(AP) -- COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina is missing out on an additional $100 million in federal stimulus dollars for unemployment benefits, and it will be months before jobless residents see the money, if at all.
The Post and Courier of Charleston reported Sunday that the money is intended to cover more women and part-time and low-wage workers who currently don't qualify for unemployment checks.
In South Carolina, the changes could provide nearly 17,000 more jobless residents with benefits.
Congress tried to entice the states to update the 1930s-era social welfare program by including $7 billion in the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. But state lawmakers declined to make the changes when they met in a special session last month to address the issue of blocked benefits.
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