Extension of unemployment benefits is good news for Connecticut

The state has been hit hard by the sharp decline in the insurance and financial services industry, which has eliminated 1,600 jobs since July.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell today welcomed news of the passage of the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008, which extends federal unemployment compensation for people whose benefits have expired.

The Act provides seven more weeks of unemployment insurance benefits in many cases, but in states where the unemployment rate is above 6 percent – which includes Connecticut – the Act provides an additional 13 weeks of benefits.

Connecticut’s unemployment rate for October, announced today, was 6.5 percent – the same as the national rate.  It was 6.1 percent in September.

The state has been hit hard by the sharp decline in the insurance and financial services (IFS) industry, which has eliminated 1,600 jobs since July.

“This much-needed, temporary boost in benefits will provide help to the breadwinners of Connecticut families who are looking for work in a very difficult economy,” Gove. Rell said. “The downturn on Wall Street has been especially difficult for Connecticut, which has such close ties not only to the markets themselves but to related businesses.

“This federal action dovetails neatly with our state efforts to provide a safety net for families caught up in a period of uncertainty and upheaval,” she added.

Gov. Rell also has directed the state Department of Labor to take any steps necessary to expedite the process of approving and distributing the extended benefits.

For More Information: http://mansfield.htnp.com/business_news/fed_extends_unemployment_benefits.html

High-tech Medicare Prescription Xpress Van is coming

Medicare RX Xpress provides assistance and eligibility screening to older individuals and persons with disabilities.

The Medicare Prescription Xpress Van will be at the Mansfield Senior Center, 303 Maple Road from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, Dec. 12.

Please call ahead for an appointment: 429-0262 (ext. 100).

The Connecticut Department of Social Services’ Medicare RX Xpress serves as an additional outreach resource for communities throughout the state and provides Medicare RX assistance and eligibility screening to older individuals and persons with disabilities.

It is equipped with:

• four Internet-connected computer workstations
• booths that ensure privacy during counseling and the interview process
• program brochures
• applications and forms for DSS- administered programs
• a wheelchair lift and handrails to enable safe boarding

More information about Medicare RX and the RX Xpress is available online at www.ct.gov/medicarerx

Posted Nov. 20, 2008

For more information see : http://mansfield.htnp.com/news/
medicare_xpress_van_coming_to_mansfield_dec_12_2008.html