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.

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