CONGRESS PASSES UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS EXTENSION

After much foot dragging, President Bush has finally signed a bill to grant extended unemployment benefits for long term laid off workers. With California's unemployment rate now third highest in the nation, these benefits will help maintain the needed safety net for the 1.6 million laid off workers who have exhausted their unemployment claims.

To be eligible for up to 13 weeks of extended benefits, workers must:

• Have had a valid Unemployment Insurance (UI) claim that began on or after May 7, 2006;
• Be fully or partially unemployed on or after July 6, 2008;
• Have exhausted their regular UI claim;
• Not be qualified to file a new UI claim;
• Meet all other regular eligibility criteria.

To find out if you are eligible for an extended unemployment insurance claim, you may apply online at the Employment Development Department's Internet Web site, www.edd.ca.gov, or call the telephone numbers listed below.

EDD will begin to take claims on Sunday, July 6th. Extended benefits will be available for workers who exhaust their claims up to May 2009.

The EDD anticipates high call volumes so you are encouraged to apply online.

EDD TELEPHONE NUMBERS:

• ENGLISH: 1-800-300-5616
• SPANISH: 1-800-326-8937
• CANTONESE: 1-800-547-3506
• MANDARIN: 1-866-303-0706
• VIETNAMESE: 1-800-547-2058
• TTY (NON VOICE): 1-800-815-9387

For other resources for dislocated workers see the Federation's Workforce and Economic Development's newly available Toolkit for Lay Off Aversion at http://www.wed-works.org/Tool-Kit.pdf

For more information on the new bill: www.edd.ca.gov/Unemployment/Extended_Benefit_Information

EDD INTERNET SITE: www.edd.ca.gov