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What is The Latest on Unemployment Benefits Extension?
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AS of today, 1/16/15, there is no update to the status of federal unemployment extension. This is not good news to a lot of people who are still looking for a job. The federal unemployment extension program ended as of December 28, 2013. Congress and the President have not agreed to renew the extensions. The EDD continues to monitor the situation in Washington D.C. for any developments regarding federal unemployment extension benefits. Just a reminder that there are some resources available to help out those who need assistance. Please see below. California Department of Social Services (CDSS) The CDSS administers or oversees programs that help nearly 3 million California residents – cash aid and employment services for families through the California Work Opportunities and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program; food assistance through the CalFresh Program; child care, residential or in-home care; and services or assistance for disabled individuals. Unfortunately, there is no change or latest update on the extension of unemployment benefits as of today May 2, 2014. Please check out resource below to help with your unemployment situation. California Department of Social Services (CDSS) The CDSS administers or oversees programs that help nearly 3 million California residents – cash aid and employment services for families through the California Work Opportunities and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program; food assistance through the CalFresh Program; child care, residential or in-home care; and services or assistance for disabled individuals. There is no additional information regarding the extension of unemployment benefits beyond December 28,2013 for those who have exhausted their unemployment benefits. Per EDD website, there are some congressional activities to potentially reauthorize Federal Extension Benefits. Plans to extend federal unemployment extension benefits may be up for another vote in late March 2014. Although Senate members have reached some preliminary agreements to extend the federal extensions, there have been no final decisions made. Let us keep our fingers crossed extension will come soon for those who desperately need the unemployment benefits. Here is the latest from CA Employment Development. As of December 28, 2013, the federal unemployment extension program has ended. Unless Congress and the President agree to renew the extensions, no more federal extension benefits can be paid for weeks ending after December 28, 2013. CA EDD has notified more than 222,000 long-term unemployed individuals with extension claims in California that they will lose their federally funded extended unemployment benefits at the end of 2013 unless Congress and the President agree to renew the extensions. The budget currently being considered in Congress does not include an extension of federal unemployment benefits, which are scheduled to end on December 28, 2013. The EDD sent out notices advising affected claimants that the week ending December 28, 2013, will be the last week any federal extension benefits can be paid, even if someone is still unemployed and/or has a remaining balance on their extension. That means unless Congress acts there will be no phase-out of these benefits – all federal extension payments will come to an end at the same time. Approximately one-third of the more than 712,000 people currently certifying for unemployment benefits in California are long-term unemployed who receive federal extensions. The EDD is closely monitoring the situation in Washington D.C. for any changes to the scheduled shutdown of these federal extension benefits. In the event Congress does enact legislation within a reasonable time, the EDD is poised and ready to issue the required continued claim forms immediately. EDD is keeping track of the claimants who are currently collecting EUC benefits. So if extensions do continue, EDD will automatically file and send out the forms - claimants would not need to contact the Department. For additional information, please go to CA EDD For those outside of California, please go to your local unemployment website for most up to date information regarding unemployment extension.
Updated: Information on sequestration cuts and impacts to benefits. Congress and President Obama have authorized the federal extensions of Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits through the end of December 2013. The maximum potential weeks available are up to 73 weeks, including up to 26 weeks of state-provided regular benefits and up to 47 additional weeks of federal extension benefits. The dollar amount available on federal extensions is now being cut due to required federal sequestration cuts. These cuts do NOT affect regular unemployment benefit amounts. Sequestration Cuts As part of sequestration, Congress requires that all states cut the benefit amounts of the federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation, or EUC, program. In California, this means a cut of 17.69% on the weekly and maximum benefit amounts for all new federal extensions (tiers 1 through 4) filed with an effective date of April 28, 2013, or after. The cuts will NOT be implemented for unemployed individuals collecting benefits in the middle of a federal extension tier. The cuts will only be taken at that point in time when the individual starts a new extension tier. Please go to the California EDD website or your designate state unemployment website for specific information regarding the mandated reduction in unemployment weekly benefits. To help you figure out whether you are still eligible to receive extended unemployment benefits, please see the Federal UI Benefits Chart from CA Employment Development Department. Go to Unemployment Assistance
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