Restored jobless aid is on its way – State starts sending checks tomorrow

State starts sending checks tomorrow

By Robert Gavin, Globe Staff | July 30, 2010

The state will begin sending unemployment checks tomorrow to residents whose benefits were cut off during the long congressional stalemate over whether to continue federal extensions through November.

The state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development said it will have issued 50,000 retroactive payments by Wednesday, less than three weeks after Congress reauthorized the program and President Obama signed it into law. The agency estimated that about 70,000 residents lost benefits after Congress let the extension program expire in early June.

State labor officials said it may take several days for paper checks to arrive, or for banks and other financial institutions to process direct deposits. Residents who kept claims current by recertifying every week should get their checks soon.

The state will contact remaining eligible workers by phone and mail to help them update claims and get payments processed. The labor office has extended hours at its call centers and encourages people whose benefits were cut off to call 1-888-998-8418. Updates are also available at www.mass.gov/dua/ui.

Congress did not increase the time for which an individual can collect, which, with the extensions, was up to 99 weeks. Those who have exhausted their benefits may be eligible for assistance from other organizations and nonprofits operating across the state. For information, go to the “For Residents’’ tab at www.mass.gov, or call the social services information and referral line at 211, or 1-877-211-MASS.

Robert Gavin can be reached at rgavin@globe.com.

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/07/30/restored_jobless_aid_is_on_its_way?mode=PF