(Washington, DC) - Thousands of the District’s unemployed residents, who were about to run out of unemployment insurance benefits, have already received nearly $1 million worth of additional benefits stemming from Mayor Adrian M .Fenty’s new programs to help those who are unemployed and struggling to find work, the Fenty Administration announced today.

The new benefits funded by the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund, add up to 20 additional weeks of unemployment benefits for those who have exhausted their maximum number of weeks. A temporary addition of a dependent’s allowance of $15 per week per child, not to exceed $50, to assist families struggling as they search for work in this difficult economy is also available to District claimants. 

“There are families who are struggling trying to find work in these very difficult economic times,” said Mayor Fenty. “This additional assistance will help alleviate some of the burdens felt by many households in the District. The new programs also provide opportunities for our unemployed workers to sharpen their skills, learn a new trade, or go back to school and prepare to reenter the job market.”

The Administration’s efforts continue to focus on job training opportunities to help workers prepare for their next job, including allowing up to 26 weeks of job training for those who are unemployed to participate in education or job training programs in high demand occupations.

 According to Joseph Walsh, director of the DC Department of Employment Services (DOES), “We want to give District residents access to the resources they need, whether financial, occupational training, or educational opportunities, so that they can find a job quickly to support themselves and their family.”

Details of the new programs:

• Provide additional unemployment benefits for up to 20 additional weeks for claimants who have exhausted all other benefits sources.   This will immediately help those who are receiving extended benefits which will run out beginning at the end of August.
• Create a dependent’s allowance of $15 per child per week, up to a maximum of $50 a week, which will be in place until December 2010.
• Create a new education and training benefit so that unemployed workers can be trained in a high demand occupation or pursue new educational opportunity for up to 26 weeks while still receiving unemployment compensation.

For more information on the new benefits and education and training opportunities, visit the DOES website.