SALINAS, Calif. -- About 400,000 long-term unemployed people in California could lose their benefits by the end of the month if Democrats and Republicans in Washington don't come to a deal on the "fiscal cliff."
"Probably if I don't get unemployment, I'll have to go live with my mother, at 58 years old," said Beth Colwell.
Colwell can't help but let the tears roll.
She's been living paycheck to paycheck for six years now, caring for her disabled husband, and on Thursday she was fired from work.
She went to apply for unemployment benefits, even though they may not last long.
That's because, by the end of this month, hundreds of thousands of long-term unemployed people in the state could lose their unemployment benefits.
"I'm pretty emotional, because this just happened a few minutes ago. It's a drag. It's a bummer," she said.
"It's definitely a concern," said Harry Gamotan, workforce development specialist for Monterey County. "We don't have all of the sufficient resources to address all of the needs, but we will be doing everything that we can."
EDD said each person on unemployment gets a weekly average of about $297.
Still, for many families, that's not enough to get by.
"We need gas. We need food to eat. Electricty, rent, pretty much all the things that keep us alive and keep us warm," Colwell said.
She said she's praying Congress will make a deal soon, or she'll take one of the biggest hits of her life.
"It's not like I want something that I don't need. I just need a little help, so I can get another job," she said.
New numbers released Thursday show Americans applying for first-time unemployment benefits rose last week by 17,000.
