To: President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Extension of Unemployment Benefits for Long Term Unemployed
Action is needed today (12/11/13) within hours to protect people who have been unemployed for more than 6 months.
As of Jan 1, 2014, unemployment benefits for people who have been unemployed more than 6 months will end. The average time for finding new work is still 33 weeks, 7 more weeks than basic unemployment benefits. It is even worse for people who are over age 55; this group finds new employment in an average of 49 weeks! (See AARP bulletin http://www.aarp.org/work/job-hunting/info-11-2013/the-employment-situation-october-2013-AARP-ppi-econ-sec.html)
Too young for Social Security and without young children to help them qualify for public welfare programs, unemployed older Americans are being cast adrift by omitting an extension of long-term unemployment benefits from the December 2013 Congressional Budget Compromise.
Action is needed in the next few hours to help people who have worked hard for decades to have heat and food for the additional weeks it takes to find new employment.
As of Jan 1, 2014, unemployment benefits for people who have been unemployed more than 6 months will end. The average time for finding new work is still 33 weeks, 7 more weeks than basic unemployment benefits. It is even worse for people who are over age 55; this group finds new employment in an average of 49 weeks! (See AARP bulletin http://www.aarp.org/work/job-hunting/info-11-2013/the-employment-situation-october-2013-AARP-ppi-econ-sec.html)
Too young for Social Security and without young children to help them qualify for public welfare programs, unemployed older Americans are being cast adrift by omitting an extension of long-term unemployment benefits from the December 2013 Congressional Budget Compromise.
Action is needed in the next few hours to help people who have worked hard for decades to have heat and food for the additional weeks it takes to find new employment.
Why is this important?
I am affected by the discontinuation of benefits for people who have been unemployed for more than the basic 26 weeks of unemployment coverage. I am over age 50 and encountering the age barriers to getting new employment and find that there is not social safety net available for people between ages 50 and 62 who are not caring for young children.