For those of you proverbial with unemployment benefit programs funded and administered by the federal and state governments, you may be one of thousands of vexed citizens worried about the roadblocks in extension of the EUC (emergency unemployment compensation) which expired as of 28th December 2013. The end of festive season has brought despair to thousands actively looking for jobs.
About Emergency Unemployment Compensation(E.U.C)
EUC is a 100% federally funded program that provides additional weeks of benefits to individuals who have exhausted regular state benefits. The EUC program was created on June 30, 2008, and has been since amended several times. Most recently, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-240) extended the expiration date of the EUC program to January 1, 2014. To date, Congress has not passed any further extension.
The Toll
A little more than 2 million long term unemployed citizens have been affected due to the immobility of Congress on extending the EUC that had become a lifeline for the unemployed, providing additional weeks of relief payment in times of uncertainty. Normally, the regular state provided unemployment compensation could be availed up to 26 weeks. This website receives numerous questions and inquiries from anxious citizens in this regard.
Asks Dan, an infuriated victim of this ordeal, “is congress playing with us as if they were god they are foreseeing us to lose everything that we all worked hard for. When will they pass the extension? Or is this a joke government is playing on us?”.
Like Dan, we receive hundreds of posts from people who are finding forums like this to voice their frustration. People who were dependent on such schemes are now unable to pay their monthly bills, buy grocery, loans seeing foreclosure and so on.
A Renewed Hope
Denizens and lobbyist groups are finding unique ways to protest by using the powerful social media. #RenewUI is their new mantra.
There is mounting hope at the end of this long tunnel that has grown out to exist for more than 75 days now. In what looks like a path breaking move, A bi-partisan panel led by Sens. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Dean Heller, R-Nev., late last week issued a statement saying they had come up with a deal to reinstate the benefits — and pay for them. The deal is for five months and already has lined up an impressive list of supporters, Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Mark Kirk, R-Ill., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Dick Durbin, D-Ill.
Remain Calm
Whilst things begin to take shape, we urge our readers and patrons to be a little more patient and keep track of national news. You can also consider finding various support and protest groups in your state and joining them which will strengthen them in their cause. Remember, you are not alone. Your ultimate goal should be to find a suitable job and accept any lucrative offers without falling much on these monetary benefits which provides temporary relief.