AARP Pushes for Fairness to Unemployed Older Workers

After the Pennsylvania House Labor Relations voted in favor of House Bill 163, a measure to allow qualified unemployed workers who are receiving Social Security benefits to get full unemployment compensation, AARP Pennsylvania recognized the action to end the state's practice of discriminating against unemployed older workers. According to AARP, Pennsylvania currently penalizes these unemployed workers by forcing them to forfeit $1 of unemployment compensation for every $2 they receive in Social Security benefits. "This is an unfair situation for older workers," said J. Shane Creamer, AARP Pennsylvania State President. "These workers and their employers contribute to the unemployment compensation system just like any worker. Yet should they lose their job, they are denied their full unemployment compensation payment." Thirteen other states penalize older workers in this manner, and West Virginia and Hawaii enacted legislation earlier this year to enable older workers in those states to collect full unemployment benefits.

Source: News Release PR Newswire (May 12, 2005)