Will End of Unemployment Benefits Impact North Carolina Workers’ Compensation?
North Carolina workers’ compensation and unemployment benefits recipients have been scrambling to prepare themselves financially for the end of some government protections. Since the beginning of June, according to the Rocky Mount Telegram, probably 20,000 NC residents have been dropped from unemployment compensation — every week!
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 270 to 153 to extend some unemployment benefits for people who have been long out of work; however, the US Senate has thus far refused to pass that measure – or any like it – into law. This dispiriting news comes on the heels of a grim jobs report in June that has prompted economists – including many traditionally chipper analysts – to voice fears that the US may be plunging into a “double dip” recession – a dangerous circumstance that could put even more pressure on workers who rely on unemployment benefits and North Carolina workers’ compensation to provide for themselves and their children.
On the upside, the North Carolina unemployment rate appears to be dropping in some key counties. Edgecombe County saw its unemployment rate fall from a high of 17.2% in January to 14.8% in May. Both the Twin Cities and Nash Counties saw better job markets – and, all told, 86 North Carolina counties saw better numbers in May. So this might be a silver lining to an otherwise grim cloud of North Carolina workers’ compensation news.
Given all the dodgy financial news, injured and sick workers more than ever need to follow up their North Carolina workers’ compensation cases carefully. Recalcitrant employers, uncooperative insurance companies and paperwork-related snafus can result in your not getting timely benefits. All sorts of secondary consequences can come off of that – including missed credit card payments and mortgage payments.
If you or a loved one has any questions or concerns about how to get benefits or keep them coming, get in touch today with a creditable and experienced North Carolina workers’ compensation attorney. Don’t wait until the electric company turns out your lights and you lose all sources of income. Protect yourself by doing due diligence and coming up with a budget and get-back-to-work plan that’s plausible and robust.
More Web Resources:
US lawmakers extend jobless benefits
Unemployment signs look better
