Hoosiers who are unemployed can receive no more than $390 a week for up to six months through Indiana's unemployment insurance program. The Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute believes the program’s length and weekly benefit cap should increase to help people meet their basic needs while searching for a job.
Institute Director Erin Macey said Indiana’s unemployment benefits are not enough to cover basic costs of living — like rent and car payments. She said everyone can benefit when someone going through unemployment is supported.
“If they are not supported, that's a mortgage that's not getting paid, that's a car that's getting repossessed, that's an employer that's making a job offer to someone, and they don't have a way to get there, so they're turning them down,” Macey said.
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She also said things like child care should be factored into how much someone receives from the state's unemployment program.
“It might be prudent to consider, having some differentiation for someone who's supporting a family, because they might need to continue paying for child care again if they want to get back into the workforce quickly,” Macey said.
Lawmakers passed a bill this year, SEA 371, to allow unemployment benefit recipients to go through a training program — which can add extra money to their weekly benefits.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story said a bill was proposed, but failed to get signed into law. That was incorrect. The language of SB 488 was added to SEA 371, which was signed into law.
Timoria is our labor and employment reporter. Contact her at tcunningham@wfyi.org.
