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Finding work in the area with the nation’s highest unemployment rate is hard, said Imperial resident Alma Cervantes. Cervantes volunteers at Clinicas de Salud del Pueblo after finishing up a program with the Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program. The 44-year-old mother of three is set to receive her last check to subsidize her family’s living expenses, and after that she’ll have $38 a month to live off of.

A lot of people are in similar situations, looking for work while trying to stay off unemployment, and she was happy to hear that the federal government is helping out with a recent extension of unemployment benefits.

“It helps you, but sometimes it doesn’t help you because it makes you lazier,” she said.

It will give money for people to live off of, but some may not even look for work until all the money runs out, she said. Overall the extension will help out a lot of people, which is a good thing.

Millions are set to have their unemployment benefits restored after the U.S. Senate passed a bill Wednesday restoring the benefits to those who have been out of work for six months or more. It is set to go before the House of Representatives today for a final vote before being signed into law by President Barack Obama.

The change will affect quite a few people, up into the several thousands from Imperial County, said Sam Couchman, director of the county’s Workforce Training Office. More and more people have come into the office looking for help after their unemployment benefits were cut off.

The economy is starting to pick up and there are jobs being created, but not as many as there are people unemployed, he said. The Senate’s decision shows that there is a need nationwide to continue with benefits because the economy isn’t healthy yet.

The extension of benefits is probably a positive thing for Imperial County with the nation’s highest unemployment rate at 27.6 percent, he said. Some people need that help until more jobs come to the area.

Neither Couchman, nor Kevin Callori with the state’s Employment Development Department knew exactly how many people will be affected by this week’s votes, but Callori said that overall in the state 400,000 people will have benefit deadlines extended.

The measure had once been considered routine but got caught up in a months-long battle between Democrats and Republicans over whether jobless benefits should be financed with additional federal debt or with cuts to other programs.

Officials in some states say retroactive payments could go out to some beneficiaries as soon as next week. In other states, those who are jobless may have to wait a few weeks.

If passed, those in California whose benefits expired will receive claim forms in rapid succession throughout the next few weeks, according to the state’s Employment Development Department. Checks will be issued for eligible weeks of unemployment until the state is caught up on retroactive benefits.

Eligibility would be retroactive to June 2, according to the state department.

The change won’t have an effect on the 150,000 Californians — 1,038 in Imperial County — who have already run out of the maximum amount of extension benefits, as no further weeks have been added, according to the department. The maximum is 99 weeks of benefits.

Staff Writer Elizabeth Varin can be reached at evarin@ivpressonline.com or 760-337-3441.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.