Fact Sheets: Misguided Unemployment Benefit Requirements
A committee of Senate and House conferees are meeting to resolve extending federally funded unemployment assistance through the end of the year. This move will help provide struggling families with unemployed workers a measure of security.
However, there are some very troubling proposals on the table, including drug testing UI applicants and requiring UI recipients to have a high school diploma or GED or to be enrolled in training to receive benefits.
CLASP has released two new fact sheets on why these proposals are misguided (PDFs):
Unemployment Insurance: Congress Should Reject the Misguided Educational Requirement in H.R. 3630 | By Neil Ridley & Marcie Foster
House and Senate conferees are currently considering an extension of federally funded unemployment assistance through the end of 2012. The House-passed bill (H.R. 3630) that conferees are considering includes a new minimum educational requirement for Unemployment Insurance (UI) claimants. The bill would change federal law to require individuals who receive UI benefits to have a high school diploma, GED® or other state-recognized equivalent or be enrolled in classes leading to a secondary credential. If this requirement is deemed unduly burdensome, state agencies may waive it for individuals. CLASP urges conferees to reject the proposed minimum educational requirement for UI recipients and any alternative formulations of this provision.
UI Drug Testing: A Bad Cure in Search of a Problem | By Elizabeth Lower-Basch
By the end of this month, Congress must again act to extend federal unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, or millions of workers will lose access to this vital lifeline. In December, the House of Representatives proposed to attach a provision to the extension that would allow states to require workers to take a drug test before receiving benefits. Such a move suggests that workers have lost their jobs because of their own failings, not due to economic forces beyond their control. Further, no evidence supports the claim that UI recipients are more likely to use drugs than the overall population.
