Unemployed Workers Urge DC Council to Raise Unemployment Benefits

Unemployed workers and their advocates urged the DC City Council on March 7 to raise unemployment benefits and adopt other common sense reforms to benefit DC workers. “A job loss can be catastrophic,” testified Tonya Love of the Metro Washington Council's Claimant Advocacy Program. “Unemployment benefits were designed to be a safety net to offset the loss of income when they lose a job through no fault of their own. But it is a daunting task to make a living on $359 per week.” SEIU 722's Dan Fields (left) noted that "DC has a high cost of living and the benefits just don’t fit the bill.” It has been 10 years since DC last raised this benefit and since then, inflation has eaten away 20% of its purchasing power. “I hope you will raise the benefits," urged Ward 6 resident Fanny Jones (right). "$359 a week will only pay my electric and water bill. Then I have to think about, how am I going to pay my mortgage?” Click here for Drake Hagner's complete report on the Legal Aid Society's website. 

---