CONTACT: Charity R. Clark, Chief of Staff, 802-828-3171
Attorney General T.J. Donovan is calling on the U.S. Department of Labor to reconsider its legal interpretation denying Vermonters a $25/week boost in their unemployment benefits. During the last legislative session, Vermont lawmakers passed a $25 weekly increase to unemployed Vermonters. Delivering those benefits hit a snag when the U.S. Department of Labor determined the payments were impermissible based on an interpretation of the law made by staff at the Vermont Department of Labor. Attorney General T.J. Donovan is calling on the U.S. Department of Labor to reconsider its decision in light of legislative intent. He is requesting federal officials work with the State of Vermont to allow benefits to flow immediately.
“I urge the Department to use discretion and common sense and join Vermont in getting this benefit where it is intended to go as quickly as possible: to ordinary Vermonters suffering severe economic hardship in the midst of a pandemic,” said Attorney General Donovan. “The bottom line is that Vermonters can’t afford to wait. This benefit was intended to go to all eligible Vermonters, and I hope and trust that our partners in the federal government will do everything in their power to act quickly and decisively to get this money into pockets and injected into our economy,” he said.
A copy of the letter to the U.S. Department of Labor may be found here.