Jobless Benefits – Ohio

Benefits to run out for jobless Ohioans, By Randy Tucker, June 7, 2012, Dayton Daily News: “So far this year, more than 50,000 Ohioans have exhausted their federal extended unemployment benefits, and those still receiving benefits are facing stiffer eligibility requirements. State jobs officials recently adopted two new rules for receiving unemployment checks in accordance with the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, which extended federal benefits through the end of this year. Ohio now requires all claimants to prove that they have been actively seeking work to qualify for state and federal benefits. In Ohio, federal benefits kick in after 26 weeks of state benefits have been exhausted. In the past, Ohio jobs officials conducted random audits to make sure claimants were meeting the requirement, which the state defines as making contact with at least two different employers each week. But since April, all claimants have been required to submit the names of at least two potential employers with their weekly applications for benefits, said Ben Johnson, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services…”