House votes to extend benefits for AZ jobless
Earlier this month, President Barack Obama signed legislation providing the extension
in benefits, and the Arizona Department of Economic Security has sent notification letters to those eligible for at least
one additional week of benefits.
Of the more than 57,000 people, more than 7,796
had already exhausted their unemployment benefits
and might now be eligible for additional payments. Steve Meissner, the DES's director of communications, said it is imperative
for those who have exhausted their benefits to begin filing immediately.
Much about
the extension has yet to be determined, including how many additional weeks each recipient will receive, he said.
"It's
going to vary all over the lot because of the nature of what Congress did," Meissner said. "They had to pass a one-size-fits-all
bill that covered a lot of different circumstances. It's going to be different for everybody. The amounts are going to
be different. The length of time that they're eligible for … and there's some conflicts that Congress has to
sort out."
Because of the way the legislation is written, the extension in benefits
may end Dec. 31, he said.
"This is a very complicated situation, and we're
having great difficulty figuring out how it applies to everyone," Meissner said. "We sent out one letter, and everyone
gets at least one week, and they'll be another letter to a lot of the people saying they also get additional weeks."
The impact of the federal law will differ based on several factors, including how many
weeks of unemployment benefits the person has already received, he said.
"If you're already getting
the benefits, the letter will simply state how much additional benefit you will qualify for," Meissner said. "If
you had exhausted your benefits, you will get a letter saying how many weeks you are now eligible to receive, even though
you had previously exhausted your benefits."
Persons who either have been notified
that they may be eligible for the additional benefits or believe they may be eligible for these benefits should file a claim
immediately. Individuals who receive a paper weekly claim must use that form. Those who do not receive a paper claim can file
online atwww.azui.comor call (602) 364-2722.
"The people receiving this letter should be getting
them by the end of this week," Meissner said. "We're gearing up for a big response."
