Tag: extended benefits

A sign of the times: armed guards in unemployment offices

  The unemployment rate in Indiana is 9.9%, more than 4% less than states such as Nevada. Yet Indiana can see trouble coming in the form of desperate people.

 Armed security guards will be on hand at 36 unemployment offices around Indiana in what state officials said is a step to improve safety and make branch security more consistent…

  Lotter said the agency is merely being cautious with the approach of an early-December deadline when thousands of Indiana residents could see their unemployment benefits end after exhausting the maximum 99 weeks provided through multiple federal extension periods.

  “Given the upcoming expiration of the federal extensions and the increased stress on some of the unemployed, we thought added security would provide an extra level of protection for our employees and clients,” he said.

Desperate people do desperate things. What would you do if you couldn’t afford to put a roof over the heads of your family? What would you do if you couldn’t afford to feed yourself?

The story isn’t 100% accurate because starting December people who have collected just 26 weeks of unemployment can become a “99er”.