Senate deliberations on the unemployment extension bill has been put on hold until Senators, who are enjoying a week-long Independence Day respite, resume session on the week of July 12.
In the meantime, many unemployed Americans are left to fend for themselves without any form of unemployment benefit to rely on to meet their daily, weekly and monthly bills. Most of them are scrambling to apply for the few positions available in the job market. Any more delays to the unemployment extensions bill will only see hardship increase for the unemployed. Understandably, many are unsure of what they should do next or what options they can consider to tide themselves over.
Several sites offer good suggestions, here are some we think worthy of being considered when your unemployment benefits run out.
The Smarter Wallet, a personal finance site, recommends the following:
- For Unemployment Grants
- Local Food Banks
- Grocery Relief
- For Medications
Modestneeds.org provides “unemployment bridge grants” to qualified individuals. According to The Smarter Wallet, the grant is intended as a small emergency expense for home, child care, health insurance or car. Maximum grant amount is $1,000 or your monthly housing payment, whichever is greater. Modest Needs also offer other types of grants – back to work grants, self-sufficiency grants, etc. Since it is a grant, you don’t have to pay it back. You do need to fill up an online application form to see if you are qualified for any of the said grants.
Feedingamerica.org provides users information on local food banks – their websites, contact numbers, etc. In most food banks, food is distributed for free to those who meet a certain criteria (need, income and family size). You can contact your local food bank to see how they can help you.
The Smarter Wallet recommends angelfoodministries.com for low-cost grocery packages. For $30 a family of four can avail a week’s grocery. Orders are processed online via the site and picked up in local distribution centers. Food can be paid for by credit card, debit card, cash, money order or food stamps.
A called Partnership For Prescription Assistance (www.pparx.org) offers qualified individuals access to free or low cost medication through hundreds of public and private patient assistance programs. Use the site to search for medications and programs you may be qualified.
Here are other steps you can consider when unemployment extension benefits run out.
- Local Unemployment Office
- Tap Community Organizations
- Special Discounts from Utilities
- Help from Schools
Call your state’s unemployment office and check if you are receiving ALL of the benefits that you are entitled too. While the unemployment extension’s bill is delayed, there are still provisions from previous legislation available to some. In some cases, you can qualify for more benefits. You can also ask if there are available training programs which you can take advantage of.
Community, civic or church organizations have resources that can help the unemployed. Most of these organizations have programs that aim to help individuals in need. These organizations also serve as good networks where you can get job referrals.
Some utility companies have special programs for low income individuals or families. Check your local utility company to see if they can help you with your bills.
If you have school going kids, see if their schools offer programs that you can avail of, some schools are known to offer free lunch and or breakfast to children of qualified families.
Unemployment is a fact of life and can strike anyone at any given time. As the unemployment extension 2010 bill is still in limbo, this reality is creeping into the lives of many Americans. The most important thing is to stay positive, be resourceful and learn to ask for help, there are many people out there who would just be glad to extend a helping hand.
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Hey folks, well just saw the latest polls on CNN, course they spent like 30 minutes bashing the democrats, but the new numbers show 46 PERCENT OF AMERICANS BLAME REPUBLICANS FOR THE CRAP ECONOMY.. Course I would be willing to bet that number is probably higher, but the government controlled media likes to play with numbers.. Hey folks plz remember what these criminals have done come November, I’ll bet their counting on us ‘lazy’, ‘drug addicted’ unemployed to just forget about how these criminals are making people suffer and lose everything they have. Personally I just had to sell some things to pay our electric bill.. THANKS REPUBLICAN SENATORS, SUCH A GREAT HOLIDAY INSTEAD OF CELEBRATING, AMERICANS GET TOSSED ONTO STREETS LIKE OLD CARPET…
Like I have been posting on different sites these criminals have no problem adding another 50 billion dollars to fund 2 wars we shouldn’t be in, they have no issue adding 3.5 Billion to Haiti, but when it comes to American citizens they look at us like we don’t even exist..
Course these same dirtbags still wonder as to why our economy is down the toilet.. Gee do they need some lessons in economics?? We currently import almost anything from China, but the USA is only allowed to export a very small amount into China to sell.. Big business only pays pennies for “tariffs”, meaning companies who were once here moves their company out of the country for cheaper wages… Then they turn round and sell their products back into the USA for us to buy.. Companies that do this pay “tariffs”, well right now companies would rather pay “pennies” than pay normal wages.. Untill things like this get corrected companies will continue to leave.. DOES ANYONE ELSE REMEMBER ROSS PEROTS FAMOUS LINE BACK WHEN NAFTA WAS SIGNED IT WOULD BE A GIANT SUCKING SOUND OF JOBS LEAVING THIS COUNTRY.. GUESS WHAT FOLKS, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED.. Soon this country will be a country of low level paying service jobs..
On a final note, to all the employed people who seem to enjoy kicking their fellow American when their down.. SHAME ON EVERY SINGLE ONE OF U! Your fellow Americans are suffering, some losing their homes and everything they own… When you lose your job, and if things keep going the way they are, you will and when you do remember all those cold postings you put up and don’t apply for unemployment. It’s already bad enough to have a bunch of criminals in office who care about other countries but could care less about the typical American, but you are worse then they are.. I’m sure there are thousands upon thousands of families that have someone who has served in the military, they fought for this country for you and here’s your thanks.. A BIG MIDDLE FINGER!! THAT IS HOW YOU THANK A VET, KICK EM AND THEIR FAMILY OUT ON THE STREET!! WHAT A WONDERFUL COUNTRY..
-And when you are good and tired of the off-the-cuff glib by all the politicians (Of all parties—),AND ABUSE, AND YOU ALL ARE REALLY,REALLY HUNGRY—-A GROUP OF TRUE REVOLUTIONARIES HAS STOCKPILED THE MEANS OF WAR TO TAKE THIS GOVERNMENT DOWN TO THE BRICKS-a system of liars and impoverishment of subjugates-is not what the founding father’s had in mind,assuredly! How much abuse do you want to endure-are you ready to hang “The vestige-bandits of GOLDMAN-SAKS” from the corporate gallows towers?! When you want the serious stuff-our cause will stand ready to hang corporate America out in the wind to twist—-see you at the public event!
This is a nightmare! Thank u for the article, however all the above offices are absolutely flooded with applicants. They look exactly like applying for jobs, packed house!!! It’s unreal, even the most mundane jobs are 100 + people deep.
I’m sooooo stressed, and at the end of the month I’m homeless.
People with money treat people with out money with such distain, this whole ordeal has been such an eye opener.
I suggest it to anyone with a secure job to try it.
If you don’t understand, you’re lucky!
HELP
PASS THIS THING IMMEDIATELY, YOUR FELLOW AMERICANS ARE STARVING!!!
Unemployment benefits will end at some point. The jobs that once existed are never coming back. Hard facts but facts none the less.
I will remember this republicans. I promise you this. That I WILL NEVER vote for you, or your party. Or anyone that is affiliated with your damn office EVER again. I can not sit here and watch my fellow Americans starve over 38 billion dollars? Thats CHUMP CHANGE! I see now why children starve in this county. Me, and my whole family will vote democrat even if they nominate a retarded chimpanzee for the office. As long as it has a D; it is alright with me.
The better get this unemployment extension passed and soon. Did anyone know the congress gets the entire month of August off. Seen that on another article earlier today. This is just awful. Too many Americans are hanging by a thread. Tired of the House and Senate playing games with lives. Quit the bickering and get this passed for all the people that voted all of you in your current fine status jobs. We need some real American’s applying for these House and Senate SEATS in November elections. Get these heartless phonies out of office.
Democrats will get my vote and I am a Republican but will not vote that way…I will vote for the ones that wanted to pass unemployment and the ones who said nay Oh well looks like you will be on the unemployment line.They have hurt enough people come November let them be jobless and not rake in their big bucks pay check. They can send trillions to Afghanistan and other countries but cannot help our Americans. We should have our own commercial FEED THE AMERICANS THAT ARE STARVING BECAUSE OF SENATE
Anne I seen this to they will play with this up til November election time then they will pass it thinking they will make themselves look good b ut do you know what? It will be to late most families will be homeless by then most children will be sick and people will be on the streets. They can play their games but in all reality November is coming and they will NOT HAVE MY VOTE.
Mcconnell is in the state of Ky and they are protesting around his office. The conservatives in the state of Ky don’t play….These are people that have supported him religously throughout his many years in the senate and have been laid off by co’s such as Ford, GE, UPS, just to name a few. My only hope ( yeah right!) is that when Mcconnell gets back on the Hill, he’ll be in one piece…. You senators are a bunch of dumb asses!!!!! Now pass the extention…Can you believe that they will be break come Aug 1st….A whole MONTH…
Hey CNN….Are they paying you too….
Heard that some of the senators are being protested at their offices and the PEOPLE ARE NOT TAKING it anymore…I say pass the unemployment extention too. Americans need this to survive until they are able to get employment
I think that when the senators return on the 12th, there will be a successor (temp immediately) for the late Senator Byrd (Democrat) and should that should give those 60 votes as ndd. This interum Democrat has stated previously that this vote has already been decided. This will not be a back stabber like Ben Nelson, NV-Dem….They should get rid of that FLUNKIE…
All you people crying for more extensions and benefits are the same clowns that voted for Obama. Now you see what he is all about… HIMSELF! He dosn’t care about this country nor does he care about all of us who are suffering out here. He only cares about, himself, hambergers, golf, and vacations. He is rubbing your nose in his crap. So those who wanted his “change” you got it. Change is all thats left in your pockets and accounts. You voted for him, now suffer along why Captian O takes the U,S. Titanic even lower. I am unemployed since 12/07 so I am not bashing just stating facts.
All we have to unite. We have to learn as much as we can to educate the idiots that are not listening. We can keep telling our stories, but nobody is listening. You have to have a heart in order to care. If your God is money then you have no heart. Corporations are the ones that will be taking over and controlling our government. It is already happening. Get on these websites, read, educate yourself, and stand up. We have to have our voices heard if we want true change. Join the websites. Post everywhere, contact your congressmen and the president. It is only going to keep getting worse. We have to unite. There are 15 million of us out there and if we scream loud enough someone has to hear.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/les-leopold/whats-wall-streets-answer_b_633536.html
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/7/2/maude
http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/063010_unemployment
http://www.giveusourmoney.org
http://www.opencongress.org
http://www.senate.gov/
http://www.change.org
Teach the idiots that only listen to fox news what is really going on. This has happened before, look at the great depression and the civil rights movement. It is time for a revolution and get corporate America and greed out of the government.
Bush left a truckload of manure for O’bama and then gave Mcconnell a teaspoon to give him to shovel that s$#@ up… You repubs have left this mess forever and a day….Unbelieveble!!!!
I wanted to point out that we are not only losing jobs that will never reappear, but many people have to start over at 8 or 10 dollars an hour. Who can live on that wage in this day and age? The minimum wage should be more than 10 dollars an hour for full time workers. Average rent, car payments, phone bills, electricity, etc, will eat up that amount of pay and leave no money to spend on what this country seems to survive on: cell phones, HD TV, overpriced meals at restaurants, overpriced and average movies,etc. We are a country of people who got used to the false economy of technology. This has ruined America. Every time a company updates a software program or installs a new device many jobs are lost to machines. We need to get back to basics and force companies to bring jobs back to this country. If they don’t they can move to China or be fined huge amounts until they bring jobs home. I don’t think it’s right to expect workers to permanently have to do the job of two or three people. This country has become less attractive to live in than some countries that used to be Third World countries. God Bless America, whereever it is, it’s not here anymore.
We all post on these news blogs with venom, and rightfully so. We are no different to the powers that be, than the ant you stepped on as a kid just to see its reaction.
It does not take a federal mathematics major to see that there has not been enough jobs made to cover the 2 million that have been cut loose, and then they have the audacity to go on vacation, while my family struggles to find enough money for groceries and just biding my time until the electric gets shut off.
Remember people on unemployment once worked, we are not leeches, we are people trying our hardest to get a job, to have security.
I just hope there is some justice somewhere, punishment for all the families they have cause to go hungry and all the sleepless nights they have caused with people worrying about bills.
The bloods on their hands now.
can we just dwell on the fact that….
fired workers get no UE unless they can prove wrongful dismissal.
Part time workers who are out of work got no UE because they were not full time workers.
Workers who worked less month and were let go cannot claim UE because you need 6 months on the job to qualify.
Now consider all the illegal immigrant workers who cannot claim and who also lost jobs.
Ect, so on, ect…..
Alot of jobs were shed. Much more than are being reported.
Jack
I have something to say to you. You said that you have been out of work since 12/07. Stop and think about it buddy it was your beloved George W. Bush that put you out of work by not caring about how high the gas prices got, because the Bush family has interest in oil. It was the rising fuel prices that caused everything else to go up because of the fact of transporting raw materials and even the finsihed products went up. If the Republicans gave a damn about the people of this country they would never have allowed fuel prices to get around and over $5 a gallon. What ever happened tapping into the oil reserves that were suppose to be for the future 2o years ago. When the fuel prices started getting so high it was the future and George W. Bush would not release those reserves because then it would cut into him lining his own pockets. And as for President Obama there is no way that he can fix in a year and a half what it took the republicans and George W. Bush 8 years to mess up. Oh and by the way Jack I am neither Republican or Democrat I vote for the person that I think will do the best for our country and right now I don’t think that it is any of the Republicans.
Aimee has a good point. Good things happen to those who persevere.