/she moves to the next tier. If he or she exhausts the third tier of EUC, he or she moves to Federal-State Extended Benefits. Under federal law, when the “phase out” period begins applicants will no longer be able to move from regular UI to the first tier of EUC or from one tier of EUC to the next.

Instead, if an applicant exhausts regular UI, or the first or second tier of EUC, he or she will move directly to Federal-State Extended benefits. The new legislation moves the beginning of the phase out period from April 5, 2010 to September 5, 2010. But by the end of 2010, everyone's extended benefits will have been exhausted, whether they have moved through all the tiers of coverage or not.

So the bottom line is that this isn't an unemployment "extension" as most cable news viewers would define it."

http://www.allyourtv.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=990&catid=990

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Extended unemployment benefits deadline extended for 30 days

The deadline for enrolling for extended unemployment benefits has been extended for 30 days.

The Senate voted Tuesday night to pass a one month extension which will provide unemployment benefits as well as health care coverage through Cobra.
The House already passed the extension and President Obama signed it it Tuesday night.

http://www.wwmt.com/articles/margin-1373340-bottom-style.html

This bill does not provide any additional weeks of benefits for those that have ran out or are soon to run out of benefits, this bill simply extends the deadline for qualifying for the extended benefits programs that were already in place. This bill only helps you if you happen to fall between benefit tiers within 30 days of February 28,2010.

As of now there is no verifiable information about an extension of benefits for the long term unemployed.

Monday, March 1, 2010

No help for the long term unemployed, possable help for the recently unemployed.

"Certain unemployment insurance benefits expired on February 28, 2010. Prior to expiration, an unemployed worker could receive up to 26 weeks of unemployment benefits provided by the state in which they were employed. After the state-provided benefits were exhausted, the worker could qualify for 34 more weeks of benefits provided by the federal government. If that person was unemployed in a state with an unemployment rate above 6 percent, they qualified for an additional 13 weeks of benefits also provided by the federal government. Unemployed workers in states with an unemployment level over 8.5 percent qualified for an additional six weeks of benefits also provided by the federal government. In addition, the federal government paid 100 percent of the cost of state Extended Benefits programs which provided up to 13 additional weeks of benefits for unemployed workers who had exhausted regular state benefits or Emergency Unemployment Compensation. Last year’s economic recovery bill increased weekly unemployment benefits by an additional $25 per week.

This proposal extends these provisions, including increased unemployment benefits, retroactively to March 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010. This proposal is estimated to cost $70 billion over ten years.

What this bill does is essentially extend the ability of people to collect the full set of unemployment extension tiers through the end of this year. It apparently does not create additional benefits for the long-term unemployed who have already exhausted their benefits.

A mixed bag. This bill will help many, but will leave many others without necessary aid."

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978076310&grpId=3659174697241980

4691 the 30 day deadline extension appears to be dead in the water, it has almost unanimous support from both republicans and democrats but so far there has been no mention of bringing the bill back to the senate floor. There was never an attempt for a closure vote on the bill.