Staying Fit
Val Coluni has always believed in fairness. So it was natural for the Blacksburg resident to contact Virginia lawmakers when unemployment benefits for people drawing Social Security were cut last year.
See also: Reduced unemployment benefits.
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Coluni, 77, a human resources professional for 35 years, joined a contingent of AARP members earlier this year in an effort to repeal the so-called offset law that required the reductions.
And the Virginia General Assembly complied, repealing the provision unanimously.
The benefit reductions began in January 2010 when the unemployment insurance fund's reserve dropped so low that it triggered a state law cutting unemployment payments to Social Security recipients.
The law reduced unemployment benefits by half of a person's Social Security check. Someone who received $1,200 from Social Security, which is paid monthly, would lose $150 in each weekly unemployment check.
Only four other states — Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota and Louisiana — still have offset laws.
By October, about 30,000 jobless Virginians had been affected, according to Don Lillywhite, the Virginia Employment Commission's research director. An additional 4,000, including Coluni, were no longer eligible for any unemployment benefits.
"I was very angry about it," Coluni said. "I just didn't feel it measured up to my concept of fairness and equity." He joined the repeal effort organized by AARP Virginia, participating in weekly strategy sessions by telephone.
David DeBiasi, AARP Virginia associate state director for advocacy, said members contacted AARP after they lost their unemployment benefits.
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