The Unemployment Extension Money & Retro Benefits Will Be Paid Soon for Some States

The unemployment extension money should be available shorty in some states and may take a bit longer in others, according to the government website, EDD. It will depend on which state you live in for the exact dates. The retro pay is due to out as early as the end of this week for some states,according to the Government website, EDD.

Staff has been put on through this weekend to get these benefits out, reports EDD. Each state is different, but most are on the same time track for getting these benefits dispersed rather quickly. Extra manpower has been hired by some states, while others are getting their old computers reprogrammed to handle the newest wave of extension benefits.

Some of the retro checks will come in one lump some, while others will disperse the retro in increments. California will not be paying the retro checks in one lump sum, but rather in two week increments, according to this government site. Other states will be passing out the retro benefits in a lump sum.

Connecticut unemployed will continue to collect the $25 additional stimulus payments if their claims were made before May 23, 2010, according to the government site for the State of Connecticut. This holds true for the stimulus for all states because the stimulus was a federal addition to the benefits. New claims will not include the $25 dollar stimulus, which wasn't much, but every little bit helped.

Unemployment benefits have been extended for all states from June 2, 2010, and extends that access through November 30, according to EDD. 99er's are not getting any extensions with this bill and unfortunately they are on their own to find jobs in an economy that has very few to offer.

This leaves 4.3 million 99ers and growing weekly, with no financial help in sight. These individuals need a Tier 5 extension. The Washington Independent reports "that the most direct way to keep the American families out of poverty is to pass a Tier 5 extension".

The bottom line is each state is handling the unemployment extension funds differently. Most of the states are scrambling to get this money out quickly, both in the weekly benefits and the retro benefits owed. Again, depending upon where you live, you may get a retro check for the complete amount owed to you in a lump some, or it may be done in increments.

According to CNN Money, some states will take longer than others. The time lapsed while the unemployment bill was debated, has rendered some of the states having to reprogram computers, which are old and have been around for an average of 22 years.

Many states have to go back manually to qualify people for retro checks. In the mean time, more homes are lost, utilities are shut off and cars are repossessed. CNN Money interviewed one man, Kevin Landry, who is living in his car since losing his apartment in San Diego because the extension was not passed quickly enough.

CNN Money reports that the states that had the unemployed continue their weekly reporting in, will most likely see their checks quicker than the other states. Even though there was no money being paid in benefits, the information was updated each week, making back tracking on these claims much easier.

The unemployed will need to check their state's unemployment agency for updated information regarding receiving their benefits. Even with the unemployment benefits extension passed, the waiting game begins again for the unemployed, who now have been granted the money but cannot get their hands on it yet to pay their bills.

Knowing that they have the unemployment extension coming to them does not do the same as having it in hand to pay their bills. The unemployed have done nothing but wait to get this bill passed and now it starts, waiting all over again. This time the waiting is for the money now owed to them. If this does not add insult to injury for the unemployed, nothing does.

References: EED, State of Connecticut, Washington Independent, CNN Money