Virginia Poverty Law Center Press Release
April 6, 2009
CONTACT:
Ty Jones
Virginia Poverty Law Center (VPLC)
804-782-9430 Ext. 17
ty@vplc.org
With Unemployment Rates Climbing in Virginia, VPLC Urges General Assembly to Sign Stimulus Legislation to Help Unemployed
Press conference on April 7th will highlight how $125.5 million will help expand benefits to hundreds of unemployed in Virginia.
RICHMOND- Leroy Williams wants to work. Unemployed since August 2008, Williams estimates he has filled out 300 job applications with no luck so far. Working only sporadically through a temporary staffing service, Williams learned in January that the Virginia Employment Commission would no longer provide him with Unemployment Insurance benefits because of what they claim was his failure to search for work. Williams, meanwhile, walks, rides his bike and uses public transportation to try and find employment wherever he can. "I'm ready to do any type of job there is out there," he says.
The Legal Aid Justice Center (LAJC) is representing Williams in appealing the VEC claim but it, along with many other Legal Aid offices in Virginia, are inundated with clients like Williams and turn away many because they simply cannot keep up with the demand of those that need the services of Legal Aid. With a ratio of 5,000 low-income residents to just one Legal Aid attorney in Virginia, there are hundreds of unemployed men and women who may not receive unemployment benefits in Virginia, which recorded a 6.6 unemployment rate in February. There may be a light at the end of the tunnel for some of these men and women, however, if the Virginia General Assembly adopts required legislation to allow Virginia full access to new federal stimulus money for unemployment insurance.
Virginia's current unemployment system is failing on many levels and is unable to meet the demands of the growing number of unemployed workers. The Virginia Poverty Law Center, LAJC and the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis will hold a joint press conference at 11 a.m. on Tuesday April 7th at the Housing Briefing Room in the General Assembly Building to urge the Virginia General Assembly to help turn the tide of unemployment by passing legislation to allow federal stimulus money to start flowing into the Commonwealth.
"It is time for Virginia to not only be a business friendly state but a worker friendly state as well," said Ty Jones, Staff Attorney at the Virginia Poverty Law Center.
If adopted, federal stimulus money will infuse Virginia's almost insolvent unemployment insurance trust fund with much needed funds. By making necessary policy changes in order to fully access the federal money, Virginia will be able to draw down an additional $125 million to bolster the solvency of the trust fund. The new federal funding is available to Virginia in a lump sum if the General Assembly accepts Governor Kaine's recommendation to adopt certain policy changes.
The policy changes that Governor Kaine wants the Virginia General Assembly to adopt in order to qualify for the $125 million in federal money include expanding coverage to part-time workers and workers enrolled in training programs for high-demand occupations.
The Virginia Poverty Law Center strongly feels that improving unemployment insurance benefits will mean that fewer unemployed Virginians will need to access public assistance programs such as Medicaid, TANF and children's health insurance.
"More benefits will mean better chances of me getting a job and paying my bills," Williams said. "I just don't want to end up on the street," he added.