Strain on aid agencies rises with jobless extensions stopped, By Sean F. Driscoll, July 14, 2010, Rockford Register Star: “All Kim Adams-Bakke has to do to judge the effect of lapsed unemployment benefits is listen to the chatter in the Rock River Valley Food Pantry’s waiting room. ‘I hear a lot of people talking about them and what will happen if the extension doesn’t go through,’ said the pantry’s executive director. ‘We know this is affecting us.’ It’s been 44 days since funding for 73 weeks of unemployment extensions lapsed, with efforts since to revive them ending in congressional stalemates. The benefits are in addition to the 26 weeks’ coverage offered by the states. More than 100,000 Illinoisans have prematurely exhausted their benefits before being able to take advantage of the four tiers of extensions available. Although a Senate vote on the funding is expected next week, it’s far from a sure thing that Democrats will garner the 60 votes they need to overcome a filibuster and pass the measure. The uncertainty has social service agencies like the food pantry preparing for the worst in the midst of an already challenging year…”
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty