KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe News Weather, Video - Unemployment Benefits a Step Closer to Being Restored
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WASHINGTON (AP & KTVN) -- The Senate has passed a bill restoring unemployment benefits to millions of Americans who have been out of work for six months or more.
President Barack Obama is poised to sign the measure into law after a final House vote on Thursday. It's a welcome relief to 2 1/2 million people who have seen their benefits expire.
The measure had once been considered routine but got caught up in a months long battle between Democrats and Republicans over whether jobless benefits should be financed with additional federal debt or with cuts to other programs.
Officials in some states say retroactive payments could go out to some beneficiaries as soon as next week. In other states, those who are jobless may have to wait a few weeks.
Here in Nevada, the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation says, "Within seven to ten days of the bill passage, claimants will start receiving letters stating they are on the list of individuals potentially eligible to receive extended benefits. The letters will have specific instructions to prevent claimants from waiting unnecessarily on the phone lines. Claimants are asked to refrain from calling telephone claim centers until they receive this notification in the mail, signaling that their claim has been automatically reopened; the new funds have been added and that the agency is now ready for their weekly claims to be filed."
Stay with Channel 2 News for the latest details on this Developing Story.
