Part of Obama’s 2009 stimulus package was extra funding for states to extend the length of unemployment benefits if necessary. Most states have a fixed number of weeks available for benefits but can increase the number of weeks if the economic climate is bad enough. This is usually measured by the unemployment rate.
The unemployment rate in Tennesse was 9.9% for April 2009 which is up from 6.0% in April of last year. This is the highest unemployment rate in 25 years. Tennesse has qualified for $141 million to pay for extended benefits as well as upgrades to the benefit infrastructure.
What unemployment benefits are available now?
Currently Tennessee will pay benefits for 26 weeks which is the normal payout period. There is another 33 weeks which is available because of the 2009 stimulus package for a total of 59 weeks.
Unemployed workers can get up to $275 per week in benefits plus a bonus $25 a week from the federal government for a total of $300 per week.
Will the unemployment benefits be extended by another 20 weeks?
[edit - please note that this bill has been passed]
Currently there is a bill called HB 2324 which if passed will increase benefits by up to 20 weeks. If the claimant has any children the bill will also add on $15 per week per child up to 3 kids. This bill has not been made law yet but you can check on the status of the bill here. At the moment (May 22) it says that it is scheduled for the Finance, Means and Ways committe for May 27. This bill was first introduced on Feb 26 so it is taking a long time.
Once the bill is passed by the FMW committee then it will go to the house and senate and lastly the governor.
There is a very good chance that unemployment benefits will be extended by 20 weeks however the slow machine of politics means that it might take a while.
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.
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If you are – or if you know – a 99er (exhausted maximum benefits) in Tennessee who is suffering without a job or benefits, please contact me and I will put you in touch with this TV journalist.
This is an important story bcause it will reach millions of viewers and be discussed all over the United States the next day.
Please consider doing this for the good of all 99ers! It will not be a live interview, it will be taped, so it is not like “being on the spot”, they can do re-takes etc..
Please help if you can!
If you reply to this message, please put “99er From Tennesseee” in your email subject line and send it to unemployedactiongroup@yahoo.com.
Sincerely,
Michael White
UWAG President
http://unemployedworkersactiongroup.webs.com/
Unemployment finally got mine fixed this week, so I got my past weeks checks to catch up today. I just got 3 more letters today, where I had applied for a few jobs and they said they filled the positions. That seems to be all I get anymore. I just wondered if others are getting letters/emails where the positions they apply for are filled? I am 100% sure now its age
I’m 49 now, and I am as good of a worker now as I was when I was 17, but they will not give me a chance. When I was working, all the young ones were on facebook all day and texting…tell me how they are better worker’s than us?
Cinde…I am a few years older than you and I get the same response. I was laid off and all the young girls were kept because they worked for less money. Well guess what?! That company just closed and filed bankruptcy! We older ones work harder and produce more, leave the phone and computer at home. I would have gladly worked less days just to keep off unemployment and stay busy keeping business going and customers happy.
Money just got in the way. What goes around comes around and you get what you pay for! Good Luck in your job search I truly believe these companies will come around …it just may take them some money loss to understand!
Does anyone know how unemployment applies if you go back to school. I am on EB and have been unable to find a job-gonna try and go back to school if I can afford to. Thank you- I don’t know what I would do without this site.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/08/17/2010-08-17_fox_news_host_glenn_beck_some_unemployed_99ers_should_be_ashsamed_to_call_themse.html
Can you believe this is what we’re up against? This from a guy who made $400,000 when he was 24. I don’t think that was from “a job he hated.”
Glenn Beck has a message for the chronically unemployed: You’re a bunch of un-American losers.
The Fox News host thinks some 99ers — those who have used up their 99 weeks of unemployment benefits—should be embarrassed to call themselves Americans, the Huffington Post reported.
“Have you heard of the 99ers?” Beck asked on Monday. “Some of these people, I bet you’d be ashamed to call them Americans.”
I’ve been thinking about this quite a bit. Originally I was saying that 99 weeks was plenty and everyone should just quit whining about it. Now I am not so sure. If it was Government actions that caused all of the jobs to start drying up then it is the Governments responsibility to fix the problem. It certainly seems that actions by our own Government caused the economy to start collapsing. I guess what I am saying is that Washington broke it and Washington should fix it, even if it takes 200 weeks of Benefits to make it all come out right.
JamesinShelby,
I am ashamed that America has turned its back on its own. We can raise millions for other countries (Haiti for example), but we have hardworking AMERICAN citizens going hungry, losing homes and doing without thanks to our great government. We have worked hard all our lives just for companies to downsize, move and close. Its AMERICA’s fault the unemployed are unemployed. I get soo tired of hearing how sorry we are, how unamerican we are. I have been at my lowest low with being unemployed and unable to find a job. Things need fixed in the United States government, jobs need to be made/created and of course the politicians make promises they cant seem to keep. I will get off my soapbox now, but let some of them live like we do and we will see how quickly the promises they made are promises kept.
This is getting so hard to understand. I’m on reg. benefits but if they don’t run out, does that mean I will not get EB at all or if you became unemployed this year and run out after Nov. 27th you want get any EB. That is not fair or right. Times are tough and even if you have been unempoyed for 99 weeks you might have been employed for 22 years and you should have benefits. That is so bad for anyone to say you are a loser if you are 99er. That is not true. Yes, some people might use the system but I might be a 55er but I have applied for well over 500 jobs and nothing , maybe three interviews!!! It totally… depressing but w all have to stick together and help and the G needs to help as well even if yyou have to turn in where you applied and make some of these employers pay as well.
November is the brick wall. You can finish what ever Teir your are on after the cut-off date but that is it. Technically the program has already stopped. The most anyone starting a new claim now can draw is 26 weeks.
I received unemployment for 79 weeks, it stopped in June. I just went and applied for the 20 weeks of EB, they told me that it would take 2 weeks for me to get a check and that I could only collect until the end of November. I have certified for two weeks now. No check. I call Sunday to certify and they say my benefits have been exhausted? Does anyone know what that is about? So, I have not received a check or a letter.
Steve, so if your on reg benefits will you draw a new teir if you finish those by Nov. 20th. and will draw that comletely out?
Thats the way I understand it. If you have started a new Teir before the cut-off date in November you will be able to finish it. It would be possible to draw benefits until March if the dates fall right for you. But that doesnt go for EB, that has a different cut off date.
But anyone who has just started full regular benefits doesnt have enough time to draw them all out before the Nov. cut-off. So basically the extensions have already stopped. Everyone now is just phasing out.
Steve – Please help me understand. My first 26 weeks ends in three weeks. Will I get any additional benefits and if so, what do I need to do to continue them? Do they just continue and all I need to do is continue to do weekly certifications? Sorry for the ignorance, but i just am not sure what to do or if any benefits will continue. Thank you for your time.
Keven,
I’m no expert but I have been thru the system. Unless there is an unknown problem you will automatically transition into the next tier of benefits. I think “Tier One” is 20 weeks. But that will be all you can get because you can’t transistion to “Tier Two” before the November cut-off. So unless there is a problem you should get 23 more weeks of Benefits without doing anything. But I always called to make sure.
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