USA President Barack Obama Signed The Unemployment Insurance Extension

After long battle with the Republicans vs the Democrats, the Senate and the House approved an extension of the Unemployment Assistance for two and a half million of Americans the lost their jobs due to the recession.

You know the Republicans did not wanted to approve this bill and the USA President with Democrats were fighting to help the American people.

On Thursday, July 22, 2010 the USA President Barack Obama Signed The Unemployment Insurance Extension Act the will last until November 2010.

Here is what  Jesse Lee of the White House posted on their online blog on July 22, 2010.
Yesterday, at long last the Senate passed an extension of unemployment insurance, not only the decent thing to do but one of the most effective ways to boost our economy, as Lawrence Summers, Chair of the National Economic Council, explained. The President has pressured the partisan minority holding it up relentlessly on behalf of those who desperately needed the helping hand, and applauded Congress for overcoming that obstruction in the statement below and today sign he signed the legislation in the Oval Office. This was the President’s statement:

“Today, I signed the unemployment insurance extension to restore desperately needed assistance to two and a half million Americans who lost their jobs in the recession. After a partisan minority used procedural tactics to block the authorization of this assistance three separate times over the past weeks, Americans who are fighting to find a good job and support their families will finally get the support they need to get back on their feet during these tough economic times. Now it’s time for Congress to act on more proposals that support our economic recovery, including passing critical aid to our states and support to small businesses. Small businesses are the engine of job growth, and measures to cut their taxes and make lending available should not be held hostage to partisan tactics like those that unconscionably held up unemployment insurance.”


The White House hope to seek another extension after this one is over. The Associated Press quoted Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif who said “Unemployment benefits protect those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own but would lead to more jobs, higher wages and a stronger economy for all Americans.” She concluded “The money will be spent immediately on necessity, injecting demand into the economy, creating jobs.”


In California almost half of million of people are unemployed and per EDD (Employment Development Department) website here is what they wrote:

On Thursday, July 22, 2010, President Obama signed federal legislation authorizing further access to federal unemployment extension benefits. States are now allowed to once again start filing federal unemployment extension claims. Since early June, more than 400,000 people in California have experienced a disruption in extension benefits. Until now, they were prevented from moving into any further tier of extension benefits after their current claim ran out.

This new legislation restores access to federal extension benefits retroactive to June 2, 2010, and extends that access through November 30, 2010. It does not provide any additional benefits to the current maximum of up to 99 weeks of unemployment benefits. Unemployed individuals may be eligible for assistance to meet basic needs as well as other services such as health care, counseling, employment and training assistance. Read the Assistance for Unemployed California Residentsflyer for more information.

EDD stands ready to respond quickly to the reauthorization of extension benefits. Staff will be working through the weekend to expedite processing of retroactive benefits.

Impact for FED-ED Extension Customers
About 145,000 of our customers affected are those who were collecting on the separate extension called the FED-ED extension in California, but could not continue because under the previous law the FED-ED program ended.

EDD has been advising these customers to continue submitting completed continued claim forms in the event Congress took further action on the extensions. For those who have done so, EDD should be able to start mailing checks to eligible claimants by next week.
For those who have not submitted claim forms, EDD will be issuing forms next week so eligible claimants can certify for further FED-ED benefits. Once a properly completed claim form is received, payment can be issued for eligible customers within just a few days.
Retroactive benefits can not be paid in one lump sum, but rather in two-week increments. Checks will be issued in succession dating back to periods of eligibility from June 13, 2010, forward for each week a properly completed claim form is received.
Impact for all Other Affected Customers
The Department has been maintaining a list of the remaining 255,000 of our affected customers. These are customers who ran out of either a regular UI claim or one of the four tiers of federal extension claims over the last several weeks. Some of these claimants have already received claim forms in the event Congress took further action. EDD will automatically file the next level of extension claim for the remainder of these customers who meet the eligibility criteria for extended benefit claims. There is no need to contact the Department at this time. Staff will be working throughout the weekend so claim forms can be mailed to eligible individuals next week.

Once customers complete and mail back the first claim form, they can expect to receive further claim forms in rapid succession over the next few weeks to complete quickly and send back to EDD. The Department will issue checks for eligible weeks of unemployment until we are caught up on all retroactive weeks of benefits on these claims.
Retroactive benefits can not be paid in one lump sum, but rather in two-week increments. As soon as each properly completed claim form is received EDD should be able to process payment within just a few days for all eligible claimants who have remained unemployed and able, available and looking for work.
Any unemployment customer who was not affected by the temporary lapse in extension benefits should now be able to avoid any future disruption in extension benefits until the new filing deadline of November 30, 2010. The EDD will resume automatically filing the next level of extension claim for any customer who runs out of their regular state unemployment benefits or one of the four tiers of extension benefits. Continuing benefits will always be dependent on continuing to meet all UI eligibility requirements.
No Impact for Customers who have Run Out of Maximum Benefits
The new federal legislation does not have an effect on the more than 150,000 individuals in California who have already run out of the maximum amount of extension benefits available. That maximum remains up to 99 weeks of benefits. At this time, Congress is not considering adding any more weeks of benefits to the federal extension program.

Other Aspects of New Federal Legislation
While the newly approved legislation restores access to federal extension benefits, the new bill does not continue the subsidy for COBRA health coverage.
It also does not allow for the $25 federal stimulus payment added to each week of unemployment benefits for any new regular claim filed after May 23, 2010. For any existing claims already receiving the extra $25 payments, those payments can continue until the customer runs out of benefits or until the week-ending December 11, 2010, whichever comes first.

In another note from EDD (California’s Employment Development Department), they announced in a press release on June 2, 2010 the they have selected Bank of America to Initiate Electronic Benefit Payments benefits in California for state unemployment, disability, and paid family leave effective September 2010.

 


For more information visit CA Unemployment website at http://www.edd.ca.gov/ & The White House http://www.whitehouse.gov/

Sources: http://www.whitehouse.gov/, http://www.ap.org & http://www.edd.ca.gov/

Note: Photo President Barack Obama signs the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2010 in the Oval Office, July 22, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)


Editor’s Note: We have keeping an eye on this issue and watching the “Republicans” how they only care about them and do not care about the American people. A least the “Democrats” are more humans and they give back to community by helping and delivering their political promess. Next time when a “Republican” is asking you to vote for them, please take a minute to think TWISE because they only want power and money and your vote will help them get them but they will forget about you. Also you know the EDD staff will try to avoid for all you to get help, please ask to speak with the Director of EDD and feel free to use media outlets for unfair treatment. (Please feel free to leave your comments and no bad language).