What legislature was passed which reduced unemployment benefits in 2010 or 2011?

February 6, 2012 1:13 PM

In 2010 or 2011 US congress passed some legislation which resulted in a reduction of unemployment benefits. For example, My 2 week unemployment check went from $520 to $476. What was the legislation?
posted by Charlie Lesoine to Law & Government (7 answers total)

I don't think you're looking at federal legislation here. Congress has passed several bills affecting the number of weeks of unemployment a given person is eligible to receive, but I don't seem to recall any bills affecting the specific amount of benefits available. As far as I know, that's a state-by-state matter. And unless you can give us a specific date, we're going to be largely shooting in the dark.
posted by valkyryn at 1:48 PM on February 6, 2012

In 2009, part of Obama's stimulus package was to kick in an extra $25 a week on top of a state's regular unemployment payments. Those payments stopped sometime in early 2010.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 2:00 PM on February 6, 2012

Response by poster: Well I can narrow it down to happening in 2010. I am fairly certain it was federal legislation and Obama saying it was part of some sort of compromise...
posted by Charlie Lesoine at 2:00 PM on February 6, 2012

Response by poster: @ThePinkSuperhero

Can you find a source online that says they stopped in 2010?
posted by Charlie Lesoine at 2:08 PM on February 6, 2012

Best answer: It looks like it was called Federal Additional Compensation and went through May 31, 2010.
posted by jabes at 2:11 PM on February 6, 2012

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/12/11/1471064/unemployment-checks-to-fall-25.html

There you go.
posted by mephron at 2:11 PM on February 6, 2012

The big Obama compromise w/r/t unemployment was the tax cut/unemployment extension in 2010.

This article suggests that most of the benefit cuts were enacted at a state level.
posted by Kpele at 2:28 PM on February 6, 2012