Reed bill would extend unemployment benefits
6:15 PM Fri, Sep 19, 2008 | Permalink
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By Lynn Arditi Rhode Island residents who have run out of their unemployment benefits could qualify for another round of federal benefit extensions under legislation introduced into Congress and authored by U.S. Sen. Jack Reed. The latest proposal would provide up to seven weeks of extended unemployment insurance to jobless Americans who have exhausted their benefits, according to a statement by Rhode Island Democrat Reed's office. States with unemployment rates above 6 percent could receive an additional 13 weeks -- or up to 20 weeks -- of extended federal benefits. The national unemployment rate in August was 6.1 percent. Rhode Island's unemployment rate last month jumped to 8.5 percent, and the state unemployment rolls swelled to 48,800, the highest level on record, according to the state Department of Labor and Training. The last federal benefits extension, announced in July, was part of a spending bill that included money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. About 3,200 unemployed Rhode Islanders will have exhausted their federally funded extended unemployment benefits by Oct. 4, the department's assistant director of income support, Raymond A. Filippone said. Many of them will then be eligible for the 13-week benefit extension provided under the state program. In Rhode Island, state unemployment benefits are financed 50-50 by state and federal unemployment insurance taxes paid by Rhode Island employers. The latest proposal would ensure that the cost of the additional benefit extensions for those who exhaust their federal benefits will be financed entirely by the federal government. "Without this legislation, hundreds of thousands of Americans are expected to run out of their current extended benefits in October and 1.1 million are estimated to run out by the end of the year,'' the statement reads. Besides Rhode Island, the other states with high unemployment rates that would eligible for up to 20 weeks of extended federal benefits include: Alaska, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee. In Rhode Island, unemployed residents who exhaust their federal benefits extension and can't find work can apply for an additional benefit extension of up to 13 weeks. Rhode Island's unemployment benefits replace about 60 percent of gross, taxable earnings up to a maximum of $513 per week. For people with children, the state also provides a dependency allowance. Due to the high volume of calls recently, the state has extended the hours during which the unemployment insurance division staff are available to assist customers with filing claims for regular and extended benefits. The call center will be open today9/20 and next Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon. For more information, go to www.dlt.ri.gov or call (401)243-9100. 
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Thank God for Sen.Jack Reed God bless him.
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It is normal for everyone to encounter some unexpected events in their life. Having emergencies such as unemployment, accidents affecting ability to work, healthcare emergencies, natural disasters, etc. The only way to be financially prepared for such events is by accumulating enough cash to see you through the hard times.If you do not have an emergency cash reserve, you may be forced to resort to debt to finance through financial crises. A lot of different industries are clamoring for emergency cash or for payday loans in this recession. The news about the economy is continually getting worse and worse, however, there are industries out there that are actually flourishing despite the current climate. Recession, as it turns out, hasn't hurt retail, discount, and food industries that bad at all. In perhaps one of the most interesting, but not surprising corollaries, video game sales have been steadily rising with the unemployment rate. Some of the things in this article on the payday loans blog about industries that do not need emergency cash is somewhat surprising though.
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please help its been weeks since any income. starting to get desperate.I call all day long ,one after another, with just a busy signal. running out of essentials. help
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help,things getting desperate.need emergency unemploy. benefits.call all day for 3 weeks /just busy. help someone!
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I was told today that my "State Extended benefits" has ended. Therefore, I will not receive any monies from here on out. I am in an approved NetWork RI educational program and was exempt from looking for work while attending classes. We are only half way through this course as of today and then there is the wait period to take the state boards. I thought that I didn't have to worry about the benefits until I had completed this course; however, it seems I do. Does anyone know if they are going to give another state extension?
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