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Extended Benefits 071510

Currently, if you are receiving a one of the tiers of Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC), you will be able to receive these payments until your current tier expires.
Once your current tier of EUC is finished, or if you have already received all of the benefits possible under EUC, you may be eligible for joint state / federal Extended Benefits (EB).
There are currently 12 states offering Extended Benefits:

These figures for Extended Benefits are updated weekly, and are based on state-specific criteria, including the unemployment rate in your state.

Here are some answers:

What is the COBRA subsidy? The COBRA subsidy is designed to help you pay for health insurance during unemployment. It pays for 65% of the cost of your COBRA premiums.
Who is eligible for the COBRA subsidy? You can get subsidy if you were laid off between September 1, 2008 and May 31, 2010. The subsidy lasts for up to 15 months.
What happens after 15 months? You can stay covered under COBRA for another 3 months (more in some states), but you will have to pay 100% of the premiums. For example, if you are currently paying $350 per month under the subsidy, your premiums will increase to $1000 per month.
Where can I find less expensive health coverage? While the benefits from COBRA are great, the cost is often too high. Take a look at our article Health Coverage Help During Unemployment for ways to find great health coverage for as low as $39 per month.

July 14th, 2010.

Millions of people are waiting to see if Congress will pass another unemployment extension this month.

A recent article from CNN lists the Congressional “to-do list”:

Wow! Thinking about all of these items, you have to wonder about the unemployment extension legislation.

When will Congress address the unemployment situation?

Should Congress Congress give priority these other issues?

Please feel free to share your thoughts below.