Hundreds in Burke may see jobless benefits resume soon

By Steve Welker
Published: July 26, 2010

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Morganton, NC --

Hundreds of jobless Burke County people will see their unemployment-insurance benefits resume soon, perhaps this week.
President Obama on Thursday signed into law an extension of emergency unemployment benefits.
“We don’t know exactly how many in Burke County will be affected,” said Andy James of the N.C. Employment Security Commission, “but probably it will be hundreds, and across North Carolina, thousands.”
N.C. ESC pumped more than $1.6 million into Burke County’s economy in May, paying state and federal unemployment insurance benefits to more than 1,400 displaced workers.
The stream of dollars slowed down after June 2, because the U.S. Congress refused to renew extended benefits that gave some people up to 99 weeks of assistance while they were jobless. Since early June, 900 to 1,100 people in Burke County, by unofficial estimates, have received no benefits — an average loss per person of $2,100 for the seven weeks.
The flow will resume soon, perhaps as early as this week for some people, said James, the N.C. ESC spokesman. Other state officials said it might be a few weeks before everyone gets payments.
“Hopefully, because it’s just a continuation of an existing program, it will move very quickly,” James said.
N.C. ESC expects guidelines soon from the U.S. Department of Labor about how to distribute the funds, including payments retroactive to the week of June 2.
After Congress OK’d retroactive payments in the past, people saw lump-sum amounts paid straight into their bank accounts or credited to state-issued debit cards.
“In the past, that has happened,” James agreed, “but it may not. At some point, though, people will get the money that they’re owed.”
Congress did not add more weeks of coverage. The maximum still is 99 weeks in North Carolina, the same as it has been since November when Congress expanded the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Program.
Congress did not change eligibility rules, either. Someone who exhausted his or her jobless benefits will not become re-eligible because of the extension.
However, for people unemployed since November 2008, if they had enough employment credits from previous work, the new law means they may be able to collect benefits until Nov. 6 when the new law expires. “May” is the key word.
“Every claim is different,” James said. “We hope we have identified a lot of people who will get some of this benefit,” but some are special cases. When in doubt, people should contact a local N.C. ESC office or seek more details on the website www.ncesc.com.
According to that website, people in Burke County received $55.5 million in unemployment-insurance benefits from July 2009 through June.
Burke County had 4,900 people out of work and seeking jobs in May and June. Some 1,430 per week got assistance in May — including about 350 people who exhausted their benefits that month — and 1,300 per week received payments in June. The average was $283 per week.