OUT OF WORK TENNESSEANS SUING TO GET BACK $300.00 UNEMPLOYMENT BONUS
NASHVILLE, Seven unemployed Tennessee residents have filed a lawsuit over Gov. Bill Lee’s decision to opt out of the federal unemployment benefits programs earlier this year.
They said in a federal complaint filed this week against Lee and Department of Labor Commissioner Jeff McCord that they struggle to survive on state unemployment funds as they look for work, news outlets reported. They are asking a federal judge to instruct Lee to reenter the federally funded pandemic unemployment compensation programs run by U.S. Department of Labor.
“This program has served as a lifeline for thousands of Tennesseans who remain affected by the pandemic,” Nashville attorneys W. Gary Blackburn and Bryant Kroll wrote.
State officials declined to comment on pending litigation.
Lee announced in May that Tennessee would withdraw from federal unemployment programs that would pay an additional $300 a week in benefit payments. The state reverted Sunday to benefits through Tennessee’s Unemployment Compensation program, which pays up to $275 per week. The added pandemic benefits puts the weekly unemployment checks go up to $575.
“We will no longer participate in federal pandemic unemployment programs because Tennesseans have access to more than 250,000 jobs in our state,” Lee stated in May. “Families, businesses and our economy thrive when we focus on meaningful employment and move on from short-term, federal fixes.”
The lawsuit says the unemployed Tennesseans have submitted hundreds of applications, mostly without getting any response. A filing on Monday asks the court to consider opening the suit to all Tennessee residents receiving unemployment assistance due to the pandemic.
Tennessee’s unemployment rate was 4.9% last month, down from 9.3% in June 2020.
Eric Matthews
July 31, 2021 at 1:31 pm
This lawsuit is a very sad thing when you turn on every corner and find jobs everywhere in my opinion they’re just lazy people just wanting free money, yes there is people that need some help. But I would say these seven do not, because anyone with common sense knowing a 40-hour week job you make more money. My Dad taught me to work for my check not not to wait on the mailman to bring it so I can stay home and play video games, I’m all for helping people that need it, some people just need a good spanking and told to grow up, and get A JOB!
Deborah Swallow
August 1, 2021 at 11:13 pm
People need to get back to work. There are wanted sighs everywhere!!!
James Turner
August 3, 2021 at 10:20 pm
Shut the fuck up eric Mathews ,and no I’m not on unemployment but my sister is and was do to the pandemic,she almost lost her life cause the previous stupid mf in the White House didn’t know what he was doing you white races mf kills me
Anonymous
August 6, 2021 at 4:52 pm
I feel like this article is rather misleading in its narrative. TN is not the only state where people have sued for states overriding federal implications. I agree they deserve it though. Why would you want to go from working a job you had to possibly go into debt to get, and had no choice to leave, to have go work at a job where you are treated like garbage and paid next to nothing just for the sake of making your state look “productive”… not to mention the risk of contracting a disease that can kill you. Why shouldn’t they be allowed to be compensated while looking for a job in their field?