The past year has been a bad one for the American worker. Because of the 2008 financial crisis and ensuing recession – millions of Americans have lost their jobs. The current national unemployment rate is 9.7% as of Sept 4. While many workers will find new jobs within the time period of existing employment benefits – many more will run out of benefits before finding a new job.
On September 22, the House passed legislation called Bill H3548 which will allow any states with a total unemployment rate (TUR) of 8.5% or higher to be eligible for federal funding which will allow 13 more weeks of extended unemployment benefits for those people who have exhausted all the current benefits.
This move was made as part of the ongoing 2009 stimulus package which is designed to help the economy recover as quickly as possible and for long term unemployed people to be able to keep paying the bills while they look for work.
Which states are eligible for these benefits?
The eligible states are:
ALABAMA, ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI, NEVADA, NEW JERSEY, NORTH CAROLINA, NEW YORK, OHIO, OREGON, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, WASHINGTON, AND WEST VIRGINIA. PLUS THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND PUERTO RICO.
When can I get these extra benefits?
At the moment this bill has not become law (as of Sept 24). The senate still has to approve the bill and it is unclear how long it will take. It is anticipated that the bill will pass Senate but it might take a while.
Keep in mind that the previous extension (Extended Benefits) required state law changes since EB is a joint federal and state program. EB required a change in federal law and then required state laws to be amended. The legislation that recently passed the House (H3548) is an extension of Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC). This does not require state law changes so it won’t require the state legislature to change state law. This means that it should take less time to get this extension than the previous one.
How much unemployment benefits are available now?
Most states have a basic amount of 26 weeks (6 months) of employment benefits plus any extra weeks available because of various unemployment rate triggers. These are funded by the states and/or the federal government.
Unemployment benefit information for other states
Florida unemployment benefits extension - 20 more weeks.
Will New York add 13 more weeks of unemployment benefits?
New York extends unemployment benefits by 13 weeks
Will Tennessee add 20 weeks of unemployment benefit extension?
Ohio unemployment benefits extension - 13 more weeks
Texas Unemployment Benefits Extension - 13 more weeks
Unemployment benefits extended in 2009 stimulus package.
Bill H3548 - 13 week extension for high unemployment states.
Kentucky Unemployment Benefits Extension - 20 more weeks.
Illinois Unemployment Benefits Extension - 20 more weeks.
Michigan Unemployment Benefits Extension - 20 more weeks.
California Unemployment Benefits Extension - 20 more weeks.
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I have exhusted tier4 of unemployment from the state of Georgia.
Am I eligible to continue getting extentions with this new signing of this bill?
Please someone please let me know.
Thank you
My tier 3 is exhusted and i live in NH. Is there something to the 13 wks federal state extension, That follows tier 3?
Now this is sad for many of us:
First, the facts. The jobs bill doesn’t “extend” coverage. What it does is extend some of the deadlines so that people who were laid off later in 2009 and into 2010 can still qualify for the extra unemployment benefits provided in last year’s stimulus bill.
But once someone has moved through the various tiers of coverage (which is combined with a Federal/State Extended Benefits program), you’re out of luck. At best, after 99 weeks your unemployment coverage is over and this bill doesn’t address that.
Which makes the various Republican talking points about creating an additional permanent welfare state even more ludicrous. Even if that were the case, it’s a welfare state that only last 99 weeks. Which isn’t much of a financial crutch.
All of this might be a surprise to cable news network viewers, who hear the phrase “extended unemployment” thrown around in the same haphazard way as other favorite political phrases like “death panels.”
The news coverage gives the impression that this bill gives the long-term unemployed even more money, and that is simply not the case.
The tragedy is that it’s a definition that is easily included in a typical sound-bite length news story. It’s a simple matter to add the phrase, “while the bill extends the deadlines for the unemployment to receive extensions, it doesn’t tack on additional weeks of coverage for those who have already exhausted their benefits.” See, I can do it and I’m not even in the cable news business.
To be fair, the print side of the news business has only been marginally more successful in correctly defining the situation. I’ve read perhaps 50 print stories on the jobs bill in the last 24 hours and perhaps only 3 or 4 have correctly defined the problem.
While this might seem like a minor journalism problem, whether or not the bill includes additional weeks of benefits for the several million people who have exhausted (or will soon exhaust) their unemployment benefits is a huge issue. Every news site I’ve visited today has comment after comment from worried and confused people attempting to find out what the jobs bill does and does not include. It’s a simple question, but many of the journalists covering the issue seem more interested in covering the political wranglings than the meat of the story.
To All: The new bill ONLY extends the deadline/cutoff date through the end of the year. It does NOT add any more weeks or additional tiers.
Vicki – see the attached link. There are no more tiers after tier 4, but did you ever receive your state extended benefits? Not sure if they are still available or not in GA so I don’t want to get your hopes up, but at least check it out. http://www.dol.state.ga.us/spotlight/sp_ext_benefits_programs_available.htm
Linda – Wasn’t NH one of the “low” unemployment rate states? To get tier 4, your state has to have a 3-month unemployment rate of 8.5% or higher.
Good luck all! Hang tough & be strong!
Mark in FL , so who is Vicki and Linda?
UNE – Vicki & Linda are the ladies who posted above me on this page…..this page is the Bill H3548 page on 4pillars, not the FL page. I jumped over to this page just because I saw no one answered their questions. There is not much activity on this page of 4 pillars.
Hi All…Here’s a link posted on the main page of 4 pillars. It’s a petition for getting a tier V….everybody needs to jump on board & sign! It can only help our cause for more weeks
http://www.change.org/actions/view/the_99ers_need_a_tier_v_added_to_unemployment_benefits
http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_PL_111-92.html?page=1415#commentform
This is a forum who have been fighting the cause from day 1 just reverted from other bills on there where it all started.Please stop by and help the fight congress is leaving for break soon and must get this done now.
Phone Campaign to Begin on Monday 3/15… PLEASE JOIN US!!!
MONDAY
Senator Harry Reid: Phone= (202) 224-3542
Senator Jean Shaheen: Phone= (202) 224-2841
TUESDAY
Senator Richard Durbin: Phone= (202) 224-2152
Senator Max Baucus: Phone= (202) 224-2651
WEDNESDAY
Senator Debbie Stabenow: Phone= (202) 224-4822
Senator Sherrod Brown: Phone= (202) 224-2315
THURSDAY
Senator Robert Casey: Phone= (202) 224-6324
Senator Chris Dodd: Phone= (202) 224-2823
FRIDAY
Senator Al Franken: Phone= (202) 224-5641
Senator Arlen Specter: Phone= (202) 224-4254
Pulled this off another site…it has ALL the contact info for all of congress…
I sent an email to all 100 senators now I’m going to start on emailing all the house reps
http://www.conservativeusa.org/mega-cong.htm
TIER V TO SURVIVE
http://tier5.webs.com/apps/forums/topics/show/2262436-phone-campaign-to-begin-on-monday-3-15-please-join-us-
Site just for the long term extensions please share any info from here and can get info from there as well.We need to all be on the same page and link our resources and fight together.
Tier 5 to Survive :THE MOVIE made it to at least 2 websites. There is a stationary link to the YouTube video on the Unemployed – Friends website and also the following web page:
http://www.obamalisten.com/shoutoutamerica.php
In 24 hours it has over 800 views but that will not get us the media attention or Washington action we desperately need! HELP IT GO VIRAL – PLEASE!
http://tinyurl.com/ye956rd
Shotgun to all your contacts. Use it in all your emails/fax to Washington and the media and TWEET it to EVERYONE. We will be heard. This is our battle cry!!!!!
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